The Future of Hampton Roads? (Norfolk, Richmond: homeowners insurance, movers, living)

[Caladium]

USAA has been great for us. We switched over to them about 20 or so years ago after learning some hard lessons about another company. Been very happy with them and so have the people I know who use it. Lots of military people up here in the DC area, so it's a fairly common topic of conversation. And no, we're not willing to live in a coastal community without it.

[rtandc]

Nice to see someone that dedicated to an insurance company, don't understand it but it's nice. If USAA refuses to write policies to anyone (your words) living in most places along the Atlantic and Gulf shore communities I'm not sure how great they really are but.......... yes that will greatly reduce your relocation options....... Better you then me, that's pretty much all I have to say about that...

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Thanks, but if I'm going to quickly grab something off an internet search I'm a bit more partial to this one. 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom, 1,874 square feet, walking trail that leads directly to Jamestown Beach.

2528 FAIR CHASE , WILLIAMSBURG, VA Property Listing - For Sale - MLS# 30032577 - ZipRealty

Or perhaps this one in Ford's Colony with the nice views. 3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms, 1988 Square Ft

James City County Real Estate - 220 PAR DR - Listing # 1145017

One of these is 200k with a $100+ HOA fee, and the other is 250K.....both significantly higher than the national median or even average.

Originally Posted by Caladium

Your link to the Dallas house didn't work, but that's ok. I've spent plenty of time in Dallas and it's not a place I'd like to live. Besides, too far from a beach. You might like it though--lots of people do. Who not go check it out, if that's the place for you?

How did this become about me? I was criticizing the notion that Hampton Roads was affordable as compared to the nation on a whole, not listing places I want to live.

By the way, even if I wanted to go anywhere, I cant afford to move, nor will I be able to for a very long time, and if I were to move, I would probably moved to a more northern state. I was in New Hampshire recently, and I thought it was a neat little state.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by Caladium

And the bottom line is, while HR may be more expensive than Boise it still has the lowest COL for a coastal area and IMO

This simply is not true. It has the lowest cost of living for a coastal area YOURE INTERESTED IN LIVING IN. I could list dozens upon dozens of coastal areas further south than here all the way down the Atlantic Coast, and all along the Gulf, with lower COL.

[Caladium]

We've had this discussion already--looks like this is becoming a circular argument. Agreed, there are many places in the country that are less expensive than Hampton Roads, but so what? They're cheap because they're undesirable. They're in the middle of nowhere or they have weather that's undesirable or they have other reasons why many people won't want to move there. Which is not to say nobody will move to those places--I'm sure many will. The question is will a wave of retirees be coming to coastal VA. You can have a wave of people moving to dirt cheap places AND a wave of people moving the coastal VA. Like it or not, there are people who find this part of VA desirable and don't really care if they can get a bigger house in some other place because it's more important to them to have other factors on their wish list.

I'm sorry you disagree. Duly noted that we have different opinions. Your arguments were interesting but if you don't have anything new to say, maybe it's time to move on? It's kind of silly to get into: Yes they will! No they won't! Yes they will! No they won't! If you're still here in 20 years, we can always meet and see who ended up being right.

[rtandc]

Randomdude, don't know what to tell you...Caladium has lost me it seems that everyone one of her post has some demand totally different in it.... First it was all about COL and yes I agree there are many places along the coast in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texax that are going to have a lower COL then Hampton Roads....Then it was the place must have a beach, even though Williamsburg is a good hour to the ocean but I will leave that alone.

Now it's all about insurance and that she will not move any place where USAA won't write her a policy and in her own words that leaves out most of the Atlantic and Gulf coast states......... I don't know, maybe Kansas will work for her, I'm not sure what she is looking for any more.

The only thing I can think of, and can't figure out why...... is she has this thing about all the baby boomers are going to rush to Williamsburg to live and she wants to get in on the ground floor.....for whatever reason

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by rtandc

Randomdude, don't know what to tell you...Caladium has lost me it seems that everyone one of her post has some demand totally different in it.... First it was all about COL and yes there are many places along the coast in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texax that are going to have a lower COL then Hampton Roads....Then it was the place must have a beach, even though Williamsburg is a good hour to the ocean but I will leave that alone.

Now it's all about insurance and that she will not move any place where USAA won't write her a policy and in her own words that leaves out most of the Atlantic and Gulf coast states......... I don't know, maybe Kansas will work for her, I'm not sure what she is looking for any more.

What shes trying to do is justify Williamsburg in any way possible as a retiree paradise. I determined many posts ago that she has become completely entranced by Williamsburg, and will move the goal posts everytime you bring up one of her assertions that simply isnt true.

COL is actually high

Well, what I meant was, for a town remotely close to water, compared to towns in the NE or West Coast, that poor people cant afford, has a crime rate significantly lower than the rest of the US, isnt located in Florida or Texas, because I dont like those states, and will take my USAA insurance, etc etc.

Hospitals are substandard, especially for a metro this size

Well, I dont need the hospitals any way (ironic, since seniors are the top users of hospital facilities)

Virginia actually isnt that great on taxes over all, ranking middle of the country in most categories

Well, I dont really care what your opinion is, or what facts to post on the contrary, Ive determined that the taxes are low.

It just goes on and on like this.

I think shes isnt looking for anything but controversy. I have no doubt that shes already settled on Williamsburg, and her only goal of this whole excercise was to debate locals on its merits in order to make her decision seem more air tight.

[rtandc]

Randomdude, yeah I know... I was just trying to be nice...... Lol

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by Randomdude

What shes trying to do is justify Williamsburg in any way possible as a retiree paradise. I determined many posts ago that she has become completely entranced by Williamsburg, and will move the goal posts everytime you bring up one of her assertions that simply isnt true.

COL is actually high

Well, what I meant was, for a town remotely close to water, compared to towns in the NE or West Coast, that poor people cant afford, has a crime rate significantly lower than the rest of the US, isnt located in Florida or Texas, because I dont like those states, and will take my USAA insurance, etc etc.

Hospitals are substandard, especially for a metro this size

Well, I dont need the hospitals any way (ironic, since seniors are the top users of hospital facilities)

Virginia actually isnt that great on taxes over all, ranking middle of the country in most categories

Well, I dont really care what your opinion is, or what facts to post on the contrary, Ive determined that the taxes are low.

It just goes on and on like this.

I think shes isnt looking for anything but controversy. I have no doubt that shes already settled on Williamsburg, and her only goal of this whole excercise was to debate locals on its merits in order to make her decision seem more air tight.

I always thought the hospitals were sort of small. But now I realize that it is because they are spread out, and aren't built as high as they are elsewhere. As far as the quality of the hospitals, I don't know, any statistics that proves that argument?

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Randomdude

This simply is not true. It has the lowest cost of living for a coastal area YOURE INTERESTED IN LIVING IN. I could list dozens upon dozens of coastal areas further south than here all the way down the Atlantic Coast, and all along the Gulf, with lower COL.

True enough, there are lots of undesirable places that are dirt cheap. Plenty of coastal areas that are hurricane prone, plenty of places that are in the middle of nowhere and don't have much in the way of amenities. COL can indeed be cheap in some of those places (unless you count the cost of repairing your house without insurance as part of the COL). You're right that they are places I'm not interested in living in. Duly noted.