Pond Boss Forums INTRO New Forum Member Introduction Howdy, y'all. Future WV pond owner here.

My situation is different from most of yours (for now), in that I have no pond, no land, and no immediate prospect of either. But I've always loved fish and aquatic environments, I'm fascinated with how wonderfully complex they are, and thrilled to have Pond Boss as such a tremendous resource to learn more about them.

I've had so much fun the past few months as a subscriber, back issue purchaser (Bill Cody deserves a Nobel Prize for his SMB magnum opus), book purchaser and lurker on these forums and archives. Now that I know enough to at least ask intelligent questions, I thought I would introduce myself and join the conversation from time to time.

I currently live in the close-in VA suburbs of DC. My wife and I are at point where retirement, while a ways off, is no longer out of sight over the horizon. Our plan is to cash out in 8-10 years and move to the little town of Shepherdstown, WV, right across the Potomac where WV, MD and VA come together. And we'd like to get some land within a 90-minute drive in WV for a pond and cabin.

After our first pass at the options, becoming Catmandoo's neighbor in Hampshire County, WV is looking pretty appealing. It's accessible from both Shepherdstown and DC, and land prices, while steep compared to lots of places, aren't too crazy. After having the vague notion that I'd like some land and a pond my whole life, thanks to Pond Boss I now know exactly what to aim for: at least a modest version of a wildlife refuge along the lines of Brettski's LNP (with cross-country ski trails for the wife) and a pond with a HSB/SMB/YP fishery and a forage base of RES/CJ-style diversified native minnow/crawfish/grass shrimp as drawn from many threads, especially Brettski's and Theo's fish selection discussions and Bill Cody's, CJ's, esshup's and ewest's (and many others') countless informative posts.

Green sunfish? I think not. Can I pull it off? I suppose it all depends.

If being a part of this community is this much fun, I hope having an actual pond won't be more bliss than I can stand. I look forward to continuing to learn from you and some day joining you as pond owner.

Welcome, there are quite a few good guys in that area.

Not all are chosen to raise Green Sunfish. Don't let it keep you awake nights.

Dyle,

Shepherdstown is a wonderful place. We have many good friends there. As you know, it is a little bit pricey -- but a great place to live. It takes us about an hour to get to Shepherdstown from our house. Our son went to Shepherd University, and a good friend at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, which is surrounded by the campus, performed my son's and DIW's marriage a fair number of years ago -- and they still seem to be very happily married! My three grandkids were all baptized there. Shperherdstown is a magical and happy place -- and the bluegill and smallmouth bass fishing is pretty good on the river, all the way to Harpers Ferry, where it gets even better.

However, unless you are a part of a local family, it would be very difficult to find affordable land in Jefferson County. As you found, it is a lot more affordable here in Hampshire County. Don't rule out Morgan County, and certainly don't rule out Hardy County. All three would meet your 90 minute drive requirement. In our county, the prices drop significantly if you get into Augusta, and west. Nearly all of Hardy is in that category, and much of Morgan is very affordable. Land prices are still pretty depressed in this whole area, once you get out of Northern VA, including eastern Loudoun and all of Fauquier. Don't rule out the Virginia counties of Frederick, Clarke, Warren, and Shenandoah. All are beautiful, and there are still some real bargains -- even fronting on the Shenandoah. We've lived on both sides of the border. We still own real estate on both sides of the border. We've found that taxes and cost-of-living between the two states, in all the counties outside of suburban DC, is a toss-up. Getting far west into WV or MD is a whole 'nother story. Once you pass beyond Loudoun and Faquier, the cost of groceries, gasoline, and even beer or wine, is significantly lower than anywhere in Northern VA. Gasoline in Winchester is usually at least $0.30 a gallon cheaper than in Loudoun or Fairfax counties.

If you are looking for land, I'd recommend not dealing with a realtor. Subscribe to the local papers in these areas, and watch the ads. Enjoy lots of Saturday auctions -- we have many of them, especially this time of year. Often the auctions include the house and land. I've seen fairly new houses with two-car garages, on a couple of acres, sell for less than $70K.

At the auctions, make sure and talk to the locals. Have some lunch and ask questions of the people around you. People out here are extremely friendly and helpful -- unless you look and sound like a real city slicker. Don't come dressed with your snake chaps, a survival knife on your belt, and an out-of-town attitude.

Pick up a copy of the Valley Trader every week. You might just be surprised what land goes for before the "professionals" get involved. Over the last 35 years, my wife and I have bought and sold a lot of property in VA and WV. The lawyer we use in Winchester currently charges us a flat $250 to do a complete settlement in VA or WV -- and that includes title search, deed recording, etc.

When you get ready to put in a pond, don't be afraid to contact me. Make sure you contact my very good friends at the WVU Aquaculture Extension Service and at the WV Aquaculture Association. We'll all be glad to assist.

Regards,
Ken

P.S. If you really have a hankering for green sunfish, I have a secret location, about two miles outside of Capon Bridge, where you can catch all the GSF you can fry in an afternoon.

Thanks, Ken. Always good to know an expert. I'll definitively be in touch when we're ready to pull the trigger.

David