Areas around Harrisonburg....rural an affordable? (Richmond, Charlottesville: houses, school, college)

[organick]

Hi,

We are considering a relocation to the area. My wife has a job offer at James Madison so we would need to be able to commute in say 45 min or less.

Can anyone suggest areas to look. We would like 5 acres or more and our price range is right around 200k, a little more if absolutely necessary.

Also any info on "the green scene" in the area would be great.....ie stores, farms(organic) etc...


Thanks all

[Nebat]

Originally Posted by organick

Hi,

We are considering a relocation to the area. My wife has a job offer at James Madison so we would need to be able to commute in say 45 min or less.

Can anyone suggest areas to look. We would like 5 acres or more and our price range is right around 200k, a little more if absolutely necessary.

Also any info on "the green scene" in the area would be great.....ie stores, farms(organic) etc...


Thanks all

Hi there and welcome to the area! I live about 25 miles south in Staunton so I hope I can be of help. I don't think you will have any trouble finding a house for that price in this area. The farther out of town the cheaper I would assume houses would be, unless tons of land come with it. 45 mins will put you anywhere from New Market to Staunton, all areas are nice. New Market is a very small town, while Staunton is a small historic city. Harrisonburg is more of the main shopping destination in the area.

As far as the green scene goes, there are no chains like Whole Foods, though Charlottesville has one about an hour away. And no Trader Joes until you get to DC or Richmond. I know Staunton has one or two locally owned organic/natural stores, so I know Harrisonburg has to have them as well. Also Staunton has a farmers market every Saturday, so I'm sure Harrisonburg should have one too in the area. Hope this helps and good luck with your move!

[organick]

Thanks Nebat,


Any suggesstions on areas specifically or is it all pretty rural once you are out of town? We really like outdoors stuff as well, hiking with our dogs, rivers etc if this would have any impact on a possible place to look? Thanks again.

[Nebat]

Originally Posted by organick

Thanks Nebat,


Any suggesstions on areas specifically or is it all pretty rural once you are out of town? We really like outdoors stuff as well, hiking with our dogs, rivers etc if this would have any impact on a possible place to look? Thanks again.

Yeah, it gets rural pretty fast around here. Harrisonburg is the biggest town in the area and it's around 40,000 people. In the county(Rockingham) there are several towns that range between several hundred to about 5 thousand. With your criteria I would suggest the area around the town of Elkton about 10 to 15 miles east of Harrisonburg on Rt.33. It's on the Shenandoah River at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains with the Skyline Drive about 5 or 10 miles east at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately Elkton itself seems kind of bland to me, almost hickish. Don't want to offend anyone but that's the vibe I get. It's not a culture hub by any means. It is in a very beautiful area though. Harrisonburg is where more of the artsy stuff is going on; direct result of having JMU in the city. But really, anywhere in this area is an outdoor enthusiasts dream in my opinion. No matter where you live, you're not far from someplace in the wilds to hike or spend the day at the river. Bridgewater SW of H-burg might appeal more now that I think of it; has most of the things Elkton does with a small college and a little more charm. Farther from the Shen. River and Skyline Drive, but not terribly. And it's closer to H-burg. Hope this puts you on the right path!

[organick]

Thanks, appreciate the help.

[Dr.Jim]

I went through this a few years back.

Elkton is very, very small. Barely a town. And it is 'old school'....no one wants change, they dont even want Main St status with VA. It is not exactly the 'charming quaint va town' at all. But dont get me wrong...it is perfectly fine and safe (disregard heresay from years ago).

Shenandoah is a bit larger than Elkton, and a bit more quaint and charming...it is North of Elkton a few miles up rt 340 (east side highway).

There is nothing south of Elkton on rt 340 except Grottoes and then Waynesboro....Grottoes I am not too familiar with but it is small and non-charming as well.

Rt 340 runs North/South right against the Blueridge mtns. Very pretty area, lots of woods/land....very rurual.....easily get yourself some acreage for 200K. But dont expect a big brick mcmansion or anything,...most stuff is older homes.

I live at 1800ft in the mountains south of Elkton. Great views, no grass....right in the middle of the woods. Just what we were looking for. Wife works in Cville, and I work in Hburg.

My suggestion to YOU: Go to realtor.com and search a few of these towns, Elkton, Bridgewater, Hburg...etc......BUT use the MAP view feature and expand search areas to invlude all nearby areas.
You can then 'fly' over a great satellite view of the area, clicking on the DOTS that represent homes,....look at the homes...etc..etc...see the land/lot layouts and everything.
This is a fantastic tool for home shopping.

[organick]

Thanks Dr. Jim,

Def. not looking for a McMansion by any means. Simplicity is our style. Thanks again.