SW County 24018 and Roanoke in General
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3/3/2012
From my perspective,Sperling is way off base about the cost of living in Roanoke zip code 24018. This zip is in the county, and the area is generally referred to as South West County. It is one of the nicest areas in all of Roanoke. From 2003 until just recently, I lived In SW County. In particular, I lived in a beautiful 2300 sq ft townhouse located in an area called Stone Henge.
In my experience it was , as is all of SW County, a very safe place to live. Over the years, I have been out of town for months at a time and come home to a secured and intact home every time. It is a perfect place for people who work long hours, are on the go, travel a lot, enjoy privacy, and like the serenity of such living including being free from the hassles of exterior maintenance and grounds care.
Electric and telecommunications cable lines are buried in much of SW County. Electric power is supplied by AEP and the rates are lower than in many places including nearby counties. County real estate tax assessments have gone down a little, around 1.4%. On an assessed value of approximately $183,000, the taxes came to under $2000 a year.
So, again, compared to many other areas, I am unclear as to how Sperling came up with its calculations.
Other information:
South West County has a lot going for it including accessibility to upscale shops, banks, accountants, doctors, dentists, hospitals, shopping, home improvement, restaurants, and entertainment. The schools are highly rated and aside from the public school system, there are private schools.
SW County recently opened a new “hi-tech” library. The libraries are county run and reciprocate across the various locations.
Hollins University, Roanoke College, National College, Tech Schools, and Western Virginia Community Collage are all easily accessible. Virginia Tech is about 45 minutes away.
Alternatively, Roanoke and surrounds is very provincial in its thinking, and lacks sophistication. Strange as it is, there is open prejudice against “Yankees”, and Jews.
You may find most attorneys incompetent, or even in cahoots with the opposing team.
Underemployment is rampant especially for women and more so those with degrees and leadership experience. Unemployment statistics have varied very little since 1998. The average has been 4-5 % .
Roanoke is deep- south “Christian” for the most part. There are a few metaphysical, Buddhist, and other types of spiritual groups in the area.
If you enjoy group activities, there are many different types available and that includes for children as well as adults. Traveling from SW County via the I-85/220 is easily accessible.
Roanoke has a fantastic real estate investing group which meets each Tuesday evening at El Rodeo on Williamson Road. Newcomers are always welcome and you will learn a lot.
All in all, SW Roanoke County is a good place to be and not off the charts even for a single person.
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