Lake Monticello (Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville: for sale, rental homes, HOA)

[jmarkd]

I have tried unsuccessfully in other threads, so I wanted to start my own.

Lake Monticello- what's the deal? Good, bad, ugly? Anyone who lives there or knows anything about it, please post or PM me!

Background: I have a job offer on the UVA campus and have seen a lot of pretty affordable, nice homes in Lake Monticello.

About us: my wife and I are 30. We have a 2 year old, a 10-month-old, and
#3 is due in October. We are looking for a place with some other people who have kids.

We could pay up to $270k, but the less the better.

I have been looking online at homes in Lake Monticello but two things concern me:

1) The high number of homes for sale there, and

2) The whole "gated community/HOA" thing.

A lot of homes for sale in an area could be a red flag. On the second point- I am all for making folks keep their yards looking nice, but I have heard the rules are a little too stringent in LM. At worst, I can picture a committee of people with too much time on their hands dictating what color drapes you can't have.

On the plus side, it would be nice to have access to the water, tennis courts, and other family-friendly things. The HOA is great compared to what it provides, and the 40 cent tax rate in Fluvanna represents $200 a month less in taxes compared to what I'm currently paying in America's richest county, Loudoun.

Our folks live in Spotsylvania so we'd like to live on that side of C-ville.

If you have a chance and could share your thoughts on Lake Monticello I'd
appreciate it!

[jase434]

My Dad has lived out there for about four years now and hasn't had any problems with the HOA and he has a boat that he parks in his yard. The lake in nice, and it is the ony affordable housing near Charlottesville. The only thing is the school system isn't that great. My Dad pays to have my sister attend Charlottesville schools.

But the activities at the Lake are great - super July 4th fireworks. And form what he says not too strict of an HOA. I like in a Richmond HOA that is a bit more strict than Lake Monticello

[art2t]

My husband and I (he's a teacher and I'm a Ph.D student at the University) have lived at Lake Monticello for 3 years. We will be moving to the city in July, having sold our house, but that's just the way that we are. We prefer living in the city as opposed to the country. LM is a great area - to campus it's a solid 25-30 minute commute, but to other parts of town is shorter.

We found (and we're in our late 20s-early 30s) that for us LM was an affordable option for a few years until we could build some equity and move closer to town. We have not really used the amenities, mainly due to our busy schedules. I can't say anything bad at all about the area - for homes in the $250-275K range, you will find more square footage and possibly a more kid-friendly/family-friendly environment than you'll find in C'ville proper.

My husband and I have been living in one of the LM sections that is not gated - and we do prefer it - apparently there are always back-ups and delays at the gates caused by deliveries, servicemen, etc. In the non-gated sections, this problem doesn't exist.

The high number of homes for sale is probably due to the transient nature of Charlottesville and the surrounding areas. Keep in mind that you have a lot of grad/professional students who buy homes in and around the area and then sell when their degrees have been completed to move on to other places.

The HOA is a steal when you consider the amenities at LM - for a family with kids I think it's a great assortment of activities. There's a pool, tennis courts, the lake itself, and lots of activities geared towards families/kids. We don't have kids, so for us, the amenities didn't always appeal. They are not especially stringent - just keep in mind that if you want to change the color of your house, or put a fence in your backyard, you'll have to get the materials/colors approved first.

They have a website where you can read the guidelines. I think it's Lake Monticello Owners' Association (LMOA).

Best of luck!

[jmarkd]

Thanks to both of you for your replies. art2t, I appreciate you sharing your experience. It sounds like a great place for our young, growing family. As you say, it is a lot less expensive than town.
I have heard similar thoughts about the gate being a hassle. Hopefully we'll find a nice place in one of the outside sections!
Now we just have to sell our house here in Northern Virginia. Should be a cinch Bubble? What bubble?

[janya barrish]

Does anyone know of any rental housing in Lake Monticello, VA?

I am looking to rent a 2 bedroom townhome, duplex or single family cottage/small home in the area. C-Ville is just to expensive for us. Another area I was told was affordable was Crozet. Which one is better?

Thanks C-Villers

[jennirowe]

We have 2nd home in Lake Monticello since August 2004. We would love live daily. People are very friendly. Only bad thing about it is high cost of water supply, $80 monthly and we are even not living (twice a month go down there). It is only about $80 for 3 months in Fairfax County! And we live here full time. I guess that people in Lake Monticello do not realize that they are paying too much for water.

[Sarahmorgan]

If you're looking for rental homes in the Lake Monticello, VA, or most any areas for that matter, try Craigslist under their apts/housing for rent section. There are a few rentals listed for Lake Monticello in the Charlottesville link.

Also, I've found another good source are local newspapers. Google the name of the town you're interested in, or closest Metro area, in this case Charlottesville. I googled Charlottesville Va Newspapers, and the Daily Progress is available on line. There are quite a few Lake Monticello homes listed for rent in the classified section.

I'm also searching for rental homes, but I'm looking in the Roanoke area. Hope this information helps you!