Chatham? (live, area, town)

[delmarva]

First--no one can predict with any certainty the amount of yearly snowfall--especially with the effects of global warming. But if you live near mountains then an intelligent person would expect to see some snowfall. Get over it. Moreover, please should realize that no place is perfect or will meet everyones checklist (i.e., good schools, low crime, perfect climate, etc.). I tire of reading about "Northerners" who need to move south to find the perfect place. Maybe you should talk to Sheriff Andy and move to Mayberry (NC). The place you selected will never meet your needs. If I were younger and had a family--I would go to the midwest---Illinois, Iowa or Missouri. Affordable housing, great educational opportunities, friendly people and low crime.

[seanpecor]

Can you tell me about the snowfall/winters in the Lynchburg/Charlottesville/Roanoke area? Winters are one of the reasons for leaving New England. Another reason is the outrageous economy! Don't mind a little snow.......perhaps five inches and under per winter!

I'm new to this forum but it may yet already be clear to old timers here that I'm going to recommend Roanoke and towns just south I live in Boones Mill, VA. Which doesn't look very quaint when driving through it on Route 220, but once you travel main side roads east or west, you'll be blown away by the natural beauty of the blue ridge and piedmont highlands.

The public schools in Boones Mill, Franklin County, Virginia, are award winning and recognized statewide for their improvements and overall quality. Franklin County tax rate is $0.52, making real estate ownership less expensive, resulting in lower rental rates. Probably in the $600 - $700 range for a large 3 bedroom house with 1 acre. You're close to Roanoke (~ easy 20 minute drive to downtown Roanoke from the town). And < 15 minutes to the town of Rocky Mount with a state of the art multi-building YMCA, Super Walmart, Lowes (my horse farmers' shrine, I visit it thrice weekly!), and on and on. The people are just fantastic. This is a well funded county thanks in large part to Smith Mountain Lake development and the growth of Roanoke's metro into our part of the county. So the infrastructure and county management is well above average.

I'm from Vermont. This is the sort of weather I was used to up there, around this time of the year:

http://www.pecorfamily.com/Blog_202005_2D12_2D14_20VT_20Snow_thumb.jpg (broken link)

That little bug in the road is an F-350. Those drifts on either side of the road are 11' tall!

This is my north view in Franklin County during this time of year:

http://www.pecorfamily.com/Blog_202006_2D03_2D28_20Cahas_thumb.jpg (broken link)

Celtboy describes the weather perfectly. You'll get snow, enough for sledding, but usually within a day it's all melted off. So the kids get some sledding and snowball time, and you don't have to fuss with a snow shovel. Celtboy is also dead on about freezing rain. In my experience you'll have a few days during the winter where road icing is a concern but it's nothing someone from MA can't handle

I can guarantee if you spend a three day weekend down in Franklin County, VA and tour Rocky Mount and Roanoke, you'll fall in love with it. I can help you get in touch with some local realtors here who would know of rental properties below the radar.

Sean

[january5]

A great big THANK YOU! to all of you! I have expanded my search options and Rocky Mount is included in it. seanpecor----great photo of the Vermont winters! I am actually from Southern N.H., lived for a time in the U.P. of Michigan and now in Townsend MASS. so I am quite familiar with loads of snow. I have grown tired of it! My oldest boy drove a jacked up toyota with 33" super swampers and it went through anything. Sure missed it when he sold it when he was shipped to Iraq. My nephew recently bought a B & B up in Brandon VT. Vermont is beautiful! I would love your contact info with a local realtor sean! Email me: bryant1224@earthlink.net
I know I won't find the 'perfect place in the perfect town' but so far have found that Virginia is a beautiful state and the people here on the forums show exceptional hospitality!
Make it a great day!

[seanpecor]

Brandon is a nice little town. Hey look, the world just got smaller. The vermont snow photo was taken on old sawmill road in Orwell, which is 10 minutes from Brandon. The mountains in that photo are part of Brandon Gap In fact, if they own a B&B in Brandon they might know my in-laws, Paul and Frances Stone, owners of 1,000 of the most beautiful acres in the Champlain Valley. They own Stonewood Farm (www.stonewoodfarm.com) (broken link), and produce 25,000 fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year on their farm.

Sean

[mar3]

Good descriptions, above. Add to the "poor economy" also "cruddy schools" (okay, "mediocre") and you've got Danville/Chatham. Of those places listed, I really love Blacksburg and the area around it - but winters are colder, still there isn't a ton of snow esp. compared to New England I'm sure. Roanoke and Salem are really nice and the areas around Lynchburg too, and less snow, less cold than Blacksburg. Charlottesville is great, snow isn't usually a problem. I'd bet they have the best schools of all the bunch but I don't know.

And the great thing about snow in all of Virginia that I've seen (and that's a lot of the state!) is that it usually comes and stays a day or two and then melts. So it isn't a huge problem. Those ice storms and sleet can be bad, for sure!, but again, it doesn't usually last long once it's fallen. You get a day or two of rest, schools close if a flake falls, and then you're back to normal life, most of the time. Being iced in for 5 days is a rarity (but I think I remember that storm! Was it 1993/94, that winter? NoVA got tons of sleet that year - but see, we remember those things because they are unusual here!)

Do the rest of you agree?

Oh, sorry, I was responding to the post with the list of places, guess it's on page 1 - didn't realize there was also a page 2 now!

[emma710]

Considering a move to VA? Small town? Altavista is 20 miles south of Lynchburg on Rt. 29 in Campbell County with about 3500 people in town. We have a wonderful YMCA where all the kids play sports - Our schools are unsurpassed - excellent. We have a wonderful library and great parks. We are convenient to Lynchburg for major shopping but have a Walmart and local shopping. I have been here 3 years (I moved from Ft. Myers, FL) I was looking for small town living with close conveniences. We are actually about 30 miles north of Chatham. Check it out.

[bigfoot390]

looking for the simple life? then you have to expect simpler times. Been here 20 years and started out in a 100 year old farmhouse with no septic. upgraded everything to code ++ and would not trade my life here for one in a 5 million dollar high rise close to everything I left behind in florida. Hard work pays off in the end. If you want conveniance then you get what comes with that.traffic,crime, polution ect. If you want peace and live closer to nature (which means sometimes you lose a prized pet to coyotes..) then by all means we would love to have you here in our little corner of paridise.

[52 merc]

Let`s just say you didn`t need a school or a job. Would Chatham be a good place for a handyman who is an outdoorsman?

[Sunset_Va]

Was in Chatham yesterday watching the parade. All those bashing Chatham , must have their reasons, but they probably would have reasons to bash other places too. It all depends on what you are looking for.

Yes, to your question 52 Merc, matter of fact you would do well being that handyman in Chatham area.

[52 merc]

It`s 52 Merc, Thanks for your input. I am getting close to retirement and thinking possibly of buying maybe 20 to 30 acres of bush 5 to 10 miles out of town, hopefully with creek or spring. Trying to get info on the Chatham area. I heard Chatham was the prettyist little town in Va. Wonder, is that still so and how do the townfolk take to newcomers? Thank you and Merry Christmas. "B"