Hey Virginia people! :D
 

My wife and I are considering making a move to either Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, or Florida (panhandle region more than likely).

I'm wondering what areas are nice places to live and aren't to urban. Any nice places near the beach, near being within a 30 min drive max. She loves the ocean so that is a major bonus. :)

Thanks for anyone who replies.

Ohhhh and also, anyone who works in IT.. how's the job field like? I heard that pay for IT is better on the East Coast compared to here in Arizona and that some IT guys live like kings because the cost of living, depending on where you are located, can be relatively low.

:thumbup: Thanks again!

Also, what might be some pros/cons to living in VA. I noticed that VA people have to pay 5% sales tax on pretty much everything.. anything else?

i would have to say va beach! i think its one of the better places. i'll be moving there soon and the s2k community in that area is friendly. job wise i have no clue but while watching the news va beach was one of the top 5 richest cities in america right now.
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Thanks for the heads up on VA Beach. Researching the area now.. ! :) :thumbup:

Appreciate it bulldog :D

Being 30 min from the water might be a costly initial investment, but stay in a home 5 years and you'll probably double your investment.

Arizona has relatively high vehicle registration fees. Here they reorganize it to be called a personal property tax. Depending on what part of AZ you are coming from, climate may take some getting used to. Maybe it was a bit more difficult(and still is) for me because I was stationed and then lived in Yuma for 13 years.

If you lived in the sprawl of the Phoenix metropolis, you'll be accustomed to traffic, but beware... it's a bit worse here. I, too, moved out here for better pay- been here almost 7 years now. I have to say, the move was good for my family. Someday, I'd like to make it back out to the western side of the US. :)

If there is anything we can do, give the Mid-A a holler. There are many IT folks here on the board.... I'm not one of them. :D

I'm from Va Beach and I love it. Yes, Virginia has some pretty high taxes, but overall I'm happy with where I live. The military is obviously huge in this area, with so many bases in the Tidewater area so that is a con for some people I guess. But I think Va Beach and Chesapeake are both very nice suburban communities.

There's a nice range of housing here, with some of the nicest homes you've ever seen, down to modest townhomes and apartments. I have no idea what your price range is, but I'd guesstimate that the average 3 bedroom home in an average neighborhood is around $250K. Obviously less of a yard and in an older section of town the prices will be lower, and prices are higher in the newer areas and places with nice locations (especially near water).

Since I grew up here, I guess that makes me a little biased, but it's definitely a place you should check out if you're contemplating a move. And I have no idea how the S2K community is around here as I'm a newbie to these boards. I'd imagine they're good people though.

Good luck to you! :hello:

Appreciate it :)

We are looking into purchasing a house out here and then selling in two years time and moving. It's a really crazy time for real estate here as it seems to jump by 100k in only a year. It will level out soon I'm sure, but we're gonna take advantage of it while we can. :thumbup:

If I get a job over in VA that pays well, we'll get really close to the water! Hah.. I noticed some homes next to major rivers or bays are in the 700k+ range, which is :eek: but we'll figure it out I'm sure.

Climate change shouldn't be to bad. We actually prefer the cooler climate as the winters here in Mesa, AZ get down to 30 at night and 60-80 in the day depending on time of the year. Shouldn't be to much different except for the summers in VA probably don't hit 115 or 120 haha :p

I would assume that traffic is bad anywhere, but the traffic here has gotten much worse. I don't know when the last time you were here but you cannot go anywhere in Phoenix without allowing 30 minutes extra for traffic. AZ is getting to the point of being like LA because they are throwing out residential building licenses before realizing that the traffic that amounts from it needs to be corrected. :mad:

if you want an IT job that pays... DC Metro area (VA/MD/DC) is the place to be...(northern virginia to be more exact), but remember cost of living is very expensive; if i remember correctly fairfax is the richest county in the nation...

the traffic sucks in the DC Metro area.. (top 5 in the nation)..

however, you won't be 30 minutes from the ocean.. it'll be more like 2 hours away at least.... 3 1/2 hours from va beach.. about the same to ocean city...


in northern va... you'll get a townhouse for like 450k - 750k.... you'll get a little condo for like 350k-450k

IT guys might get pay a little more here then most other places, but you have to remember, the cost of living here is very high. And yes, do allow extra 30 min for traffic. Good luck!

Sounds like I should consider someplace away from DC, haha!

I think we're looking at finding out more about the VA Beach/Newport News/Portsmouth/Norfolk area..

Real Estate doesn't look to steep in price there. :thumbup: