Where to live - suggestions please

paulw · Jan 19, 2002

We went through a similar decision process in our search for property when we move from our small farm in the piedmont of NC. We enjoy horseback trial riding in the mountains and aren’t beach people so that narrowed the search. Previously lived in the UP of Michigan (15 years ago) that had some appeal for the remoteness, water, hunting, fishing, and land values. But with snow on the ground 5 months a year horseback riding is not a year round activity. Also my blood has thin a bit living in the south so climate was a consideration (and was biting flies/mosquitoes). So we narrowed the search to the NC mountains and central to western Virginia, summers are relatively cool and winters mild. Found some beautiful farm and mountain land in western Virginia reasonably priced but too remote even for us ex UPers (at least every town and nearly every cross road in the UP has a bar). Ended up purchasing land in NC mountains about half way between Ashville and Boone. Land prices are fairly high in the NC mountains especially near Boone and Ashville and large tracts are hard to come by. We live relatively close and were able to look at a large number of properties before making a decision. So the Virginia mountains would be a good choice as it doesn’t appear to be as developed. Virginia didn’t have a MLS system at the time so that also made searching more difficult.

BXmark · Jan 19, 2002

I can't believe some of these land prices you guys are mentioning! I live about an hour outside of Cincinnati in a generally rural area. Land prices around here are $10,000 an acre for smaller 5 to 20 acre parcels. A scrubby 12 acre tract across the road that a farmer bought to farm just sold for $128,000. A farm down the road consisting of 140 acres, a old run down house and some delapadated out buildings is listed for 1.2 million. Even another half hour out the prices run $5,000 and up an acre. An I have always been under the impression we lived in a moderately priced area.

MikePA · Jan 19, 2002

There's 35 acres across the street from us. It's zoned 'Clean and Green' so it can't be subdivided. I'd love to buy it, but it's listed at $395,000! Way too rich for my blood. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

DaRube · Jan 19, 2002

Another Virginian chiming in here. This past summer, we moved out from the DC suburbs to western Loudoun county...which puts us in the area that Terry described. Loudoun is the county right off the tip of the WV panhandle.

This was the furthest west that I could go....due to the realities of my career. Loudoun is convenient, but starting to see the growth problems that you alluded to. Also, the prices have already surged. The western area where we live is still very beautiful, rural, and varied, but who knows for how long.

I can sincerely suggest, though, the areas just west of here, including the WV Panhandle, Clarke County VA.....even Winchester and Berryville, which are probably on the southern edge of Terry's magic radius.

And of course, just north of here, into Maryland and even Southern Pennsylvania, is some luscious. To the northwest, Pittsburgh starts to become the dominant city.

Many of the mid-sized towns around here are well served by commuter airlines, so you might only be an additional hop away from your vacation travel.

Good luck!!

cowboydoc · Jan 19, 2002

Personally I would seriously consider the west. Idaho, Oregon, Montana, etc. If you stay at the base of the mountains, for example Boise, ID, you have four seasons and a mild four seasons. You also have a true four seasons. Best of all, weather wise, is there is NO humidity in the west to speak of. Where I'm from the winter's rarely, if ever get much below 20-30 and that is only for a few months. Mild snow but nothing harsh at all. You want to talk about sunshine!!! It rarely rains there and lots of sun. The spring and fall is absolutely the best. The summers while hot, worst is 90-100 is like about 75 with humidity.

With regards to lifestyle it is the outdoorsman's paradise. You name it it's there for the outdoors. Whitewater rafting, some of the best fishing in the world, definitely the best hunting in the world, hiking, skiing, lakes, rivers, mountains, deserts, it's all there. It doesn't get any better.

With regards to land you can buy land anywhere from $500-4000 per acre and there's still plenty of land out there to go around. Price all depends on how close to town you are and the condition of the ground. The ranch I bought out there with my Uncle we paid an average of $500 an acre. This included forest ground, farm ground, and pasture ground.

The quality of life and the people are outstanding. Low crime rates and depending where you are plenty of access to airports, etc. For myself I've been alot of places and I have never found anywhere else as nice to live.

RonL · Jan 19, 2002

ejb

As a matter of curiosity, are you selling your property in MA ? If so, where is it located. Anywhere near Tanglewood?

RonL

ejb · Jan 19, 2002

We would be selling if/when we decide to move...its not on the market yet.

We are about 45 minutes from Tanglewood (I think) I have never been there. From were we are we have a nice view of Mount Greylock, which I beleive is close to tanglewood,and I know that is about 45 minutes away.

Anonymous Poster · Jan 19, 2002

<font color=blue>...we have a nice view of Mount Greylock...</font color=blue>

My Dad was one of the Broadcast Engineers for Channel 10/19 TV Stations for many years up at the top of Greylock...

Top of the World...{in the Berkshires} /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

billboe · Jan 20, 2002

Very cool (or should I say cold! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)... I was born in Littleton!

GlueGuy · Jan 20, 2002

<font color=blue>so everytime the people in the big cities need more money, they are going to happily raise the taxes on all the country folk to pay for there projects</font color=blue>

Well, I'm sure that it has that appearance, but I can assure you that the city folks pay a proportionally higher tax.

That aside, I've lived in several places over the course of my life (IL, MN, WA, CA, MA, TN), and I can say that California is the top of this heap. I'm staying put.

Egon · Jan 20, 2002

Is not the urban population much greater than the rural?
Egon

OverlyRun · Jan 20, 2002

Virginia

EJB: I am a New Englander transplanted to Washington DC. Spent many, many summers when I was young climbing most of theWhite Mountains and Green Mountains and canoeing most of the rivers (Lyman Falls Dam was a hoot, RonL!) So when it came time that we had resources and time for a weekend place I had a clear view if what constituted the country.

We drew a circle 2 1/2 hours in radius around Washington and looked at lots of places and found that prices got within our reach here in Rockingham County, Va...at the outer edge of my circle. Why 2 1/2 hrs? Lots of people have beach houses that they manage to get to alot and the beach is that far). Dulles airport = 2 hours.

We looked in Shenedoah County, Hardy County West. Va, and as far south as Charlottesville before finding 164 acres with a view, and no highway noise.

Mountains, streams, hemlocks, mountain laurel....but not so many maples as you're used to. And snow is not reliable (cross country skiis have only come out twice in four years).
Cell phone service stops about 20 miles closer in, and cute inns, fancy restauraunts are not part of the scenery out here. Diesel for tractor is close at hand though, at the general store. John Deere, New Holland and Kubota dealers within 45 minutes. Not sure about Power Track.

Nancy Sullivan in Woodstock, Va. is a great realtor. She had the best inventory of nice homes with acreage in our view.
540-459-4663.

Picture is attached to show you the view behind the house so that if you do end up down here you will know that I cannot see a single structure from my porch...and welcome as you are, I do love my view!

Good luck with your search....it's been so long since I lived through a cold winter in NE that I cannot imagine volunteering to leave....but to each his own.

Send an e-mail if you end up looking down here.

Chas

ejb · Jan 20, 2002

I aqree the city folk also pay the taxes increases, but most of the time, they are the ones that are directly benefiting from the tax increease...its one thing to pay increased taxes and get something for it, its another thing to pay the taxes to fund the half of the state you do not live in.

Problem is not unique to CA or NY or MA, but right or wrong it factors into my equation.

I am sure there are stunningly beautiful parts of CA and that one could do a whole lot worse. No offense intended.

ejb · Jan 20, 2002

Re: Virginia

VA sounds beautiful...I am sure that this summer we will make a trip down just to check things out. I LOVE my property and if somehow I could magically move it someplace warmer I'd be one happy guy. It would be a very hard decisiton to leave, but I am trying to think really hard about where I want to be for the next 40+ years..and winters in NE are becoming less and less desireable /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RPM · Jan 20, 2002

Re: Virginia

Don't forget that northern VA is developing really fast. Not only will it spread out into the countryside, but you are already seeing the same problems regarding which part of the state calls the shots. Northern VA may not have a large city to lay claim to, but it certainly acts like it does due to the proximity of DC.

By the way, there are advantages to being within driving range of a major city. For one, if you or your family ever have any medical problems to speak of (especially if considering retirement) then you will want to be near one of the major medical centers for treatment.

Patrick (who is often in Northern VA on business!)

kiphorn · Jan 20, 2002

Someone else mentioned central PA. 1 1/2 hrs to Baltimore, 2 hrs to DC and 2 hours to Philadelphia.

This house is listed in our local real estate magazine. 1790-1810 stone farm house. 5700 sf, looks like it might have two barns, in-ground pool and a pond.

$880,000 w/ 10 acres
$1,350,000 w/ 57 acres
$1,950,000 w/ 126 acres

For more info <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.morgancollins.com/listings/listings.cfm>Realtor</A>
Enter MLS# 2110449 in the MLS field

Kip

crown · Jan 21, 2002

Winchester VA is nice land is reasonable you are 75 miles to DC but the setting is rural, nice mountain scenery good local hospital great schools in the county(Frederick). My job takes me to counties of Culpepper, Warrenton, and Warren. Warren county and the town of Front Royal is also nice great valley views and the best priced land of rural NO VA. Send me a E-Mail with exactly what your looking for and price range and I'll be happy to forward you info.
Good luck,
Crown

huckflynn · Jan 21, 2002

If you like upstate NY but dislike the politics you might consider northern Pennsylvania along the southern tier of NY. Land prices are very reasonable. Taxes are reasonable. Winters are ... hmmm

So how about North Carolina? Inland. Up in the hills. They still have 4 distinct seasons (a must for me) but the winters don't plod on as they seem to in the Northeast.

GlueGuy · Jan 21, 2002

Egon

re: Is not the urban population much greater than the rural?

By a large margin. I think the LA/San Diego/SF populations are over 20 million alone. That doesn't include a few smaller pop. centers like Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Sacramento, or Fresno. That said, those ceneters are highly concentrated, and the rest of the state (and it's a really big state) is all rural.

EJB

No offense taken. I don't really think we need any more people here. It's funny the opinions that people from other parts of the country have about California. My sister is an excellent example. I've lived out here 32 years, and she hasn't come to visit once. At this point I've written her off.

But back to the taxes. It's true that CA has a relatively high income tax. However, other the other taxes that are applied state-wide, have local riders. For instance sales tax is higher in the metro areas than it is in the country. Also, unlike almost every other state in the country, they can't arbitrarily raise your property taxes (prop. 13). Your property tax is fixed at 1.18% of the purchase price, and they don't come around every year raising it to the "new assessed value". I believe that CA property taxes are about the lowest in the country.

I'm not going to harp on it, as you seem firmly entrenched toward the east coast. But I will say it one more time: weather. The weather out here is an 11 on a 10 scale.