Roanoke info (Salem, Vinton, Daleville: apartments, low crime, houses)

[bgthompson123]

My husband and I are researching places to move and Roanoke has become an option.
We recently moved to NC & may just relocate somewhere here as we dislike our current town . I would like to be closer to the north lol as that’s where were originally from ( Maryland) and I have elderly parent that i need closer to in WV.

Nonetheless what areas in Roanoke would be good in terms of good neighborhood , low crime would like to be in town location if possible . Subdivision is ok but not first choice. Housing budget is 200k and under preferably. We’re mid fifties no school kids anymore, small house is ok. No property wanted really , like any lot under .50 acre is ok. Is Roanoke downtown affordable or nice? We are going to visit in February.

Also saw Salem is nearby as well as Vinton. ? Also we are fairly liberal so not sure how the area is in that regard. I fear VA in some ways but NC is not really at all liberal unless you’re in of near a city really or in a college town.

Thanks!

[Watchful]

Roanoke metro is a pretty purple area - Roanoke City votes blue and Roanoke County+Salem votes red.

It's not a "liberal" place by any means, but it is diverse in terms of opinions and it is easy to find like-minded folks to connect to.

There are plenty of housing options for you. I'm not sure which area would be the best fit. There are some neighborhoods you would probably want to avoid due to having more than their share of "at risk" families.

The more liberal neighborhoods of Roanoke would be in zips 24015 or 24016 (Raleigh Court, Grandin Village, Wasena, Old Southwest). Downtown has added quite a bit of housing - almost all apartments.

Salem and Vinton basically blend right in to Roanoke, so look at all of them.

My wife and I were looking for a house near Grandin Village, but wound up deciding to go with new construction in Botetourt County (Daleville) instead (primarily so that we could have one-level living that would allow us to age in place). Many of the older neighborhoods are very charming but have houses with bedrooms upstairs and laundry in the basement and we decided not to go that direction.

Feel free to message me directly about specific addresses! I hope it works out for you. There is a lot of good info on old threads as well.

Originally Posted by bgthompson123

My husband and I are researching places to move and Roanoke has become an option.
We recently moved to NC & may just relocate somewhere here as we dislike our current town . I would like to be closer to the north lol as that’s where were originally from ( Maryland) and I have elderly parent that i need closer to in WV.

Nonetheless what areas in Roanoke would be good in terms of good neighborhood , low crime would like to be in town location if possible . Subdivision is ok but not first choice. Housing budget is 200k and under preferably. We’re mid fifties no school kids anymore, small house is ok. No property wanted really , like any lot under .50 acre is ok. Is Roanoke downtown affordable or nice? We are going to visit in February.

Also saw Salem is nearby as well as Vinton. ? Also we are fairly liberal so not sure how the area is in that regard. I fear VA in some ways but NC is not really at all liberal unless you’re in of near a city really or in a college town.

Thanks!

[Watchful]

Oh...let me also add this. The overall crime rate in Roanoke is not always a positive thing, and reflects some of the stresses that go with lower income neighborhoods along with some of the opioid issues. Having said that, there is almost no random violence. I happen to be an Uber driver on the side, and there is no place in the area I feel uncomfortable about driving.

There are neighborhoods I would likely not choose to live in where property crime would be a significant concern. When I see a lot of fenced front yards, I know that's not a neighborhood for me. Just sayin'....

[16 Acres]

To put it another way, Roanoke City is a Blue Dot surrounded by a sea of Red.

[ExAustin]

24015 and 24016 Grandin Village area a very good suggestion. Just look at the yard signs and rainbow flags... lots of positivity.

[bgthompson123]

we are in the under $200K price range, is this pretty do-able ? I mean we are ok with older house but I see so many with only 1 bath & need at least 1 1/2.

What is Daleville? A suburb like Salem?

[Nolefturn]

Check out Roanoke Virginia Living on Youtube. They are a couple that are realtors in Roanoke, who post videos on various towns and neighborhoods in the Roanoke area. Their videos would help you to have an informed opinion on the area.

[Nolefturn]

May I also suggest that whatever property interests you, that you overlay a geographical map,( flood map created by the State agency), of the area upon the neighborhood map to determine if this property is susceptible to flooding from local rivers and streams. This will save you a lot of heart-ache in the future.

Roanoke is known to flood in the Spring. Check out the history.

[Watchful]

Originally Posted by bgthompson123

we are in the under $200K price range, is this pretty do-able ? I mean we are ok with older house but I see so many with only 1 bath & need at least 1 1/2.

What is Daleville? A suburb like Salem?

I'm sure you can find something workable... one possibility might be the part of 24012 that is in Roanoke City - this is not most people's choice in terms of school situation but that winds up making it a bit more affordable - there are some really nice neighborhoods near Preston Park, for example. 24012 in Roanoke City tends to have what I might describe as "healthy diversity." Many parts of Roanoke are, sadly, still pretty segregated residentially.

Note that both Salem and Vinton are not really suburbs - they are stand-alone places (Vinton a town and Salem a city) that have their own downtowns and a variety of housing options. Having said that, Salem/Vinton/Roanoke really have all grown together so consider it as one big area!

Daleville is located in Botetourt County - a little further away - lots of development is going on there but it tends to be a bit pricey - we wound up choosing it because it is the only "new urban" area and it was easy to find new construction one-level living in a walkable community.

If you have specific questions about specific neighborhoods, message me directly and I'll be as candid as I can be! GOOD LUCK! We have no regrets about relocating to this area!

[bgthompson123]

Thanks so much and I will def message you Watchful after we visit and if it becomes an option for our re location.