Boones Mill Area (Roanoke, Lynchburg, Blacksburg: for sale, real estate, 2009)

[jtmm1333]

Hello, My wife and I live in RI, I made her move here when I left the army in 82. RI was awesome then, but this state is horrible now, cost to stay here is out of control, and the state politicians are so corrupt it's sad! so we went my wifes Family reunion, stayed at Riverhaven, on 18 acres in Hillsville, I thought I was in heaven, every morn got up with my iced coffee and watched Deer and the mist rise over the mountains, My wife works in the Ins area. I am retired we have to wait 2 years fro my youngest to Grad, we stayed in Hardy, one nite loved it, by West Lake Golf course, my wife and I looked at each other and said we have to come here, Was going to go to tampa area but not after a week in VA. So we are putting an offer in on some land 12 acres in Boones Mill, White Oak Sub Div. so i hope someone can give us some info on the area, would love to be in hardy but I thought it was a little higher there. need help with well drilling and septic. Fig I grab lot now. so any input would be appreciated thnx

[seanpecor]

That's a good lot with some privacy and the price is right, depending on how well the soil tested. I live in the Boones Mill area so if you've got any specific questions I'd be happy to answer them.

We have about 32 acres of our 128 acre horse farm I'm working on getting ready for sale in Boones Mill but as an example I'll be asking in the neighborhood of $10K/acre so if I'm looking at the right lot you're offering on then you'll be paying around half that per acre. It's interesting how the Boones Mill area is playing out with respect to land prices. East of Route 220 in the White Oak area land values are half what they are here West of Route 220. I'm not sure why; views, maybe? Here is our view, and the 32 acres will have a similar vantage point.



I don't think that entirely explains the land prices, though. One issue to look into is that "eventually" I-73 will tear right by the White Oak area. It is supposed to cut east from Route 220 at Crowell Gap Rd, head towards 116 and then follow 116 south. Depending on how close your lot is to 116, you may hear highway construction noises and perhaps be a bit too close to the interstate for comfort. On the other hand if you're some distance away from 116 then you may never notice the future I-73 (if it ever gets built) and it might ramp up your land values in 10 years or so (less important for you, maybe more important for your kid's inheritance).

Another observation I've made is that open land lots are selling more slowly than wooded lots. Many people moving into our area really appreciate mother nature and want to be surrounded by it, hence the drive toward a wooded setting with some views.

Sean

[FC2CLT]

sorry to break the news to you but my parents just bought 12 acres in white oaks along with the 10 behind it. i dont think that hardy is that pricey, probably just stuff on the water.

have you contacted a realtor yet? if not i can recommend a great one!

[seanpecor]

Doh! Maybe there is another 12 acre lot in White Oak

My two (well, three) favorite realtors are Angie Mcghee of Quality Realty and George and Cindy Loyd of Coldwell Banker. They both live in Boones Mill and they're all three very nice folks. Angie is younger, more independent and heavily wired into the 'Net. I suppose she represents the new breed of agent. George and Cindy are awesome, well established, and have major connections to the development and real estate community.

I've decided to sell my 32 acres myself as a personal experiment. I wouldn't even think of doing it but I've got one advantage in NewHorse.com (a equine professional directory that also has a equestrian property related directory) which is one of my online guides. It gets about 5,000 visitors a day and I've got dozens of realtors who pay me to advertise their properties. So, I figured I'd give it a go I may break it into two +/- 16 acre lots with one being entirely wooded with the commanding 1,420' altitude view, the other being half open w/ creek and half wooded with a more intimate ridgeland view, particularly of the open land below (i.e. great for a horse person). Of course, if I can't make a sale then I'll have a professional list it and stick to my day job(s)

Sean

[Diamond Dave]

I think I-73 is dead. Gas prices and road construction costs are too high to justify a new interstate that will parallel a perfectly good US highway. The general assembly wants to fund alternatives like rail. Cars are SO 20th century. Nobody wants this road except the chamber of commerce in Martinsville...and who the hell wants a faster road to Martinsville?

[seanpecor]

The R.V. lobby maybe

I'm not sure it's dead, in fact the intermodal rail system going into Elliston may spur development of I-73 because once Elliston is operational alot of truck traffic will re-route up Route 220. Route 220 is so-so for truck traffic now. It does the job. But Route 220 is increasingly turning into a commercial corridor. The 12" water main they're putting down 220 now will make it to Wirtz Road in Rocky Mount in 2009. That's going to put commercial development into high gear. It's already ramping up. Branch Highways has already started development work on the 40 acre retail park across from DQ at the Wirtz intersection. The largest furniture store in VA will be built there (150,000 sq ft) along with a grocery store, restaurants, day care, banks, etc. Another farm field along 220 bites the dust. I think that in 20 years Route 220 will look like Route 419 in Roanoke County does today. So looking forward I-73 adds a truck and interstate corridor on an important artery that connects the Triad to intermodal rail, etc.

Sean

[jtmm1333]

That was not nice, what you said to her, she is correct that was the 12 acres i was looking at, and they were right there was a lot that was beside it. But I'm looking for appox 10 acres, I want at least 2 of it near flat, for septic and house! also I would like anywhere from 300 to 600 feet of frontage, also a steady stream would be nice, and some woods I don't want all cleared, can you help let me know, and approx how far is it to hardy? I want to google earth it can you give me a address

[Diamond Dave]

Originally Posted by seanpecor

The R.V. lobby maybe

I'm not sure it's dead, in fact the intermodal rail system going into Elliston may spur development of I-73 because once Elliston is operational alot of truck traffic will re-route up Route 220. Route 220 is so-so for truck traffic now. It does the job. But Route 220 is increasingly turning into a commercial corridor. The 12" water main they're putting down 220 now will make it to Wirtz Road in Rocky Mount in 2009. That's going to put commercial development into high gear. It's already ramping up. Branch Highways has already started development work on the 40 acre retail park across from DQ at the Wirtz intersection. The largest furniture store in VA will be built there (150,000 sq ft) along with a grocery store, restaurants, day care, banks, etc. Another farm field along 220 bites the dust. I think that in 20 years Route 220 will look like Route 419 in Roanoke County does today. So looking forward I-73 adds a truck and interstate corridor on an important artery that connects the Triad to intermodal rail, etc.

Sean

I'm not sure I buy that the proposed intermodal facility in Elliston would mean more traffic on 220, since trucks are already traveling 220 to on/offload at intermodal facilities in North Carolina or Front Royal. It would mean more local traffic on 81 between Christiansburg and Salem. I could be wrong.

What probably needs to happen with 220 around Rocky Mount is that they build a(nother) bypass, like they've done in Martinsville. Virginia has a number of limited-access state highway bypasses--460 around Lynchburg, Bedford, or Blacksburg/Christiansburg, for example--that are basically interstates that allow high-speed travel with few stop lights. And periodic bypasses are much, much cheaper than an entirely new road route, especially one built to interstate standards, which are more stringent in terms of grade, etc.

I-73 was concocted when oil was $30 a barrel. At $120, or even $100 or $90, asphalt and gasoline costs just don't make it palatable to me as a taxpayer. And if Roanoke needed a road to Greensboro (or vice-versa), it would have been built already. These two regions really exist surprisingly separate from each other, given that they're just a couple of hours apart.

[seanpecor]

I'm with you DD! I'd prefer a bypass also. There is already a N/S rail line that follows 220, so it would make more sense to better utilize it. My gut sense though is that it will move forward though. We'll have to wait and see.

I've got friends who own about 20 acres off Crowell Gap Road and last I heard they've received letters from VDOT that the planned I-73 route cuts through their property. I feel badly for them because they bought 40 acres in the Burnt Chimney area to retire on, which is also going to be affected by a new AEP power line. Ouch.

Sean

[wsn1203]

I-73 was concocted when oil was $30 a barrel. At $120, or even $100 or $90, asphalt and gasoline costs just don't make it palatable to me as a taxpayer. And if Roanoke needed a road to Greensboro (or vice-versa), it would have been built already. These two regions really exist surprisingly separate from each other, given that they're just a couple of hours apart.[/quote]

This is very true, Dave...

I make the trip to Roanoke about twice a week up 220 (via 87 from Burlington) and have been doing this now for about 7 months.
I couldn't believe that I could be in my driveway in Burlington and a flat 2 hours later, be pulling up into an office parking lot in Cave Spring.. (and I'm the guy who likes to drive nice and easy too...remember?)
Anyway..I have found... to my great surprise (just like you) that these two regions (Greensboro & Roanoke) actually do carry on very separate from one another... (But personally, I agree with you again and think this is a great thing! If Roanoke needed it.. it would be there already.)
I have to admit.. (and originally being from the coastal area of NC).. I didn't really realize how close the two Metro areas actually were until I started making the trip on a regular basis...

220 is (to me) a very pleasant drive...as long as you get off of it (coming South) before you get near Greensboro.. on into town is where it really gets stupid. but since I rarely go that far South on it, really..(for me) it does seem to serve the two points in a somewhat satisfactory way.
Couple of other observations though..You MUST keep up with all the speed limit changes the highway makes as it works it way Northward.. Not doing so... will certainly cause an increase in auto insurance rates. (You especially do not want to misbehave in Congressman's Sean's neck of the woods...) I've been pretty lucky myself, but then again.. I have lost much of that aggressive attitude that driving in the Triangle for 10 or so years taught me so well...there, it became almost a survival instinct.

Secondly.. installing an additional truck lane (especially to/from Boone's Mill,) and restricting anything with over 3 axles from using the outermost (citation) lane could help a great deal in the future and possibly save Million$. For right now..it's not yet too bad...(relatively speaking) It has been my recent experience that most of those guys/gals (truck drivers) seem to be doing the best they can to limit their use of that left lane.

I have friends over in the Elliston/Ironto areas that are very concerned about the intermodal rail thing. They cite declination of quality of life through falling property values, noise, traffic (especially truck, on an already overcrowded I-81) and air pollution as being their greatest fears, not to mention the ruination of some of the most beautiful land areas in the region. Makes me wonder as well.. if a southern (south of the city) "spur" highway might some day be in the works that will connect I-81 and Hwy. 220.
I suppose, after living all those years in the Triangle.. I get very leery of a region's hunger for more concrete... The good things disappear fast enough... without helping them along any more than we already are...
Just my $2 (inflation) worth...