Possible relo to VA. Anywhere between Richmond and the beach (Virginia Beach: real estate, condo)

[Slappy White]

Need some tips on places to start a housing search. Here's some general info

Married, early 30's, no kids just yet but schools are still a consideration.

Need to be fairly close to a decent size airport.

One of us would be covering territory from Richmond down through Virginia Beach and the surrounding areas (Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, etc) so really anywhere from Richmond to Williamsburg to the beach is in play at this moment.

Prefer to spend less than $500K on a house. Would like some space in our yard not a cookie cutter type neighborhood.

We enjoy going out on our boat (freshwater pontoon that we may have to give up depending on where we settle), playing golf, going to any type of sporting events.

Would like to find somewhere that isn't too crowded but with other youngish professionals.

Sorry for the broadness of the geography.

[xGrendelx]

Norfolk comes to mind first. Access to ORF airport, plenty of waterways for your boat, no doubt you can find a house for under 500K, many of Norfolk's neighborhoods are old and have lots of character (not cookie-cutter), and I'm sure Downtown Norfolk will suffice for the young-professional thing. Schools in Norfolk aren't the best, but it's not hard to find decent ones. I'm sure the education is just as good as anywhere else in Hampton Roads, but some of the areas are rough so the kids there are rough too.

[jhrichmond]

Reading your post, I had to do a double take and make sure that it wasn't written by me sometime in the past. I am early 30's and the husband is mid-forties. We have places both in Richmond and Va Beach. The 2 main airports are RIC and ORF. ORF has Southwest, which a lot of people like if they have a route that works for them. Our place in VB is about 15 minutes from ORF. We have considered moving there full time, but housing prices there will shock you. $500K in VB will get you a very average house with average schools or a small condominnium on the beach with good schools (that's what we have there). All of the houses are really ugly, IMHO, unless you can spend at least $800K+. Again, everything is relative to the individual. Like the previous post said Norfolk is a good option, but not one I know anything about.
Personally, I love the Richmond area. 500K will get you a pretty nice house in Chesterfield (namely Midlothian) or Henrico county with excellent schools. Something in a lake community (but probably not on the lake) in the Richmond area is going to be in your price range, but very cookie-cutter. Salisbury or Lake Chesdin may work for you. Woodlake and Brandermill are 2 other neighborhoods you will hear about, but they are "cookie-cutter" developments.
What works for us is this: living in the Richmond metro area and keeping our boat in Norfolk, about 10 minutes from our beach place. Obviously our boat is saltwater, though. The other disappointment you should brace for is the lack of professional sports in the area. I'm sure that you will find community sports wherever you decide to go.

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

Norfolk comes to mind first. Access to ORF airport, plenty of waterways for your boat, no doubt you can find a house for under 500K, many of Norfolk's neighborhoods are old and have lots of character (not cookie-cutter), and I'm sure Downtown Norfolk will suffice for the young-professional thing. Schools in Norfolk aren't the best, but it's not hard to find decent ones. I'm sure the education is just as good as anywhere else in Hampton Roads, but some of the areas are rough so the kids there are rough too.

For all the same reasons, i'd recommend looking at Hampton too. May find what you are looking for at a lower price than Norfolk.

Here may be something you'd love.

4502 Victoria Blvd, Hampton, VA, 23669 - MLS ID#0850916 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®

[upthecreekgotapaddle]

If schools are even a glimmer of a consideration, I wouldn't even give Hampton a second thought. It's unfortunate, there are some nice homes in that area, but the school system is really THAT bad.

I would recommend giving York County a look. Awesome school system and very close to Newport News | Williamsburg International Airport. It's so much more convenient than driving to Norfolk and gambling with tunnel traffic.

You could easily find a home within your price range in that area. Here is a list of York Co. HOAs to give you an idea of what's in the area housing-wise.

While areas of Norfolk are nice, if you'll be handling territory in that many areas, I'd be hesitant to base myself on the opposite side of the tunnel. From the Peninsula side, you can easily reach Richmond, Williamsburg, Suffolk, Smithfield, etc. without having to take the chance of being stuck in the tunnel.

Good luck!

[Kevin Schulz]

I transfered to richmond 5 years ago and am a big fan. I am also a realtor and am very familiar with our local markets. In the $500k and under price range you should have alot of options from large older homes in the city to brand new homes on multiple acres. If you are commuting to Virginia beach I would recommend staying north and east of the river, Chesterfield has some very nice communities but areas like Midlothian can add another 30 40 minutes to your commute.
Hanover county would be a good option, it has very good schools and you would have alot of great options in that price range. Also Henrico, Eastern Henrico, and New Kent would be convenient locations. As for boating there is a brand new marina at Rocketts Landing, which is right near downtown. It is a convenient location and the prices are reasonable. Feel free to contact me if you would like some help or some more information.
Kevin Schulz
KevinSellsVa.com
KevinSchulz@hotmail.com