Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Norfolk (Virginia Beach, Hampton: real estate, oceanfront, house)

[E.Myrdd]

Greetings everyone,

I'm researching and planning a move in the near future to Virginia in one of the areas specified in my subject title. Each place is so beautiful - I can't decide right now where to focus, and I haven't been to Virginia in a long while. Are there any active neighborhood groups for those areas on Facebook I can request to join to get general day-to-day information, and for good local realtor suggestions? I'm planninng a visit in late Feb/early March (pandemic restrictions permitting, of course) and want to take care of logistical errands as part of the visit as well as the vacationing pleasure. I work full-time from home, and would continue to do so after relocation so employment is not an issue.

Appreciate any input as to neighborhood groups. Of course I'll continue to read through the various threads on City Data to collect information as well.

Thank you!

[fmac]

I am not familiar with specific neighborhood Facebook groups although there may be some. The website nextdoor.com is an active blog for areas within each city that you mentioned. And obviously each City has pros and cons depending on what you would like. This site has many participants who will be happy to share their knowledge and experience.

[E.Myrdd]

Thank you! I didn't even think about Nextdoor, which would definitely be a good resource. I'm not very active on FB, but often there are neighborhood-specific groups worth joining which is why I checked.

[citydweller]

Are you planning to work or work from home? I would recommend living somewhat close to your job. Bridges and tunnels are choke points as well as some tunnels have tolls. Are schools important? The better schools are in Chesapeake. Norfolk and especially Portsmouth have mostly low performing schools.

[E.Myrdd]

Yes, I would likely keep my current job and work from home. Don't need to worry about schools, and I don't drive so would prefer to live somewhere a little bustling with access to Uber and Lyft if needed.

Thank you for your input - I appreciate it! I've narrowed my search to the Norfolk area and I've already got a real estate agent to work with so doors are opening quicker than expected. A good sign!

[Lockdev]

Sounds like you decided on Norfolk, which is a good choice for your situation.

Not sure if you're still looking or fully committed yet, but I would quickly cross Chesapeake off the list. It doesn't fit what you're looking for, and what used to be a decent-enough place to live is now grossly overpriced. Despite having some of the highest taxes in Hampton Roads, and barely any economic growth, they have seen a 20%+ increase in house pricing over the past year.

A lot of the purchases have been by investors, not homeowners. This also is a huge red flag. You're seeing a lot of what we saw in 2007/2008 with flippers buying up homes, painting the walls, changing the floor with laminate, and then charging 150-200% of what they paid.

[E.Myrdd]

Hello, and thanks for the info. I've decided on Norfolk and Virginia Beach and have a real estate agent I'm working with now on both locales. It's still pretty slow-going because of, well, everything, but I'm making steady progress!

[xGrendelx]

Any update? Would love to know where the OP ended up. Though I seriously doubt I'll ever return to Norfolk, if I did I'd have to find a place somewhere in Ghent or West Freemason/Downtown. Always loved those neighborhoods.

[JGDlife]

Ghent, downtown, Neon, Chelsea areas of Norfolk. Possibly the VB oceanfront or Towncenter.

[goofy328]

Nextdoor is a thousand times better than Facebook for your purpose. You might actually have to live in an area to participate, but you can always create an account where you live and search for the areas in HR you are interested in. You will probably end up learning a lot more about where you are currently situated that you did not know. Facebook is good for learning about a city in general but they do ask if you live in the city before you join the group and it is not as granular as Nextdoor.

I also recommend Nextdoor because it is broken down into individual neighborhoods. So you'll see, not only that the person is in Norfolk, but that they're in Ghent, or Lafayette, or Wards Corner or wherever.