Need a bit of information about Virginia, such as the economic climate; population diversity and education; weather/temperature/seasons, etc. I've been contemplating a move east for better job opportunities, living someplace where there are more than two seasons, where summers aren't in the 100s every other year from June through the end of September, and the general population isn't comprised of religious zealots.

Looks like I would be in the northern part of the State and would *definitely* buy an acreage.

 

Was gonna post, but I live in the southwest. And the north is comepleltly different. Can't even get gravy biscuits up there

 

...or SWEET Tea

 

Sorry, guys. I don't have enough redneck DNA to crave either biscuits & gravy or sweet tea.

 

You know you're too far north when you have to specify that you want SWEET tea.

On topic. The weather is pretty mild all around. It has it's hot times and really cold times like any other place. It can get rather humid and muggy, although the temperature never gets as high as it does out west.

 

If you want a chance to make money in Va you need to be in Northern Va. My Aunt & Uncle and grandparents live up there, Uncle is some sort of a Government Contractor (he likes to say they're the guys who tell the snipers who to kill), making 6 figures a year.

Grandfather is too set in his ways to get a 9-5 job but could make lots of money if he would.

Cost of living is high though, they're in Fairfax, 1-2 bedroom apartments run around $1200 a month.

Hope you like snow as the northern part of the commonwealth does seem to get more than the south.

 

depending on where you are coming from, it's going to be a different kind of hot here. the mid atlantic states get very humid here.

we do have "half & half" up here.....but down south they call them Arnold Palmer's.

 

I grew up 90 miles west of Chicago, so I know what serious humidity is. I've even experienced 95% humidity at temperatures of 40° while in the Navy cruising through the Aleutian Islands.

Oklahoma would be nice(r) if it weren't so damned windy. When my g/f was here last week she made a comment that it was "really windy" and was surprised when I said, "Believe it or not, this is a light breeze".

Oklahoma is a Red State, which is fine in some respects, but too much of the population believes everyone needs Church'n, should read the Bah-bll every day, should be praying all the time, and that US law was derived from the 10 Commandments. That may sound ridiculous, but I'm dead serious. Read up on Sally Kern for a smattering of how the populace thinks. The population, as a whole, are very, very narrow minded.

The trees are still green here, which again, surprised the g/f. I told her fall lasts about a week, maybe two (in this area) and although a few trees will change color, most just go from green straight to brown and drop their leaves. It's always humorous, to me, when the local news people talk about how "beautiful" Oklahoma is in Autumn. Uh, right. Maybe to the eastern part of the State, really close to Arkansas.

Employment diversity is better than it was when I first got here, but there are still problems/issues. I've had a light job search going on since the spring with only a few scant leads. I've been hit with a lot of offers from recruiters for positions out east, and considering I'm one of the few Cobol programmers on this planet under 50 years of age, I could rake in some cash working on legacy code out east. That's been a big driver for me.

So, therein is a majority of my motivation. Would still want something 5+ acres so I can play w/ tractors and such.

 

Justin is correct. All the money and jobs are in 'NOVA" as we like to call it. I lived up there for @12 years.....constant traffic jams, expensive to live there. Depending on your line of work there is industry spread around the state. Coast area has a huge Navy ship yard, but thats also a very crowded area. Fairfax, Richmond, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Norfolk, Charlottesville and some others are the large cities. Southwestern Va (where I'm from) is a very nice place to live, but, again, depends on your line of work. Center of the state is mostly farming.

It can get quite humid in the summer. Winters can go from mild to wild.

 

If you want land you'll probably want to buy property a little south of Northern Va. All depends on what in terms of employment and where you'll be looking at to work. Most drives aren't too far, Fairfax is roughly a 30 minute drive to D.C.

There's plenty of religion to choose from, my grandfather and sister recently visited a Buddhist Temple outside of Fairfax.