Buying property in "rural" Northern Virginia - what do I need to know?

[chazas]

You've gotten some good advice.

Cable/internet is super important. Satellite internet gets consistently awful reviews, and point-to-point services are limited. We used to have a weekend place in eastern Fauquier - we paid $3000 to Comcast for an extension to let us get cable and internet, and despite general cable company suckage it was worth every penny. Now we live full time in the PWC rural cresent on big acreage and actually have a choice between Comcast and Fios (of course we have Fios). It makes working from home possible.

The prevalence of deer and other pests depends on how much forested acreage is nearby. We've got little, so no problems now, but in the last place we abutted 300 acres of preservation woods and couldn't grow anything without a deer fence.

In our wet region a well is unlikely to be a problem, but watch out for septic that is near the end of its useful life. Jurisdictions have clamped way down - many times when your conventional system dies they won't let you rebuild it, they make you install a super-expensive (and ugly) alternative system.

There's a new Ryan Homes development in Nokesville that has 10-acre lots and are advertising that they will permit farming activities - I know the Fios lines pass there. For those who want a new subdivision build in a commutable "rural" area, it's the best of both worlds. It's going to work my nerves from a traffic and construction perspective but is probably good for property values long term.

[kww]

agreed on the septic ^ I had a property that needed a whole new system while under contract. Happy the seller paid for it, but the new one had relatively unsightly caps the size of manhole covers smack in the middle of the yard.

separately, keep an eye on radon (if you're the type to believe the concerns over it). I've had some of the highest readings come back from the Front Royal/Culpeper etc areas

$1,000+/- will get you a kit installed, so not a terribly large expense

[Fallout Zone]

Really appreciate all of the input, everybody.

[spencgr]

There is a "Rural Living" sub-forum here on CD....I'm sure you could get a lot more info there.