Schools, Fun & Hoa's in Chesapeake Area

Hi B.
Are you going to be renting or buying? I am a Realtor (14 years) and I would love to help you either way. Are you currently in the area? Realtors aren't allowed to judge neighborhoods, but we can do things like provide crime reports, tour areas with you (it is easy to see whether it is a place you would like or not -- yards kept up, kids playing, etc...) Chesapeake certainly has alot to offer and is so close to all the other great cities that it is easy to get out and meet new people. I can provide you with an information booklet on the area if you would like. In regard to home owner's associations, I bought my first house in a neighborhood with one. I was a young Mom then (as opposed to an old Mom now :) and I loved the pool and the playground. It was a great place to unwind after work. I would put dinner in the oven and let the kid's go for one kid's swim. Afterwards we would be home just in time to eat. There was also a girl scout group so I could walk them to meetings. The associations seem to help neighborhoods hold their value. If you have a problem with a neighbor, the association deals with it (grass not being cut, etc...) I would love to hear from you. My phone number is ###-###-####. thanks and good luck on your upcoming move!

i live in chesapeake on the virginia beach border right near an interstate exit. my daughter goes to georgetown primary and i love it. we are in ipswich and do ave an association we pay i think 325 a year and it covers parking the pool basketball court tennis court and they mow the grass around the neighborhhod that doesnt belng to the owners. we have our own yards too. our houses sell from 170,000 to about 185,000 and have 3 bdrms and 2.5 baths. hickory is the best if you can afford it. grassfeild was just opened this year so cant give you stats on that. there are great neighborhoods scattered throughout chesapeake its more easier to say where not to go or whats good when asked about a specific neighborhood. if we stay here my kids would go to indian river high. also there are lenty of online play rgoups here in the area that you can join yahoogroups.com then search for moms in chesapeake. im in two. we chat online and gt together for playdates regularly.

Hi B.!
First of all. Good choice on deciding to move to Chesapeake. I love it here! I am Mother of 3 and my oldest goes to CedarRoad Elementary. The school has been outstanding so far and I would highly recommend it to everyone.
As for neighborhoods I can only speak for my own. I LOVE it... I have never had better neighbors than here and all the neighborhood kids play together. We have no community fee and there is no pool. There is a playground right across the street though and the best restaurant around is in walking distance.
Sherwood Forest off of Cedarroad is where I live... For Halloween we have a parade with the Volunteer Firedepartment that goes through the neigborhood.
Hope it helps!

B.,

I live in the Grassfield school district, LOVE IT. I am also a Real Estate Broker and can certainly help you find the right area. Chesapeake is an amazing place to live, we moved here 8 years ago and I will never leave. As a mom, the schools are great. For HOA's with pools, etc, we don't have a ton of them, but there are a few. Please let me know if I can help you.
R.

Deep Creek Baptist Church has MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) which is wonderful. The church number is ###-###-####

Hi B.!

I live in the Great Bridge area and love it! We do not pay any HOA fees since we don't live in an area with a HOA. When we looked at houses to buy, several of them were in subdivisions with HOA and fees, and what those fees cover vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. And yes, there are loads of wonderful restaurants all around here, and not all of them are chains. As far as pools, we belong to the local YMCA that has an indoor and outdoor pool. For fun... where do I start? There is so much to see and do in the Tidewater area, from history to music, beaches to theater, Busch Gardens and Williamsburg. (Personally, my favorite beach area is Kitty Hawk, NC down along the Outer Banks.)

The number one thing that I would tell you in order to answer your questions is WORK WITH A REALTOR. Realtors should know and do know all of this information. A sharp agent knows schools, knows the neighborhoods, knows the communities, and can show you what is nearby. The MLS info sheets that agents use for listings show what HOA fees are, but they do not always list what the fees cover. A good listing agent will be sure to let a buyer's agent know that info. So go work with a realtor. If you need a couple of suggestions, please let me know.