Questions about Salem & Vinton (Roanoke, Blue Ridge: houses, neighborhoods, theatre)

[norm]

The realtor that I am working with sent me pictures of homes in Salem and Vinton along with ones in Roanoke The home prices in Salem & Vinton seem to be much lower then those in Roanoke what is the reason for this?

How hot and humid does it get in the Roanoke area during the summer.

Is there a major summer bug problem?

Is the area uncomfortable for allergy sufferers?

Are there any zip codes in Roanoke that I should avoid looking for a house? I am 71 and will be moving alone (except for 2 dogs & 4 cats).

[roanoker 4]

Most people around here will probably recommend Salem as a nice place to live. If you are 71 and alone I would suggest looking at housing near Main Street which has all of the chain stores, grocers, banks, drug stores, etc. There is a small downtown with a library and its ideal for people who like to walk. Roanoke College is located downtown as well. Downtown Roanoke is about a 20 minute drive. Another suggestion is Grandin Village in the SW part of Roanoke City. The area has older homes, settled neighborhood, indie movie theatre, restaurants, grocers, banks, drs. Its a quiet neighborhood about 10 minutes from downtown Roanoke. Vinton has a small town feel and quite different vibe than Rke. It seems to be very country like. We don't have a major bug problem in summer, humidity is lower than in eastern VA or DC since we are in the mountains(but when it gets hot it gets hot everywhere!).
On allergies, pollen and smog might be an issue but I know many people with
allergies. It sounds like your realtor is guiding you to areas where you would be comfortable. Good Luck!

[PaperTrail]

I think in the past few years, I'm about the only person who has ever come on here to speak in favor of Vinton. I live about 8 miles outside the town and drive through it or visit the town just about every day. I really like it there. People are very down to earth (probably part of that "country vibe" ), and it's easy to get around. It, too, has a library that's pretty good.

The downtown starts at an intersection and goes about one block in each direction. That's it. So it's small. But, that area includes the best BBQ joint in the region -- and I challenge anyone to diagree! -- and nearby is a great country feed store for specialty cat food, dog food, etc. The Kroger in Vinton has been remodeled in the past year and is *awesome!!*. It's the kind of upgrades that put Ukrop's out of business in this area.

Vinton is on an economical rung lower than Salem or the Grandin area that roanoker4 mentioned. Houses in Vinton are usually a little cheaper than comparable size/acreage elsewhere. However, a tricky thing is property taxes. People complain that Roanoke County (of which Vinton is technically a part) is high on property taxes. Well, being the town limits means that you also have to pay 3 cents, I think, per $100 assessed value on top of the county tax.

Vinton, too, is right by the Blue Ridge Parkway and has a lot of great neighborhoods of well-kept houses that are in a decent price range. And it's only about 10 minutes -- and two traffic lights -- to downtown Roanoke.

[norm]

Thanks you both very much for the replies. You wrote what I wanted to hear. I can't wait to drive down in the spring and see it all for myself.