Why not SWVA?? (Roanoke, Blacksburg, Radford: transplants, sales, real estate)

[seanpecor]

theburro is on the money, better to buy now after doing some research and settling on an area. It will insulate you against appreciation. If you do, for example, buy 5 acres now.... even if in 10 years you decide the lot you own was not the one for you, if land values have gone up from $8,000 to $21,000 an acre (which presumes a 10% annual appreciation, which is actually low for my neck of the woods for example) then you've got land worth $105,000 and somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000 owed on your mortgage. It's dicier if you buy a house and let it sit unoccupied for 10 years, but in theory you could rent it out and mitigate the expense. Better to buy raw land though.

For an example in my county, I know of three adjoining 5 acre lots that also adjoin us; they are in the $13,000 an acre range although I suspect they could be had for $11,000 an acre if you know how to negotiate and buy all 3. They offer what I'd call hidden valley and mountain forest views amongs other 5-15 acre lots with attractive (not modest, not upscale) +/- 2,500 sq ft homes. I think the subdivision will top out at +/- 6 or 7 homes on a total of 55 acres, which is not tight at all, and most neighbors can't see one another very well, so there is much privacy. The land was originally part of the 254 acre farm that I bought 38 acres of in 2005. Since then I've bought another 90 of the original acres to make 128. A family moving from Sebring, FL, looking for a horse farm to board 2 horses in SWVA, bought 15 acres that adjoins us (also from the original farm's 254) after they visited our place and decided our horse farm and our area was their favorite (among contenders that included Tazewell County if memory serves).

If you're retiring I think it's critical to research area hospitals and there are some gems including one in Bluefield, WV, just north of the VA border, and, oh, an hour maybe from Blacksburg. Of course there is Montgomery Regional in Blacksburg. Roanoke has some of the most advanced medical institutions in the region, and that advantage will only grow as they expand the medical park and found the school (read more about that at http://www.vtnetletter.vt.edu/jan07/feature1.html pretty fascinating stuff).

Hope this helps, I type out in stream of consciousness format, sometimes I go off topic before I get control

Sean

[Apple Annie]

Sean: Where do people work and shop in your area, (within a reasonably easy 15 mile or 20 minute driving distance let's say)?

[seanpecor]

Hi Annie, Franklin County population is 55,000 and about 2/3rds of workers commute to Roanoke, which from Boones Mill is about 20 minutes but there are parts of Boones Mill in some real beautiful country (Naff Rd) which is a 10 minute drive down a couple (paved) back roads. In Franklin County, the county seat is the town of Rocky Mount, population 5,000. It's about 15 minutes from where I am, and about 10 minutes from Boones Mill. Rocky Mount covers the basics very very well with regard to shopping and even employment and in it's picturesque old downtown there are a growing number of boutiques, spas and even a nice cafe. Rocky Mount is "just" 5,000 but much of the population of 55,000 considers it their favorite place to shop, so there is a Super Walmart, several large shopping centers, and even (my personal favorite) a brand new Lowes. Contractors are kept flat out busy here so I'm within 10 minutes of any building materials store imaginable, from tile stores, to family owned mega furniture stores, to concrete, you name it. One of our county strengths is keeping the kids entertained and engaged. We've got a massive two building YMCA facility w/ a 40 acre nature preserve and trail that you just have to see to believe. How YMCAs do you know of where people rent the rear promenade for parties and weddings We've got a public beach being finished on Smith Mountain Lake which is going to be a big deal. Some of the best fishing in the region on SML and along a variety of rivers. More YMCAs are being built towards the lake. And all of this good stuff in piedmont highlands which forces the segmentation of development so dense sprawl just isn't possible, ensuring the retention of much of our natural beauty despite growth.

Roanoke has it all, except for the very, very upscale stuff often found only in huge metro areas. Plenty of retail, virtually all of the big names, and a huge variety of famly owned boutiques. Greater Roanoke Valley population is about 350,000. Roanoke City statistics aren't that wonderful, but they're improving at a good rate, and Roanoke County by contrast is doing swimmingly well. Basically, Roanoke is a small city land-wise and unlike North Carolina where cities and counties are integral (and cities are constantly annexing county land), Roanoke City and County are 100% separate and the city is landlocked, so one always has to combine the stats and appeal of Roanoke County, Botetourt County and Franklin County to get an accurate read, if you like to look at numbers. Because that's where the Roanoke area growth is.

I could answer more helpfully if I knew what sort of industries/fields you're working in.

Sean

[Apple Annie]

Thank you Sean, very informative and interesting.

[flu189]

Posts by Sean are excellent. I am in Vermont and am giving that region of Va a very close look. Plan on taking a trip down with the wife sometime this year to get a feel for the region in person. Right now I am trying to compare Va to NC and TN by reading whatever I can and so far it looks like Va is looking better. We really like VT with the four season climate, but would like to tone down the winter a bit while still living in the country.

[seanpecor]

Originally Posted by flu189

I am in Vermont and am giving that region of Va a very close look.

Hinesburg, VT! I grew up in Burlington, but CVUHS ('cow valley union') ran a 16 line BBS system with real-time chat back in the late 80s. It totally jacked me into the geekosphere in the champlain valley and I found mentors there that made it much easier to learn software development on my own. I was just a 16 year old high school dropout back then. Their BBS totally changed the direction of my life. I've got a nearly full-time I.T. support guy living in your area named Norm Miller.

flu189, if you're in the roanoke valley be sure to look me up and stop by! I'm sure you'd find your perfect spots in either northwestern NC, eastern TN or VA. The Roanoke Valley really hits the sweet spot with regard to climate and outdoor recreation opportunities for me. Lots of Lakes (Smith Mountain Lake, Philpott Lake, Fairystone Lake, Leesville Lake, ...), mountains, the blue ridge parkway and day trip destinations that would take you years to work through.

Sean

[beenaround]

I think SW Virginia is a very nice rural area. I visit that area frequently and I love all of the natural beauty. People slow down through there and enjoy life. Northeast TN is a nice area too, but I like SW VA better. SW VA is cleaner (although some littered areas do exist) and the people are nicer. I don't know too much about North Carolina. In SW VA, you are close to the tri cities of NE TN, Roanoke, VA, and Charlotte, NC.

[NCmom]

Originally Posted by beenaround

I think SW Virginia is a very nice rural area. I visit that area frequently and I love all of the natural beauty. People slow down through there and enjoy life. Northeast TN is a nice area too, but I like SW VA better. SW VA is cleaner (although some littered areas do exist) and the people are nicer. I don't know too much about North Carolina. In SW VA, you are close to the tri cities of NE TN, Roanoke, VA, and Charlotte, NC.

If you want info on Charlotte - just let me know. I moved to South Charlotte from VA and love it - much slower pace and nicer people!

[seanpecor]

If you want info on Charlotte - just let me know. I moved to South Charlotte from VA and love it - much slower pace and nicer people!

Do you mean nicer people in South Charlotte compared to Charlotte, or nicer people in Charlotte than in VA? If the latter, how not very nice of you to say that in a Virginia forum!

Charlotte is a city of more than a million people and growing like kudzu into the county at an alarming rate. Charlotte is great for people who love big city life. But something of a nightmare concept for people who enjoy being close to an urban center without having to be concerned about an army of D9s roaring in and dozing over Mother Nature to make room for the next 1,000 acre subdivision to be annexed by the city.

Sean

[flu189]

Sean, thanks for the offer to get in touch. I'll PM you when I decide to head that way to field check the area. Did a bit of research on the web and it seems that while the property taxes are much lower than up here in VT, the income tax, personal property tax on vehicles, and utility tax would eat into much of the perceived cost savings. What's your experience on this? I like the fact that the Appalachian trail is nearby as I hope to thru hike it in about six years and the hiking season there would be a couple of months longer for good early spring and late fall trips. I've already thru hiked the Long Trail three times here. Like I said I am just getting started in doing my research so any information you have would be appreciated since you already know from experience on what it costs to live up here in VT. Thanks.