Younger (late 50s) retiree wants small farm... WHERE?? (Washington: house, job transfer)

[Rob Allen]

My parents retired from New Jersey to Charlotte County, so from visiting them I know there's lots of rural acreage in "Southside Virginia". Look around South Boston, Farmville, Keysville, Drakes Branch, Clarksville and Chase City.

[sissy77]

My son owns in South Boston and hates it the co-op electric company there is the pits and he has had his 3000 sq.ft. new house as of 2009 for sale for 3 years now on 17 acres .To rural he says as it takes over an hour to get to the grocery store plus no decent internet service out that way .I have century link here 29.99 a month for high speed .Plus cell phone service is the pits out there .I go out that way to visit and can't get service on almost every plan I have had .Those are things you have to look at for also .That hughes net doesn't work good either and not worth the money you put out for it

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by roanoker 4

I don't agree there is more "tolerance" East of the Blue Ridge, I find West Virginians to be a lot more tolerant and accepting of new ideas than those in Virginia....East of the Blue Ridge. Isn't Richmond East of the Blue Ridge?

I was just speaking of this state within its current boundaries. Not sure how much the intolerance at the state capitol extends out to the rest of Richmond.

I've always thought Nelson County, South of C-Ville down 29, would be a pretty ideal place for a farm.

[gregir]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I was just speaking of this state within its current boundaries. Not sure how much the intolerance at the state capitol extends out to the rest of Richmond.

I've always thought Nelson County, South of C-Ville down 29, would be a pretty ideal place for a farm.

It is and I love it in Nelson County.

[sissy77]

I look at the fsbo sights and the foreclosure and short sales and bank owned first if anyone wants to pay cash .The second one I bought was bank owned and we close in less than 3 weeks .We used the title insurance companies lawyers as it is cheaper and faster that way .It cost less than a thousand dollars to close that way .

[veganwriter]

sissy77 you are remarkable.

• gregir/
• CAVA1990/
• Rob Allen

...ditto
Even though I'm starting to get a bit confused about the, "...east of the Blue Ridge Mountains" stuff.

And the "South of C-Ville" comment ... I take it to mean, "Charlottesville,"right?

Man! Y'all are the kind of THINKING and self-reflecting people an old guy NEEDS to be around!

Was it gregir who said something about, "We're all pretty friendly except when people want to be left alone!" Agh! So good. To see that and not personalize another person's behavior seems to be increasingly rare.

(By the way gregir... you're reading my mail about life after "50" ... that info about various neighbors raising a few free range chickens or a few heads of cows ... goes with sissy77's comments about life being easy there. Working to live and enjoy it but not stressing to the point of thinking you have to create an empire in old age. Doing what is meaningful and that which brings joy and quality of life. That's exactly what I'm looking for.)

I bet is is beautiful in Nelson County. I guess having all four seasons creates that? Sissy77... you may have to write an article. Please keep your info coming! That info about proximity to all the various farmers markets and to North Carolina.

So far all I've ever raised is some gardens, a few chickens when young, and a couple of dogs. Yet... I've been having fantasies of--for some ODD reason-- raising a Heritage pig or two. Grass fed so they wouldn't smell up the place. Please don't ask me where that come from ... perhaps flashbacks from old "Green Acres" reruns??

Some Heritage turkeys for fall and like sissy77, lots of fruit trees, flowers and crops to can for the winter.

Yes ... internet access would be important ... but I could live without the cell phone. Good in an emergency ... but slowing it down to a land line would be just fine. At 58, I now know why middle age men take to wearing overalls. Comfortable and I'm too old to walk around "sagging."

Oh, and TN Lilly... it's everywhere. We choose to open our hearts or not. I'm just looking for a place where I can live in some kind of harmony with land and nature and each other. They say heaven begins at our feet ... we just don't know how to handle it very well. (I'm no "enlighten being" either) ... I just want to grow stuff. Maybe tell a joke or two... explore creativity ... and ride it on out.

God bless all ... for now.

[sissy77]

We have lots of wild turkeys here that com,e across my property and the deer come here to eat and yes I retired and enjoy the easy life I started a koi pond a couple of years ago and I find that relaxing also .My house splendors gate you can see on hgtv.com .I can't seem to post pics here .I just bought 3 more peach trees yesterday and plan on buying some grape vines also .I like to slow down and watch the grass grow and the biggest thing I like to do is mow the grass ,kinda crazy huh .I have been thinking of getting a couple of chickens .I like to watch them peck and root the ground .I love to hear my neighbors roosters crow .Right now not far from me there is 5 acres 17500 dollars and has a house that needs some work but the good thing it has great views .I was thinking of buying it fixing it up and renting it out for that price .But with the economy going the way it is not sure it would be worth it as I have 2 houses now and thats to much .I enjoy rambling on about my property so sorry ,but just love the slow life .I go up to the hillsville city wide flea market 2 times a year ,they have that in the spring and fall .NC is fun to visit also but higher prices there ,but being that it only takes 15 minutes to get there it is the best of 2 worlds .You will love VA no matter where you pick .I know I was raised in NJ and born in PA but I do love VA .Look and find what you love .

[Jim37680]

Just lurking here and reading all the suggestions. Looking strictly at Virginia options , you might also look to the "west of the Blue Ridge" and find Abingdon, Virginia and surrounding Washington County interesting. I think Abingdon has a rather cosmopolitan population perhaps compared to the other western counties. There is much beautiful rural space around Abingdon. Washington County, Virginia borders Sullivan and Johnson counties in Tennessee. (I live about forty miles west of Abingdon in Tennessee and pass through there frequently.)

[ersatz]

veganwriter

Check out Floyd County Virginia in the Blacksburg/Roanoke area. It is a lovely location nestled in Appalachia and highly hospitable to the hippydippy/arty/counterculture/retiredurbanistasreturningtotheland crowd. Constant refreshment from the international tech savvy Virginia Tech crowd keeps the area less xenophobic and insular than usual.

[sissy77]

The one thing you must and have to be concerned with is road conditions in winter and if you do not know the winding twisty roads it can become more of a hazard and you have to remember also that you are not getting younger and knowing how the roads are going up to Hillsville it can be scary to drive them .I have friends up that way that bought a house and now that they have gotten older and wiser they know there mistake .You have to look at the taxes also and access to good internet service and utilities as I always see a lot of power outages with AEP and I have been in Pittsylvania County since 2004 and only lost power once due to storms and that was last winter for 2 days .I have friends near Roanoke that have had there house up for sale for 3 years now and they can't sell and I have friends near Tazewell that also want to sell and get out .They dislike the area because it is not easy for seniors to get around on those roads .On 1 acre here no house on it I pay 39 dollars a year for taxes .I bought 3 lots here and had my house built on the center lot .In the future if the economy ever goes back up or if I ever decide to sell I can sell all three together or sell them individually .In the meantime I still have my privacy .The 12 acres I bought are 2 lots also .I'm not out to loose money or make mistakes that will cost me money either .Before I bought here I was looking for 4 years for land to build on .I had a list of wants and that was it #1 was a view #2 was ease of getting to places I would want to go #3 was the roads #4 was the price ,my price not there's ,lots or land #5 taxes #6 internet access .Make a list and stick to it ,my list was very long actually I wanted out of 25 wants I decided which was most important and which were not and said that I needed it to hit 18 of the wants out of 25 .I hit 23 of my wants ,the other 2 I fixed .I'm stubborn and determined .I'm my fathers daughter LOL