Shenandoah Valley? (Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Staunton: for sale by owner, real estate, low crime)

[akh07]

Looking for information on living/working in the counties around the Shenandoah valley.... mostly the areas of Staunton, Harrisonburg, and Waynesboro. Any input would be appreciated!

[bway_mama]

This is my first post so I hope I am doing this right!

I have lived in the Harrisonburg area almost 30 years. It is a nice quiet area nestled between two mountain ranges. James Madison University plays a big part in the economy by creating jobs and bringing lots of other businesses to the area. It is growing fast but I think it still has a nice "small town" feel to it. If you are looking for something smaller, there are several little town near by that are great. Bridgewater and Dayton are south of Harrisonburg and are really quiet, family-friendly places. There is a big community of Old Order Mennonites so you often see horse and buggys going down the road. Broadway is north of Harrisonburg and is a really friendly town. It has had a recent growth spurt and has lots of new housing available. Most people in these towns work in Harrisonburg.

Staunton has lots of charm and beautiful old houses but the "old town" area is very hilly. (In some places your front porch overlooks the roof of the house in front of you!) The downtown area offers lots of history and culture. I am not very fond of Waynesboro (seems a little run-down compared to Harrisonburg and Staunton) but have some friends who enjoy living there.

If you have any specific questions, ask away. Hopefully this helped.

[nbulken]

I too am looking to relocate to the shenandoah valley. My parents and grandfather are in Bridgewater and I've been there enough to know that it is a great place to live. I'm not going to limit myself to only that town, however. Staunton is a likely roost as well as H'burg, Charlottesville and on up to New Market and Luray. Much farther north than that, I suspect that the housing market will get far too pricey for my family.
I'm hoping that the job market will be favorable. There is only about 3% unemployment there.

Ned

[Cassie]

It's astonishingly beautiful but jobs are slim pickins. The unemployment rate is unreliable, IMO, since it doesn't take into account those who no longer qualify for unemployment, are under employed, (poor wages for job skills and experience) or the many who commute long distances ( getting up at 3:30 a.m. in the morning to do so) into northern VA for good pay.

We lived there for 3 years and loved it, but we also commuted a lo---ong way to work.

It's long been a popular area for northern Virginians to retire or buy second homes and the housing prices reflect that. They are not inexpensive considering the poor local job market.

Also, Page County ( which includes Stanley and Luray) just went through real estate re-assessements. An approximate 96% increase. It remains to be seen if the tax rate will drop to offset the increase. One of the county Supervisers so far says "no" ---- that what a house sells for is what is worth in taxes.

IMO and experience ( as well as that of one of my best friend's - a former realtor ) the job base in Harrisonburg does not support the current housing prices in surrounding areas.

We will be there again after January 29th, ( temporarily in Luray) but I'm realistic about what to expect.

Frederick county, VA ( which includes Winchester) with it's strong business tax base, has thus far been an area with low property taxes, yet good services for homeowners. You may want to look in that area. MUCH more available jobwise too.

Best wishes!

Cassie

Originally Posted by nbulken

I too am looking to relocate to the shenandoah valley. My parents and grandfather are in Bridgewater and I've been there enough to know that it is a great place to live. I'm not going to limit myself to only that town, however. Staunton is a likely roost as well as H'burg, Charlottesville and on up to New Market and Luray. Much farther north than that, I suspect that the housing market will get far too pricey for my family.
I'm hoping that the job market will be favorable. There is only about 3% unemployment there.

Ned

[VirginiaBorn]

We relocated to Staunton about 3 1/2 years ago and ADORE it here! We are in Gospel Hill, one of the five historic districts. In addition to being charming, beautiful, and amazingly full of cultural amenities, Staunton has a very strong sense of community, something we were looking for. People here were not only accepting, but also welcoming. We started meeting people and getting involved in the community even before the restoration of our house was complete and we could move here. It's hard to find anything I DON'T like about Staunton! We love our neighborhood, our church, and the various organizations we are involved with. We love being within 5 minutes of the Blackfriars Theater and downtown. We love attending all the various music festivals here, which continue year round. We have as yet to have a bad meal in Staunton! Although housing prices have gone up since we first bought our historic wreck, the real estate boom has gone flat and housing prices are going down again. We no longer have school aged children living at home, but all we know who do are quite happy with the schools, both public and private. Many people in Staunton commute to Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, or even Northern Virginia to work.

[wolfie22]

I would give Waynesboro or Fishersville some consideration. By the way - Fishersville is between Waynesboro and Staunton. These two areas are some of the fastest growing areas commercially at the present time. About 5 years ago the commercial boom started. In about 2 - 3 more years this area will have many more shopping opportunities. Waynesboro is benefiting from the Charlottesville area and if you miss any of the bigger city type environment, Charlottesville is only 25 minutes away. Waynesboro is also only minutes away from the Skyline drive and Blue Ridge parkway and Staunton is only 10 minutes away. I love this area and with all the new hotels, restaurants and shopping centers being built it will have pretty much have everything including the natural beauty of the mountains.

[blondepumpkin]

Hello...This is my first posting.
After several vacations to the area, I am interested in relocating to the Shenandoah Valley. I work in the printing industry. Can anyone tell me about any printing companies in the Shenandoah Valley/Winchester area. I have very high qualifications in the printing industry and want to get a feel for the printing industry in this area.

[KarenC]

Originally Posted by akh07

Looking for information on living/working in the counties around the Shenandoah valley.... mostly the areas of Staunton, Harrisonburg, and Waynesboro. Any input would be appreciated!

I was born and lived in Staunton for 19 years. I had a great childhood there, little to no crime; we even left the doors unlocked at night. Of course at 19, I couldn't wait to get out and go to the "big city", but years later, I really appreciate the things I took for granted then. I still visit every few months. The downtown area has been really improved with new sidewalks, lighting, etc. and has a wonderful old-time feel. They've done a great job preserving the historic architecture, and it's really beautiful. Mary Baldwin College is a very good liberal arts school right in the middle of town.

The location is great with Interstate 81 and Interstate 64 intersecting there, so there's more growth in Staunton than other parts of the Valley. However, I do agree with other posters that currently employment options are limited, but that can be said of the whole Shanendoah Valley. PS, Staunton has a great Shakespeare Theater modeled after the Globe.

I currently live in Charlottesville, about 45 minutes East of Staunton, though not in the Valley. I truly believe that Charlottesville is the best place in the world to live if you can afford the housing prices. You get the convenience of everything being within 20 minutes of everything else, but you get the culture and vibrancy that comes with being a college town. Lots of writers and artists live here. There's very low crime and lots to do. It's a great place to raise a family.

[tcdethom]

we have a possible job relocation in around Harrisonburg or Ruckersville. I was looking up newer homes and new construction in the areas within 20 miles of each and kept coming up with Broadway (mainly Coyote run development) and Culpeper. Was wondering if any info on those areas. Crime?? we are from NJ and escaped to lancaster county PA for the country feel and all baltimore seemed to have that idea too. Now we are escaping here for the feel we wanted. How are the schools, surroundings. any info would greatly be appreciated!

[marcyoakleysave]

Hi, how are you? If you are still thinking about Staunton, I would highly recommend it! Charlottesvile is a bit pricey, but a lot of my neighbors commute there and also Harrisonburg. The area I live in is just outside Staunton and is a neighborhood with pool/tennis called Spring Lakes - great for families and singles as well!

I moved here from the DC/Maryland area and it is so peaceful! If you like small towns, than Staunton is great! It has a great park to walk/jog, free concerts, good schools and worth checking out. I have a home for sale by owner with a pond out back - if you want to ask any questions, feel free to email me marcyoakley545@hotmail.com MM