baymule
Garden Master
Money talks, BS walks. Pay up or take a hike. 
West Virginia Count Down!
- Thread starter AMKuska
- Start date
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- #52
AMKuska
Garden Master
@bobm I have no doubts about the truth of that, but I would rather sell the house slowly or even never and walk away with something over selling it quickly and ending up in debt for a house I no longer own.
We hired a dumpster today and started going through all our stuff today. Lots of stuff to get rid of.
We hired a dumpster today and started going through all our stuff today. Lots of stuff to get rid of.
ninnymary
Garden Master
I like how you are already doing so much in preparation for the move. Most people wait until a few weeks before to start packing and such. Good for you, you're really thinking about this.
Mary
Mary
MontyJ
Deeply Rooted
So what part of the state are you looking at? I travel the state a lot at all different times of the year. I can tell you, there is a huge difference between Hampshire county and Brooke county. The eastern half of the state is mountainous (2000-3000ft) with very heavy winter snowfall. The western half, like where Journey lives, is by no means flat, but not nearly as steep (500-1200ft), and receives less snow. The southern part of the state falls somewhere in between in elevation, but receives even less snow. The northern panhandle, where I live, has moderate hills (up to 1100 ft) and snowfall often depends on whether Lake Erie freezes over or not. In very cold winters, when the lake freezes, we generally have less snowfall. If the lake doesn't freeze, we can get buried in lake effect snow.
I wasn't born here in WV, but I have come to love it. The people are friendly, for the most part, but there are areas, especially in the central part of the state, that have true hillbillies. Those areas shouldn't be feared or worrisome, but just understand that they are a different type of folk. We're not talking "Deliverance" here, but rather a class of people that have lived their entire lives in those mountains for generations. They have a set way of doing things.
I will tell you this; West Virginia is a beautiful state with four distinct seasons. If you see a piece of land, say 60 acres, for a cheap price, do yourself a favor and find out if potable water is available. Mining in the state has rendered a lot of wells useless and undrinkable (just a heads up there). Also make sure the 60 acres is not straight up the side of a 3000 foot mountain. Keep in mind, you will NOT find 60 acres of flat land in West Virginia. It simply doesn't exist. This is the Mountain State, after all.
If you have an area in mind, I would be happy to give you all of the information I know about it. I can even keep an eye out for acreage/farms for sale if you would like.
I wasn't born here in WV, but I have come to love it. The people are friendly, for the most part, but there are areas, especially in the central part of the state, that have true hillbillies. Those areas shouldn't be feared or worrisome, but just understand that they are a different type of folk. We're not talking "Deliverance" here, but rather a class of people that have lived their entire lives in those mountains for generations. They have a set way of doing things.
I will tell you this; West Virginia is a beautiful state with four distinct seasons. If you see a piece of land, say 60 acres, for a cheap price, do yourself a favor and find out if potable water is available. Mining in the state has rendered a lot of wells useless and undrinkable (just a heads up there). Also make sure the 60 acres is not straight up the side of a 3000 foot mountain. Keep in mind, you will NOT find 60 acres of flat land in West Virginia. It simply doesn't exist. This is the Mountain State, after all.
If you have an area in mind, I would be happy to give you all of the information I know about it. I can even keep an eye out for acreage/farms for sale if you would like.
- Thread starter
- #55
AMKuska
Garden Master
@MontyJ I have no idea why I didn't catch the alert telling me you'd replied to this thread. What an incredibly helpful post!
I've been to West Virginia 3 times that I can remember. I've never spent any time there during the winter, but I loved the summer/fall there. So pretty!
Thank you for the heads up as far as the water. We are planning to wait for my sister to move there, and stay with her so we can check out possible chunks of land. From what you've said I think I'd prefer to be on the Western half. I don't mind snow, but I know for a fact I'm not going to be able to drive those roads if its really frozen/snowy out! Those curves are WICKED! (Or are wickedly curving roads only in a certain part of WV? I don't know. Maybe we should schedule an exploratory trip before actually moving...)
Anyway, the plan at present is to stay with my sister so we can actually go and look at the properties. She told me just a couple of days ago that she might not be able to move as soon as we'd originally planned, but that's okay as long as we get there!
How do we tell if wells are no good? I'm not going to be sipping them to find out! ;-)
I've been to West Virginia 3 times that I can remember. I've never spent any time there during the winter, but I loved the summer/fall there. So pretty!
Thank you for the heads up as far as the water. We are planning to wait for my sister to move there, and stay with her so we can check out possible chunks of land. From what you've said I think I'd prefer to be on the Western half. I don't mind snow, but I know for a fact I'm not going to be able to drive those roads if its really frozen/snowy out! Those curves are WICKED! (Or are wickedly curving roads only in a certain part of WV? I don't know. Maybe we should schedule an exploratory trip before actually moving...)
Anyway, the plan at present is to stay with my sister so we can actually go and look at the properties. She told me just a couple of days ago that she might not be able to move as soon as we'd originally planned, but that's okay as long as we get there!
How do we tell if wells are no good? I'm not going to be sipping them to find out! ;-)
Just-Moxie
Garden Addicted
journey11
Garden Master
You'll want to look at the county profiles too, to see if the lifestyle you want is compatible with the economy of that area. Property taxes, school rankings, hospitals, all that stuff. There is a lot of wide variation depending on where you go. There's probably a map online somewhere that might break the state into about 4 different regions.
Are you driving or flying over?
If you're driving and have the space, you can transport rabbits and make a little money. There are a lot of breeds that the west coast has that the east coast doesn't.
Also, it might be hard and expensive to find new, quality chicken stock after you move. I would keep them.
If you're driving and have the space, you can transport rabbits and make a little money. There are a lot of breeds that the west coast has that the east coast doesn't.
Also, it might be hard and expensive to find new, quality chicken stock after you move. I would keep them.
Beekissed
Garden Master
I'm a WV native and I have lived on the western border and on the eastern side and near the eastern panhandle, my dad was from down in the southern border. Never once knew anyone whose well was ruined by coal mining and very often the wells are spring fed and very high quality drinking water. I have, however, seen a drilled well ruined by fracking done for gas and oil wells and there's a lot of that going on in WV right now.
I've also lived in coal mining country but have rarely seen strip mining...they don't do it much any longer. I know there is a big misconception out there about WV being ruined by coal mining and the land being defiled but I've yet to see any of that in any large quantity since the 70s and I've lived here all my life.
You can find flat land in WV for farming but often it is bordered by mountains. In the eastern portion of the state the higher elevations can receive a lot of snow, but in the same area the huge valleys are filled with farmland that has a completely different weather than the mountain right next to them and may not get deep snows very much at all. That's the beauty of this state...the diversity.
You'll find cheaper farmland in Ritchie, Roane,Jackson, Calhoun, Gilmer counties and those farms often have free gas rights, but they are not often flat...they are usually hill or rolling hills...and they aren't close to any larger towns that could earn you much of a living on dog grooming.
In the eastern portion you'll find some absolutely gorgeous farms and farmland in Pendleton, Hardy, Grant, Pocahontas, Greenbrier and Summers county....but they have a hefty price tag and have been in those families since the state was first settled, so they don't often sell and when they do it's pricy.
Dog grooming businesses aren't real lucrative in WV unless you live near one of the bigger towns, as country folk generally either don't do grooming or they do their own. A mobile dog grooming business can be pretty good if you keep the overhead down, as many of the elderly that have dogs that need grooming don't want to have to take them anywhere and it's a real convenience if you can come to them....but again, that will be more likely in a larger town.
As for the hillbillies....I'm one and proud of it. You won't find a better sort of people and they will literally give you the shirt off their backs or anything else you may need and they will want to know your every single move, fart, breath or otherwise and will often tell you theirs. I'm not one of those but have huge experience with this aspect of the hillbilly life...it is what it is. They do have their own culture and, depending on the region in the state, may be very insular and not real accepting of "outsiders" but are still friendly all the same. We don't much care for being politically correct and we like the freedom of shooting most anything we want to shoot...be it a stray dog bothering our livestock or even our own dog that is not working out around the livestock. What we don't like is outsiders coming in and telling us how to be, trying to dictate how we use our land, farm, or live our lives or how we keep our dogs or other outside pets or livestock. That's sort of an unspoken thing here and the only thing hillbillies generally mind their own business on...everything else in each other's lives is fair game.
Out in the country there are no ASPCAs and such dictating what is to be done with animals and all the shelters are full, so country folk generally take care of all that out on the farm. Same with livestock...vets are few and far between and most often they don't make farm calls, so a lot of our animal management is done at home.
Everything you may have heard about WV is probably distorted by urban myth and bad PR, so you'll have to keep an open mind and see for yourself what this state is all about. If you come here hoping to use the state and its people to give yourself a better life, but don't intend to assimilate into the culture, you'll find it a little rougher to be here. If you come intending to dig in and blend as much as possible into the place, contribute and be a good neighbor, mind your own business.....you might find you never want to leave.
It is almost Heaven here and, depending on where you settle, it can get in your blood like no other place can and you'll find you are lonely when you can't see the mountains.
Here's a pic of Canaan Valley, Tucker County in the fall...that's in the eastern portion of the state...
A border valley with a 42 mile view....bordering Pendleton County
Greenbrier County
Grant County
Blackwater Falls, Tucker County
Hampshire County
Harman, Randolph County
Just a sampling of the more beautiful parts of the state. Now, the closer you get to the western border and the northern panhandle, the less pretty it gets but you'll find more flat farmland there and it gets cheaper in the middle of the state where there is less tourism and natural beauty to be had.
I've also lived in coal mining country but have rarely seen strip mining...they don't do it much any longer. I know there is a big misconception out there about WV being ruined by coal mining and the land being defiled but I've yet to see any of that in any large quantity since the 70s and I've lived here all my life.
You can find flat land in WV for farming but often it is bordered by mountains. In the eastern portion of the state the higher elevations can receive a lot of snow, but in the same area the huge valleys are filled with farmland that has a completely different weather than the mountain right next to them and may not get deep snows very much at all. That's the beauty of this state...the diversity.
You'll find cheaper farmland in Ritchie, Roane,Jackson, Calhoun, Gilmer counties and those farms often have free gas rights, but they are not often flat...they are usually hill or rolling hills...and they aren't close to any larger towns that could earn you much of a living on dog grooming.
In the eastern portion you'll find some absolutely gorgeous farms and farmland in Pendleton, Hardy, Grant, Pocahontas, Greenbrier and Summers county....but they have a hefty price tag and have been in those families since the state was first settled, so they don't often sell and when they do it's pricy.
Dog grooming businesses aren't real lucrative in WV unless you live near one of the bigger towns, as country folk generally either don't do grooming or they do their own. A mobile dog grooming business can be pretty good if you keep the overhead down, as many of the elderly that have dogs that need grooming don't want to have to take them anywhere and it's a real convenience if you can come to them....but again, that will be more likely in a larger town.
As for the hillbillies....I'm one and proud of it. You won't find a better sort of people and they will literally give you the shirt off their backs or anything else you may need and they will want to know your every single move, fart, breath or otherwise and will often tell you theirs. I'm not one of those but have huge experience with this aspect of the hillbilly life...it is what it is. They do have their own culture and, depending on the region in the state, may be very insular and not real accepting of "outsiders" but are still friendly all the same. We don't much care for being politically correct and we like the freedom of shooting most anything we want to shoot...be it a stray dog bothering our livestock or even our own dog that is not working out around the livestock. What we don't like is outsiders coming in and telling us how to be, trying to dictate how we use our land, farm, or live our lives or how we keep our dogs or other outside pets or livestock. That's sort of an unspoken thing here and the only thing hillbillies generally mind their own business on...everything else in each other's lives is fair game.
Out in the country there are no ASPCAs and such dictating what is to be done with animals and all the shelters are full, so country folk generally take care of all that out on the farm. Same with livestock...vets are few and far between and most often they don't make farm calls, so a lot of our animal management is done at home.
Everything you may have heard about WV is probably distorted by urban myth and bad PR, so you'll have to keep an open mind and see for yourself what this state is all about. If you come here hoping to use the state and its people to give yourself a better life, but don't intend to assimilate into the culture, you'll find it a little rougher to be here. If you come intending to dig in and blend as much as possible into the place, contribute and be a good neighbor, mind your own business.....you might find you never want to leave.
It is almost Heaven here and, depending on where you settle, it can get in your blood like no other place can and you'll find you are lonely when you can't see the mountains.
Here's a pic of Canaan Valley, Tucker County in the fall...that's in the eastern portion of the state...
A border valley with a 42 mile view....bordering Pendleton County
Greenbrier County
Grant County
Blackwater Falls, Tucker County
Hampshire County
Harman, Randolph County
Just a sampling of the more beautiful parts of the state. Now, the closer you get to the western border and the northern panhandle, the less pretty it gets but you'll find more flat farmland there and it gets cheaper in the middle of the state where there is less tourism and natural beauty to be had.
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thistlebloom
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Wow @Beekissed , you've almost got me wanting to move!
Very informative, and it's good to hear that WVers are not politically correct. Beautiful state, and that is one of my favorite songs too.
Very informative, and it's good to hear that WVers are not politically correct. Beautiful state, and that is one of my favorite songs too.
