Please Help! Moving to Charlottesville area (Norfolk, Forest: spring break, apartments, to rent)

[jent128]

I need information on areas to live around Charlottesville. My husband has accepted a job just outside of Charlottesville. He will have to move to the area around Mid March and I hope to follow by the end of the school year once our current house sells. We are looking for at least 3 bedroom house with a big yard for the kids to play in and dog to run around. Budget up to $300,000. Would like an area with good schools.
Also any suggestions on apartments in the Charlottesville area to rent that are inexpensive. Husband will be commuting back to Norfolk on the weekends. I plan to visit area hopefully in April during Spring Break to get a feel for the city and maybe look at some houses. I have looked at the City website for Charlottesville and it looks like a nice area. I can't find info on any surrounding towns close by though since most of them come up unincorporated.

[Blueice1]

Moderator cut: Please review the Terms of Service -- realtor recommendations are NOT allowed.

We have lived here since 2002 (moved from NOVA) We live in Fluvanna county, schools are avaerage (although improving) but Lake Monticello is out n the county and a large lake/golf course area....1/2 retiree's

Cville - has a HUGE range of houses/prices/lot size etc...for a nice neighborhood with a GREAT elem school, lots of shopping check out Forest Lakes...less than 10 minutes to downtown Cville. Standard neighborhood...but nice

Out west , and near the mtns is Crozet...nice area and growing...golf courses, and town center etc...about 20 minutes back into dead center of town.

I like south of town, but its "cheaper" and the schools are not as good...course you can get a house and 5 acres and only be 15 minutes to downtown.....

In the city limits are not bad, and you CAN get a house for 300K....not as impressed with city schools (but there are good for a "city" school) and it'll be a older home that might need some updating....

If you go outside the county to Fluvanna, Greene, Lousia etc...you can get new houses on acreage for 300K...but its 25+ minutes to downtown

Good luck !!

[jent128]

Thanks for the info. What cities would be close to Keswick, VA with decent schools. Would like to find an area with in a half hour of Keswick. Most important though is good schools. Will have a 5th grader and a Pre-K, so looking for good elementry schools that feed into decent middle and highschool