Boones Mill--What's with the weird sign?? (Roanoke: real estate, buying a house, buying)

[Meg Mercado]

Just a quick question for any residents of the boones mill area, because I've been curious. A few weeks ago when we were in the area house hunting, we saw a HUGE sign in somebody's front yard (on the northbound side of 220). The sign said something like: "THEIVING BASTARDS BURN IN HELL". (I don't remember the exact wording.) It was like 10 feet tall or something and was very visible. Our realtor said it had been there for quite some time.

I was just wondering if anybody from that area knows the story behind that sign. ??? It seemed like an interesting piece of local color.

Do tell, if you know the details...
--Meg

[jballa]

The Feds probably took someone's moonshine still! It is the "Moonshine Captial of the World! Every now and again I offroad off a dirt road between Roanoke Co. and Boone's Mill and I'll catch someone running it to this day!

Just a theory, I'm sure Sean will probably know when he gets on here.

[seanpecor]

Over the winter the owner of the sign had an enclosed trailer containing two four wheelers stolen off his property. The sign is a testament to how understandably pissed off he was (and probably remains). When he first posted the sign it made the local news

I can't feel too badly for him. If he had a $30 hitch lock he'd still have his four wheelers. Why he didn't have one is beyond me, especially since he lives on Route 220 where 20,000+ local and out of state trucks pass by his house daily with his yard in plain view.

Sean

[Meg Mercado]

thanks sean-- my curiosity has finally been satisfied. Sounds like the guy should learn his lesson!

Btw, look forward to being your neighbor soon--we're most likely buying a house in boones mill. Heading to Va in three weeks.

[seanpecor]

Awesome! Be sure to stop in and say hello!

Sean

[flwrs314]

Pitiful, colorful town, Boones Mill!

[seanpecor]

Yeah, the town of Boones Mill is only one square mile in land area. Population is only 280 people or so and since each house is so close to the Route 220 highway, for the most part they are languishing and will eventually convert almost entirely to commercial real estate. The ironic thing is, while the town population is 280, the Boones Mill zip code land area is 91 square miles and the population is +/- 7,000 and growing _fast_. Aside from SML, the Boones Mill zip code is probably the fastest growing area with respect to population and real estate values. Homes values in 24065 are in parity with Roanoke's 24018 which says something (+/- $180K). So it's funny to me that all this gentrification is taking place on all of the country roads off of Route 220, but driving through the little town of Boones Mill you'd never realize that you're passing within 3 miles of a dozen or more new subdivisions with hundreds of lots and new homes being offered in the $375K to $700K range

With the gentrification of 24065, the little town of Boones Mill has some massive commercial potential. I suspect that within 10 years we'll see an enterprising developer buy everyone out and build a commercial village that will consume nearly all of Boones Mill. The upfront cost of buyouts would be high but the ROI of such an undertaking would be an order of magnitude higher. Then it won't be quite so pitiful any longer

Sean