What to Consider Before Relocating to The Shenandoah Valley

Inspired by the reaction to this post on social media…

If you’ve heard me tell this story before - bear with me! For those who don’t know me, I relocated to the Shenandoah Valley years ago to start a life with my now-husband Luke. I grew up in a small town on Cape Cod, Massachusetts then lived and worked in different cities throughout my early life. 

But when I came to Virginia to study at UVa, I had a feeling that Virginia would be a place I would call home. Meeting Luke, who is from the Shenandoah Valley through and through helped those pieces fall into place very naturally. 

We now live in Augusta County and I get to call the Shenandoah Valley home. We have woods as neighbors and mountain views out of our windows. I feel so truly at home here and so in awe of the natural beauty I witness daily that helping other people see this place in the same way is an honor to me. 

My job feels like more than real estate, and perhaps that is why I love it so much. It is a dynamic role of helping people see beauty in the everyday and helping them create the lives and homes they have dreamt of.

So when I shared a short video of some typical scenes from my camera roll a few weeks ago, with a caption talking about why I love helping buyers relocate here, I was so surprised by the response! The video resonated with lots of you and connected me to many new faces who share my same appreciation for this place and what it offers. Thank you for following along and maybe even reading this article now! I’m so glad that you’re here.

It also brought some messages and comments of concern about what my message was doing to harm our area - by bringing attention to this place, people worried that I am bringing unwanted change, contributing to urban sprawl, and increasing the cost of living in the area.

And the thing is, I get it. The very small town that I grew up in has changed drastically over my lifetime, with more second homes than full-time residents creating an unaffordable real estate market, a cultural divide between locals and tourists, and too many people for the small town infrastructure to handle year-round.

The memory of the change I witnessed on Cape Cod is certainly with me as I exist as a “transplant” to the Shenandoah Valley. When I first moved here, I was careful to experience each new place and person with open eyes and an open mind. I had seen too many examples growing up of people moving somewhere they thought was “quaint” or “charming” only to turn around and put the same expectations of where they are coming from on the place they once loved for being different. 

I am so grateful a message I put out there that I initially didn’t think twice about sparked excitement and conversation with some of you. I am so grateful to hear that so many of you are interested in creating a peaceful, quiet life for yourselves. Whether that be in the Shenandoah Valley or not, finding a place you love and creating a life you love there is some of the most important work you can do. 

With that said, I hope that wherever you are moving, Valley or no Valley, you think about the expectations you have of the place before you make it home. Do you love the idea of it but actually really want the conveniences of a bigger city? Do you love the views but feel like you won’t be able to tolerate the politics or people? 

Whatever your place and whatever your reason, I hope you move with intention and build a life and home that exists in synchronicity with it. Move somewhere you love and hope to make it a better place by adding your unique offering to it rather than hoping to change what already exists. 

My parting thought is this - a Realtor who loves the place they are living and selling real estate in doesn’t want to see negative change come to the area any more than you do. Our industry consistently gets a bad reputation for being greedy and obsessed with the bottom line. My hope is to help challenge that reputation little by little by truly caring for and protecting the natural beauty and quality of life here not just for me, but for my clients too.