Hope to Relocate from Southern New Jersey and really need some local advice (Charleston: car insurance, homes)

[jlm74]

I know it's a good idea to rent in an area before you buy. I come with a whole lot of dependents though. Chickens, guinea hens, horses, dogs. How hard is it to find a farm to rent. I know in New Jersey you have a better chance of winning the lottery then finding an affordable farm rental.

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by jlm74

Thanks for the replies and the help. It's really appreciated. I agree, having horses and taking care of them you never get to ride them. I haven't ridden in about 6 months! They are mostly my lesson horses, but how could I not want to ride on my own 75 acres in WV!
Two-Rivers: I would definately be interested in any information you could get on the farm.

David: NJ drains the money out of you, I'll be leaving what little i have here.lol.. Greenbrier and the Panhandle areas are pretty expensive arent they?

TBailey: Thanks for the town information, Im going to look at the links. What county is that?

Herd: I'll check out the job information. Any idea how the national parks hire or if there is a site?

Hinton: I've been looking at West Virginia Property on land and farm for months! im addicted.

Let me ask if anyone has opinions on three places I found. Any information about the locations would be great. I'm flying blind.

Pleasants Co.: Farm in Shirley
Roane Co: Farm in Alma
Doddridge: West Union

Thanks guys.

Check out this site for federal jobs with the Mon. National Forest
Welcome to the Monongahela National Forest in Elkins, WV.

Look at this site for state Division of Natural Resources jobs (DNR)
West Virginia DNR - Administration

City park season jobs
Elkins Parks and Recreation (http://www.cityofelkinswv.com/about/elkinsrecreation.html - broken link)

If I think of anymore sites that might be helpful I'll let you know

[tbailey1138]

Originally Posted by jlm74

TBailey: Thanks for the town information, Im going to look at the links. What county is that?

Huntington is in Cabell County. You can find land here in the Salt Rock area or just east of town along Rt 2 but it tends to sell quick and be more expensive. Cabell is bordered by the less expensive counties of Mason, Wayne and Linclon which is where you may want to look for a farm.

Best of Luck!

Tim

[Two-Rivers]

I would have to guess it's easier to buy rather than rent a farm, but I haven't been looking at rentals.

Pleasants co. is nice enough, along the Ohio river with bottom land and hilltop pastures too. St. Mary's is the county seat, located 15 miles from Parkersburg.

Roane co. is rural, Spencer is the county seat.

I'll look for that link this evening, but if you are running a business, this particular part of Ritchie co. may not be accessible enough for customers. Other areas of Ritchie are along both sides of US Rt50. West Union, Harrisville, Pennsboro, Ellenboro, and Cairo are all in the same general area along US 50.

You might get lucky and find something along the Rail to Trails near US 50 and North Bend State Park. The trail only allows pedestrians, bicycles, or horses. It has some bike and horse rentals already, but I believe the trail runs 70+ miles from Parkersburg to Clarksburg along the abandoned rail line. (the 1800s tunnels are neat to pass through) North Bend State Park is at Cairo.

I would suggest looking at maps to get a feel for locations and distances. National and Local Weather Forecast, Hurricane, Radar and Report is a good starter. Switch between satellite and highway maps, zoom in, etc. All you need is a location or zip code.

Seems I remember looking at that other farm on Google Street View, once I got the address from the realtor. (a bit creepy seeing your own home on the internets though... reminds me.. go fix my fence)

[CTMountaineer]

You might try Preston County too. It's near enough to Morgantown, which is among the Nation's best job markets, yet in a beautiful mountainous area with lots of rural land. Kingwood is the major town in Preston.

Also, I found this about a small farm in the beautiful Cheat Lake area just outside of Morgantown:

WONDERFUL Multi-Function Horse Stables/Farm for Sale! 3.13 Acres bordering Miramichi at Cheat Lake. See details and pictures at www.citizensbankwv.com. 304-292-8411

http://www.citizensbankwv.com/re_1.htm (broken link)

[David Kennedy]

The good rolling land..is near the Ohio river.

West Union is close to a lot of things and all three of your choices as far as counties go, are good.

Rt 50 can get you into Ohio amish country quickly and the Pleasants area is very good too...

My feeling is this...When you see the new home, your sub-conscious will tell you to jump...you won't be disapointed. Perhaps one will have its own airstrip..

[Two-Rivers]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

Perhaps one will have its own airstrip..

Sounds like Hale's Landing near Newark, every home has an airplane in the garage.

[MySkreenName01]

Originally Posted by jlm74

Hi all. I'm new to the forums so be gentle with me! I am a southern nj native. I am a horseback riding instructor and own some acerage in a really beautiful area. The problem is I have to work two other jobs to keep my house and my farm. NJ is squeezing out it's residents and it's sad since my family settled here in 1670 as whalers. That being said, West Virginia is the most beautiful state I can imagine. It is still possible to have the dream to own and afford acres of land for my horses, chickens and dogs. I am researching places (towns and counties) to live and feel overwhelmed!
It has to have affordable land. I'm hoping to get at least 50 acres, have four seasons (i think most of WV does but Im not sure!), be safe, scenic and have a town nearby (20 min of so) that has things to do and great places to eat. I love the pictures of the towns I see with the cafes and museums and while I want to be in the country, I do want to be able to travel to a great little town once and a while.

I grow organic vegetables so having a farmers market nearby would be great! My family and I are also history lovers. Just got back from a trip to Gettysburg in fact. So any area with historical sites near would be amazing too.


I know it's a tall order to ask for help picking a place to move, but who better to ask?!

Thank you for any help and advice you can give.

jlm,
my family and i were all born and raised in south jersey (atlantic) and We keep going back and fourth about to leave the state or stay. We want to buy a house and the mortage is fine but once you add in the taxes...well its a different story. We have owned other homes before but with the economy its not the case any more. we have been looking at three states WV,VA,DE and i must say we really like WV.We have been there few time went to the parks and didn't want to leave.if i knew i would find a good job there we would pack up and move today. unless you have buckets and buckets of money its hard to make ends meet in nj. anyway good luck in your search

[jlm74]

Thanks for all the input. If anyone hears of any local land for sale please let me know. I'm sure alot is available that you can't find on the internet.

You do need buckets of money to live in NJ.. it's become impossible no matter how hard I work.

[Orwelleaut]

Originally Posted by jlm74

oh and it doesn't have to be a big city at all. Small is good. Just want to have good places to eat out on occasion and some cultural activities.

I'd recommend somewhere near Wheeling in either the Northern Panhandle, or in Ohio across the river from Wheeling. You'll have everything you're seeking that a small city offers with Wheeling, Pittsburgh and Columbus not far away if you want to visit a bigger city, and plenty of peaceful countryside. The part of Ohio near Wheeling is hilly, inexpensive, and sparsely settled. Ohio also has lower taxes than WV and lower gas prices, but still has good services.

I don't know what land sells for in Belmont County, OH, but I imagine it is far less than South Jersey. The only problem with this neck of the woods is that the job market is lean, and has been that way for quite a few years.