Virginia Beach/Tidewater area residents

[tiggerlover]

It has been almost 18 years since I have lived in Virginia Beach and I know there have been many, many changes since then. I am curious to know what areas are currently nice areas to live in and what school districts are the best?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Sending you a PM.

 

[kadaten]

tiggerlover

I'm a Navy wife, too, currently living in Chesapeake. If you haven't lived here in 18 years, boy are you in for some changes!! It's a lot different from when we lived here the first time 6 years ago!!

The biggest difference it the housing market. The entire area, but mostly (of course) the nicer neighborhoods are in the midst of a BIG housing boom! For instance...real estate assessment values went up an AVERAGE of 11% in Virginia Beach this past year. They just announced the increases and are not trying to decide whether to lower the tax rate so folks are killed with the bills!

In our neighborhood, anything anywhere near reasonably priced is selling in just a few days. The prices in my neighborhood are up 20% in the 18 months we've lived here!! So just prepare yourself for that.

Will this be a transfer or are you finally coming home? Which base will you be at? Traffic has gotten LOTS worse just in the 6 years we were away. Empty land is disappearing...Virginia Beach has started approving neighborhoods in the flight path around Oceana as there aren't many more places to build out there.

Virginia Beach schools are still considered "good" as are Chesapeake. Portsmouth and Norfolk are still considered "not so good"; not sure about Suffolk or anything on the Peninsula. As always, there are exceptions to all of those...it really depends on the individual school. Lots of school are overcrowded (especially Chesapeake) since the area has really boomed population-wise but school construction just doesn't keep up.

Any specific questions? Will be glad to help any way I can. Don't have a lot of specifics about the beach since we're over in Chesapeake, but can probably help on some stuff or point you to info on the web. www.pilotonline.com is the Virginian Pilot newspaper online and I believe there are links to the schools as well. If you're looking on the southside, Chesapeake especially, I can give you the name of a REALLY great realtor. She was the first one we used who we feel actually earned her commission!!

Let me know if you're looking for anything in particular.

 

[CindysGusGus]

I graduated from Kempsville and would love for my kids to go there. Its been 12 years since I moved

 

[tiggerlover]

Originally posted by kadaten
tiggerlover

I'm a Navy wife, too, currently living in Chesapeake. If you haven't lived here in 18 years, boy are you in for some changes!! It's a lot different from when we lived here the first time 6 years ago!!

The biggest difference it the housing market. The entire area, but mostly (of course) the nicer neighborhoods are in the midst of a BIG housing boom! For instance...real estate assessment values went up an AVERAGE of 11% in Virginia Beach this past year. They just announced the increases and are not trying to decide whether to lower the tax rate so folks are killed with the bills!

In our neighborhood, anything anywhere near reasonably priced is selling in just a few days. The prices in my neighborhood are up 20% in the 18 months we've lived here!! So just prepare yourself for that.

Will this be a transfer or are you finally coming home? Which base will you be at? Traffic has gotten LOTS worse just in the 6 years we were away. Empty land is disappearing...Virginia Beach has started approving neighborhoods in the flight path around Oceana as there aren't many more places to build out there.

Virginia Beach schools are still considered "good" as are Chesapeake. Portsmouth and Norfolk are still considered "not so good"; not sure about Suffolk or anything on the Peninsula. As always, there are exceptions to all of those...it really depends on the individual school. Lots of school are overcrowded (especially Chesapeake) since the area has really boomed population-wise but school construction just doesn't keep up.

Any specific questions? Will be glad to help any way I can. Don't have a lot of specifics about the beach since we're over in Chesapeake, but can probably help on some stuff or point you to info on the web. www.pilotonline.com is the Virginian Pilot newspaper online and I believe there are links to the schools as well. If you're looking on the southside, Chesapeake especially, I can give you the name of a REALLY great realtor. She was the first one we used who we feel actually earned her commission!!

Let me know if you're looking for anything in particular.

I have heard that the place has grown, I can only imagine. Traffic was always awful, so I can't even picture it now.

DH is retiring at the beginning of next year and we are considering the Tidewater area, we enjoyed living there from 1986-1988. The base where we are at in Italy is closing, so they will be transferring us this summer, but DH will owe 6 months of sea time, so we are thinking we may end up in the area for him to finish that out and then we thought we might consider setting there.

What are the average home prices? Would $200,000 buy a decent house in a decent neighborhood with decent schools? I always liked the Chesapeake area, but my major concern is school for DS (he will be in 3rd grade when we move).

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all!

 

[kadaten]

Originally posted by tiggerlover
I have heard that the place has grown, I can only imagine. Traffic was always awful, so I can't even picture it now.

DH is retiring at the beginning of next year and we are considering the Tidewater area, we enjoyed living there from 1986-1988. The base where we are at in Italy is closing, so they will be transferring us this summer, but DH will owe 6 months of sea time, so we are thinking we may end up in the area for him to finish that out and then we thought we might consider setting there.

What are the average home prices? Would $200,000 buy a decent house in a decent neighborhood with decent schools? I always liked the Chesapeake area, but my major concern is school for DS (he will be in 3rd grade when we move).

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all!

Sent PM to you with specifics...

 

[tiggerlover]

Originally posted by kadaten
Sent PM to you with specifics...

Thanks again!