Retiring in Williamsburg questions

[Mr Williamsburg]

Hi
I think you’ll find for some reason that folks have simply stopped using this forum. It used to be very active but I think the conversations have migrated to Facebook and such. I know I’ve posted well over 1000 responses to questions here.

You will find some homes that are not in HOA’s but they are the exception. There’s also some homes in voluntary HOA’s

But inventory is at an all time low right now so it might take a while to find something. What price range are you considering?

Renting here could be a challenge if a home is nice they’re going to get 20+ applications on it. 2000 seems to be a starting point lately for even a small detached home. That has gone up drastically in the last year and a half by the way.

Feel free to message me if you want more in-depth answers to anything.

[YorktownGal]

Originally Posted by Mr Williamsburg

Renting here could be a challenge if a home is nice they’re going to get 20+ applications on it. 2000 seems to be a starting point lately for even a small detached home. That has gone up drastically in the last year and a half by the way.

In 2020, we moved to a rental in Williamsburg while our house is built. However, building supplies are in short supply. Our windows were four months late. Garage doors - forget about it!

We were lucky because rental are hard to find and much more expense today.

Our builder has raised its home prices since we signed the contract. Homes are getting ten or twenty offers in the first week. People are signing away their right to a home inspection. It's crazy!

BUT- we love it! Nice people, family oriented, lots of activities, good weather! I can't say enough good things about it!

[peaceka]

Originally Posted by Mr Williamsburg

You will find some homes that are not in HOA’s but they are the exception. There’s also some homes in voluntary HOA’s

But inventory is at an all time low right now so it might take a while to find something. What price range are you considering?

Renting here could be a challenge if a home is nice they’re going to get 20+ applications on it. 2000 seems to be a starting point lately for even a small detached home. That has gone up drastically in the last year and a half by the way.

Thank you for this information.

The price of houses are through the roof right now so we want to wait for a bit. One of the good things we like about Williamsburg is that there are more houses going up for sale, and they are newer compared to where we are.

We are interested in renting a house first, before buying in the future as the area will be new to us and so far haven't found one in our price range.

Ideally, we are looking for a 3 bedroom house that has access to internet and a nice backyard for our kids to play. If this is possible, how much should we budget for rent?

Also, what time of the year are most rentals available?

Thank you.

[Mr Williamsburg]

The peak of the home rental season starts now through July.
I don’t personally work in the rental market but I think you’re gonna have to budget a minimum of 2K To find something if not more. Rental rates have skyrocketed in the last year. As have home prices

[peaceka]

Originally Posted by Mr Williamsburg

The peak of the home rental season starts now through July.
I don’t personally work in the rental market but I think you’re gonna have to budget a minimum of 2K To find something if not more. Rental rates have skyrocketed in the last year. As have home prices

Thank you. Do you know any rental companies that l could look into?

[Mr Williamsburg]

I think most of the rental companies post their listings on Zillow.

[peaceka]

Originally Posted by Mr Williamsburg

I think most of the rental companies post their listings on Zillow.

Thank you. I appreciate your help.

[Dthraco]

We considered renting first when we moved to Virginia Beach last June from Oahu.

We bought remotely and the ‘fight’ was real. It’s a game with alot of people playing / competing. We got lucky with the timing and were able to cancel the $3,500/mo VRBO and drive from the airport to the house upon arrival.

The whole thing took alot of logistical work, but I am glad we did it. The market has definitely gone up since last year, and the fight seems to be similar with needs of guarantees over appraisal, escalation clauses, waiving repairs, etc.

I don’t have a crystal ball, and nobody really knows how things will look next year, but I feel like we saved a good deal of $$ by not renting first.

We brought grandma with us and she is renting. When you look at rentals, be sure to ask them about ALL the costs. The community she lives in has a base rent price, but then they add all kinds of fees on. Besides electricity, trash, and water, they also have a contract with a cable/internet provider that is the only one you can choose (and SUCKS really bad). What was advertised at $1,350 is really closer to $1,700 a month for a 1 bedroom.

Best of luck on whatever you choose.

FWIW - it’s fantastic here. Mild weather, great cost of living compared to Hawaii. Snowed thrice this winter and was quite beautiful. Now everything is turning green again and it was 87 yesterday. Lots of places within driving range for day trips, like D.C. and Charlottesville. Lots of history.

[peaceka]

Originally Posted by Dthraco

We brought grandma with us and she is renting. When you look at rentals, be sure to ask them about ALL the costs. The community she lives in has a base rent price, but then they add all kinds of fees on. Besides electricity, trash, and water, they also have a contract with a cable/internet provider that is the only one you can choose (and SUCKS really bad). What was advertised at $1,350 is really closer to $1,700 a month for a 1 bedroom.

We will definitely keep this in mind. Thank you.

[YorktownGal]

Originally Posted by Dthraco

We brought grandma with us and she is renting. When you look at rentals, be sure to ask them about ALL the costs. The community she lives in has a base rent price, but then they add all kinds of fees on. Besides electricity, trash, and water, they also have a contract with a cable/internet provider that is the only one you can choose (and SUCKS really bad). What was advertised at $1,350 is really closer to $1,700 a month for a 1 bedroom.

It's pretty standard that the tenant pays electricity, trash, water and cable. Cable companies split up regions so there is only one cable company in each town. I had Verizon in NY and Cox in Virginia. There was never a choice in either location.