moving to west virginia ??

[r601020]

Originally Posted by chucomsen

. . I do care about crime, especially crimes against persons and especially gangs Grrrr!!!.
jack

On that note, I have no problem telling the politically correct they are full of ****, and half of that problem is because of them. West Virginia is the only place in this country that survives the future, and it's why I moved here.

I'm not going to sell you on Charleston, but I like it, and don't care who doesn't; they can go to hell and kiss my ass on the way. As I've lived here almost a year now, it's my West Virginia obligation to turn folks away. So don't come! Shoo!



As for weather, Charleston is just below the artic winds (they come down via the tundra of Montana curving north around Arkansas then head towards Pittsburgh). You can literally see them just north of Charleston, so it's a relatively mild winter . . the reverse is true in summer, and I know for a fact, it's cooler here in summer than where you currently live. Can't do much about those cold fronts the come down through the Great Lakes, but you could be in Florida and those things hit you anyway, so it's moot. Open up USA Today weather for about a year, and you'll see that little weather anomaly on the map that Charleston sits in.

As for your wife, the Appalachians are a barrier to ocean humidity, and it hurts me to be on the other side . . I don't ache here. My mom in Florida has migraines, and when she's up here, she doesn't hurt either. I can't explain that, just is.

You might consider renting for a year, and that would give you the buffer of time for looking around before making a commitment on a home purchase. Best wishes.

[ABCDom]

It looks as though you have received some good advice from everyone. I don’t have too much to add, but two things seem relevant: (1) The crime in WV is pretty insignificant. Don’t get me wrong, it exists, but it’s not what you might imagine. Obviously, the closer you are to a bigger city, the more crime there is going to be. Reading between the lines in your original post, you aren’t going to experience racial tension and related crimes (unless you live in the “bad neighborhood” of a bigger city). With Charleston and Huntington, you might experience some violent crime, drug use, etc. but nothing too serious. With Morgantown, you will experience a lot of “college crime” (i.e. vandalism, theft, etc.). Still, all places have crime, but the cities that you’re considering aren’t what you may fear. (2) I have lived in the north central part of the state for several years and currently live in Hurricane, WV. I have noticed a difference in the weather since I moved. It is much hotter down here in the valley, but the humidity is about the same. I didn’t bother to look up the 2008 monthly averages, but it rarely dips below 80 from May until September. Personally, I love it here in Hurricane, but the weather doesn’t affect me like it may you and your wife. As much as I like the southern part of the state, if the weather is that much of a concern, you just might be better off in the northern part of the state. Like I said, just adding my two cents. Either way, I wish you the best and welcome you to West Virginia.

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by chucomsen

Tim,

Great insights .. made me feel like just pickin up and moving right now.. but gotten responsible in my old age. Hate to keep harping on the weather. You mentioned 4 nice seasons. The only season that concerns me around Charleston/Huntington is the summer. Can you elaborate on that? Here's the deal. When the heat really hits my wife health starts to head south (no pun).. Probably, if it's just a few days or even a week and then some relief, she can handle that.. Is that what it is or what..? I'm starting too think that she may have an easier time with a little too much cold than too much heat.. In which case, I'll be taking a harder look at Buckhannon, Clarksburg, maybe even Grafton. And I guess if I'm willing to go that far north I might as well consider Morgantown. But Elkins just seems too far away from a regional hospital. Seems to be coming down to weather as as the primary criteria.

The hospital in Elkins, (Davis Memorial) where I was born offers nearly everything you can find in much larger hospitals. It is accredited through the Accredited, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO). It offers general medical and surgical care, general intensive care, obstetrics, neurology, orthopedics, oncology and emergency departments to name a few, with 90 staffed beds Imaging services offered include CT scans, MRI, Sped CT, MSCT, and ultrasounds...

Davis Memorial had over 150,427 outpatient services, 37,352 emergency room visits, 1,077 Inpatient surgeries and 397 births last year.

Davis Health Systems employs nearly 1,000 people.

So yeah, you struck a chord with me... Davis Memorial is fully capable of handling nearly anything, and if not Ruby and Mon. Gen. are just a short life-flight ride away.

http://www.davishealthsystem.org/

[tbailey1138]

Originally Posted by chucomsen

Tim,

Great insights .. made me feel like just pickin up and moving right now.. but gotten responsible in my old age. Hate to keep harping on the weather. You mentioned 4 nice seasons. The only season that concerns me around Charleston/Huntington is the summer. Can you elaborate on that? Here's the deal. When the heat really hits my wife health starts to head south (no pun).. Probably, if it's just a few days or even a week and then some relief, she can handle that.. Is that what it is or what..? I'm starting too think that she may have an easier time with a little too much cold than too much heat.. In which case, I'll be taking a harder look at Buckhannon, Clarksburg, maybe even Grafton. And I guess if I'm willing to go that far north I might as well consider Morgantown. But Elkins just seems too far away from a regional hospital. Seems to be coming down to weather as as the primary criteria.

It's difficult for someone who is used to the weather here to really give you an idea about how the weather would affect someone new to the area. All I can say is that I usually have a harder time with the heat and humidity when I go down south in the areas close to the ocean. Florida is really hard for me to handle sometimes and I've not really spent enough time in NC to accurately compare here and there. Typical summer weather here is mostly in the 80's with around 15 days above 90 on average (I think that's what the weatherman said a couple of weeks back). I don't think the heat here is overwhelming at all and I'm someone who doesn't tolerate heat well. Come visit the different areas you're looking at and see which one suits you. Here's an article that gives you some more info on the local hospitals.
Area hospitals recognized in HealthGrades' ratings - The Herald Dispatch
Tim

[Lady of the Lake 1959]

If you are still looking in West Virginia go to www.findwvrealestate.com

[vec101]

Originally Posted by chucomsen

.........get a very small house, under 1000 sq ft, even 800, but I need to keep it around 55k or lower. In town ok but not totally distressed or crime ridden. I know that usually comes with a low price but in that case I'll just opt for senior housing. Out of town home would be ok, also.. Have any ideas? But Buckhannon, Clarksburg , Grafton definitely on my itinerary nexy month. Probably be asking about a nice but not too pricey place to stay .. before I leave .. Must have continental breakfast.. Thanks again..
Jack

"not totally distressed or crime ridden" - I don't think you have to worry about that in Buckhannon. There are areas with not great housing but can't think of an area in Buckhannon that is totally distressed or crime ridden. It just really is a charming little town (county) and the people seem to really have pride in their County.

Not sure about price of housing in Upshur County (Buckhannon) - my guess is 55K may be a challenge but maybe not. You'd have to contact one of the real estate agents.

Motels etc Buckhannon:
New Holiday Inn Express at Bkn/Weston exit of I-79 and nice Hampton in Bkn - but think both run about $80 per night.
Baxa Hotel run down and icky years ago - figure it still is
The Bi-Centennial used to be the hot place to stay in Bkn -- think it's not so hot now but still OK. Don't know prices.
No idea what this is like buckhannon motel, hotels in buckhannon, WV - Colonial Hotel Motel
There are also B&B's Buckhannon Bed and Breakfast Hotels, Buckhannon, West Virginia Inns - Bed and Breakfasts Online

Additional info on Bkn:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/west-...buchannon.html

[KimKaplan]

HI Chucomsen,
I moved to the Parkersburg,Vienna area in Wood County 4 years ago. I have liked it here. I am a realtor in the area and think you would probably be able to find something in this area in your price range. Our cost of living in good too. However, we do get some pretty warm days in West Virginia during the summer. May not be like NC, but we have our share of warm days. We do have a hospital that has a heart program in case that is a worry for you and your wife. Please feel free to email if you have any oher questions on the area.
Thanks,
Kim