Looking to move w/in 1 hour commute of Culpeper (Richmond: foreclosure, rent)

[cle63]

Hi. I'm applying for a position in Culpeper and am wondering if any one has any suggestions for a place to live that would be within about a 1 hour commute. We would be moving from Columbus, OH and very much like the large college town feel here, though both my wife and I are from bigger cities and like that as well.

We have an 11 year old daughter, so good public schools are among the most important concerns. Her current school is one of the “alternative” schools in the public system and follows an informal curriculum with lots of hands-on exploration and learning.

With luck, we’d make enough on our house to afford something around $250-300K. We’d like at least 2 bedrooms, 1-2 bathrooms, a yard, a good/interesting neighborhood. I’m a fan of older homes, while my wife likes the hassle-free aspects of new homes. I think we’d both prefer to live closer to town/city than out in the country, in part due to the chances of increased opportunities for her. She is an artist and has spent a number of years teaching art to adults with mental retardation/developmental disabilities. We currently live very close to the Ohio State campus. While we enjoy the ability to walk to things the university has to offer, I’d prefer to not be living next to the drunken students so much anymore.

I’ve been looking at info on Charlottesville, which seems to offer many of the things we find important: diversity of population, cultural activities, walkable, access to schools, etc. If Charlottesville, any suggestions for neighborhoods? If not Charlottesville, where?

While I’m not thrilled about a commute of one hour, I’m willing to do so if it isn’t a bad drive.

Thanks.

[mrSouth]

My family and I moved to Culpeper about 4 months ago and are now moving out of Culpeper, I think either Charlottesville or Manassas. You might want to look at Manassas it is about 1 1/2 drive but it is very nice and the schools are very good.

[poohki]

I would say go to Charlottesville. It has a very large University there (UVA). Please don't go to Manassas!

[poohki]

Sorry I hit the enter button by mistake. I believe that you can get a very nice house for $250,000 in Charlottesville. I really don't know anything about Charlottesville school system, but I have never heard anything bad about it. I think if you want a college town then Charlottesville is the only place to go.

[onevthoki]

Have you looked at Spotsylvania County? If you pick the Route 3 West corridor, that will put you pretty close to Culpeper. Also, the schools are good for your daughter.

Property taxes are also pretty low in Spotsy - 62 cents per $100 of assessed value. There are also some very good home deals in Spotsy right now, with the foreclosure mess going on.

This would also put your wife in close proximity to Fredericksburg, which has quite an active art community and is home to The University of Mary Washington.

The other bonus is that you are located half-way between too major cities, DC and Richmond.

I think that just about hit all of your needs. Hope this helped!

[cle63]

Thank you for your input. It does look like it would come down to Charlottesville or Fredericksburg. I've been doing some research into both and get conflicting info. Some say the commute to Culpeper would be easy (traffic-wise) for one and not the other, while others have the opposite opinion. I wonder if anybody has any first hand experience with either the Charlottesville to Culpeper or Fredericksburg to Culpeper commute. While I have read nice things about Spostylvania, I think we would prefer to live closer to town if we could afford it.

So I guess my concerns now are:

-Charlottesville or Fredericksburg?
-How bad really is the commute to Culpeper for both?
-Any idea how the schools stack up?

TAny insight would be appreciated. While this is not a done deal, I prefer to do research in advance. If the position is offered, I think we would probably rent for a time in or near Culpeper while we explore the other possibilities first hand. Thanks again.
T

[tarmac]

Hi, Have you considered looking off 522, going north outside of Culpeper? There is a new subdivision going in that might be in your price range. Re the choice of C'ville vs Fredericksburg....no contest there....the former is much more interesting, fewer characterless acres of container stores and sprawl. That said, there is wonderful countryside just outside of Culpeper with some homes on smaller acres .....you might love the lifestyle, maybe get your child into horses, etc.

[jaywallace]

Originally Posted by cle63

Thank you for your input. It does look like it would come down to Charlottesville or Fredericksburg. I've been doing some research into both and get conflicting info. Some say the commute to Culpeper would be easy (traffic-wise) for one and not the other, while others have the opposite opinion. I wonder if anybody has any first hand experience with either the Charlottesville to Culpeper or Fredericksburg to Culpeper commute. While I have read nice things about Spostylvania, I think we would prefer to live closer to town if we could afford it.

So I guess my concerns now are:

-Charlottesville or Fredericksburg?
-How bad really is the commute to Culpeper for both?
-Any idea how the schools stack up?

TAny insight would be appreciated. While this is not a done deal, I prefer to do research in advance. If the position is offered, I think we would probably rent for a time in or near Culpeper while we explore the other possibilities first hand. Thanks again.
T

I moved to Culpeper two years ago from Fredericksburg and prior to that I was in Woodbridge. I would go with Charlottesville hands down. Try Lake Monticello sub division in Charlottesville. It's gated and on a Lake. You can nice home for 250,000. The commute is about 45 minutes. The schools area good as well and there is a lot of shopping and cultural things to do.

[jaywallace]

Originally Posted by mrSouth

My family and I moved to Culpeper about 4 months ago and are now moving out of Culpeper, I think either Charlottesville or Manassas. You might want to look at Manassas it is about 1 1/2 drive but it is very nice and the schools are very good.

Why are you leaving Culpeper so soon and what neighborhood do you live in? My guess is either Meadows or Lake View.