Possible retirement to Elkton, Staunton, Monterey, or Floyd areas. (Shenandoah: home, buying)

[hiltonbrit]

Serious conversation, thanks for your response. Yes, we've discovered that elevations above 2400' will give us the temps we're looking for. Currently searching the Floyd County area, and will also consider North Carolina mountains.

[nm9stheham]

We live off of I-64 at the top of Afton Mtn at 2400' elevation and it is only 7 degrees cooler on average than Charlottesville. So that elevation probably won't work to meet your criteria. Ditto with Floyd and Bent Mtn; I grew up in Salem and while they are higher, they are not as cool as you want. You are going to have to get near to 4000' elevation for that coolness. (And, FWIW, the Hot Springs temperature readings are up at the Hot Springs airport which is at around 4000' elevation.)


Some suggestions:

- There are a few pricey homes in the high areas up on Warm Springs Mtn, leading to the airport, that are almost that high.
- The far western side of Highland County has areas around 3500' but not a lot of houses. Very rural farm and woodlands. There are some scattered higher elevation homes throughout Highland and Bath Counties. But you are far form any shopping and you very likely will not have cell service.
- Snowshoe WV has some high elevation homes around 4000'-4500' but even there it can get into the low 80's sometimes. But then again, I have seen snow falling there in early June!
- Shady Valley TN is another high spot, as well as the areas around Fancy Gap VA, and Jefferson NC, which are near 3000'. These are not resort areas and the land/home pricing is a lot lower than in places like Banner Elk and such.


Getting to an airport with international flights from these areas is something to consider. The advantage of NC is that you can drive to the Charlotte NC airport in a couple of hours and fly direct to England. Fancy Gap VA is < 2 hours from the Charlotte Airport.

[hiltonbrit]

Thanks for your reply. I've raised my summer temp preference to average highs of 85F.
We've also opened up our search, and are now considering areas in the mountains of WV. We are now only looking at buying a few acres on which to build a house.
I appreciate your input.

[RubyandPearl]

Places that have cool summers have long cold winters. Are you prepared for snow in early June and late August?

NC has high elevation and lower temps but the humidity remains through the summer, hence "Smokey" Mountains. They also tend to piney not deciduous. Not my first choice.

I wonder if you might consider the South Mountains of Western Maryland? Even a few degrees latitude north can make a difference in summer heat and humidity.
The area is truly beautiful with a colonial/Early American/historical vibe, stone cottages, former coaching inns, small villages and the like.

Also BWI is convenient and often has good fares to England. We go to England a lot via Dulles but I keep an eye on BWI and the fares are often better there.

Another thought, would you consider a second home option? That would offer cool summers in the highlands and the more moderate winters, services, convenience of the flatlands. For example, sell your current home, buy/rent a 2-3 BR condo/apartment in a place of your liking and then buy or build a summer cottage in the mountains.

Just a thought. Good luck with your search and research.

[nm9stheham]

Ok, got a few spots for you in Va closer.

Flattop Mtn, south of Swift Run Gap and near the Skyline Drive, has a small community of mostly vacation homes. It is near 4,000 ft and has been there at least 50 years. No easy to reach in winter off of gravel county roads, but has few year-round residents in the past. Views are fantastic....60 miles or more on a clear day.

2 miles south of where I64 crosses the Parkway is about 50 homes scattered on Afton Mtn. One for sale right now but an old apple orchard got cleared and made into pricey lots with some great views. Paved road access to the interstate and 5-7 miles to town, so very easy for shopping for a mountain area.

10 miles further south is Winter green ski resort at 4000+ ft. Nice homes, paved roads well maintained. Not cheap. Temps average almost 20 degrees lower than Richmond.

15 miles further south is Montebello. It is an old, very rural farm and timber town high up. Suitable for slot of seclusion and more moderate homes on some land.

Get AWD if you move to any of these spots. If you have to get out for work then consider a 4WD truck and chains. I've been on Afton Mtn for 30 years. We get 12-30" snows every 6 years or so, But last year was nothing but a few 4" snowfalls

[hiltonbrit]

Originally Posted by RubyandPearl

Places that have cool summers have long cold winters. Are you prepared for snow in early June and late August?

NC has high elevation and lower temps but the humidity remains through the summer, hence "Smokey" Mountains. They also tend to piney not deciduous. Not my first choice.

I wonder if you might consider the South Mountains of Western Maryland? Even a few degrees latitude north can make a difference in summer heat and humidity.
The area is truly beautiful with a colonial/Early American/historical vibe, stone cottages, former coaching inns, small villages and the like.

Also BWI is convenient and often has good fares to England. We go to England a lot via Dulles but I keep an eye on BWI and the fares are often better there.

Another thought, would you consider a second home option? That would offer cool summers in the highlands and the more moderate winters, services, convenience of the flatlands. For example, sell your current home, buy/rent a 2-3 BR condo/apartment in a place of your liking and then buy or build a summer cottage in the mountains.

Just a thought. Good luck with your search and research.

RubyandPearl, thanks so much for your response. Such a lot to consider! We hadn't even thought of Maryland but "old colonial and stone cottages sounds wonderful to me. As does the closeness to BWI.
Really appreciate your input.

[columbusboy8]

I own a mountain cabin in McHenry, MD and love the area!

I highly recommend that you check out the Deep Creek/Wisp/Oakland, Maryland area. You'll be about 45 minutes from Morgantown, WV, and about 2 hours from Pittsburgh.

[hiltonbrit]

Originally Posted by nm9stheham

Ok, got a few spots for you in Va closer.

Flattop Mtn, south of Swift Run Gap and near the Skyline Drive, has a small community of mostly vacation homes. It is near 4,000 ft and has been there at least 50 years. No easy to reach in winter off of gravel county roads, but has few year-round residents in the past. Views are fantastic....60 miles or more on a clear day.

2 miles south of where I64 crosses the Parkway is about 50 homes scattered on Afton Mtn. One for sale right now but an old apple orchard got cleared and made into pricey lots with some great views. Paved road access to the interstate and 5-7 miles to town, so very easy for shopping for a mountain area.

10 miles further south is Winter green ski resort at 4000+ ft. Nice homes, paved roads well maintained. Not cheap. Temps average almost 20 degrees lower than Richmond.

15 miles further south is Montebello. It is an old, very rural farm and timber town high up. Suitable for slot of seclusion and more moderate homes on some land.

Get AWD if you move to any of these spots. If you have to get out for work then consider a 4WD truck and chains. I've been on Afton Mtn for 30 years. We get 12-30" snows every 6 years or so, But last year was nothing but a few 4" snowfalls

I so appreciate the time you've taken to give me all these suggestions! There's a great deal to think about. We're constantly poring over maps and googling possibilities. My husband is already excited about buying an AWD truck!

[Bigfoot424]

Just get a 4WD truck as you don't need AWD year round. Uses more fuel and may need more maintenance.

[nm9stheham]

Glad the hubbie is enthused! Lots of map time can be fun.



4WD (locked transfer case) will slip the front wheels in a turn on slick surfaces. Not good in a corner, especially downhill! I never go down the mountain with the truck in 4WD; it is just asking for trouble.



AWD (with a viscous coupling front-to-rear and a variable power split) does not suffer from that problem. And the part time AWD keeps it in 2WD for normal driving, and traction controls helps a lot too.



4WD tends to be good for heavy loads (like trucks). So it may depend on what size of vehicle you need. My wife has AWD in an SUV; that is best for her. I have 4WD in a 3/4 ton truck but I tow some heavy loads for work.