Tell me about Virginia?

[Tennvol12345]

Move here, its not a bad place. Just be aware that rush hour lasts all day, incomes are higher, but housing will kill you. As a homeowner the price of our house has only gone down 40-50k. Its still like getting raped compared to most of the country, but it is where the jobs are.

[BBossman]

Can't add much more than has already been said. I am born and raised in The Old Dominion and am proud to say so. Lots of history to explore here in Virginia. Its a beautiful place!

[Cohibra45]

Thanks for all the input.

Yes I live on the dry side of WA.

As far as taxes are concerned, we have no income tax but a high sells tax. It is up to almost 9%. We also have high gas tax at around 40 cents a gallon. Property taxes are reasonable but in the past few years it seems like there is a tax or fee for everything.

Apparently they (Fairfax) have a need for teachers, police, fire, and school bus drivers. There is a program for people moving there and taking one of those jobs where you are eligible for “magnet housing”. Basically we could rent a four bedroom townhouse for around $700 a month.

Washington is not a NFA friendly state. We can own a suppresser but can’t use it.

I would be very wary of the 'magnet' housing. It probably is only $700/mo, but you might not want to live there. If I were you, I would book a cheap SWA flight to BWI and drive the hour to 1.5 hours south and take a look around. You can find a relative inexpensive hotel and stay for a long weekend. Be sure to make arrangements to visit the local 'magnet' housing sites. Then make sure to visit the local schools and their neighborhoods they are in.

When I lived in souther MD, I use to visit NOVA a lot. My wife came from there. Old Town Alexandria is very nice to stroll and take in. There use to be a couple of great gun shops there within a few blocks of each other, but it's been 10yrs since I was in the area.

Fairfax and Alexandria counties are very congested, but, that's what you get for living in (or near) the 'big' city.

I would definitely go for a look before making too many big plans. The plane trip/long weekend will tell you alot, especially if you do visit the schools she would teach in and the housing they want to put you in.

Good luck.

[Littlelebowski]

Folks who come to this forum will not like MD's gun laws.

[5pins]

You guys have convinced my. I gave my wife the green light to apply. If she is offered a job hopefully I can find one quickly. The fact that there are a lot of jobs is encouraging.

[m4fun]

I was raised in Fairfax and continue to live here. Traffic can suck, but its a great area. Everything close by. All 4 seasons - like ubelievable snow this year and in the 80s today. All written before are good posts.

If you are into history or have kids, this place rocks. All DC in reach, Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Alexandria if you are into the Revolutionary period and Civil War all over.

[SHIVAN]

Definitely check out the magnet housing if you know where it is, but I do not think recon of the neighborhoods the schools are in is going to reveal much. Most of Fairfax County is pretty nice externally, or to a passerby.

[5pins]

I was unsure of the magnet housing but my wife showed me some pictures and they look nice. My wife informed me that I had the rent price wrong. It’s around $900 to $1000. It’s limited to teachers, law enforcement, fire/ EMS, and school bus drivers. If she hears anything from the schools, flying over and taking a look around may be a good idea.

[trio]

I'm one of the few people who can claim to be a NoVA native anymore....I was born at Quantico in 1973 when my Dad was stationed at the Pentagon....

I've lived all over Virginia...I currently am back in NoVA...I lived at Langley Air Force base in the Tidewater area as a child, I graduated from Thomas Jefferson HSST in Fairfax, I got my Master's Degree at James Madison in the Valley, I lived in Charlottesville when my wife was in medical school at UVA, I went to law school at the University of Richmond, and I lived in Orange, in central Virginia, when my second son was born...

beyond that, I've had family in the Commonwealth since it was a colony...my family's graveyard is in Jackson Mill in what is now West Virginia, and there are still frontier markers on my family's land...

I love this state....it's beauty and history is enough to overwhelm me sometimes....

I can't add much to what you've been told about NoVA....one of the things I will add, though, is how fast it can change...I live in Western Prince William county...and in 5 minutes I can be in the heart of what makes NoVA the ultimate suburb...and in 5 minutes I can be in the rolling foothills of the piedmont, peppered by dairy farms....that is one of the things I love about this area....I can be pretty much everywhere I could need to in under 15 minutes....

my wife works in Culpeper, and if I had my druthers, I'd buy some land, and move a bit further out of NoVA....the traffic up here is enough to drive a man insane....plus the influx of people who drive their minivans with an insane amount of democratic propoganda on the back is extremely irritating...

but, having lived in Central VA, there is a huge difference in the quality of schools in NoVA when compared to the more rural areas of the state (did I mention I've also taught school in Prince William County, Charlottesville City, Orange County, and Augusta County?)...and that is very big for me (two young boys, ages 8 and 4, and trying for a third)

public transportation is improving...the VRE now goes to Manassas and to Fredericksburg...there is talk of extending the metro as well

there are fantastic gun stores in the area...I am clearly biased towards Virginia Arms

the gun laws are great

we have several excellent indoor ranges in the area, punctuated of course by the NRA headquarters...there are also several quality private shooting clubs in the area (I belong to the IWLA, and there are several chapters with great shooting facilities)...the greatest complaint I have is the lack of a public outdoor range nearby with the facilities to shoot some real distance (1000 yards) and with the ability to shoot and move some...

having said that, there are numerous, numerous opportunities to take some great classes in this area...Magpul, LAV, and many, many others have classes at ranges nearby...plus there is a good, reliable cadre of local instructors as well....the practical shooting community is alive and well and thriving up here....the Marines and Quantico are, even as we speak, in the process of running a fantastic competition that looks to become a regular event....Blackwater and the NTC is just a few hours away, and you can pretty much be guaranteed to have as many shooting events available to you as you could want to shoot...

i'll stop here, as I tend to run on...if you have any questions please feel free to email or IM me....I'm happy to answer (or try to) any specifics you may have

[SHIVAN]

I'm one of the few people who can claim to be a NoVA native anymore....

1975, Potomac Hospital. Never left. Attended GMU and UMD, from home in Alexandria, VA (Ffx)

Native son, 35 years continuous.