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My boyfriend and I are a few months into the "find our dream place to live" process. Everyone on this forum gives such great feedback that I thought I would give it a shot. I know we're looking for a lot here, but we're just starting out so any help you can give would be wonderful. Our vision is obviously still evolving as we do more research.
We are looking to settle down on about 5 acres - we want outbuildings, gardening, etc. Budget isn't set in stone yet, shooting for about $450k tops. We'd like to find a place like this where a vibrant town/city is within 10-15 mins driving distance. Being near the water is also a priority. We can work remotely so finding employment doesn't rank too highly on the must-have list.
Here is some other criteria:
- Good schools
- Access to outdoor activities and green scenery - mountains, rivers, ocean, national parks (some or all!)
- Climate: not too cold (I am from the finger lakes in upstate NY, brrrr!), BUT definitely not too hot/humid. That's what everyone wants, right?
- Access to medical care and a nearby (hour or so?) airport
- Nearby town/city with a vibrant community (energetic, active, good restaurants, low crime rate)
The Delmarva peninsula has been ruled out by the way.
Maybe college towns in western parts of states like VA, NC and SC or in WV, TN or KY. Places like Blacksburg, Harrisonburg or Bradford in VA, Asheville or Boone in NC, Clemson in SC, Morgantown in WV, Johnson City and Knoxville in TN and Richmond, Morehead and Lexington in KY. Land near Roanoke VA, Charleston WV and Greenville SC, among others, may work too.
I would look at Charlotte, NC (or the surrounding suburbs -particularly north of Charlotte). It is a 2 hour drive to the mountains, 3-4 from the beach, and the city is right by Lake Norman (which has an awesome boating culture).
I would say the best part about Charlotte though is that it has a lot of new development, a younger population, but still has a great cost of living. No other city I have lived in (Philly,DC,Seattle,Boston - most of those cities I only lived very briefly in) allows for a younger couple just starting out so many opportunities to do things. Here in Seattle, I am making more money than I ever had, but struggling to do the weekly things I was doing in CLT. I moved away 2 years ago to Seattle, and really miss the cleanliness of the city and ability to go out on the lake every weekend in the summer. To me it is a great place since it is a large city, but it's not too large/overpriced yet. School system is pretty good (probably could find better in other parts of the US), but there are some top colleges in UNC (UNC-CH being one of the "public ivy" schools.
The issues that I would see for you would be that it might be a little too hot for you in the summer (but I mean Boston and DC both got almost hot/humid in the summer months). Fall/spring is really great weather, and the winters give you snow, but rarely more than a foot. There also isn't as big of a city feel that more northern cities have (the city is pretty large, but also fairly spread out) and there isn't as great public transportation (although I heard their lightrail which was built recently is doing fairly well).
Maybe college towns in western parts of states like VA, NC and SC or in WV, TN or KY. Places like Blacksburg, Harrisonburg or Bradford in VA, Asheville or Boone in NC, Clemson in SC, Morgantown in WV, Johnson City and Knoxville in TN and Richmond, Morehead and Lexington in KY. Land near Roanoke VA, Charleston WV and Greenville SC, among others, may work too.
It should have said Radford instead of Bradford. Charlottesville VA may work as well.
I agree, check out Orange County, NC just south and west of Chapel Hill. There are currently 7 listings for homes with your criteria and in your price range....actually averaging well below your max of 450K (sitting around a 300K average). The public schools in Chapel Hill (and neighboring Carrboro) are excellent, ranked #1 in NC and among the best in the nation. Nearby parks, Jordan Lake and the Eno River provide immediate water access while the ocean is 2.5 hours east (Wrightsville Beach) and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the northwest are also 2.5 hours away. Chapel Hill while a smallish town is the home of the University of North Carolina and provides entertainment/culture of cities several times it's size. The twin city of Carrboro (which borders Chapel Hill) has a great many options as well. Durham (home of Duke University) is less than 30 minutes to the north and provides among other things a fantastic restaurant scene that even the NY Times has picked up on (twice). RDU (Raleigh/Durham Airport) is about 30 minutes from the areas outside of Chapel Hill you'd be looking at.
THANK YOU to everyone who responded! You all provided such helpful, detailed information. We currently live in Alexandria VA, right outside of DC. Asheville, NC is actually next on our list to go check out. What does everyone think of Asheville?
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