Family Relocating To Charleston

[BJC]

You should look at Summersville. This is a great little town. I would suggest that you rent for awhile before you decide to buy. You will have the opportunity to check out other areas.

[Big_Al]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

I think that hubby needs a few doses of reality. >>

P.S... I haven't been "home" up there in a while, but Kanawha City was always a nice area and convenient to live in.

Well, the hubby needs a dose of reality, I agree. But I think it's not fair to offer him Kanawha city knowing he's gonna make 25-30 grand a year.
Winter- it's not a problem at all in Charleston. We get first snow in mid-January, plow trucks are everywhere. No need to worry, no need for 4x4.

[roanoke_expert]

I would look into one of the fastest growing areas in West Virginia...Putnam County. It is half way between Charleston and Huntington (the states two largest cities). It'd be about 25-30mins to Charleston or Huntington. I would look into the Teays Valley, Scott Depot, Winfield or Hurricane areas. These are by far the most progressive areas of the state and great friendly down to earth people. I used to live in Hurricane and loved it!

[David Kennedy]

Summersville gets my vote...laid back...Rupert and Oak Hill would make my 'A' list too.
They're in the heart of the 'new' West Virginia...

[Big_Al]

Originally Posted by roanoke_expert

I would look into one of the fastest growing areas in West Virginia...Putnam County. It is half way between Charleston and Huntington (the states two largest cities). It'd be about 25-30mins to Charleston or Huntington. I would look into the Teays Valley, Scott Depot, Winfield or Hurricane areas. These are by far the most progressive areas of the state and great friendly down to earth people. I used to live in Hurricane and loved it!

Putnam Co is getting overpopulated - there are traffic jams over there! I64 is blocked every day. 15-20 minutes commute could be an hour or more drive. If you work in Huntington or Charleston- find a house over there. it will be a little more expensive BUT try to estimate how much gas will you burn and how much time you will loose.
I live within 15 minutes from work, I fill up my tank every OTHER week. Those who live in Putnam Co do it every several days. Calculate!

[TheNida]

Due to the mild winters in WV, moving in Decemeber would not be too big of a deal. In regards to jobs, there are several opportunties to keep your eye out on especially if your husband drives a truck. To my understanding, Liberty Coal just bought out a major coal company in the Charleston Area which means they might be hiring here soon. Also, should you been looking for a job paying over $9.00 an hour and with great benefits, AMAZON.COM in Huntington is hiring. My wife is an Instructional Designer there and started off on the phones 5 years ago and has worked her way up. Depending on how you feel about gambling, the Dog Track will be expanding as well which should generate lots of jobs too. Lots of options!

I sell Real Estate in Charleston and Huntington and right now is an ideal time to buy due to foreclosures the amount of price reductions in the area( EX houses that were listed in the Spring which were overpiced and now been reduced to a price that should be and a better buy)

Keep in mind, that around here, for every $10k spent on a house you can expect to pay about $80 dollars a month. Of course this depends on your credit and income etc. In both Huntington and Charleston, you can find a good 1500-2000k sq.ft house for about 100-125k. You just gotta find a good buy.
Good luck with your move and let me know if you need some more advice on the RE Market!
Bret
WWW.NETBRET.COM

[WV34]

I understand what you're saying about what surrounds your living conditions "but" reconsider that closely. WV does not offer a lot of work and that's what I'm dealing with now. I come from the big city, Cleveland, and work is easy to find and pay is great, but living here in WV has not been accomodating. I fustrated and would love to leave WV where there's money to live comfortably. I just advised a family member today that WV is not a place I would suggest they'd move to. Just a thought for ya!

[WV34]

Bret: I'll ask you since you know real estate....what options are there for a married couple who have a bankruptcy, bad credit, but work and have been renting for years, to have a chance to take that monthly rent and apply it to an investment, "a home?" Our rents paid every month and to me, it's a waste, not applying it towards something that is not our own. What programs are available? Thanks!

[TheNida]

Hey there,
Due to the recent backlash on sub-prime lending, there aren't as many good programs available to those that may have had risky credit at one time. I would, however, recommend you check your credit report periodically ( link to your free annual CR here: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp) to see what all is still on your report. My buddy thought since he had filed bankruptcy three years ago that he would not be eligible for a loan and he looked into a loan and was approved because his score had gone up to a 675. Either way, it's good to know what you need to do to repair it. Although it can be very tedious, you could get it up and running within a year.

In your situation I would recommend looking for someone that wants to do a Land Contract(rent to own) or Seller Financing(sellers gives you a loan but at a higher interest rate). Not too many sellers want to do one but I do see them in the Newspaper and on Craigslist.org from time-to-time. It would be best if you could get a good down payment of maybe 10% or more to take the risk off of the seller. In such a situation such as these, you would not be throwing your money away and after you repair your credit you could then get a loan to purchase the house.

[Big_Al]

My only advice would be- first-find and secure a job here, second-fing an affordable appartment with 6m lease, third- move in, 4th- start house-hunting.