Ranson, WV (Martinsburg, Charles Town, Inwood: sex offenders, crime, new home)

[SkiddySkidders]

Hello! My fiancé & I are considering a move to Ranson, WV. We are looking @ new construction homes w/Ryan (Fairfax Crossing). We both work in DC, but want to own a nice SFH that’s affordable. We would probably commute via the Marc. Any information people want to offer up regarding Ranson, Jefferson County &/or West Virginia is greatly appreciated!

When we visited the area seemed very pretty/tranquil, however we did notice some not so great parts (as we neared the races & slots area). Although, all cities will have that. I was also surprised how close it was to Leesburg & the Tyson’s Corner area. Some questions & things we’ve been thinking about; what are the schools like, are there private schooling options nearby, what’s the crime like, taxes, etc.

Thanks!

[NOVAmtneer82]

I live in Northern VA but have several friends in the Eastern Panhandle so I'm out there rather often. MARC would definitely be your best bet as far as commuting, despite being nearly 70 miles from downtown DC traffic is getting very bad in that area as a result of massive suburban development. From Ranson you would probably be closest to the Harpers Ferry MARC station which has 2 trains that run in the morning and evening, however if you desire a station with more train departure options you could easily drive over to Brunswick MD, several people do this. The train ride from Harpers Ferry is about an hour and a half, which isn't bad considering if you drove into DC during peak hours it would take at least 2.5 hours.

Crime shouldn't be an issue at all out there, like you said every area has a few dicey locations but as a whole it's a very safe area.

[SkiddySkidders]

Thank you for providing some good information. I really appreciate it. Its nice that there are forums like this where people can exchange real information. It definitely has helped people like us that are considering a major change in scenery. I tried to find information on the Potomac Marketplace at Potomac Town Center. All I found were a couple of press releases from the developer. I guess I was looking to see if a Barnes & Noble or Borders was coming to the area. That is something we don’t have down in SOMD & my fiancé & I definitely miss it! We used to go to a bookstore for hours, grab a coffee & just relax.

I did see that there were no registered sex offenders in the area; that definitely made a female feel better. Although I’m sure there are some in other areas, again as with any other city. I am getting the impression that the closer you get to the races & slots the “seedier” it becomes. Then again, I have also learned that there are some very pretty places that we can visit. Such as Harpers Ferry, Winchester, Shepherdstown. I must say we were immediately attracted to the quiet tranquility of the surroundings and the mountainous views. Hopefully this will be a good move for us. We’re kind of looking for that white picket fence, get to know your neighbors type environment. Hopefully Ranson is it!

One more question, have you ever ridden the Marc by chance? I wonder if its nice where you can relax w/a book & quietly listen to your iPod. Or if its awful like the DC metro system where you have teenagers dropping every curse word in the book, the train is never on time &/or its ridiculously overcrowded!

[micheleroll]

My husband and I are also looking in Ranson, WV. I think we picked a great spot. We are communting from DC too. The houses in West Virginia are much cheaper. That's what attracted us out there. Good Luck with your search and new home.

[KnoxBrian]

Your housing dollar will go a little farther in Berk Co. and with the new Rt. 9 to Martinsburg almost finished, you can get from Inwood/Martinsburg to Charlestown/Ranson in another 5-10 minutes. Adding a few min to the commute might save you even more money

[NOVAmtneer82]

I've never ridden MARC but a friend of mine from Harpers Ferry has, she loves it, takes a book or the Washington Post to read or does office work on her laptop.

[SkiddySkidders]

I was looking on the Ryan Homes website & the homes are even a little cheaper in Shepherdstown. I wonder why?

[NOVAmtneer82]

hmm...not really sure why that is, normally housing in Shepherdstown is more expensive than in Ranson or Charles Town, at least the older more historic homes. If it's a new home community I would probably guess the reason to be Shepherdstown's location about 8-10 miles further off the main commuter routes. If you are commuting by MARC though you might want to capitalize on the cheapher housing because the Duffields station is only about 2 miles outside of town. I personally love Shepherdstown and would highly recommend it over Ranson, especially since you are getting more bang for your buck!

[Palomino19]

Reply to: SkidderSkidders
"Hello! My fiancé & I are considering a move to Ranson, WV."

In Nov 2008, my spouse and I moved to a high-quality new town house in Ranson, between Jefferson County hospital and Race Track. Despite occasional siren traffic, we just love this location (back way to Berryville, VA & Northern VA/Leesburg) or short hop to Brunswick, MD for commuting on MARC train.

Nice feature, and way to make new friends: fantastically well managed Golds Gym on Rt 340 across from Wal-Mart.

Skidders...You can IM me and I can listen and possibly tell you more that might help you. Know 3 counties of WV eastern panhandle. Good luck!

[corrymill]

My husband and I have lived in Harpers Ferry for the past 4 1/2 years. We love it! Although, with the development taking place (despite the slow down in the market) the traffic has gotten a little heavier going into VA. He commutes to Chantilly 3 days a week. It takes him about 75-90 mins depending on the traffic, weather, and day of the week (believe it or not). I would advise you to continue talking to other residents. I do not advise moving further out i.e. Berkely Co. if you are commuting to the Norther Va area. It is not 10 mins further than Ranson it is more like 30 mins further. The new extension of Rt 9 will cut off some time but right now, it is not completed.

The area here in Harpers Ferry is much nicer than Berkely Co. Property values are higher. Though in recent years, Berkely Co was #1 on the list of counties in the US for development.

Keep weighing your options....feel free to email me with ?'s corry_crites@hotmail.com