Moving to Roanoke, VA (Alexandria, Salem: for sale, apartment, to rent)

[happygal0000]

Oooh, hoo, this is a touchy subject! Do you already have employment here? If not, you should secure it before you move.

It depends on where you live, I think. I agree that you should try and stay close in the Roanoke area...the more rural, well, I think you get my drift.

Like I've said before, it's a good idea to get them into some kind of sport...they have an immediate social network and it helps with the transition. There aren't a lot of bi-racial couples in SW county, so you will probably be the only one in your neighborhood.

Remember, this is a small, mostly conservative Southern town, no matter what people want to believe (or say). It's not as bad as Lynchburg (whatever you do, DON'T move there) but there's still division.

We have some really wonderful, open-minded friends but there are people here who don't like seeing white/black marriages. They won't say anything to your face, but it will impact your (and your daughters') social life. You just won't get invited.

I wish I could say it wouldn't be a problem, but I can't. My experience here has shown me that racial divides still exist here in Roanoke.

Hope this helps! If you'd like to talk more about this in private, you can send me a Direct Message.

[slave2six]

Originally Posted by happygal0000

Oooh, hoo, this is a touchy subject! Do you already have employment here? If not, you should secure it before you move.

It depends on where you live, I think. I agree that you should try and stay close in the Roanoke area...the more rural, well, I think you get my drift.

Like I've said before, it's a good idea to get them into some kind of sport...they have an immediate social network and it helps with the transition. There aren't a lot of bi-racial couples in SW county, so you will probably be the only one in your neighborhood.

Remember, this is a small, mostly conservative Southern town, no matter what people want to believe (or say). It's not as bad as Lynchburg (whatever you do, DON'T move there) but there's still division.

We have some really wonderful, open-minded friends but there are people here who don't like seeing white/black marriages. They won't say anything to your face, but it will impact your (and your daughters') social life. You just won't get invited.

I wish I could say it wouldn't be a problem, but I can't. My experience here has shown me that racial divides still exist here in Roanoke.

Hope this helps! If you'd like to talk more about this in private, you can send me a Direct Message.

I work from home and my clients are all over the US so employment is not a problem. In fact, it's one of the reasons we are moving. By getting out of California I'll be giving myself a really big raise.

My kids were homeschooled for 10 years and we are by no means the most social people on the planet. The few friends we have are lifelong friends.

If we're not going to see open hostility, that will be OK. If people are too ignorant to realize what great people we are, we don't really want to hang with them anyway. In our experience, we get more hostility from the black community than the white community. I wasn't prepared for that at first but what're ya gonna do? People are people and they all have reasons to hate someone else. If it's not the black-white thing its the Catholic-Protestant or fat-skinny, smart-stupid thing et al. It's really pathetic.

Thanks for the heads-up. I'm sorry to hear that there is even a potential of a problem but it wouldn't be the first time for us. Oddly, Saint Paul, MN was pretty bad when we were visiting. (But who wants to live in Saint Paul?)

May I ask another question? One of the reasons that we continued to homeshool longer than we intended is that the first day of high school at a public school out here, my daughter came home and told us that she was asked out on a date by another girl. The morals around here are pretty bad. What can I expect from the schools there?

[happygal0000]

Originally Posted by slave2six

I work from home and my clients are all over the US so employment is not a problem. In fact, it's one of the reasons we are moving. By getting out of California I'll be giving myself a really big raise.

My kids were homeschooled for 10 years and we are by no means the most social people on the planet. The few friends we have are lifelong friends.

If we're not going to see open hostility, that will be OK. If people are too ignorant to realize what great people we are, we don't really want to hang with them anyway. In our experience, we get more hostility from the black community than the white community. I wasn't prepared for that at first but what're ya gonna do? People are people and they all have reasons to hate someone else. If it's not the black-white thing its the Catholic-Protestant or fat-skinny, smart-stupid thing et al. It's really pathetic.

Thanks for the heads-up. I'm sorry to hear that there is even a potential of a problem but it wouldn't be the first time for us. Oddly, Saint Paul, MN was pretty bad when we were visiting. (But who wants to live in Saint Paul?)

May I ask another question? One of the reasons that we continued to homeshool longer than we intended is that the first day of high school at a public school out here, my daughter came home and told us that she was asked out on a date by another girl. The morals around here are pretty bad. What can I expect from the schools there?

We are transplants from California, too! One of the motivators was that the public schools are really great here...no lock-downs, they are allowed back packs and lockers, and, in SW county, not much violence. Ratio of students to teachers is 20:1 (in elementary school) and a bit higher in the upper grades. But not nearly the size that California classrooms had (34+:1)!

The Roanoke city schools are tougher; more fights and the students seem more divided.

My daughters' friends, who go to Northside HS (in north Roanoke county), say there is quite a bit of fighting there, but I have not personally seen the conditions there.

I can't speak for teenagers, but I would be very, very surprised if you experienced outright hostility. That just isn't the Southern Way.

By the way, I spoke to my friend last night. She is white and is married to a black man. Both of them are northerners and they have one daughter, in sixth grade. She said to tell you that they haven't had any trouble here...they live in a modest neighborhood but both of them are professionals (she's a nurse, he's in real estate) and they are treated courteously and professionally, always. Her husband's son (by his first marriage, also to a white woman) had some trouble in junior high with name-calling but she wasn't sure if it was because he is very artistic and a little wild. Middle school is hell for everyone, so maybe that's what they called him instead of other insulting words...?

As for being asked out by another girl, I really don't think that would happen here. There is a gay community but, in high school, you have to be pretty "out" to get hit on by the same sex. My daughters are straight, but belong to the Gay/Straight Alliances in their schools, but neither of them have been asked out by girls.

Speaking of giving yourself a big raise by getting out of California, the real estate prices here will blow you away!! You can get a 2500 sq ft house, in a moderate neighborhood, for about $199,000-$250,000 (or under, if you look in north county or the city or you're willing to do a little work!). I don't know what your budget is, but whatever you sell your house for in CA, you can get that same size (or larger) for WAY less. You could probably live on the difference for a while.

Gas is $2.89/gallon, milk is about $4.00/gallon.

What are the ages of your children? Are you wanting them to go to public school or are you planning to home school here, too?

Ooops, gotta go. Basketball practice is about to start and I'm the carpool mom.

[slave2six]

We could never afford to buy a house out here. We're currently paying $1,250/month rent for a small upstairs three bed 1 bath unit in Sana Ana which is primarily Mexican (not Hispanic but acually illegal aliens) and we live pretty much in the ghetto. To live in a decent neighborhood in So Cal would run us $1,700+ for the same accommodations. It's sickening. We make about $40K annually. From what I've researched, that will take us a lot farther in Roanoke than it does here. This place is crippling us.

All my girls (ages 9, 11, 13, and 16) want is a house with a yard and a dog. If we can get beautiful scenery and polite neighbors who speak English as well, that would be a bonus.

What neighborhood would you recommend for us?

[happygal0000]

Originally Posted by slave2six

We could never afford to buy a house out here. We're currently paying $1,250/month rent for a small upstairs three bed 1 bath unit in Sana Ana which is primarily Mexican (not Hispanic but acually illegal aliens) and we live pretty much in the ghetto. To live in a decent neighborhood in So Cal would run us $1,700+ for the same accommodations. It's sickening. We make about $40K annually. From what I've researched, that will take us a lot farther in Roanoke than it does here. This place is crippling us.

All my girls (ages 9, 11, 13, and 16) want is a house with a yard and a dog. If we can get beautiful scenery and polite neighbors who speak English as well, that would be a bonus.

What neighborhood would you recommend for us?

If you can live in Santa Ana, you will LOVE it here! It's so much more relaxed and safer here. I've seen people leave their cars running (unattended) while they go into the grocery store! Or to get a movie at Blockbuster! Yes, with my own eyes I have seen this. More than once. I'm not making it up.

So, what are you looking for? Do you want a house with some land, say, a couple of acres? Or just enough for the dog to run around and chase the squirrels? Do you want to rent or buy? Most of the rentals around here are apts but there are some houses for rent. Check out Craigslist and the Roanoke Times for houses to rent.

One of the nicest things about property here is that just about every piece of property has pretty scenery and has some kind of water running through it. Usually just a small stream and not a flooding issue, just natural charm.

If you want something like that, I would suggest you look on Bent Mountain in SW Co. It's up the mountain, which might be a problem for a So Californian in the winter (we get snow and ice here, especially on Bent Mtn). It's also a distance from just about everything (even gas and groceries). But if you stay within about 5-7 miles of "Cave Spring Corners" (corner of Brambleton and Electric Rd), it's not too far away and still sort of "out in the country." If you don't mind the drive, some of the houses off Bent Mountain Rd are cheaper than at the base of the mountain because they are a bit of a drive to get to. Lots of nature on the mountain!

If you are a suburbanite (need to have neighbors "next door" -- the "next farm over" is too far away), you can look anywhere in the 24018 area and get good schools and nice neighborhoods. The 24018 area incorporates both Cave Spring HS and Hidden Valley HS (both good schools). It'll also show you the listings on Bent Mtn.

You can search on Realtor.com by zipcode. Go into Advanced Search and fill in the particulars (including the zipcode). Then hit "search" and it will show you everything in your price range! Be sure you look at everything, because the square footage only shows the finished square footage, not unfinished basements, attics, or space over the garage/out buildings. Some of them are over 1,000 sq feet! So, open each one up and check them out. It may take a while, but it's better than driving around looking at them all.

I should tell you that can get more land for your money in north Roanoke Co (24019), Troutville (24175), Blue Ridge (24064), and Daleville (24083). But the trade-off is the schools. I'm afraid they are over-building subdivisions in that area and the schools are unprepared for it. And Lord Botetourt HS has lots of trucks in the parking lot out there, if you know what I mean...

I can't recommend Vinton or Salem. I guess the schools are okay; I have a couple of friends who are pleased with both schools.

What I wills say about William Byrd HS (Vinton) is that it smells funny. I know that shouldn't be a reason not to go there, but smells effect me and they might bother you, too, so I thought I'd mention it. Also, when we toured the HS, their valedictorian took us on our tour and said that she hadn't gotten a full scholarship anywhere and so she was going to attend Virginia Western (our 2-year, city college) in the fall. To me, that said a lot about the school. What kind of reputation does it have that their valedictorian can't get a full scholarship???

We didn't look at Salem, because Lynchburg spoiled me on small, snobby towns. I want to live in an area where people are welcoming and happy to have new neighbors. I didn't get that feeling from the people in Salem.

Don't look on 13th St, 10th St, or Patterson Ave. Which is really too bad, because 10th St has some of the most darling Tudors you have ever seen. But it's a really tough neighborhood.

We are having a very mild autumn, so hurry up and get out here!
happygal000

PS: It can be a good thing for your daughters to enter in in the middle of the year because both Cave Spring & Hidden Valley High schools will assign them a "buddy" to show them around and introduce them to people (and have lunch with them, a big worry for new kids).

[slave2six]

Thanks. We're stuck in a lease here until next summer.

I looked at the current listings though... Those homes are flippin' gorgeous! And the prices are just sick! I am going to work as hard as I can to get us out there.

[happygal0000]

Originally Posted by slave2six

Thanks. We're stuck in a lease here until next summer.

I looked at the current listings though... Those homes are flippin' gorgeous! And the prices are just sick! I am going to work as hard as I can to get us out there.

I understand your dilemma. Remember, school starts here before Labor Day (usually the third week of August) so try and get here in August so you can get semi-settled in before classes begin.

[red123soccer]

Hi y'all! Yes I am a southerner - from NC, but the only person in my family not to be born in VA. My family is all in the Chesapeake area where apparently they settled before the beginning of time! My husband has accepted a job in Roanoke and is already there - the kids and I will be joining him in July and I have the same questions I have seen posted here, but I am hoping for a little more information - schools! We have been advised to head to the Cave Spring area, but I'm finding that a little pricey. I have yet to see Penn Forest Elem. mentioned in this forum, but we have been told it's a great school - any input? All of the County schools look great on paper, but I'd love some parental input. My other question is about the city Magnet Schools - again they sound great on paper. I'm looking specifically at the Aerospace and/or IB schools for both Elem and Middle School. We're also looking to rent before we buy, but I don't want my kids to have switch schools in a year so I'd like to rent in the general area of where we think we'll end up. Also any suggestions on how to get my kids to meet other kids this summer? My son will be starting 6th grade and middle school is tough! I'd really like him to have a few allies before the first day. My daughter will be in 4th grade, but she's a lot more outgoing than my son. He loves soccer and as a family we love the outdoors - hiking, camping, etc. I was really excited to see Caving classes mentioned - something I've always wanted to do!

Anyway, we're looking to rent very soon (Feb) and we have a boxer (older, not destructive, just thinks he is a 10 1lb baby) who must be accomadated. We live now in a great neighborhood - neighborhood pool, tons of kids, everyone in and out of your house all day - and would like to find something along those lines. Appreciate any help and any other suggestions about where to look for homes. My husband's job is in the city closer to Vinton, but I haven't seen anything there yet to wow me - really need a garage and my husband is saying a basement is a must! Just more room to store all the junk!

Thanks everyone and I'll be waiting!

[happygal0000]

Originally Posted by red123soccer

Hi y'all! Yes I am a southerner - from NC, but the only person in my family not to be born in VA. My family is all in the Chesapeake area where apparently they settled before the beginning of time! My husband has accepted a job in Roanoke and is already there - the kids and I will be joining him in July and I have the same questions I have seen posted here, but I am hoping for a little more information - schools! We have been advised to head to the Cave Spring area, but I'm finding that a little pricey. I have yet to see Penn Forest Elem. mentioned in this forum, but we have been told it's a great school - any input? All of the County schools look great on paper, but I'd love some parental input. My other question is about the city Magnet Schools - again they sound great on paper. I'm looking specifically at the Aerospace and/or IB schools for both Elem and Middle School. We're also looking to rent before we buy, but I don't want my kids to have switch schools in a year so I'd like to rent in the general area of where we think we'll end up. Also any suggestions on how to get my kids to meet other kids this summer? My son will be starting 6th grade and middle school is tough! I'd really like him to have a few allies before the first day. My daughter will be in 4th grade, but she's a lot more outgoing than my son. He loves soccer and as a family we love the outdoors - hiking, camping, etc. I was really excited to see Caving classes mentioned - something I've always wanted to do!

Anyway, we're looking to rent very soon (Feb) and we have a boxer (older, not destructive, just thinks he is a 10 1lb baby) who must be accomadated. We live now in a great neighborhood - neighborhood pool, tons of kids, everyone in and out of your house all day - and would like to find something along those lines. Appreciate any help and any other suggestions about where to look for homes. My husband's job is in the city closer to Vinton, but I haven't seen anything there yet to wow me - really need a garage and my husband is saying a basement is a must! Just more room to store all the junk!

Thanks everyone and I'll be waiting!

In what price range are you looking to buy a house? You can still get about a 2,000+ sq ft house in SW Co (in a nice neighborhood) for under $200,000 (even better deals if you are willing to do some work or don't mind being up on Bent Mtn a ways).

However, if you are looking on Bent Mountain up more than 3-5 miles (I'd say anything past Forest Edge subdivision), it's a schlep everywhere. Even for gas and groceries. While that may not seem like a problem now, in a few years, when your children get involved with extracurricular activities and friends (Cave Spring Middle encompasses Penn Forest and Hunting Hills), it can be a real burden...especially in the winter. And it's really far away from all the teenager things: Valley View Mall, Valley View movie theatre, even going to Tanglewood Mall is about a 20-30 minute drive). My friends who live up Bent Mountain, call it, "driving to town." However, if you like rural areas, Bent Mountain is great! Quiet and peaceful with beautiful views. Oh! And cell phone reception is sketchy on Bent Mtn...anything past Cotton Hill Rd, good luck getting consistant service.

Renting is a good idea, except that finding a nice rental house is tough here; most people buy and the rentals are mostly apts. The rental houses, as a rule, are not very well-maintained or are in trashy neighborhoods (or both). I don't think you want either of those, if you have kids. Most rentals here don't accept dogs over 20-25 lbs.

Penn Forest Elementary is a very good school, but they teach in "pods" (classroom walls open up and they get together for team-taught lessons). The classes are divided with those accordian doors (so they can open and close them for lessons). This is a great environment if your child works well in large groups, is an extrovert, and likes a lot of social interaction, but would be a problem if your child has difficulty paying attention or is distracted easily -- because there is always some "noise overflow" from the class on the other side of the accordian doors...

The other thing you should know is that, if you live anywhere in the county, your child can attend any county school, for free. You have to fill out a transfer request form (and have it approved), provide transportation to and from school, and your child has to remain "in good standing" (aka: keep up their grades and stay out of trouble). This would be helpful for you, if you are planning to rent first and then buy.

The County schools don't have an IB program; they have dual enrollment classes (where you get college credit) and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. There is an IB program in Salem and the city schools. My friends in Salem have their kids in the IB program and recommend it there.

You asked about summer things to do (especially for your 6th-grade boy). You can get them involved in 4H and summer sports. And Quest Academy (427-3860) has a musical summer day camp that's incredible! Quest teaches piano, violin, steel drums, guitar, as well as singing/musical theater in a wonderful, kid-friendly, stress-free environment. You pay a flat fee for your child and that entitles them to take any/all the classes they want, all summer long. It's a great deal and they can get an idea if they want to learn a new instrument without the commitment (AND make some new friends!).

Information for 4H and Rec sports is available at the Brambleton Center (540-772-7529, 3738 Brambleton Ave, Roanoke 24018) , which houses both the 4H offices and Parks & Rec.

The Brambleton Center has information about all the county Parks & Rec activities and holds many of the classes there. They print up a brochure about the activities quarterly. They can probably send you the Winter/Spring brochure now.

4H has a week-long summer camp in July out at Smith Mtn Lake and you will need to register for it in the next month or so, registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. You can call Kathy (772-7524) at the 4H office and she can give you more information. 4H camp is really fun, right on the lake, very reasonably priced, and they ride the bus to and from -- so you just drop them off on Monday morning and pick them up at the end of the week.

Oh! The other thing you can do is to join a pool! Just about all the neighborhoods have them and you pay a family rate (determined by how many of you there are). If you want some specific recommendations, just let me know. There are too many neighborhood pools to write them all down right now.

I'm glad that you are an active family, because sports are REALLY important thing here. Even if your kids just do rec sports or take some kind of sports classes (martial arts, dance, swimming, running, tennis), that will help with their social lives. Probably the first thing your child will be asked is, "what sport do you play?". Hollins Univ. and Roanoke College have some great summer sports clinics that are like day camps -- you have to take them and pick them up each day, they can be a bit pricey, and your child needs to have a good grasp of the game.

If your son is planning to try out for school sports, be sure you have a doctor's release form, dated after May 2008, and check with the schools because some of the tryouts are held in the summer. And they don't make exceptions for new students if you miss the tryout deadline, no matter how good they are. If they do miss the tryout deadline, sometimes the coach will allow them to be the team manager. Then, your son would get to know the coach and the team (and that helps when he tries out the following year). He would usually get to work out with them and travel to all the games.

The other thing you can do is get involved in a church community right away. Being a southerner, I'm sure you know that most of the social lives revolve around church activities and Youth Group (and in the summer, Vacation Bible School). I don't know what your religious interests are, but we would recommend Covenant Presbyterian church (540-989-3314, 1831 Deyerle Road, 24018). They have a great Youth Group and Youth Minister, amazing music directors (that's why we joined) and very kind and open-minded, co-pastors, Bob and Dusty Feidler. Here's their website: Covenant Presbyterian Church, if you want to check them out.

I hope I've been able to give you some helpful information. If you have any other questions, or need more specific information, feel free to write!

happygal000

[red123soccer]

You are good! That is fantastic info and especially about Penn Forest as that is the school people (who have lived there) keep telling us is great. It sounds a little like Montessorri - my kids did some preschool there and while it was fine for my daughter, not fine for my son - too busy.

I'll definitely get checking on the schools and what their deadlines are - we are in year-round right now and don't end classes until June 30th so I'll have to really pay attention. The Brambleton Center sounds great - I'll check them out tonight! Quest sounds great too! Both my kids have acousitic guitars, but no one knows how to play them! This sounds like the perfect opportunity to learn if I don't go deaf first! Guitar Hero doesn't count!

The house I'm in right now is 3700 sq. ft. I don't need something that big, (too much to clean!)and I definitely don't mind doing some fixing up, but I'm going to have a hard time with anything under 2800sq ft. and I don't want to pay 400-500,000 for it. I was floored by the house prices in SW county! I really want a great neighborhood - friendly,lots of kids in different ages - we live in a huge melting pot and I love it. We have a neighborhood pool that we live in - in summer and I'm glad to hear that the neighborhoods up there have the same. We have a couple of family beach places (Nags Head and Wilmington) and will spend a fair amount of time there this summer, but I really want the kids to have the opportunity to meet so friends. Neither one of them is interested in going away to camp just yet, so I'll have to look into day camps. I work now as a preschool teacher at a Baptist Church, but I'm not planning on doing anything once we get up there for about the first year until the kids settle in.

My family is Methodist, but thanks so much for the link - we're open to new ideas and may try them out. My husband was Baptist and I was Episcopalian, so we compromised! My son is a little shy - except playing soccer or video games, so I'm having a hard time getting him to go to youth group here, but maybe I'll have better luck up there if he can find someone he knows to go with. We have so many churches and everyone is so diverse, we just about all go different places on Sunday morning and he's not close to anyone at our church now.

Do you know of a good place to find a map that shows the neighborhood divisions? You were talking about Bent Mountain, but not to go too far and I have no idea of what I'm looking at when I'm searching for houses online. What about townhouses as rentals? Will I have better luck there? My husband is ready to just get a corporate apt., but I don't want to have to walk the dog all of the time - he and the kids, need room to run!

Thanks so much again for all of your info - I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again with more questions!

My parents have a place in Fancy Gap and we'll be up there next weekend and we're "coming to town" on Saturday to look around. Any suggestions? I'd love to drive through different neighborhoods and get a feel. I looked at Franklin County since it seems to be talked about a lot, but was not impressed by the school's overall test scores. Roanoke schools do seem great!
My husband ate at a Cajun place last week that he loved and I'm looking forward to trying out some places downtown.

Back to HGTV and how to stage a house!