Young homebuyer looking in the Shenandoah/Cville/upper Piedmont (Lynchburg: fit in, real estate)

[novalad]

I'm a young, Charlottesville-based JMU grad and NOVA native with a perma-remote job and just enough financial security to be in the market to purchase a home together with my fiancé.

We're big fans of the Shenandoah and the upper Piedmont corridor from Lynchburg to Warrenton, with a preference for the more northern towns and counties due to personal and career links with the DC region. We don't need to be within commuting range of NOVA, but a sub-two-hour drive is preferable.

Not looking for a "forever home," but rather a child- and dog-friendly starter home where we can get the most "bang for your buck" from a real estate investment perspective.

The ideal would be a single family home in an established Staunton, Harrisonburg, Cville, Culpeper, or Warrenton neighborhood, or otherwise a standalone SFH on 1-5 acres within easy driving distance of those towns. However, we're very open to alternatives to those areas -- those are just the spots we're familiar with.

Where would you recommend we look?

Hard preferences:

-- Fast, reliable internet available by end-year 2022. I know many counties are participating in rural broadband initiatives, but most are still in the planning stages.

-- At least 1,000sqf and 3br, with enough room for 1-2 kids and a home office.

-- A fenced-in yard, or the potential for a fenced yard. We have a very large, very social dog that wouldn't fare well without a yard or easy access to a dog park. Given the areas we're investigating, the dog park route won't be too practical.

-- Under $400,000 but with strong potential to appreciate in value.

Soft preferences:

-- A quiet, kid-friendly neighborhood. The kids in our future will probably appreciate it, and I definitely will, as I work UK hours -- very early to bed and very early to rise .

-- Enough yard for a ~400sqf garden or more, and animal-friendly zoning should we decide to lay in some hens and a rooster.

-- Not a cookie-cutter home or in a newly-developed neighborhood. Who doesn't like mature foliage and unique architecture?

[columbusboy8]

Originally Posted by novalad

I'm a young, Charlottesville-based JMU grad and NOVA native with a perma-remote job and just enough financial security to be in the market to purchase a home together with my fiancé.

We're big fans of the Shenandoah and the upper Piedmont corridor from Lynchburg to Warrenton, with a preference for the more northern towns and counties due to personal and career links with the DC region. We don't need to be within commuting range of NOVA, but a sub-two-hour drive is preferable.

Not looking for a "forever home," but rather a child- and dog-friendly starter home where we can get the most "bang for your buck" from a real estate investment perspective.

The ideal would be a single family home in an established Staunton, Harrisonburg, Cville, Culpeper, or Warrenton neighborhood, or otherwise a standalone SFH on 1-5 acres within easy driving distance of those towns. However, we're very open to alternatives to those areas -- those are just the spots we're familiar with.

Where would you recommend we look?

Hard preferences:

-- Fast, reliable internet available by end-year 2022. I know many counties are participating in rural broadband initiatives, but most are still in the planning stages.

-- At least 1,000sqf and 3br, with enough room for 1-2 kids and a home office.

-- A fenced-in yard, or the potential for a fenced yard. We have a very large, very social dog that wouldn't fare well without a yard or easy access to a dog park. Given the areas we're investigating, the dog park route won't be too practical.

-- Under $400,000 but with strong potential to appreciate in value.

Soft preferences:

-- A quiet, kid-friendly neighborhood. The kids in our future will probably appreciate it, and I definitely will, as I work UK hours -- very early to bed and very early to rise .

-- Enough yard for a ~400sqf garden or more, and animal-friendly zoning should we decide to lay in some hens and a rooster.

-- Not a cookie-cutter home or in a newly-developed neighborhood. Who doesn't like mature foliage and unique architecture?

Although you won't get acreage, you might want to check out the Montclair community in Dumfries, VA---about 40 miles south of DC.

https://www.montclairva.com/

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...h/Montclair_VA

[novalad]

Thanks Columbus! However, we’re leaning toward the I-81 or Route-29 corridors rather than I-95. Our money seems to go further out here, and we’d rather not buy a townhome. We’re currently renting one, and it’s suboptimal for the pooch/garden.

[Suey123]

Depending on how long you're planning to stay, pay attention to schools. They are generally much better on the Cville side of the mountains than in the Shenandoah Valley. We're dealing with terrible schools and a declining school budget in Staunton. Waynesboro is equally bad. Have you looked at Crozet?

[novalad]

Originally Posted by Suey123

Depending on how long you're planning to stay, pay attention to schools. They are generally much better on the Cville side of the mountains than in the Shenandoah Valley. We're dealing with terrible schools and a declining school budget in Staunton. Waynesboro is equally bad. Have you looked at Crozet?

Thanks Suey! We quite like Crozet, and good to know about the schooling situation. But we're leaning heavily toward homeschooling and will probably relocate within a few years, so that isn't a top concern.

Do you know what the homeschool landscape is like in Staunton/Augusta? It seems well-developed in Cville/Albemarle, but if we were to move to the Valley long-term it'd be helpful to know.

[Suey123]

We homeschooled for several years. Unfortunately the homeschool co-ops in Staunton and Waynesboro closed down a few years ago and we had to go to Cville for any co-ops or activities. The only homeschool co-ops left in the Staunton/Augusta area are religious ones.

[novalad]

Originally Posted by Suey123

We homeschooled for several years. Unfortunately the homeschool co-ops in Staunton and Waynesboro closed down a few years ago and we had to go to Cville for any co-ops or activities. The only homeschool co-ops left in the Staunton/Augusta area are religious ones.

That'd make sense; thanks for the info. We'll focus our search east of the mountains, then.

[columbusboy8]

Originally Posted by novalad

Thanks Columbus! However, we’re leaning toward the I-81 or Route-29 corridors rather than I-95. Our money seems to go further out here, and we’d rather not buy a townhome. We’re currently renting one, and it’s suboptimal for the pooch/garden.

Totally understand! Good luck novalad!

[HokieFan]

I suggest looking at Culpeper County. We just put a contract on a house in Culpeper Co. so I know that inventory is low for homes >$400k but it’s worth a look.

Along the I-81 corridor, there have been some nice homes listed around Edinburg and Woodstock.

[springfieldva]

It might not fit into the exact parameters location wise that you are looking for, but Linden VA might be a place to look, too.