Ken, are you set on a WV retirement? My fiancee and I have been looking at land in VA and the prices have become very reasonable... 30 and 40 acre pieces of property for 1/3 what they were going for 3 years ago. We are working hard on saving to buy one. Not sure what land prices are going for in your area.
Travis,
We found years ago that there is extremely little significant difference between WV and VA. Taxes maybe a lower here, but gasoline is $0.30 higher per gallon. Real Estate may somewhat less expensive WV, but services are much less. Virginia has strong zoning laws. WV has virtually no zoning laws. The good and bad points really balance out.
Land around here, in the 25 to 50 acre size, goes for anywhere from about $2000 to $15,000 per acre depending on many different factors, and who you know.
We have ruled out going back into Fauquier, Loudoun, or Clark due to taxes and impending growth. Growth, traffic, and taxes drove us out. Because of elder family, the kids, the grand kids, and many extremely wonderful WV/VA community friends, we feel we really want to stay within about 20 miles of Winchester. Since we currently border Frederick county, it is absolutely on the list. We're also looking at parts of Shenandoah and Warren. If we were 20-30 years younger, we'd certainly look at the Northern Neck or even the southwestern part of the state.
Regards,
Ken
