Military family needs relocation advice! (Norfolk, Chesapeake: apartment, rental, crime rates) - Hampton Roads area - Virginia (VA) -Chesapeake - Hampton - Newport News - Norfolk - Portsmouth - Suffolk - Virginia Beach - City-Data Forum

derekandrae · 09-11-2007, 05:26 PM

Hello,

Our family is moving to Hampton Roads in October. I will be assigned to Norfolk Naval Station. We are open to both buying and renting. We are originally from the west coast and the home prices are very appealing in VA! Our price limt is $220k buy or $1400 rent. We are previous homeowners and are experienced with the process. We have 4 young children ages 7, 4, 4 and 10 months. I know everyone will say Chesapeake, York County or VA Beach...etc The problem is what you get for the money. We are looking for a good mix of relative safety " we know no place is perfect", affordability, and future equity potential. I am not bothered by a 45min commute. Nor are we particularly bothered by "renaissance" areas such as Park Place, Broad Creek, South Norfolk etc...as long as the neighborhoods are truly turning around and there is a strengthening community feel. The rule we go by is if Starbucks puts a new store in the neighborhood then the place has a future...lol We also have an interest in Churchland, Western Branch or Northeast Suffolk. Any help from you all is VERY appreciated.

shellytc · 09-11-2007, 08:30 PM

Hi, I work with a lot of millitary folks. The norfolk communities you mention have some good points about them. You ask about them "turning around". They are being revitalised... how fast? well, things have slowed down a bit... so it may take a little longer. Investors are pulling back. I would say it will take a little longer these areas to finish the revitalization that was started during the busy years.

With your station being Norfolk, I would not recommend York county, just because of the commute being across the bridge / tunnel. That can get hairy. Norfolk has some nice areas and so does Suffolk.

Shelly

rmboyle · 09-12-2007, 06:08 AM

I wouldn't commute through the tunnel either. Also, the only thing you would be able to buy in York County for under $220 would be a townhouse.

Rosalind

eddieb323 · 09-16-2007, 12:00 PM

I'd recommend Churchland or Western Branch. You'd have the most luck finding a home in that price range in those areas, and they're good places for families with kids.

cjbrown1976 · 09-28-2007, 12:18 AM

My husband is stationed in Norfolk, and we lived in Hampton for a while. He hated the tunnel and now, when he gets back from deployment and my daughter and I move back to Virginia, we will be looking for a place that is much closer to the base. It's not only bad through the tunnel but the traffic from 564 to any gate is sickening in the morning. My husband had to leave the apartment an hour before he had to be at work and we only lived by Langley AFB which is normally 20-30 minutes away.

rtandc · 09-28-2007, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekandrae

Hello,

Our family is moving to Hampton Roads in October. I will be assigned to Norfolk Naval Station. We are open to both buying and renting. We are originally from the west coast and the home prices are very appealing in VA! Our price limt is $220k buy or $1400 rent. We are previous homeowners and are experienced with the process. We have 4 young children ages 7, 4, 4 and 10 months. I know everyone will say Chesapeake, York County or VA Beach...etc The problem is what you get for the money. We are looking for a good mix of relative safety " we know no place is perfect", affordability, and future equity potential. I am not bothered by a 45min commute. Nor are we particularly bothered by "renaissance" areas such as Park Place, Broad Creek, South Norfolk etc...as long as the neighborhoods are truly turning around and there is a strengthening community feel. The rule we go by is if Starbucks puts a new store in the neighborhood then the place has a future...lol We also have an interest in Churchland, Western Branch or Northeast Suffolk. Any help from you all is VERY appreciated.

OK I will say it anyway...Va Bch, Chesapeake or Suffolk.... York County will be hard to find anything in your price range.....$220K will not give you a whole lot of options but they are out there. Those renaissance neighborhoods that you speak of..please stay away from. Park Place has always been bad, its still bad today and will continue to be bad for many years to come. It still has one of the highest crime rates and the worst gang problem in the city. You will find that South Norfork rates right up there also as far as crime.
I would look at Suffolk, there is a lot of new constuction taking place and it does have the largest land base of any City in Virginia. The housing per square foot is still the cheapest of all of the cities so you will get more house for your money and long term housing gains should be in your favor. You can find the cluster home neighborhoods or find something more out in the "country". You would be looking at that 30-45 minute commute at least depending on where in Suffolk you relocate to and depending on daily traffic. No matter where you live in Hampton Roads your normal 20 minute drive to work can easily turn into a hour or two due to traffic

Russ_Shawna · 10-01-2007, 10:32 AM

You'll have a much wider selection renting than buying. Your rental price limit puts you in a decent category. Stay away from the bridge and tunnel drive if you can at all costs. Spent a few months doing the commute myself and all I can say is that an extra 2hrs a day on the road for a 20 mile drive stunk. I cant really give you ideas on the areas because I live on the other side of the bridge (hampton) but let me reiterate "stay away from the bridge and tunnel"...

Annhannis · 10-02-2007, 09:52 AM

I would recommend looking in Western Branch. Great location, near dowtown tunnel to Norfolk, near Portsmouth and such.

jennylea930 · 10-06-2007, 07:51 AM

Hi, my family is also looking for housing in the area. We are being stationed at Ft. Monroe at the first of the year and are looking for a place. Only problem is we know nothing about the area. We have three small children so a nice neighborhood with a great elem. school is a must. We're looking to rent and have found a place on Wills Way in Hampton (Michaels Woods Sub). Do any of you know anything about the area?
I could really use the help.
Thanks so much

The Dissenter · 10-06-2007, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennylea930

Hi, my family is also looking for housing in the area. We are being stationed at Ft. Monroe at the first of the year and are looking for a place. Only problem is we know nothing about the area. We have three small children so a nice neighborhood with a great elem. school is a must. We're looking to rent and have found a place on Wills Way in Hampton (Michaels Woods Sub). Do any of you know anything about the area?
I could really use the help.
Thanks so much

micheal's woods is argubably hampton's nicest subdivision. it is a very clean are. i have no idea about the elemantry school but it does feed into bethel HS which is Hampton's best HS, so it cant be that bad. I would highly recommend looking over in Southern York Co. Hampton's schools have a so-so reputation but York Co.'s schools are argubably the best in Hampton Roads. York. Co is great for kids, espically military kids.