Matlack
Scribe
- Dec 15, 2008
- 8,557
Is that a tanning bed next to the scoped rifle?
That or Spocks coffin.
Is that a tanning bed next to the scoped rifle?
Any mortgage folks servicing VA? I know this is WV but the property I desire is just over the line.
El Flasko helped us w our mortgage in Virginia.
22 acres with some improvements for $175k near Berkley Springs: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2434-Posey-Hollow-Rd-Berkeley-Springs-WV-25411/2066871968_zpid/
Looking for a building lot convenient to Frederick where my son lives. Don't need or want acreage. Where do you recommend?
How big of a lot? Does it matter if HOA or not? What price range? And are you averse to new developments being nearby?
Needs to accommodate a 65 ft wide house. Maybe an acre or 2. Depends on the HOA. Thanks for the reply.
Okay, Jefferson County and Berkley County are going to be your two closest to Frederick. That said, they're also the most populated in the eastern Panhandle and as such, costs are a little higher for land there.
Jefferson County has Charlestown, Shepherdstown, and Harpers Ferry as the major towns. It was mostly farmland until the past decade or so when folks from the DC commuter crowd realized you could live there and take the train in, use the wifi on the train to start working during your commute, and only spend 4-5 hours at your desk in DC before heading back out and using wifi to work for the entire way home. Now, it's being gobbled up by developers like Ryan Homes much the way Frederick County is experiencing right now. That's not to say you can't still find a good plot of land with a couple of acres. The farther south you go, towards the VA line near Winchester, the more land and less development there seems to be.
A little farther out is Berkeley County where Martinsburg is located. Martinsburg is booming right now. You have the same DC-commuter bedroom community building going on BUT you have the added job and income growth thanks to Proctor and Gamble building a massive new plant in Martinsburg, the proposed Rockwool plant, and Folks working for the Amazon property across the line in Hagerstown taking their "DC Metro Area" earnings back to WV to keep Annapolis from getting their hands on it. Pros to Berkely County? A lot more amenities, better schools if that makes a difference, Easy access to I-81, Easy and close proximity to Hagerstown to the North, and Winchester, VA to the south. Once you get west of North Mountain and into the Back Creek Valley, things get a lot less developed and a bit cheaper. On the far western edge of Berkeley County is Sleepy Creek and The Sleepy Creek WMA.
Both of these will put you within a half-hour to 45 min of Frederick depending on exactly how far out you go.
One caveat about Jefferson County is that the fastest route to Frederick for most of the year is clogged with traffic all summer long. That's US 340 through Harpers Ferry. WV has it wide open as a 4 lane road until you hit the downhill grade to the bridge across the Shenandoah. Then it's 2 lanes through the little sliver of WV on the east side of the 'doah through the mile or so that belongs to VA, and across the bridge to MD where it opens back up to 4 lanes all the way to Frederick. VA refuses to do anything about the road on their side of things because nobody really uses it for anything to do with VA. So they don't care that it causes a hellatious backup in both directions all summer long each year.
Now, if you're willing to go a little farther out. Hampshire county starts about an hour out from Frederick (Places like Paw Paw and Rock Gap) and keeps going to about 2 hours out when you hit Romney. Lots of unspoiled country in this area with a lot more laid-back feel. Too far from DC for anyone to commute, so they haven't started developing there. A heck of a lot cheaper too.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for that wonderful update on land in the eastern panhandle of WVA.That gives the wife and I an idea on where to look as well but the only major problem is we need bus transportation to get around since she does not drive
Thanks for the great write up. I want/need to be close to my son. That's really why we're moving back. I saw new construction in Falling Waters. Do you have a competent WV realtor?
Okay, Jefferson County and Berkley County are going to be your two closest to Frederick. That said, they're also the most populated in the eastern Panhandle and as such, costs are a little higher for land there.
Jefferson County has Charlestown, Shepherdstown, and Harpers Ferry as the major towns. It was mostly farmland until the past decade or so when folks from the DC commuter crowd realized you could live there and take the train in, use the wifi on the train to start working during your commute, and only spend 4-5 hours at your desk in DC before heading back out and using wifi to work for the entire way home. Now, it's being gobbled up by developers like Ryan Homes much the way Frederick County is experiencing right now. That's not to say you can't still find a good plot of land with a couple of acres. The farther south you go, towards the VA line near Winchester, the more land and less development there seems to be.
A little farther out is Berkeley County where Martinsburg is located. Martinsburg is booming right now. You have the same DC-commuter bedroom community building going on BUT you have the added job and income growth thanks to Proctor and Gamble building a massive new plant in Martinsburg, the proposed Rockwool plant, and Folks working for the Amazon property across the line in Hagerstown taking their "DC Metro Area" earnings back to WV to keep Annapolis from getting their hands on it. Pros to Berkely County? A lot more amenities, better schools if that makes a difference, Easy access to I-81, Easy and close proximity to Hagerstown to the North, and Winchester, VA to the south. Once you get west of North Mountain and into the Back Creek Valley, things get a lot less developed and a bit cheaper. On the far western edge of Berkeley County is Sleepy Creek and The Sleepy Creek WMA.
Both of these will put you within a half-hour to 45 min of Frederick depending on exactly how far out you go.
One caveat about Jefferson County is that the fastest route to Frederick for most of the year is clogged with traffic all summer long. That's US 340 through Harpers Ferry. WV has it wide open as a 4 lane road until you hit the downhill grade to the bridge across the Shenandoah. Then it's 2 lanes through the little sliver of WV on the east side of the 'doah through the mile or so that belongs to VA, and across the bridge to MD where it opens back up to 4 lanes all the way to Frederick. VA refuses to do anything about the road on their side of things because nobody really uses it for anything to do with VA. So they don't care that it causes a hellatious backup in both directions all summer long each year.
Now, if you're willing to go a little farther out. Hampshire county starts about an hour out from Frederick (Places like Paw Paw and Rock Gap) and keeps going to about 2 hours out when you hit Romney. Lots of unspoiled country in this area with a lot more laid-back feel. Too far from DC for anyone to commute, so they haven't started developing there. A heck of a lot cheaper too.
Hope that helps!
I agree with everything Tallen stated in his post. We moved to Jefferson County four and a half years ago and were able to buy reasonably priced (by Howard County standards) a three-acre lot outside of Charles Town. We've never looked back and have enjoyed the peace and quiet we didn't have in Howard County. But we are also retired so commuting doesn't play a role.
Charles Town is more of a town than a city, but we have Frederick, Hagerstown, Martinsburg, Winchester and Leesburg, all within 45 minutes of the house and we use all of them for different things. So there are options.
To add to the issue of the bridges, however (highlighted below in the original OP), WV is in the process of remediating the danger of rockslides along that stretch of road and it could be closed altogether for up to 18 months (I think) when they start. The drive-around is up I-81 to Hagerstown adding probably another 45 minutes to a commute to Frederick.
Do you have Xfinity available? Is it generally available in the areas I'm looking at? I have to have high speed internet.