Great Rural Towns in West Virginia to Retire or Buy Real Estate.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ค. 2022
- Want to buy some rural real estate in West Virginia? Lookin to get out of the city and own some mountain real estate? If you said yes, this video has someplace that might be worth a look.
Today we are looking at great rural towns in the Mountain State for retirement and the Zoom Boom.
West Virginia is a great state that has had some issues in the last couple of decades which they are in the middle of recovering from. The good news about that is West Virginia is an incredibly affordable place to live. Just don’t go there looking for a job. They don’t have many.
This series has been focusing on Rural towns that retirees and remote workers are on the hunt for. This is a trend that has been growing in recent years.
Like I said in the other videos, I normally do Top 10 lists, but not all states have 10 good rural towns and I don’t want to waste your time with some places that are a reach just to get to 10.
Like I said the focus of this series is rural towns. That normally implies a good distance outside a metro area.
With the towns in this video, we are looking for that sweet spot. A decent place to live that isn’t too close to any major cities, easy on the crime rate, not 5 hours away from a hospital or so far out in the sticks they have horrible internet. Those things knocked a lot of small towns off this list.
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If you are seriously looking at WV here is a tip from a local. Don't live next to a river. Dont live next to a creek. As a matter of fact dont live next to a small trickle of water. You will get flooded. Check to make sure that you have at least one way of driving to a town without crossing a waterway. Always keep gas for your car and generator. Have a source of heat that doesn't require electricity. Some winter storms knock out power and block roads. Some storms in the summer knock out power and wash out bridges and roads. Don't have large trees next to your house. They can fall on it. How do I know? All of this happened to me. Other than that, it's a great place to live.
Thanks for the information. It was more informative than the video.😁👍
It’s so tempting to live near that water.
You can live near a creek..just Build HIGH!! ..like they when you have a house on or Near the beach!! .. Build UP!!😊😊
I'm looking at housing now in WVa..but I want one level..1 or 2 bed rooms 1 full size bath..
Sounds like Vermont
I remember in 2007 when I was temping in real estate seeing people buy homes new from builders with the intention of selling before close of escrow to a new buyer for profit. The crash was so brutal and fast that I remember seeing a lot of these units foreclosed on with the builder plastic still on the carpet.
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Just ran an online search on her name and came across her websiite; pretty well educated. thank you for sharing.
After a career in military service, I choose to buy a home in West Virginia last September. Life is good and I'm happy I did. Thank you West Virginia.
Welcome
@@lanetteprice7508 Thank you. I have been more than welcomed here. People, new neighbours have been great here.
Thank you for your service. We spent 2 weeks last year on vacation in WV. Explored parts of the Monoghela National Forest and went as far south as Lewisburg. Which part did you choose to settle? Such a beautiful state. We did a lot of driving where we were staying.
@@heygetoffmylawn1572 Mill Creek, WV (pop. 700) It's located about twenty miles S/SW of Elkins in Randolph county.
Quiet in the hills for sure. Great place to retire. There are bob cats, mountain lions and bears though. Also tons of other critters you learn to live with.
My daughter went to medical school in WV & now she is a resident doctor in the state. This Floridian has decided to stay in WV at end of residency. Why? She said the state is beautiful, a lot of outdoor activity, affordable living & most important the people are authentic, friendly, & are givers rather than takers.
Sad people of the world that for the better of society lets all take a needle from dr fauci. Hope you all get better.
Wonder where all those coal mines are these days.
@jannoyes6248 retired and living the dream
Its where I grew up. Im looking to buy a home in the woods so I can get back to my roots. Quiet and no noise and people sounds great to me. Affordability is huge there
I am just visiting West Virginia right now, they might not have many jobs here but people are awesome, they will always have a place in my heart 💜 Thank you West Virginia!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
So true!
Thank you all my life in West Virginia
Ty we are glad to have ya, enjoy your stay and cmon back
Thank you! Love my home
We actually have a lot of good jobs but 95% of the population either doesn't pursue the required education or get the education and move out of state. I work with people who get paid well above the median salary but we only get applicants from out of state. Even for a job as common has Human Resources, we had to hire someone to travel in from Ohio every couple weeks. We blame jobs but the majority don't put in the work to be qualified for said jobs. Doesn't even have to be college in some cases. It can be technical schools, or certification programs. We would love to hire local and rarely can.
Just don't go 1 mph over the speed limit in Summerville... They will get you all the time!
As a Summersville native, I can confirm. Route 19 through Summersville is a notorious speed trap.
100% accurate, has been that way for a long time
Don't speed anywhere with a Hill, or a Ville at the end of the name cause they are all speed traps, only way most town make they're money sadly
And be aware the these hillbillies have speed limits that change, often several times, in a mile's distance. And of course, the traffic lights change faster than anywhere in the country.
Summersville is a good place for the meth heads too you can buy a lot of meth there good place for all the alcoholics too more of those there than I've ever seen in my entire life
Got out of the marine corps and bought a cabin in the woods of WV to get some of that freedom I fought for. I’ve never been happier! This state is awesome with great people and small govt. So don’t come here looking for Starbucks and other BS, leave that crap in the city. Buckhannon,WV.
Strawberry Festival
Semper Fi ! Born and raised here, and Buckhannon is very beautiful.
You fought for the profits of the US Military Industrial Complex not for "freedom"
Other than the mispronunciations of summersville and Morgantown, you just mixed up which one has the S, as a native West Virginian I approve of this video. We're a great state on the turnaround
Not great yet but getting there
I love WV so much, my step dad moved from Texas to Point Pleasant WV where he retired and later passed away. I still go see his wife, and if I ever get my finances in order I WILL have a summer place there!
Always have been just need to keep MD people from bringing their bs as well as PA and Va.( sorry I live I'm the eastern panhandle)
Lincoln county here
Same I'm from Wheeling way up in the tri-state area 👋😊
I live in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. I commute to northern Virginia for work, make 6 figures then return to live in a community where the average living wage is a 1/4 of that. It's very low crime rate, gorgeous scenery and a laid back attitude of life which I wouldn't trade for anywhere else. Hopefully this state stays a secret from the hustle and misery I see daily where I spend my work day....almost heaven is a fact.
I live here on the Eastern panhandle as well and love it but have noticed the population going up and up so we may try to move down around Greenbrier county or Summers county WV.
Really love the Lewisburg area.
Thanks for stealing from those shitty Virginians and spending your income here!
My son pays 1500.00 for rent in Arlington. Here in Martinsburg a decent apartment is 1600. Cost of living really isn’t cheaper here, unless you bought a house quite a while ago. The wages here certainly have not kept up with the prices of housing around here. You are correct though, people move here from the surrounding areas, because a 300- 400 thousand dollar house is cheap to them, so it drives up the cost of housing, and the people from here, can’t afford it.
I feel the same. It’s a perfect place for my family and I.
@@rodneysnextchapter615 no work down here. Few mine is all. Drugs ten times worse than when "oxyana" was filmed. Heroin, fentynal, meth, because they shut the pain docs down. Unless retired and already have some cash, pretty quiet place
Forgot about Wheeling. Everyone forgets about Wheeling. It's awesome here 😎
I can tell you that a LOT of people are moving to West Virginia from around the country, I've never really seen that in my life but I guess as things get worse in the big cities people are starting to gravitate to more rural places like WV
Started over 20 years ago. Bedroom communities for D.C. and retirees. I chose Michigan instead. More water.
I've lived there for 4 years I just moved out for a big city. Also I never saw any big city people there. WV population is declining just so you know.
I read from several sources that WVs water quality is bad, from decades of mining.
@@cynthia8343 The water is terrible here. I buy bottled water for consumption
@@michelleparsons8775 I wouldn't even want to fish from it's rivers or lakes. I've also read that healthcare is not top notch in WV, seems to me more cons than pros, not to mention the gloominess.
Lewisburg WV was named the Coolest Small Town in America in 2011. Fayetteville, WV also another year. What kept them off the list? Folks love these towns.
Fayetteville is corrupt. Real estate taxes double what they are anywhere else.Lewisburg is a cut above.
For real though
People flooding there from DC…
I agree. I thought this town would be on the list especially with its proximity to the Greenbriar and the Med School in town.
We spent 2 weeks on Vacation in WV last year. We visited Lewisburg. It is a cool town. We went to the WV State Fair. Mainly stayed to the southern part of the State. Lots of hills and windy roads just to get any where. Great state parks and mountain vistas.
Well, having lived in Summersville, I can tell you that unless you were born there, you will be an outsider forever. People will look at and treat you like an alien (from outerspace.) Richwood is so depressing I don't even like driving through it. Also, it was totaled a few years ago by the great flood. Elkins is a great place to live, but remember it is winter there six months of the year. Hinton is is very nice, particularly being on the river. It also has great railroad history. Sutton is OK. But I can't imagine why anyone would live there except for a very small lake. Shepherdstown, like every other part of the panhandle is really a other state. They are within the state border but are really more like Maryland or Virginia.
I definitely agree I'm from Beckley, and every time I go to Summersville Lake to fish people from Summersville act like their s*** don't stink, for sure
Summersville is a good place to visit, but definitely not live. More worried about speed trapping, than someone on a boat drinking and firing guns off. Even worse the known drug runners around there/mt nebo. Expensive too.
Elkins is fantastic. Towards Fayette in say Hico is nice. Richwood/rainelle is cheap, but god awful. Rainelle used to be nice, but the drug running Pendleton's ran most of the honest businesses and people away.
I’m from Beckley and agree. Summersville is definitely a speed trap. I have seen the locals pull over the state police. Also, Hinton is almost a ghost town now.
Shepherdstown is over ran with liberal MD and VA transplants who are confused about their gender thanks but no thanks
This is true wherever you go. I'm a former WV native. I've been living in Australia since 1995. Believe me I will never be fully accepted.
My sister has lived in Shepherdstown, WV for over a decade now. I love visiting her there. One of my favorite towns ever.
We just moved here. Been close, a long time resident of the panhandle. Shepherdstown is GREAT!
I’ve lived in Shepherdstown for almost 20 and there’s nowhere else in the state like it. My mom liked it so much she moved here too, getting the hell out of Maryland.
You named my hometown and it was accurate. I will say if you're planning on moving here, buying a home is pretty much a must. There are next to no rentals so plan properly. I seen someone mention cell service, I have rarely encountered no service. I have service about everywhere. When I don't have it, it's because I'm going out to the middle of no where on purpose and could care less about a phone anyways.
Take it from someone who lives in the areas, Hinton may look beautiful, but it has some major issues with crime and drugs. Its a hot spot for tourism and outdoor activities, but living there is a nightmare. Lots of theft and petty crimes, not to mention the drugs (but to be fair a lot of the state struggles with that sadly). Hinton is beautiful, like out of a Hallmark movie, but isn't the best place to live. Moving back towards Beckley theres Nimitz, Jumping Branch, Shady Springs, Daniels, and Beaver, all of which are small towns that are quiet, spread out, but not too far from modern needs.
I have lived in West Virginia for over 50 years. I have lived several other places in my life but i prefer WV the most. I suggest that people try the areas about after an hour to fourty five minutes outside of Charleston. You have both the Kanawha river and the coal river and the elk river all are great for fishing and 5 hospital in the area two colleges and three types of internet.
This is where I was raised . clendenan wv
In general, this video is talking about the greater Beckley area. You get into the higher elevations and rise above the places that get that incessant dreary weather that Charleston and other WV towns get. Beckley - Summersville is pretty nice and fairly cheap. Heck, if you go out there and talk to the locals you could even find landed homesteads/shacks for like $10,000.
Jake's Run area?
@@larrytennant7476 Not familiar with that particular area. With that said, in general, the Beckley area is becoming popular with northeastern retirees these days...so prices have been going up around there.
I think WV is one of the most beautiful states in the US. Just a gem but as I look at so much information about the state it seems the so much of it looks dilapidated. So many buildings and houses look like they are about to fall over - seems like such a shame. I wish the cities and towns looked a little more modern and not so run down.
Elkins is great. Moved there 8 years ago and it is a small town with plenty keep you from having to travel out of town to often.
I live in Richwood and love it here. There’s no grocery store, fast food or anything like that. Summersville is the big city we go to if we need anything from Walmart or a doctor or something.
Don’t go anywhere near Summerville. It’s a notorious speed trap.
Amen my Dad got it coming back from Florida
Gotta set your cruise control in a school zone huh? LMBO I’m familiar as I drive they small town Texas frequently and I honestly set my cruise control to 28 when I’m a 30 MPH zone then I snap a photo with my phone so it’s date and time stamped lol.
Cabins, WV- just outside of Petersburg and close to everything in the area like Dolly Sods, Spruce Knob, Seneca Rocks, the caverns. The Smoke Hole and North Mountain areas are gorgeous!
Briggs check out Buckhannon and Greenbank WV. They are my two favorite places here. They are unique for different reasons. Also , thank you for respecting my state. 😊
We here in West Virginia have a great amount of little towns that are great and the people are spectacular.
I am accepted in the West Virginia state university and I am from Iran I just nervous about job, but I love west Virginia's nature
Go back to Iran please
West Virginia is one of the most undeservedly vilified states. I lived in NW Virginia for several years, and my family and I would spend many highly enjoyable holidays in the state, and had access to friends' holiday cabin on Summersville Lake, so I can endorse your positive review of this very pleasant little town.
Got a good laugh out of the Sandwich Bleeping conversation.
what about the health and environmental hazards that plagues WV from fracking? the fracktracker website shows more than half the state being polluted with water contamination and air pollution. not somewhere i would fish or drink tap water from, or raise my kids, as the sites are known for causing cancer to children. think i'll choose to buy in Bernie Sander's state instead. he passed laws that ban fracking in Vermont.
Yeah it gets a bad rap cause people are ignorant and hate on rural places cause they think everyone there are stupid. West Virginia is a hidden gem
You lived in NW Virginia? Is that North Western Virginia or Northern West Virginia. Many people do not know they are two separate states.
😂well i am from morgantown my dad an cuz uncles an etc are from there its time to visit family in morgantown plus i got to visit cemetary since i loss my father its been difficult an my little sister so i am going probably next month we will see what happens
Next time you're in the Mountain State, stop in Kingwood (pop ~4000) which is right on the Cheat River (whitewater and trout fishing). We have a relatively new hospital facility, a fairly lively real-estate market, the annual Cheat River Festival (May - whitewater and music - drawing 3-4000 people), and the annual Buckwheat Festival (September - drawing 40,000 people). We have West Virginia's Number One small craft brewery within a few miles (Screech Owl), a high school/vo-tech facility that produces journeymen electricians ready to go to work, computer literate job candidates, and college-prep young people ready to pursue, medicine, engineering, or Annapolis. Stop by for a cup of coffee!!
sounds delightful. any places for rent?
.....and don't forget Mountaineer Challenge Academy for the kiddos lol I graduated there in 96 n was a great start in life.
@@jatraveler1277 are you retired or work from home?
There’s no jobs there.
@@wvmom2727 retired
Hearing you give thumbs up for Suddenlink and Frontier internet cracks me up lol. West Virginians know both those providers are absolutely terrible
They no longer tax social security 😃
We are WV transplants, that is what West Virginians call people who are not born & raised here. I am from Ohio but my dad was born & raised in Braxton County until he moved to Ohio in the late 60's for work. We bought our 4 bedroom 2 bath house on 6 1/2 acres 7 years ago for just under $30,000. However, we live in Calhoun County & I can speak for our area, Frontier SUCKS! We literally just went 6 days without any phone or internet, it was just fixed on tuesday. They lie, sneak charges on the bill & they have a monopoly here, there is no other company you can get besides really horrible satellite. They advertise great fiber networks but all we can get is DSL & it is out all the time. There is no cell coverage here either. Spencer is our nearest town but there isnt much there so we prefer to go into Parkersburg which is an hour drive each way. Ripley is about 45 min drive for us, Charleston is over an hour (nice big area for shopping but way too much traffic for me) & Weston, Clarksburg & Buckhannon are well over an hour drive but good options. Cable is not available here, only satellite (direct tv & dish).
Some things to note to newcomers moving here that I wish I knew before making the move: Know the utilities before you buy. It took us over a month to figure out who the gas company was. Frontier will tell you you are getting a high speed internet when you sign up but like us, we paid for 3 months of high speed internet only to find out later that it wasnt even available here & they were overcharging us. Garbage limits the amount of bags per week you can put out & you have to pay $1.00 a bag over the limit or they let it sit there. Also, property taxes are pretty decent but you get charged personal property tax too. If you have livestock, atv's, trailers, vehicles, boats, camper, a pool, shed, outbuildings or anything like that, they charge you for those. Every time you go do your drivers license, you have to take a long list of paperwork in. Birth certificate, ss card, if your name changed such as marriage you need proof of that, 2 utility bills dated within 60 days to prove your address (having a bill in your name does not prove you live there but apparently they think it does), & you have to fill out a form. If your bill has a shut off notice on it they will not take it. They will accept your bank statement as proof of address but they scan every document into their computer & I am not giving them my bank info. You do this every single time you renew. Your vehicles have to pass an inspection here too or you dont get a plate.
If you come from a state such as Ohio, to here, it is a big difference. I only had to take in my 2 forms of id for my license in Ohio, that is it.
We also had to fight with the post office, they refused us home service. There was never a box here & when we tried to get one, they said it was "too dangerous" for them to deliver because we are at the bottom of a hill. Strangely though, on the other side of the hill, there are 2 mail boxes. Then they tried to charge us for a po box. Know this, they have to give you one free method to get your mail, it is a requirement. If they refuse you home delivery they must give you a po box for free.
Alot of areas have issues with water. We do not drink our well water & rely on bottled & filling the gallon jugs at walmart of filtered water. We had a well in Ohio but had no issues with the water but here it is not drinkable. I would suggest having the water tested before buying.
Jobs, they are very sparse & many do not pay well. Depending on where you live, you have to travel for work. With gas prices around $5.00 here right now, my husband is putting $200 in gas every 2 weeks to drive 15 min each way to work 5 days a week.
Drugs are a big problem here in Wv & theft of atv's. My parents are in Gilmer county & live in a holler. Several of their neighbors have been broken into over the past several years. One had his garage broken into & 4 4 wheelers were stolen & I think 2 or 3 were recovered being sold in Ohio. Know the area you are looking to buy in, talk to people in stores & find out before purchasing.
With all that said, it is incredibly peaceful. We dont really have neighbors, no one is close to us & I like that. We put trail cameras up & my husband puts corn out for the deer. We have had some of the same deer come every year. One mom with her 2 babies are here daily, only they are not little spotted fawns anymore.
If modern convenience is an issue for you, a rural area in Wv is not a good choice for you. Parkersburg is a decent mid size city. There is alot of variety of places, a very large hospital system & tons of doctors. Most rural areas have a small hospital but they will airlift or put you in an ambulance to a larger nearby hospital. Sutton's is small (my dad is from that area) & does not have facilities such as MRI equipment. A big mobile unit comes in (trailer) for them, I dont think it is permanent. My husband had one there & the helicopter came in & the wind was rocking the trailer while he was having his MRI done.
If you are older or retired, it is wonderful to live rural because you dont have to travel daily for work. But younger & with kids, you want to stick to the city or nearer the outskirts of the city, unless you are up for that challenge. Most people are very friendly in the rural areas & if you drive through the little back roads, you will find them sitting on their porches waving as you drive by.
My husband's family is from outside Elkins. We actually worked at the Western Union call center for a short time back about 2003 in Elkins. They have festivals such as the ramp festival, trains you can ride & I am surprised you didnt mention the caverns that are too far from Elkins. There is Seneca & Smoke Hole, we took our kids to I think Seneca when they were little & it was really fun & interesting.
When they get cheap satellite cell phone service and internet and TV then the rural area will boom.
Thanks for that important information; it was very thorough. Some of the issues you noted are critical (water), while others might be quite irksome (DMV).
So many people from Pennsylvania went to Shepherdstown in may of 2020. WV was open.
My sister has lived in Shepherdstown for over 10 years now. I absolutely love visiting her there and would consider moving there myself from PA.
We know. They can’t drive. 😂
Bluefield West Virginia is awesome! Moved there 6 years ago. Got a house on the golf course for the price of a mid car.
I'm not too far away....I live in the small town of Lashmeet 😁
Prices have gone up considerably last 2yrs. Some of the conditions of these homes are abominable. Most have wall to wall fake wood paneling that I hope to never see again. I thought wallpaper borders went out 30yrs ago??? And the garish paint colors alone...almost forgot the disgustingly dirty old carpeting...so finding a lower priced house move-in ready is almost impossible.
@@stj971 i disagree
My home state. Born and raised there and miss it everyday. If I could I would live there but unfortunately couldn’t make a decent living.
Good list! Thank you for being aware that we aren’t part of Virginia. I might have included Ripley and Fayetteville, but fully agree with the ones that you picked.
I’m from just outside of Sutton, I haven’t lived there since 1975, but it was a great place to grow up.
Fun fact about SummerSville. They have a large dam there, and it's just outside the town. Kn unincorporated area of Ghad, and there was a big fuss, because when it was finished the ppl that lived there and would benefit, off of tourism and fishing really wanted the dam to be named the Ghad Dam. Ty for making WV look good, as life long resident we get a bad reputation, but I am from Beckley, and uour list is great, and places areCHEAP, so its a great place to retire. In my opinion THE best top 10 WV video made, all your top 10's are. Big fan Briggs, Ty again
My grandmother was born in Gad in 1901. My mother was born in Jody in 1928. Both towns are now on the bottom of the SummerSville Lake.
@@MarkM58 that id cool. I didn't think anyone would believe me
It was just Gad no Ghad.
yay WV! I'd love to see you do Pennsylvania next! as a Baltimoron that's fond of Appalachia, these are definitely contender states for eventual retirement.
Back in the 1990's I worked in West Virginia at The Greenbriar before they opened up the bunker under the West Virginia Wing. I truly loved it there, the people I met were the most welcoming and nice to me. I have always wanted to go back now that I am retired and have a good look around. If I could have all of my family (adult children) move there (but no work in their chosen fields) we could be a very happy bunch...
Welcome to WV. Born and raised here and expect more and more folks to migrate. Retirees and remote workers are a no-brainer. I love this place.
I would never live on a river or ocean front. These days, it is only a matter of time. But I liked the look of all those towns. I could very happily live in any of them. Thank you for the video!
My folks moved to a town near the Mighty Ohio River as my dad always stated as we crossed over the river to go into Gallipolis Ohio, then back again. They have great flood gates etc, but also their home sits way up on a hill, so they had an eagle eye view of the neighbors. I wish I could show you a picture!
Shepherdstown is great but it is relatively close to D.C. Loudoun County VA is close by and as a D.C. suburb is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. If you need advanced medical and live in Shepherdstown know that Inova Loudon Hospital is nearby. State-of-the-art care. I know because my friend had a stroke and was take there. They saved his life. It's a brand new hospital. The D.C. suburbs are spreading out and coming to Shepherdstown. So there's that. I live in the D.C. area and looking to leave and Shepherdstown was the hidden gem on my list.
Depending on where your job is, Charlestown is within commuting distance of the western suburbs of D.C., like Chantilly, Manassas, Herndon, at least for some people. There is a Herndon, West Virginia, too. I graduated from high school there in 1964, when there was still a high school there.
My daughter is currently working in Elkins. Repowering a wind farm. So some jobs there anyway
Oh wow!
So love Elkins. 💕 I have been looking at homes there. My father helped build the first wind turbines in the state on top of that mountain.
Great vid, Briggs. We spent 2 weeks vacation in the southern part of the state last summer. Very, very rural. Lots of hills and dales and windy roads to get anywhere. Surprised no mention of Lewisburg WV. We spent a little time there at the State fair.
A lot of people are moving to WV, I’ve lost 6 clients looking for homes in the past year. It’s way more affordable then Maryland, but still a doable commute to the Baltimore/DC metro.
Wow, really great places!! Loved these. Thanks for this one. If I move ever again, I'm thinking it's to one of these places.
I have tried to watch the other channel on this day but I will try to watch it again for you for the ratings I love this channel We are looking to relocate and retire and this is really helping
Eastern panhandle is full of DC workers. I good friend of mine lives in Charlestown and rides the train to DC. That's what drives up the cost of real estate.
So funny to me that you picked mostly southern cities. That part of WV is usually known as the more hillbilly part. Most people would prefer one of the panhandles...northern or eastern. Morgantown is grouped in the with northern because it's very close. Many people from the northern panhandle end up driving to Morgantown for the WVU healthcare system.
Really helpful and descriptive. Thank you.
I'm in love with Shepherdstown! I live in Martinsburg and Shepherdstown is so pretty. It has the c&O canal (a walking trail) right across the border. My happy place!
I spent a few years in Grafton WV and I always thought it was super chill and a good place to retire. You can get a house for nothing and it’s close enough to Morgantown, fairmont and clarksburg if you want to go into town lol.
not a bad little town
I was born in Grafton and live 20 minutes from it how.
@@lanetteprice7508 my mom is from Grafton and that side of the family is all from Taylor and Barbour counties. Such a neat area. Go Bearcats!
I use to drive through Grafton frequently in the 1980's. I looked very depressing.
Also, take in consideration when you buy property in West Virginia, it almost never comes with mineral rights. West Virginia in set upon fields of coal and most are owned by companies.
There are multiple properties for sale… right now, between Parkersburg and Clarksburg WV, with mineral right (free gas).
I (26M) have lived in WV my entire life and am now moving. This state may be a good retirement destination for you, but let me run down the reasons why WV is not a good option for most people.
- Local/state government is completely broken and does not work for the average citizen. Roads are crumbling and cratered from years of neglect and internet service providers have predatorily monopolized these small communities. 25 Mbps speeds (or slower!) is still the standard even in larger cities like Morgantown. 5G service is also nonexistent. West Virginia ranks 49th or 50th out of all states in infrastructure.
- All these community hospitals that were mentioned in the video are nothing more than band-aid stations. There are only two level 1 trauma hospitals in the entire state (located in Morgantown and Charleston). You'd be lucky to find a neurologist on staff at any hospital besides those two. The nearest burn center is in Pittsburgh, PA. If you're a veteran, the only VA hospital is in Clarksburg, but they are ill-equipped and if you need to see any type of specialist, you'll be referred to the VA hospital in Pittsburgh.
- The winter months can be especially brutal. The higher elevations and lack of road maintenance can lead to some deadly situations whenever snow accumulates. Fall is the prettiest season, but also the shortest. Those beautiful bright leaves you see in the postcards give way quickly to barren trees, freezing winds, and grey skies. In fact, seasonal affective disorder is very real here, because WV experiences some of the most cloudy days and extreme overcast in the country. It's very disappointing for a state that bills itself as an outdoor paradise.
Anyway, these are just a few of the things that I think are worth mentioning. I haven't mentioned the housing bubble or opioid crisis, because those are basically nationwide events now. These are the things I think will impact the most retirees or prospective transplants.
@N. S. Glad you found it helpful. I’m moving to DC this August since I’m a security contractor and the pay/amenities are more in line with what I’m looking for in the city.
@N. S. If you want in on a little well-kept secret, you can get some of the cheapest waterfront property in the entire country in Virginia’s Delmarva Peninsula near Chincoteague Island. It’s about 3 hours outside of Baltimore! It’s not really for me personally because I don’t like the beach very much, and it’s a very rural location, but I could see it being an insanely cheap and great remote work option with natural beauty and infrastructure.
I moved out long time ago, but my family is still there. I agree with your assessment, however there is a VA Hospital in Beckley as well.
Also, good luck. DC is awesome but can be super expensive. Was a culture shock when I moved to DC years ago.
@@mw-ny7gq Forgot about the one in Beckley! Thanks for the correction.
A couple of observation - you should have mention Davis and Elkin's College in Elkin of Shephard College in Shephardstown. Shephardstown is an exurb of Balto/DC which accounts for the high real estates costs. And I'm really surprised that Philippi didn't make you list.
I worked in Hinton for 3 years. Nice town with nice country people.
Nice review. WV appreciates the increased awareness. You did get some of the towns' names incorrect but not that badly.
Been waiting for this one. Thanks Briggs!!
Great job. I have lived or been a part of, in some way, every place you mentioned except Hinton. ❤it was nice to see my surround towns. I live in Webster Springs. Keep up the good work. 😊
Love your videos. I watched this one with great interest because I lived there with my husband and son for 12 years. Great place to live if you can handle crazy jokes about living in WV. State withholding taxes and property taxes are low, however they do have car taxes and pools and dogs are taxed as well. I did want to give you a heads up about Shepherds Town. Beautiful and rich with history there is a lot of places that are supposed to be haunted. I saw a documentary on it awhile ago. They also have regular ghost tours. Just thought I would let you know.
I think Starlink is going to be a really competitive alternative once it is in full boar, I just hope the price comes down even if it matches Verizon's prices $100 a month for 1 gb speeds.
Hi Briggs. Snorted a wee bit of beer when you came out with "There's Baltimore if you want to get shot". Thanks for another great one.
Thanks for this, as I'm considering moving to WV. Passed through it a number of times, and always thought it was so very pretty ... only real improvement would be to have *serious* mountains there! Got to *lovin'* the Rockies, having spent a goodly chunk of the summer of '06 driving through/around MT & CO & WY!!
WV is beautiful. Take me home country roads.
I love that West Virginia is getting more attention, but a major problem here is well just about everything. Don't come here to live expecting to make amazing amounts of money. Sure its possible, but we are ranked #47 overall among US states. Ranked 48 in economy, 45 in education, and 47 in healthcare. Driving just about anywhere and there is a "Help Wanted" sign hanging. People have been leaving more and more it seems. My class from high school so many people couldn't leave this state fast enough and part of me doesn't blame them. Some died from drug overdose. Some stayed and started families. This video just seemed a bit inaccurate on what to expect from living here. Don't get me wrong I love my state. I can't imagine living anywhere else and it feels like its getting scary everywhere. Just don't expect buying a really cheap house here and expect to move into it and live in a paradise away from the city. We almost have medicare for all here because just about everyone here is on government health care. For now I'll just continue serving the wealthy people who come here and scrape by paycheck to paycheck. Hoping that things can improve here, but till then it looks pretty fucking bleak.
I'm thinking of moving to Colliers. The crime rate is pretty good, but what do I know. I like to talk to people in West Virginia when I see long comments just to see what I'm getting myself into.
you might want to already be really well off before moving. Or make most of your money online
@@timbredan3476 I will be paying cash for my house. Just need a small income.
Summersville is awesome that's where I used to go camping at all the time. I moved out of West Virginia some years ago but I'm headed right back that's what happens you live there long enough it will always call you back!
Glad to see Hinton here❤️ right next to Brooks.❤️❤️ lots of river property
I agree with Hinton, beautiful town that I have visited several times. Born in Princeton WV.
I am really liking this series
I visited mountains tophil trail and Charleston , very quite and peaceful state , loved it
Great video as usual, but I was wondering if you could make a video about either the best states or small towns with good veteran health care?
the reason shepherdstown is expensive is because it's basically NOVA at this point. the MARC train is there for commuters, and you can get to NOVA jobs relatively quickly. well, by NOVA standards.
Shepherdstown is also booming because of work at home industry. If you have that kind of job, buy yourself a huge farm and settle down.
@@georgekraus9357 work from home is gonna be a thing of the past in less than a year. At least the scale that it was on the last 2 years. Workers had a say when the economy was good. Now that we're entering a recession, employers will demand a return to the office. Areas are also booming due to an inflated real estate bubble, which is currently bursting.
They're also keeping prices high to holdout for those fleeing the D.C. Metro area .
@@alvinlee10ya not really sure who is fleeing. fairfax county grew by over 6% between 2010 and 2020, and loudoun county grew by 35% during the same time. for whatever reason, people are still moving to NOVA.
Shepherdstown is too expensive because a handful of families own most of the properties and they refuse to offer realistic rental rates. It’s not the 90s anymore.
Idk 🤷♀️ if anyone else is interested, but we would love to see you do a video on Cranmore Meadows tiny house community or any other similar community in North Carolina. Seems more and more like buying a real house just won't be in the cards. Thanks for considering the idea!
This is such helpful info, thank you!!
Thank you for that. Could you do one on great little towns in Michigan? Thanks again.
Every place in America it's so amazing place 😍❤️❣️ I love you Americans poeples
I was waiting for you to mention one of our wonderful towns in the eastern panhandle
When the Eastern Panhandle accepts that it’s part of WV, maybe.?
I live in Kenova, West Virginia. It is the most Eastern part of the state. Virginia Point Camping Park is at the very tip, where the rivers meet. It is separated from Kentucky and Ohio by the Big Sandy River, and the Ohio River, where the Big Sandy empties into the Ohio. It's enough distance from Huntington, (Marshall Town), and enough distance from Ashland, to where it's a busy little town, without the city in it.
Shout out from Elkins. We love you man!
Loved the video. You covered all the things I'm looking for in retirement .... except one. You should add cell phone service availability. I've heard it's spotty in some parts of the state.
The cell service can be spotty, but if have access to WiFi your phone should connect and give you access to your cell phone.
travel nurse here from the sunshine state and just took started a contract in Huntington… definitely not big on Huntington but listening to this video you’ve been able to show that there’s more places to consider.
Huntington is a college town. You have to go around the Beckley area to see some beautiful sights
Huntington is definitely the worst of the worst when it comes to WV.
some of the local nurses told me to check out New River Gorge
@@highphi2266 that’s a nice area, the zip lines are great. The state museum in Charleston is excellent and it’s free. The Greenbrier is amazing but expensive. There is lots to do if you like being outside.
Lol, that place is ghetto
Thanks for the video man about to move to the Maryland panhandle between WV and PA it's so affordable and nice out there
Deep Creek, MD is a gorgeous summer spot with its huge lake and summer cottages.
Thanks, Briggs!!!!
And I'm in Ohio, close to 2 fairly large towns and can only get 2 MBPS. 2, it doesn't even register on the "slow internet" chart.
No Harpers Ferry? Or would it not be considered a rural town? Hands down one of my favorite spots in WV and not far from DC at all.
Summersville is also 45 minutes away from some great skiing, and, some of the best white water rafting, and outdoor activities you'll find on the East coast.
I can't believe Harpers Ferry didn't make the list at all!!
It's a beautiful town... I love it here.
But it's too close to Washington and Baltimore,which makes it expensive.
I only heard of one of these, plus they are deep in West Virginia. I don’t see how Berkeley springs did not make the list
Other Great Rural town in West Virginia is Ripley WV.
Harper's Ferry, not Shepherdstown, is where the Potomac and Shenandoah meet. Shepherdstown is on the Potomac.
Great video. I'm considering a move to Tennessee so I hope you'll do that state soon. Riverfront property would be great lol
Thank you for this! My son is getting into forestry and West Virginia is a likely location for him. This could really help him.
If he loves forestry he'll love it here.
@@svenrabel2650 He absolutely loves forestry and being outside. I think you are right.
Mention Logan county to him. Currently there's 1 game Warden for a huge 5 county area! They're begging for help!
@@davelowe8105 I will. Thank you!!
@@davelowe8105, do you remember in the 1970’s when the Browning guys from Cow Creek were forest rangers? I grew up at Omar and we respected these brothers like we did the police.
Hey, all in all, really cool that ya did that survey n now Ima just help ya realize the truth on our WV. Been all over my state, gorgeous n love it, yet we got hit hard years ago due to the #1 income mines getting shut down at 70%.....so good men had to go elsewhere into construction, retail, etc, n take a notch off of that manhood to do so just to provide for the family. N here in WV, when it did get hard w all that, we went back to our roots.....yes, some turned to the pills....yet that mess is old,, n back to the homestead, (not the youtube bs) but what me n my family has done for 200 years. You've mentioned that you've been here, n I don't have to tell ya that it did get bad.....but we all didn't faulter, we just realized the world was changing for the worst.......N WENT BACK HOME. Ain't no covid out here in these woods, so our "numbers" remained low, we stuck around everybody the same, n not a dam thing happened w my family. Were from ghost town nesterville....n raised stock,, cropped n farmed since then. Right now jobs are a plenty, for the ones that wanna get up off their horizontal ass, anyhow! (So what ya said that was a bit farfetched) Better research should spoke louder words to ya in order to produce this kinda video as to THE NEW CUMBERLAND, WV! we're surrounded by yuppies n guys that play that city card, but we have NOT faulted, n maintain as this is cumming up to be "the new way of life"....unless you're a blind millionaire.....all this I ONLY say bc I've left WV for the USMC, n seen the world all over, (so maybe yall should be introduced to me n my company,) n our whole plans to replace coal n get our men back to it! Gonna get WV back on its feet......yet I don't handle tourism, but that is most certainly another angle,( as I can provide some GPS coordinates to experience every bit of nature n mountainside to impress both YOU and your family! Briggs, I've served too....been thru alot to where Ima just leave it at that.....America has amazing shit that WE ALL NEED TO PRESERVE......east to west......ain't no reason to even visit another country(which I'm sure we both have) so my brother, my only ploy n my ONLY advice is that WV should be on MANY bucket lists! These mountains make ya fight for what is right....is why we're all so inviting, open, friendly, n tough enough to survive. HMU personally, n as a fellow vet, as I respect what you're doing, would wanna do nothing but spread the love n increase maybe your views, n maybe both our knowledge......I've always wanted to live in the dirt n all that is the Rocky Mtn range lol......yet in another 1-3000 years, those babies will age n resemble our old tree top mtns!!!! Facts. Love the videos, yet we're ripe w/ jobs n opportunities here, I can provide proof. Can only bounce back if all will participate, ya know?! Sorry such a long response, but hope you n your viewers can respect, understand n come on down to check us out, as yall won't be harmed nor underminded. Check out WV.....well make it worth you time n effort. Thank Yall for your time n May GOD be w/ yall! Love the videos.
What do you think about the hillsville area?
Princeton?
Fancy gap?
Just sold my home in Florida, lived in pa., leaving this weekend to home shop.
Can definitely vouch for Elkins wv. Great little town. Had a couple of decent bars when I was there a few years ago.
Thank you, WV Dept. Of Commerce.
Did you know the Poca High School sports teams are the Dots? Go Poca Dots!!
I like the new cartoon version of you cool graphic
I sure love driving through WV. And love the look on peoples faces when I tell them how beautiful of a state it is. The only thing is that a strong majority of towns are dirty and run down and the poverty is unreal. Seems hard to make an actual turnaround when there are no jobs, as much as I would love to see it.
All my family is from Richwood and Fenwick which is the next city over. My cousin owns the four seasons outfitters in town. Not a lot to do but there are several mom and pop places to eat. Mostly you will have to go to summersville for shopping though. Also a couple years ago there was a massive flood which destroyed the school and they are still teaching out of portable trailers
My dearly departed Dad was originally from Oakland, MD and he joined the US Army at 19. Several of his assignments were in WV--In Morgantown (WVU), Wheeling, and Beckley and I have cousins who live in Terra Alta and some other small towns by there. Well, we ended up in Phoenix when I was in high school and I have hated it ever since but my dad loved it, ugh. But now he's with the Lord and I'm trying to get my mom to pack up and move back to WV since now we have nothing holding us back from moving back. I'm hoping we can get to one of these towns soon.