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08-02-2008, 06:45 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Nov 2006
18 posts, read 18,100 times
Reputation: 15
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Best Place for Homesteading in VA
We want to live as far in the country as possible but still be able to work to pay some expenses and have a church not too far away. We are Missouri Synod Lutheran and that would be a big plus to have a church close by.
Where you are working -Probably not too near a large city. Communications, military(25+ years), computer networking, logistics, inventory management.... jack of all trades. That is part of the fear factor of moving. We do need to find work once we are there or, even better, narrow an area down to begin looking ahead of time.
-How much you are willing to spend on housing -200K but we would like some land, a few acres, for a family homestead.
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate - 20-30 minutes
-If you have kids: Private school or public school? - Homeschool
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight? - Country, small town
-Community amenities important to you - not many, a homeschool community is great but I know they can usually be found once you start looking. Being near trails to hike is a plus.
-Pie or cake? Pie
We are JUST starting our research so anything to narrow it down will be great. We are from MA but do not fit in with the typical liberal mindset and would like to get away from it if we can.
Any help is appreciated.
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08-03-2008, 06:42 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2007
243 posts, read 234,560 times
Reputation: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LostinTaxachusetts
We want to live as far in the country as possible but still be able to work to pay some expenses and have a church not too far away. We are Missouri Synod Lutheran and that would be a big plus to have a church close by.
Where you are working -Probably not too near a large city. Communications, military(25+ years), computer networking, logistics, inventory management.... jack of all trades. That is part of the fear factor of moving. We do need to find work once we are there or, even better, narrow an area down to begin looking ahead of time.
-How much you are willing to spend on housing -200K but we would like some land, a few acres, for a family homestead.
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate - 20-30 minutes
-If you have kids: Private school or public school? - Homeschool
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight? - Country, small town
-Community amenities important to you - not many, a homeschool community is great but I know they can usually be found once you start looking. Being near trails to hike is a plus.
-Pie or cake? Pie
We are JUST starting our research so anything to narrow it down will be great. We are from MA but do not fit in with the typical liberal mindset and would like to get away from it if we can.
Any help is appreciated.
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I think that finding anything in the 200k range is going to be difficult and that definitely will not come with an acre much less a few acres. The only place that comes to mind that may even be close to what you are looking for would be the south west region of VA and I don't know how much work you will really find in that area - you may have to commute much further than 20-30 min. Good luck.
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08-03-2008, 09:33 AM
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Member
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Join Date: Nov 2006
18 posts, read 18,100 times
Reputation: 15
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Thanks, that actually helps us a lot. My Dh was interested in VA but we were not sure about the cost. It sounds a lot like MA does in terms of what you can get for your money. I think we may look elswhere.
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08-03-2008, 03:07 PM
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Mad Scientist
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Boones Mill, VA
1,332 posts, read 1,801,393 times
Reputation: 389
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Look into the town of Rocky Mount, Virginia. It is a small town with some urban conveniences (Super Wal-Mart, Lowes, etc). You'll find proud well built homes for under $200K directly in town (typically with a 1/2 acre lot) or homes just out into the country for under $200K, and they tend to have a few acres of land.
There is a Lutheran presence in Roanoke, which is about 20-35 minutes from Rocky Mount (depending on where you're situated). Not sure about a Lutheran presence directly in Rocky Mount, but there are certainly plenty of churches!
Homes north of Rocky Mount would imply a 20-30 minute commute to Roanoke, where the bulk of communications and inventory type jobs would be. It's an easy commute as far as 20-30 minute commutes go. Pretty much a straight shot on Route 220 which is entirely 4 lane (much of it divided) and very few stop lights.
Here are some property examples:
Search Franklin County, Rocky Mount, Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate Listings For Sale
Search Franklin County, Rocky Mount, Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate Listings For Sale
Search Franklin County, Rocky Mount, Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate Listings For Sale
Search Franklin County, Rocky Mount, Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate Listings For Sale
Search Franklin County, Rocky Mount, Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate Listings For Sale
If you browse that real estate site you'll find even more affordable homes in the $150K and below market.
You can get WAY more for your money in SWVA than you can in most of MA. The challenge of course is finding a job that suits your prior experience since the entire Roanoke Metro area is only +/- 300,000. Tradesman have a good quality of life in this area because there is above average job stability and a a below average cost of living. Engineers who score a job in the Roanoke area can buy a gorgeous house with the money that would only get them a nice condo in Northern Virginia. Medical specialists here can afford estate homes here without working 100 hour weeks. So there is probably a higher than average level of competition for jobs in the Roanoke area. So, I'd recommend doing potential employer research first before scheduling a visit. You could then meet potential employers in person and then hand your resume directly to decision makers. In between touring the area of course!
Sean
Last edited by seanpecor; 08-03-2008 at 03:16 PM..
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