thinking of relocating from michigan.. (Norfolk, Richmond: apartment, rent, daycare)

[luvmykids08_10]

My husband and i are thinking of moving to virginia nxt year but we cant decide what city.. we have two lil girls ages at the time of move will be 3 and 9 months, we are 23yrs old. i am a cna looking to become a lpn then rn, my husband is kinda just gonna go with the flow and get a job where ever because thats just the way he does things. We are looking for a good head start for my oldest and a good daycare for my youngest, we also would like to be in a city where we can find alot of things to do without having to always spend money. We will be able to spend $600-$650 for a two bedroom apt or home either is ok. we are also looking at things for the future like buying a house so can you tell me a lil about the house market there.. and how is the economy? Right now we're in Michigan so you already know how are economy is here. We just want a fresh start for us and our girls so if you can give me a few pointers and things like that about virginia in general and also any city you think we might be compatible with would be nice thank you so much.

[ShadowBat]

Originally Posted by luvmykids08_10

My husband and i are thinking of moving to virginia nxt year but we cant decide what city.. we have two lil girls ages at the time of move will be 3 and 9 months, we are 23yrs old. i am a cna looking to become a lpn then rn, my husband is kinda just gonna go with the flow and get a job where ever because thats just the way he does things. We are looking for a good head start for my oldest and a good daycare for my youngest, we also would like to be in a city where we can find alot of things to do without having to always spend money. We will be able to spend $600-$650 for a two bedroom apt or home either is ok. we are also looking at things for the future like buying a house so can you tell me a lil about the house market there.. and how is the economy? Right now we're in Michigan so you already know how are economy is here. We just want a fresh start for us and our girls so if you can give me a few pointers and things like that about virginia in general and also any city you think we might be compatible with would be nice thank you so much.

It will be hard to find rent that cheap anywhere unfortunately. I would concentrate looking at Roanoke, Lynchburg, or the Shenandoah Valley. If any of those appeal to you let us know and then we can give more specific ideas.

Roanoke is the biggest place out of those and will offer more things to do. Most people like it there. Lynchburg is a smaller version of Roanoke. it is dominated by Liberty Univ. which is a religious college, so depending on your view that could be good or bad. The Shenandoah Valley is made up of a handful of small towns, but within a 2.5 to 3 hour drive to DC, or closer the farther north you go. It's a very blue collar, agricultural area. Good luck with your search!

[LynchburgLover]

"going with the flow" is not a great plan in this economy no matter where you're looking. I would strongly advise lining up jobs in advance, especially with two small children. Then you can start looking for an apartment close to that job.

Your price range, particularly anywhere near Washington, Charlottesville, Richmond and Norfolk, is practially impossible. You may want to look near Bristol, Danville or Appomatax/Farmville.

Unfortunately, cities with a lot of things to do are usually also fairly expensive to live in.

Good luck.