The Pros and Cons of Living in Virginia (What you should know before moving here!)

[@kate739]

moved to sw virginia twenty two years ago from new england area - it is wonderful, low cost of living, kind, kind people, cool breeze in summer, winter snow passes in a couple days, taxes most reasonable, internet access through local tech. It's great. I am never afraid.

[@TNVAHomeTeam]

Thanks for sharing!

[@mariantirsoreanu3924]

Hi! What is the name of the city you live? Thanks

[@mariantirsoreanu3924]

Hi! What is the name of the city you live in Virginia? Thanks

[@ldygzlle1291]

I just purchased 117 acres in gate city Va. I am priced out of Tennessee. I had to sell my house in 2021 due to the loss of my husband and the pandemic and have been in a campervan looking for a place to land for the last 3 years . There’s still land available in Virginia for a grand an acre- forget about Tennessee. I’m so happy to be in Virginia. I’m only 6 miles from Tennessee and I get my gas there for $3.14/ gallon. My property taxes are less than $400/yr so I don’t know about Tennessee being less expensive on property taxes. People seem to be friendlier and more tolerant of outsiders than tn also. And I don’t have to worry about going to jail for a cannabis gummy. I love my new state! I’m finally home!

[@mariantirsoreanu3924]

Hi! What is the name of the place were you live in Va. Thanks.

[@ldygzlle1291]

@@mariantirsoreanu3924 I’m in southwest Virginia. But if you’re looking for land like mine, you can’t beat the Appalachian mountains from Georgia thru Virginia. My land was bypassed by other buyers but I got everything I wanted in it.

[@ashkodiak8650]

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your honest and comprehensive advice. Thank you so much !

[@gowowme]

I lived there for 12 years. For me, its the best place to live! There's a lot to do, get to experience all 4 seasons and the cost of living is ok.

[@opexwells435]

California Sale Tax is 10.25% and currently (as of Sep.2023) gasoline price is closed to $7.00 per gallon in LAX.

[@amy-chaos]

My main reason for not wanting to move to SW VA is my military retirement will be taxed until I turn 55. TN does not tax military retirement ever.

[@oldnavcat]

That has recently changed. For military retirees, there is a $10,000 exemption for 2022 and it will be increased by $10,000 each year until the total exemption is $40,000. I am a military retiree also and appreciate this change. Central and SW Virginia would welcome you!

[@gregmarshall8673]

TN sales tax makes up on that. They tax everything sold at such a high rate

[@texasson7950]

Due to my father's career and my own career, I've lived in Virginia on and off throughout my life. I'm currently living in the Hampton Roads (SE VA) area. If I decide to stay in VA, I'd eventualy like to relocate to western Virginia or possibly East Tennessee. Since I periodically drive to Texas from Virginia, I pass through that area (SW VA/NE TN) on I-81/I-40. The northern & eastern half of VA (NOVA, Richmond and Hampton Roads) are more heavily populated and one deals with traffic, congestion and a HIGHER cost of living. No, thank you! I want to get out of the large urban areas. I appreciate the information on this video. Thank you!

[@tinareickenbacker1813]

Your video was a true blessing, can't wait to see the pros and cons of Tennessee my other choice to live.

[@swimmer751]

1 more Con: Traffic Police Officers. Virginia Police hates their drivers (from experience.) If you don't give them a reason to stop you, they will find one. 1 more Pro: The foliage and the leaves, it's breathtaking

[@Noisemansoundinsect]

I like your genuine sales style 👍

[@Mncrr]

We have two children in Virginia now. Looking at new Kent county with one in Richmond and one in Williamsburg. Leaving New York with center right politics. Wish us luck

[@mikegallagher3916]

Good luck!

[@TheVagolfer]

Virginia is too mercurial to encapsulate in a short video. There are multiple sections, northern Va., southeast, Virginia Beach/Norfolk, central/Richmond, and variants from there. I've lived here my whole live and they are extremely different with subtle plus and minuses within.

[@Enjoywatchingyoutube8227]

I may take a job near Chesapeake, VA what is a reasonable apartment rental for a 55+ (over community , I saw some near Virginia Beach that seemed reasonable ( under $1200 ). Thanks and love your video, a lot of information

[@straycat1674]

This is my home state. Lived in Yorktown until about 2005 when I moved to Los Angeles for work. I’ve been here ever cents. And as of recently my girlfriend and I have been considering relocating. She actually lives in Northern California and we’re either going to relocate to her hometown up there or back to my hometown, specifically Gloucester. Though we picked on Virginia calling the commonwealth a Communistwealth, It’s still a beautiful place to live. Since I’ve been here for so long I decided to watch his video to see from the Germans perspective what may or may not have changed.

[@straycat1674]

Before 2005 when I still lived in Virginia and before I left home, they were promising to get rid of personal property taxes on cars. And I have been promising that for years. And since you said this is 2023, it looks like they still have not done it.

[@straycat1674]

When it comes to home prices, I’ve noticed that they have definitely went up in Tennessee around Nashville over the past few years. All the people leaving places like New York and California have caused a cost of housing boom. I saw some houses that were pretty thousand to $100,000 cheaper years ago but now they are just getting too expensive. Same with land.

[@straycat1674]

When it came to where we always said, wait five minutes. Will be driving down the street and you can see the storm just go on its own way. One side of the street could be dry the other side completely wet. And where I’m from a lot of marshland. So that means mosquitoes mosquitoes mosquitoes.

[@adamsifford6228]

Property tax is a con, why should you pay taxes on own?

[@dangraser-v2p]

Quality of life.

[@kapnbill]

Nicely done. Thank you.

[@TNVAHomeTeam]

Our pleasure!

[@themorbidhousewife3749]

My hubby and I want to move out of New Mexico. We want a small town quiet life vibe with conservative values but not a whole lot of religion being thrown at us. He loves the beach, I love the mountains but we both dream of a farm type style of life growing pumpkins and a small orchard for fruit trees. Where should we begin to research? Im looking at the Carolinas and now Virginia.

[@TNVAHomeTeam]

I'd take a look at northeast TN also. We live just across the VA state line in the small town of Bristol. We're very close to the mountains and lots of farming around, but you're looking at about 5 1/2 hours to the beach.

[@themorbidhousewife3749]

@@TNVAHomeTeam ☺️thank you very much! 5 1/2 hours to the beach is nothing bad considering we currently live nowhere near a beach. 4 hours gets you through only a part of our state. Its probably more like 25 1/2 to find a beach🥴☺️. I'll check out your recommendation. Have a beautiful day and thanks again!

[@straycat1674]

I’m from Virginia, your county area. It can be a little expensive sometimes but it is a beautiful place to live. I moved to LA in 2005 my girlfriend and I are looking at leaving here and relocating. Do you want to talk about cost of living in Los Angeles is ridiculous. But because of the exit is from places like California I’ve seen the home prices in Tennessee skyrocket. Especially around the Nashville area and reality any of the major cities for me Virginia isn’t that expensive as it has so much to offer for daily life. It’s a great place to raise a family. Weatherwise, we always joke if you don’t like the weather wait five minutes. And it can rain a bit and it gets pretty cold. But my area York County is too close to the water so the average temperature is just a little too high for snow. You go up to Williamsburg area, most of that area will start to get a little bit of snow. It’s not saying where I grew up we didn’t get snow. We had about 8 inches or so in 2003 or 2004 right before I moved To California. But our snow only lasts a few days as well before it’s almost gone.

[@RH-lz3om]

Very well done presentation. Well done, and thank you.

[@troycooper7180]

That's just great... for an accountant, but nothing was mentioned here about the NATURAL benefits of Virginia (esp. southwestern VA) that can't be indexed with prices, taxes, COL, or the other "business" stuff mentioned herein. I love East Tennessee, northern NC and southern WV as well... and I hope you mentioned something more than cost-of-living numbers when you did you Tennessee video. Ugh...

[@Rain-ec4jj]

Is cost of living low in Orange county in Virginia?

[@trombone113]

I lived there about 12 years ago and yes, it was very reasonable. The actual town of Orange is fairly small and home to a plant by American Woodmark Cabinetry, they produce all their cherry cabinets there. Its a nice town will fairly low crimes, but not much to do and about 45 minutes from Charlottesvill, the closezst big city. But you can easily get to Culpeper in about the same amount of time, but it is a smaller city, but bigger than Orange. Now, Orange Co. Is fairly large. There is a decent amount of farms, yet the city county has basically doubled in size the past 20 years. But norther Orange Co. Is about 20 minutes from Culpeper and 20 minutes from Fredericksburg, which is also home to William and Mary University. And even though Fredericksburg is considered nortghern, Virginia, it is still 50 miles from Washington D.C. so it does not have nearly the overcrowding. Hope all this helps.

[@beniamino939]

Now compare this to South Florida!

[@richardlarson246]

no comparison... Florida has gone from fun and free to mean and creepy

[@beniamino939]

@@richardlarson246 You hit the nail right on the head! 🔨

[@TheWinterShadow]

To be honest, it's not good for people to move to a place like a small town in Virginia. The charm of the place slowly vanishes. The people slowly become unfriendly. The property tax goes up. The cost of living slowly goes up. Most Idaho and Colorado natives would probably agree. I can understand people's need to 'praise' a change they have witnessed based on their feelings. But be considerate, respectful and protect the place. Don't encourage people, in which logic has shown, will eventually bring it down.

[@Larant88]

Virginia is not a small town, lol. It is a state! This guy can't be from Virginia.

[@terranceaddison4599]

Do you know what he's trying to get at??

[@Larant88]

@Jess-737 He needs to change his title to "Living in a small town in Virginia" then! And change his narrative. I love Virginia. I'm from here and retired out of the military here. As someone who served overseas 3 times, I will say what I want, when I want. You have a blessed day. Because I'm truly blessed!

[@Larant88]

@Jess-737 And his title reads "Living in Virginia." You don't know the difference between reading comprehension and listening. You are truly gifted 🤣

[@closetprepper894]

I’ve been considering moving to south west Va- how are the mosquitos? I want to be able to be outside on a summer night

[@TNVAHomeTeam]

They're no worse than any other place I've lived, except Louisiana. Terrible down there!

[@kazeryu17]

It really depends on the specific location. I live in the inner city (Norfolk VA), and my house and yard are not big by any means. In my back yard, the mosquitos are terrable, and you will get very itchy, while there are no mosquitos in my front yard.

[@R40_Lxghtfiending]

There Not Bad where i live in Virginia

[@R40_Lxghtfiending]

It’s not in south west the south nor west part is we’re I live

[@R40_Lxghtfiending]

Sorry West Virginians i dont hate all of yall

[@SnakeBiteWelding]

I would move to virginia if the politics werent so bad. I heard they just passed terrible gun laws.

[@cstern3]

You talk about cost of living and taxes but you don’t talk about the better paying jobs in northern Va and other areas. That’s myopic. Median household income in northern Va $140,515. Median household income in Tenn. $65,254.

[@adamsifford6228]

Cost of living is balanc6 where ever you are at.

[@ThinkDifferentish]

Virginia taxes military pensions, unlike most other states. Fun, considering how many military bases there are in Virginia.

[@Bhunnidb]

From Texas any smaller family towns ?

[@TNVAHomeTeam]

Tons of small towns in our part of the state. Depends on what you mean by small specifically, but the biggest town in SW Virginia has maybe 24,000.

[@tom4331]

VA.could probably split again culturely

[@adamsifford6228]

Taxes are terrible in VIRGINIA.

[@Larant88]

Taxes are worst in the Midwest!. Virginia taxes are nothing compared to Ohio and Michigan.

[@Bennie-l9f]

And getting worse, my property assessment just jumped over 66%. That hurts big time. There should be a law that requires a locality that increases the assessment unusually high that the county has to purchase your property at the assessed value. Then they can do with it what they want. I could just hear them saying oh no we can’t do that you citizens just tighten your belt when in reality it should be you politicians just tighten your belt. It’s far too easy for politicians to spend somebody else’s money for things that they want. A purchase requirement based on the full assessment, By the locality would stop this foolishnes

[@plowthor]

Very unfriendly people here. Only people I've met here with any class are all from different states.

[@oldnavcat]

You failed to mention the extent of the differences between northern Virginia, Richmond, and the New Port News area. Northern Virginia is inhabited by a lot of people associated in some way with the government. Most came from out of state. Richmond and New Port News are areas highly dependent on welfare. Consequently there is a huge political difference between those three liberal areas and the remainder of the state. "How will the state swing?" is always an issue in elections. Finally, the culture has also been recently affected by these differences. Statues have been torn down and tours of historic sites, such as Monticello, have been altered to diminish the legacies of our founding fathers.

[@Nexistepas67]

Still mad about losing the war, huh?

[@Khyboh]

@@Nexistepas67He sure is.

[@michaelyork7844]

Yes seems northern Virginia all about the woke racist/ so on mindset catering too by leftist democrats just like this whole country and we see how pathetic this nation has become under Biden/democrat indoctrination

[@jamestaylorstudios28]

Virginia here. As a matter of fact Richmonder, and since my wife is a native from charlottesville, I think I can speak to what you're saying. It is absolute horse crap

[@kevinknuckles25]

Food taxes?!?! We have GOT to put the damn government back in check.

[@pjlee2053]

13 states tax food from groceries

[@albake5659]

Unprepared food should never be taxed, prepared food is different story

[@JOlivier2011]

No sales tax in OR. Steep income tax----but the seems like a reasonable trade. Helps sales and people on a fixed income.

[@davidhorne2326]

The biggest con is NoVa!

[@jeanetteernsberger4782]

Tax on food?! Weird

[@pjlee2053]

13 states tax groceries I recently discovered

[@Bennie-l9f]

It’s not as easy or as rosey. Truth, it’s not easy, but it is quite rosey Otherwise. just don’t think it’s paradise as any salesman will present his product to be

[@barneyfyfe8313]

Virginia would be a strong contender for me... if not for the politics. I plan to leave NY and do not see the logic of choosing another blue state.

[@oldnavcat]

If you move to central or western Virginia, the politics are strongly conservative. The liberal strongholds are around Richmond and New Port News and the northern counties around DC. Anything north of The Peoples Republic Of Charlottesville is very liberal.

[@barneyfyfe8313]

@@oldnavcat I get that. But we have the same thing in NY. Lots of conservative areas. The problem is the governor makes statewide laws and she's a screaming leftist. My goal is a red state. They're getting crowded and I may have to rethink my plans.

[@maxmartin2995]

I don't think Virginia will be anywhere close to as bad as new York. Ny is a different country basically

[@Nexistepas67]

@@barneyfyfe8313 that is literally not how government works. The governor does not make laws.

[@barneyfyfe8313]

@@Nexistepas67 Okay. Now explain to me how then Gov Cuomo pushed through the NYSafe act in 2013 in the middle of the night. Don't believe me? Look it up. Claiming the governor didn't do it by himself is just dancing around the issue. Our current tyrant did the same think in response to the SCOTUS CCW ruling.

[@katmandudawn8417]

You did a pretty good job defining Virginia but you did not spend time on the great educational opportunities and the huge variety of arts , music and foods available in Virginia. Virginia is the state with the broadest range of history in the county from first settlement to greats number of Civil War sites to the most American Presidents of any state. It provides a taste of all 4 beautiful seasons without extremes. You can run to the mountains or the beach if it too hot. Good job but Virginia is so much more. You get a very good standard of living for your taxes in the form of good school, roads, government and amenities. That stuffs not free.

[@jamestaylorstudios28]

And Tennessee is a crap state, for that and a MYRIAD of reasons

[@baileyreport.]

The place is like an amusement park. You can have anything you want if you pay the fee, or whatever the governments and businesses choose to call it. The bridge between the rich and the poor increases every day. Sadly, this is not isolated. For us, the best way is to get out of the USA. We did, and we love our lives beyond the USA. Where is it? Any place is better than the USA. We found the best place for us, and you can, too.

[@robertcurtis3807]

Virginia is too liberal for my taste. The gun laws, the vehicle tint laws, and taxes. 😢

[@JOlivier2011]

As a liberal, it's a conservative hellscape to me haha. Different strokes I guess.

[@vcp93]

Stay in TN. We have enough whinners already.