Richmond VA questions,possible move to..

[cragantler]

So I have an initial interview for a possible job in Richmond Virginia.
This is next Sunday. My questions are:
Does anyone live in or around Richmond ?
What is it like for crime,traffic, housing prices,vehicle inspections,taxes, etc.. ??
We would probably be looking to rent a house at first and most likely be looking for something in the 'burbs.

If I do get it, the move would not be until next year.
Thanks for any help. :beer:
Doug

[Mebot]

I'll let bluerauder chime in with the statistics but I can tell you that Virginia overall requires safety inspection every year & emissions every other yr.

I don't live in Richmond, I'm up in the northern virginia area so I can't speak to the actual area, but I have heard there are good places & bad places. just like any other city in America

Sent from my handheld Zack Morris iShoe 4S.

[Blown3.8]

I don't think there are emissions inspections down there. They are up in Northern VA, starting in Stafford county which would be about 45 mins to 1 hour north of Richmond.

[Mebot]

oops yes you are right. forgot that emissions are a county by county ordnance

Sent from my handheld Zack Morris iShoe 4S.

[SC Cheesehead]

I dunno about moving there, some really strange people up in those parts...


;) --------> :D

[fastblackmerc]

From my experience traveling to Richmond, it's like any other city.... good areas and areas you should avoid. I'd work with a real estate agent in Richmond to get you the information you want. You can also get information from the chamber of commerce. Coming from the northeast you'll find the cost of living less in the south.

[rayjay]

FWIW, when travelng to/from our Myrtle beach home I use I295, Richmond Bypass, and avoid it completely. Virgina as a whole is a beautiful state, but it is also a high tax state. Beware on your speed driving there. The Troopers are everywhere and even pinched a convoy of marked police vehicles returning to the northeast from Katrina duty. I drive 5 over there, no more, as they will pinch their own wife.

[Bluerauder]

So I have an initial interview for a possible job in Richmond Virginia.
This is next Sunday. My questions are:
Does anyone live in or around Richmond ?
What is it like for crime,traffic, housing prices,vehicle inspections,taxes, etc.. ??
We would probably be looking to rent a house at first and most likely be looking for something in the 'burbs.

I live some 88 miles north of Richmond in the Northern Virginia area. Cost of living should be much less than in NOVA and I am sure you can find some good deals on real estate. Specific location will depend on your job/site. City crime is fairly high. Less so in the "burbs".

Great location for travelling in any direction N-S-E-W. I-95 goes North-South. I-64 goes East-West. Virginia Beach is only 120 miles to the east. Shenandoah Valley about 75 miles to the west. Washington, DC only 90-100 miles to the north. NC line is less than 75 miles south.

Traffic should not be THAT bad in Richmond since VDOT headquarters is located there. If VDOT employees are impacted on their way to work, the situation gets fixed. Seems that there is never any lack of funding to build EXTRA capacity in and around Richmond. Comparing traffic with Northern Virginia, I'd say that Richmond really has NO Traffic to speak of. ;)

There is an annual vehicle safety inspection required. No emissions every 2 years like in the more populated areas (i.e. NoVA and Tidewater). Virginia income tax is 5.75%. There is also a real estate tax set by the city or the county. Virginia has a personal property tax on vehicles. Rates are set by city/county (mine is $3.70 per 100 of NADA value over $20K). The state picks up about 60% of that amount below $20K. This tax gets less as the vehicle depreciates. Sure hits hard when you buy a new car. Bill comes in the mail around October each year.

I would not hesitate to move to the Richmond area IF THE JOB WAS RIGHT.

The population within the city limits was 204,214 in 2010, with an estimated population of 1,269,380 for the Richmond Metropolitan Area — making it the third largest in Virginia.

More info here on demographics, jobs, crime, etc. >>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond,_Virginia

For info on Richmond Real Estate check here >>>> http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Richmond-Virginia/

Looks like the "Averages" are:

1 Bedroom $149K
2 Bedroom $214K
3 Bedroom $190K
4 Bedroom $207K

Of course there are wide ranges in each category so these are only averages ^^^^ above. I suspect that the 3 BR places listed are "older" models and the "2BR" places may be newer. A good range seems to be about $150-250K depending on your needs. These prices are about 40-50% below those in Northern Virginia.

Richmond Visitor's Guide >>>> http://guide.visitrichmondva.com/WebProject.asp?CodeId=7.6.3.3&BookCode=vis12flx

[Blown3.8]

The only traffic I ever see is the 95\64 interchange at rush hour, besides wrecks of coarse. I never take 295 around richmond, more cops and a longer drive.

[efi4eye]

I live in Richmond, have since '98. Overall it's a nice place to live. Lots of American history here and things to do.

Crime, yes absolutely there is crime in certain parts of town, like any big city. Richmond was pretty bad at one point, but in recent years things got cleaned up a bit. Most parts of town are fine but there are a few parts that you don't want to get mixed up in.
Housing prices are a bit on the high side IMO, but far cheaper than areas closer to DC.
Vehicle inspections are annual, mostly concerned with safety - stuff like off-road pipes doesn't fly though unless you know someone. Regarding traffic and police, I've been pretty fortunate even though I have driven some "high visibility" vehicles. Stay less than 10 over the speed limit and you're good as a general rule

As a bonus, we have Performance Autosport here in Richmond. They're a great shop with some pretty intriguing stuff going through their shop, dyno and showroom. They deal a lot, or have dealt a lot in P71 Crown Vics too, and two of my good friends work there. If you come here or move here, you definitely need to check it out. www.performanceautosport.com (http://www.performanceautosport.com)

Contact me by PM if you want and I can give you more specifics

[Raleigh Marauder]

As a bonus, we have Performance Autosport here in Richmond. They're a great shop with some pretty intriguing stuff going through their shop, dyno and showroom. They deal a lot, or have dealt a lot in P71 Crown Vics too, and two of my good friends work there. If you come here or move here, you definitely need to check it out. www.performanceautosport.com (http://www.performanceautosport.com)



Mark at Performance is the man when it comes to Saleen Mustangs!

Surprised that no one has mentioned that radar detectors are illegal in the Commonwealth... :(

[Bluerauder]

Surprised that no one has mentioned that radar detectors are illegal in the Commonwealth... :(

In Northern Virginia, this ^^^^ is not a problem since you have to get near the speed limit occasionally to even need one. ;) Not mentioned because it is rarely even thought of around here. :(

On those "rare" occasions where I can see open road ahead of me, I just wait for a "Rabbit" to pass to run interference ahead of me. Lots of rabbits out there to draw the attention at speed traps and such. As mentioned before, even 10 over doesn't draw too much attention when the rabbits are running 15-20 MPH over :D. I have NEVER had a problem in Virginia by following a simple rule ... "Don't be TOO conspicuous".

BTW --- Virginia State Police also use alot of "Slick Top" cruisers and unmarked cars on the Interstates.

[Mebot]

IComparing traffic with Northern Virginia, I'd say that Richmond really has NO Traffic to speak of. ;)


Truer words have never been spoken

[rayjay]

The only traffic I ever see is the 95\64 interchange at rush hour, besides wrecks of coarse. I never take 295 around richmond, more cops and a longer drive.

Hmm, I'll take your word for it as you live there. I have rarely seen any SP on 295, but just the opposite on 95. The last time I took 95 straight through, it seemed to take forever, where the 295 is wide open with little to no traffic. Of course I time my trip to avoid rush hours.

[Bluerauder]

Of course I time my trip to avoid rush hours.
That's odd since Fred & Ethyl Mertz coming down from New England usually hit DC right at 4:00 PM to join in the commuter rush. ;)

[cragantler]

Thanks for all the info guys, It is helpful. We realize moving to Richmond could be a slight:flamer: shock for us, as we only have 4000 in the town we live in now. But I was born and raised in Central Florida and am still used to traffic and knowing how to stay out of the 'hood.
It's just knowing where it is before hand.;)
After being up in New England for almost 13 years, it would be great to be back down South/home again.
We moved up here for her folks and they have both passed on.My Mom is still in Florida and getting up there.
With the opportunity for employment in Richmond and it being centrally located between NE and Florida, it looks like a good situation.
I do have to say, I have this question on a few other forums I frequent and with these responses and others, you Virginians sure are the most helpful people I have come across in a while.
If Virginia is populated with people like yall, we will be more than happy to settle there:beer:

Thanks again, Doug

ps. please don't mind if we come up with any other questions.
That and I'll let you know how the interview goes on Sunday:bows:

[SC Cheesehead]

Good luck on the interview!

I grew up in the North, and have enjoyed relocating to the South; the climate and the people are great.

[cragantler]

Well I had my initial phone interview and that went well. I had a second phone interview for last night but had to postpone it for tonight due to unforeseen OT last night.
Called tonight and found that the company had lost a major contract and would be having to lay off 1 maybe 2 workers.
Kind of a bummer that the slot is no longer open but on the other hand,glad I did not give notice,get all packed up and either have the job disappear or even worse, move down there and have it happen.
So we will continue to do the job search thing in the area.
I got some real positive feedback from the interviewing manager so that helps. Really did like how the area looked just
from seeing it online. Hopefully one day we can live there.http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gif
Thanks all for the hints and info.
Doug

[SC Cheesehead]

Sorry to hear about the setback, but the positive feedback is encouraging, hang in there.

[efi4eye]

Sorry it didn't work out, Doug. Do you mind saying who the company is? You don't have to, just wondering if I know of them. Keep us updated, and good luck with your search

[rayjay]

Sorry to hear that too. These are volitle times job wise.