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Some big questions for us would be, where is the best place to start a family and be a first time home buyer?
I would think the Richmond, Lynchburg, and Hampton Roads areas but the ability to buy/rent a home can make it tough.
What is the job situation?
Good number of jobs greater variation in salaries than other states (in my experience)
Lots of work or lots of people looking for work?
Seems like a lot of people say that it is hard to find jobs but I don't know anyone currently who is unemployed who wants a job. Some are not happy with the pay but they are working and paying their bills.
I work for Kroger, and will be able to transfer out there no problem, but would like to know what other options are out there if any.
If you want to stay in the grocery store arena there are the Kroger/harris teeter, foodlion, farmfresh/giant, aldi, whole foods, martins, and publix in the area. Low margins and competition, standard for grocery stores, are present here.
I have heard that the driving/traffic is horrible, true or just in the big cities as it is everywhere?
I don't find the driving bad compared to Denver or the I70 weekend jams but Northern Va./DC is terrible. Hampton Roads is not usually bad but when it does get fouled up it is really a problem. (no where to go when certain bridges and tunnels become a mess.
How is the weather?
Pretty nice, witners are not too bad, fall and spring are marvelous, summer is ok to really hot and humid.
We've heard some about flooding?
Not too much really. The flooding along the coast is usually I the same places and you learn to go around them. Now a significant event like a hurricane or strong northeaster changes that a lot, then it can make parts of the coast impassable. The rest of the state seems to do ok with an occasional flash flood and bridge washout. There have been serious situations like the derecho in 2013? and the Camille event of 1969. Those both had some deaths and serious property damage.
As far as we can tell it seems really nice compared to what we are used too in Colorado, we really want to live on the Virginia coast, but is it really possible on one gross income of 40,000 with a newborn?
That income can be done with planning and in the right home situation but I would doubt there would be any extras.
I am also moving from Colorado to Virginia (well, or may go back to AZ - but most likely VA Beach). Hampton Roads area of Virginia (and up to DC) has a different cultural feel to it than cities out west... There are a lot of Northeast transplants there. So, keep that in mind. (Source: I'm originally from Philly and have lived in VA Beach for two years a while ago). Also, the summers are humid... do you mind humidity? Some don't mind it, others feel completely oppressed by it. There is less humidity on the coast (meaning within about 5-8 miles of the water) than inland because of the sea breeze. The winters are a night and day difference. You will probably only get a dusting of snow most winters - but there will be rain. Fall and Spring are full seasons, many months long and fabulous.
I happen to LOVE Hampton Roads - one drawback is there is no mountains. But there is sea! VA Beach is what inspired me to take off and go sailing for four years. I think a fairly inexpensive, but safe place to raise a family would be the Chesapeake area. You could also check out Newport News or Hampton, less expensive and very close to the water - but there may be a little more crime in Newport News and Hampton from what I gather.
I would consider Hampton Roads along the same level of blue/white collar as Denver metro. It is a bit more politically conservative - but not to an obnoxious extent. I think the unemployment rate is higher there, but still pretty low. There is a strong military presence, but that never bothered me and I used to love to go to the air shows.
Traffic is a nightmare there just like here. I would put the two on par with each other.
I think Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are great places to raise a family. I have a few friends from college who went there to raise their families. The schools are pretty good, when you go to buy a home you can look at school rankings to decide where to go - Again, I think Chesapeake and VA Beach are generally good.
It has a laid back coastal vibe and I like that too. I find people friendly there, where I find people kind of reserved (or quieter) here.
I went back two years ago for a couple weeks to check out real estate and I am still in touch with that agent (who has 40 rentals btw - I could put you in touch)... the rental and housing market are no where near what you would find here. It is much slower. Also there is not the influx of people as you would find here.
My wife and i kinda figured it would be hard to compare the two states, but were hoping for some more specific details on anything. Cost of living compared to colorado lol, things like we pay $2 for a gallon of milk, gas prices are around $2.25/gal here, toothpaste is about $3.... or is it really different depending on where you are at in the state.
There are Kroger stores all over the state and i will be able to choose the area we move to, which is why my wife and i are looking for info on specific areas.
Once again, we are having a baby in a month, and he will be less than a year when we move to VA, so are there better than other places to start a young family? Is it realistic to live on the coast with a $40,000 gross income or not so much? so hampton area would be a no? our research for the coastal city aspect made hampton sound possible. as far as moving inland, according to our research, roanoke is one of the MORE affordable areas in the state, can anyone go into detail on that? cuz as far as we can tell it is a good place for average income jobs and good schools with affordable housing and kid friendly. Is the Roanoke Valley really as good as it sounds online with schools, weather, location, etc....?
Also, we will be renting an apt. the first year, but will be looking at buying our first house, and don't want to be stuck in an area where housing is impossible for first time home buyers due to whatever it may be. we dont want to RENT the rest of our lives lol, and here in colorado im afraid we would be.
Another thing... is it difficult to become a resident? (are there a lot of things you have to do such as the car emissions testing? How does the emissions test work, will cars from colorado pass the emission test?
Yes, from what I understand the Roanoke Valley is probably ideal for you guys! There is a Kroger practically on every corner
here. As a mountainous area the coast is about a 5 hour drive. The locals prefer Myrtle Beach SC as a more desirable
destination as any beach in VA. The Richmond area also has a lower cost of living, real estate however there is no natural
beauty there. Northern VA is only for the affluent. I would say the Roanoke area has more similarities as NC in culture, etc.
Lynchburg-Roanoke are quite family friendly with good schools. Good Luck!
I went back two years ago for a couple weeks to check out real estate and I am still in touch with that agent (who has 40 rentals btw - I could put you in touch)... the rental and housing market are no where near what you would find here. It is much slower. Also there is not the influx of people as you would find here.
Thanks for the detailed post, we were really thinking about Hampton, Chesapeake, VA beach areas as well for our coastal ideas, but is it really affordable there?
We would love that contact, thank you. What do you mean when you say the the housing market is much slower, places stay on the market longer??? Lower costs?
My wife and i kinda figured it would be hard to compare the two states, but were hoping for some more specific details on anything. Cost of living compared to colorado lol, things like we pay $2 for a gallon of milk, gas prices are around $2.25/gal here, toothpaste is about $3.... or is it really different depending on where you are at in the state.
There are Kroger stores all over the state and i will be able to choose the area we move to, which is why my wife and i are looking for info on specific areas.
Once again, we are having a baby in a month, and he will be less than a year when we move to VA, so are there better than other places to start a young family? Is it realistic to live on the coast with a $40,000 gross income or not so much? so hampton area would be a no? our research for the coastal city aspect made hampton sound possible. as far as moving inland, according to our research, roanoke is one of the MORE affordable areas in the state, can anyone go into detail on that? cuz as far as we can tell it is a good place for average income jobs and good schools with affordable housing and kid friendly. Is the Roanoke Valley really as good as it sounds online with schools, weather, location, etc....?
Also, we will be renting an apt. the first year, but will be looking at buying our first house, and don't want to be stuck in an area where housing is impossible for first time home buyers due to whatever it may be. we dont want to RENT the rest of our lives lol, and here in colorado im afraid we would be.
Another thing... is it difficult to become a resident? (are there a lot of things you have to do such as the car emissions testing? How does the emissions test work, will cars from colorado pass the emission test?
I think there was a disconnect. When I think inland HR i think Hampton, yorktown, Williamsburg. 40k should be doable somewhere in the HR metro. I love Roanoke, but as stated that is a 5 hour drive away from the ocean if that is a must.
40 K for a family of three would be tight no matter where you go. Gas won't be as cheap and grocery is slightly more expensive. VA assesses property tax on vehicles.if you have a relatively new car, expect to pay more. You'll need to complete emission and safety inspection before registering your vehicle.
VA isn't cheaper than Colorado.
Hmmm, I would say that Hampton roads is cheaper than Denver Metro area of Colorado. Groceries are cheaper, gas is the same, rent is cheaper, houses to buy are cheaper, car insurance is cheaper, registering your car is the same, emission is the same. I think you could easily find apartments in Hampton, Newport News, or Chesapeake that are affordable to you. 40K will go farther there than in Denver Metro. Granted, it will still be tight, but less tight (in my humble opinion) than Denver. I talked to the agent I know and she only has rentals in Norfolk and VA Beach... These will be more expensive than the above areas... Do a search on Zillow or Trulia to find rentals in those areas. I am hoping to be in VA Beach by winter.
You'll need to complete emission and safety inspection before registering your vehicle.
Emissions inspections depend on the county. Most (if not all) of the counties that require an emissions inspection are in NoVA. A standard safety inspection is all that's required elsewhere.
My wife and I are moving to Virginia may of next year, and would love to know everything we can about it.
We are moving away from Colorado for multiple reasons (dry weather,lived here most our lives, love the coast, need a change etc....).
We are looking for any helpful information from locals around the state on all topics. Some big questions for us would be, where is the best place to start a family and be a first time home buyer? What is the job situation? Lots of work or lots of people looking for work? I work for Kroger, and will be able to transfer out there no problem, but would like to know what other options are out there if any.
I have heard that the driving/traffic is horrible, true or just in the big cities as it is everywhere?
How is the weather? We've heard some about flooding? As far as we can tell it seems really nice compared to what we are used too in Colorado, we really want to live on the Virginia coast, but is it really possible on one gross income of 40,000 with a newborn?
My wife is starting her own business, so we don't expect any revenue for a while! Lol,we would appreciate any recommendations and/or any possible comparison to our Colorado lives thanks
King Soopers aka..Denver Kroger eh ???
Yes it should be easy to transfer without any issue but if we are talking full-time employment and you want to remain full-time at your new location..you really have to do one thing to be safe...GET IT IN WRITING !!! Otherwise that full-time position could very well end up being part-time and those who said you would be full-time would probably back down and say "..I never did say such a thing !!".
My other-half did the reverse...moved from Virginia to Colorado and was able to transfer through Kohls but he was full-time with Kohls in Virginia and he was hired full-time by Kohls in Colorado but somehow along the way his job once he had actually got to Colorado the job became part-time. I used to work for Kroger OK King Soopers here in Denver and unfortunately I have seen them do the same thing. A guy was transfered to our store from a Kroger in Indianapolis where he was employed full-time. However when he came to King Soopers he was considered now to be part-time.even though he swore up & down our manager had told him when he was still in Indy that he would be full-time in Denver and of course our manager would scream "..NO I DIDN"T SAY THAT !!". It was not a good scene anyway it's best to get the agreement in writing.
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I think a fairly inexpensive, but safe place to raise a family would be the Chesapeake area. You could also check out Newport News or Hampton, less expensive and very close to the water - but there may be a little more crime in Newport News and Hampton from what I gather. 
