Which part of Virginia should I move too? (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: insurance, condo)

[marilynn1971]

Hello,

I am considering moving to Virginia. Not sure which part yet. There are so many towns I am not sure where to begin. I currently live in Connecticut. I am looking for a change in my life. Warmer weather would be nice. I am looking for city life. But not too crazy busy. I love being near stores, parks, beaches, resturants. Don't want to travel long distant to get to a grocery store. I am also hispanic looking for an area where there are hispanics as well. It would be my husband and our 18 yr old daughter. I am looking for a safe area with affordable housing.I would like to purchase a home under $150K. Does anyone know of any locations that might meet my criteria?

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Marilynn

[LynchburgLover]

Not sure about specific Hispanic populations, but I think you could enter any of the smaller cities into a search engine and find that information. Most of the small cities (Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Christiansburg, Longwood, Danville, etc.) would also have housing available in that price range. You can check zillow.com or realtor.com type web sites to see examples of housing for that price.

But the bigger question would be employment. If you give an idea of what type of work, people can frequently suggest certain areas. Also, Virginia is a pretty diverse state -- you want mountains or coastal?

I would generally say, just stay out of Northern Virginia (very high cost of living) and stick to the smaller cities.

Best of luck.

[marilynn1971]

Originally Posted by LynchburgLover

Not sure about specific Hispanic populations, but I think you could enter any of the smaller cities into a search engine and find that information. Most of the small cities (Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Christiansburg, Longwood, Danville, etc.) would also have housing available in that price range. You can check zillow.com or realtor.com type web sites to see examples of housing for that price.

But the bigger question would be employment. If you give an idea of what type of work, people can frequently suggest certain areas. Also, Virginia is a pretty diverse state -- you want mountains or coastal?

I would generally say, just stay out of Northern Virginia (very high cost of living) and stick to the smaller cities.

Best of luck.

Thanks so much for the information. I will definelty check into those websites. Your question about employment. Well I currently work in Accounts Payable & Accounts Recievable. My husband works in a hospital as a Financial Coordinator helping patients with insurance. If you know of any hospitals that you think employment would be good at. I would be more than happy to hear about it.

I really appreciate all of your help.

Marilynn

[LynchburgLover]

Well, that makes it much easier because you have easily transportable job skills and experience. Even doctor's offices should be an option. All of the small cities have medical facilities.

There was another thread on here listing the best medical centers in Virginia -- you may want to check it out. Then look at the size of the community -- obviously, the smaller cities have lower costs of living.

Charlottesville and Richmond have large medical centers because of the universities but I doubt you'd find much for $150k.

I really think as long as you stay away from Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Richmond and probably the Norfolk area, you can find options. Hopefully, others will join with suggestions.
In the meantime, use the search option at the top of the threads and input a city and read the threads. It will give you a wealth of information.

[teken]

The Hampton Roads area is nice, a good mix of ethnicity and backgrounds. Nice lifestyle. Not sure about homes under $150, but you might be able to find a town home or condo if you're open to that. One downside is transient community due to military. It's more friendly I think though as a result, more accepting and open which is the plus side of the transient community. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth (bad traffic!), and Suffolk (more rural), are the cities on the "south side." The Peninsula includes Yorktown, Newport News, Hampton, and some include Williamsburg. I'm on the south side so I'm biased to say it's better, and you're close to the beach which is nice if you're in to that, but exploring any part of Hampton Roads could be a nice fit for what you've described.

[marilynn1971]

Originally Posted by teken

The Hampton Roads area is nice, a good mix of ethnicity and backgrounds. Nice lifestyle. Not sure about homes under $150, but you might be able to find a town home or condo if you're open to that. One downside is transient community due to military. It's more friendly I think though as a result, more accepting and open which is the plus side of the transient community. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth (bad traffic!), and Suffolk (more rural), are the cities on the "south side." The Peninsula includes Yorktown, Newport News, Hampton, and some include Williamsburg. I'm on the south side so I'm biased to say it's better, and you're close to the beach which is nice if you're in to that, but exploring any part of Hampton Roads could be a nice fit for what you've described.

Hi Teken,

Thanks so much for the information. Virginia is such a big place. It's difficult to pin point one town. Thanks for letting me know about the high traffic areas. I try to stay away from that.

[marilynn1971]

Originally Posted by LynchburgLover

Well, that makes it much easier because you have easily transportable job skills and experience. Even doctor's offices should be an option. All of the small cities have medical facilities.

There was another thread on here listing the best medical centers in Virginia -- you may want to check it out. Then look at the size of the community -- obviously, the smaller cities have lower costs of living.

Charlottesville and Richmond have large medical centers because of the universities but I doubt you'd find much for $150k.

I really think as long as you stay away from Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Richmond and probably the Norfolk area, you can find options. Hopefully, others will join with suggestions.
In the meantime, use the search option at the top of the threads and input a city and read the threads. It will give you a wealth of information.

Hello Lynchburglover,

I took your advice on those websites. Thanks they were alot of help.

[LynchburgLover]

You're welcome! It's so nice to have someone come back! Best of luck.

[va_lucky]

Why are you looking for an area mixed with hispanics? Just asking.