southwest Virginia (Roanoke, Lynchburg, Blacksburg: real estate, vehicle registration, crime)

[MySkreenName01]

hi everyone,

i was wondering if someone could tell me about southwest Virginia.
1. the climate ( does it get real hot& humid/real cold in winter)

2. rural area?
3. job market?
4. how are the high schools
5. crime?
6. i understand that property taxes are low but pay personal property tax on different things ( what gets tax is it a lot of money)
7. how about vehicle registration (a lot of money) & inspection

thanks for any help...

[roanoker 4]

SW is often the forgotten part of the state. I am often amused at how people from other parts of the U.S. look at NC as the "promised land" of low real estate prices but high growth rates. How long does anyone think NC will continue its desirability as its congestion and high growth rates continue? Right now SW VA is a perfect place to retire. If I were moving to the region I would already have a job, not to come here and look for one. The high schools are good but I can only speak about the Roanoke/Blacksburg area.
Crime goes on everywhere, even in rural areas and in cities. The climate is mild but remember the area is mountainous which means some snow in winter.
Personal prop tax is on boats, cars, etc. Vehicle registration/inspection is not a big deal. The outdoor lifestyle here is immense. Skiing, whitewater rafting in WV, great state parks, lakes and easy access to "big" cities with the urban
amenities.

[Steven2149]

I've lived in both Roanoke and I grew up in Carroll County, Va. I really miss the area, but for jobs and my career path, it doesn't fit any more. I'll give my 2 cents on your questions.
1. Climate - You will see four distinct seasons. None are particularly harsh compared to other areas of the country. You will see some cold weather and you will also see some hot and humid weather. You will see a fair amount of snow each year. I don't know the exact statistics, but they shouldn't be hard to find. Generally speaking, you will get spanked once or twice in the winter. The summer's are pretty pleasant for the most part. I really miss the nights. You can see the stars and not get obliterated by mosquito's the way you do here in Georgia. I guess you'd have to be familiar with the deep south to understand that.

2. Rural Area - The area is very rural. You will find only a few cities that are of a metro area near or over 100,000 people. Roanoke and Blacksburg are the two largest areas, aside from perhaps Bristol. I guess you could put Lynchburg in that area as well, but you start to feel that you are going away from swva. Most of the counties have 20-30,000 people spread out over several hundred square miles. I guess thats really the only way to say that, it does feel quite rural or country.

3. Job Market - Aside from Roanoke and Blacksburg, the job market is basically poor if not terrible. Even in the larger job markets, you will find economies that are very dependent on manufacturing or service industries. There aren't a lot of white collar opportunities. The area is slowly trying to reinvent itself as so many of the industrial and manufacturing jobs have disappeared. I would imagine that retirement related industries are becoming the most lucrative in the region as a lot of people find this to be a middle area between Florida and the northeastern U.S. Healthcare has plenty of opportunities as a result.

4. High Schools - Look at greatschools.com to get an idea of what the schools are like. It varies somewhat from one area to another. I went to a small high school, Galax High School, with a graduating class of about 90. I feel that it was a good experience. Most of the schools perform pretty well though as there aren't a lot of obstacles, aside from perhaps funding issues. Most of the school systems boast good student to teacher ratio's and for what it is worth the majority meets AYP. Some of the more rural areas may have a higher dropout rate than others, but this is in part to the fact that these are some pretty economically challenged places and people don't often look away from the area for other opportunities.

5. Crime - Don't worry about crime in SWVA. You will feel safe almost anywhere. There are some places, small, that may have a higher concentration of crime. Overall, it is extremely safe. When I lived there, I didn't care if I locked the doors or not. I would have a panic attack if I did that here in Atlanta.

6. Taxes - They aren't that bad, but Virginia does love to tax you. I don't think you will find it to be drastically worse than other regions as I would say that Virginia offers very good services from the perspective of the state as well as the residents. I guess it just goes to say that you get what you pay for.

7. Vehicle Registration - I'd check out the DMV web site for more info on this one. I don't recall it being bad. You have to have a city/ county decal on your windshield to show proof of having payed your vehicle taxes. They also have an inspection that is mandatory. This in my opinion is stupid. It is a very extensive inspection that can cost you money for some meaningless issues. It's about 25 dollars if I recall correctly. Aside form that, vehicle registrations aren't that bad.

Hope all that helps, I know it's a long post.

[MySkreenName01]

As far as th job market. Carpentry? Is there much around for that?

[Steven2149]

Yeah, you should find something in that field. I'd try to think of ways to network and find some referral sources as in most places everyone knows someone. Fortunately, the area isn't completely oversaturated with illegals, so you could find work in home building. It definitely helps to know someone though. There are way more do it yourselfers than in bigger cities, so you would just have to think of and plan for how to market yourself.

[gginger]

What part of SW VA are you relocating?