Buying real estate in VA

[Linguo IS dead]

Thanks, g3o, SJS, et al

There probably isn't a realtor doing business in VA whose website I haven't visited. Finally, I found a house in Front Royal that I like and hope to see in a few weeks. In the meantime, I will certainly try the House forum.

What I am really having a hard time finding is more accurate, unbiased info on the town, Warren County and VA. This forum has been a goldmine. Does anyone know of any others like it? Some of the other sites I have visited are WC schools, Great Schools, School Digger, DOE, DMV, EPA, Chambers of Commerce, local news outlets, Best Places, epodunk, and the Sex Offender Registry (there are 58 in FR). Recently I came across this article:
: USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5076: Mercury Loads in the South River and Simulation of Mercury Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for the South River, South Fork Shenandoah River, and Shenandoah River: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Has anyone else heard about this? Please tell me if you fish or swim in the Shen (that's what runs through FR, right?).

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Linguo IS dead

Recently I came across this article:
: USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5076: Mercury Loads in the South River and Simulation of Mercury Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for the South River, South Fork Shenandoah River, and Shenandoah River: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Has anyone else heard about this? Please tell me if you fish or swim in the Shen (that's what runs through FR, right?).

Interesting article. So, I guess the contaminated river affects us up in Winchester too. Anyway, not sure about this so I cannot comment. I went swimming, actually tubing on the Shenandoah River but that was about 10-15 years ago. Nothing bad happened although I did get an eye infection.

There's stuff with radon going on too. Although radon is different and a rather touchy subject (just do a Search over on the House Forum for more info). However if you go to the State EPA site, there's a map with radon levels and you'll see that a huge portion of MD and VA surrounding DC have the highest levels. Not sure why and I think Fort Detrick (in MD near the VA border) was once a site of nuclear/chemical testings in the 1950s which still has contaminants particularly in the ground.