We’re getting a lot of people who work in DC and other bigger cities moving here because its cheaper to commute 3 hours than it is to live in those bigger cities. Its been driving the prices of everything up. Its also meant that a lot of farmland and orchards are getting bought up right outside of Martinsburg to build townhomes and subdivions that are priced to encourage wealthier people to move to the area. That being said, they are trying to revitalize downtown Martinsburg, but with the drug problem in town, its proving difficult. At this point, the city is pushing the homeless and miscreants into the deeper cracks of Martinsburg, but as long as you stay in the main parts of town, its gotten pretty safe. But id prefer if they could use some of the money their raking in rn to actually help those people instead of trying to drive them out of sight. Martinsburg can be breathtakingly beautiful at times, and seem abhorrently disgusting at others.
@tylersteas thank you for your thoughtful comments! There certainly is a large move towards Jefferson and Berkeley county that we've seen, and the new construction sales are high every year. The zoning in West Virginia makes it a little easier to subdivide and build than in some other nearby areas. The revitalization of Martinsburg is something we're following closely. Have you been to The Garage yet? We're excited to see what they put into the old factories, we heard it's going to be a mix of retail and housing. Hopefully with the economic growth comes some more support for locals who are struggling. Drug issues seem to be on the rise across the board in many locations. Stable housing would go a long way to help people. We did a video on Martinsburg recently and visited some spots, let us know what you think: ua-cam.com/video/dufnKXrwBZU/v-deo.html
@@movingtowestvirginia I havent had the chance to make it to The Garage yet, but i did tour the Interwoven Lofts earlier today. Thats the apartment/commercial space The Monument Company is developing in the old Interwoven Mills lot. Its still under heavy construction, but i can already tell its going to be a really nice building. Theyve kept a lot of the historical architecture per their agreement with the city. As for your video on Martinsburg, I really appreciate you guys showing off some of the best our little town has to offer. That being said, Im a firm believer in showing the bad with the good. I understand you guys are trying to encourage people to move here, but without highlighting what the city could also be doing better, nothing gets fixed. The city would rather focus on revitalizing downtown to bring in prospective homebuyers, than actually helping its local population. And by not highlighting areas that are in need of help, you help disguise it in a way. Which i get. You get more people to move here, the local governments make more money, and they can use that money to then helpin the long run. But it needs help now, not in the long run. If you take one wrong turn off of King or Queen Street, it can get a little hairy. You cant tell me while you guys were driving around, there werent any roads you saw and went, “yeah better not go that way.” But thats where you should go. Put it on display, make the city ashamed enough to do something about it. We dont need fancy eateries, we need better paying jobs closer to home. The best money you can make around here without a degree, fresh off the street, is warehouse work in Hagerstown, MD. Which has the same problem Martinsburg does, the main streets are pretty and bustling, but a wrong turn can put you in a bad situation. TL;DR I think Martinsburg is a beautiful little city, that needs some help. And i personally think the city isnt trying to give that help,and its turning it into a mini Hagerstown. But im not an expert on city growth, im just a dude who lives here. That being said, i really do appreciate you guys putting Martinsburg, and all of WV in some sort of limelight. Keep it up.
@@TylersTeas thank you so much for your candid response! We have certain fair housing and ethical rules we have to follow regarding what we are allowed to say. We always appreciate it when locals are able to give feedback. That said, we always encourage our clients to explore an area thoroughly and see what their experience is. It's not our job to decide what is acceptable to a buyer and steer them in a certain direction. We do our darndest to provide all of the information (including PDF city guides and driving tours of neighborhoods) so they can do their own research. We will keep doing what we can to bring awareness and insights into the areas. Thank you for your kind words.
One thing you might have wanted to mention was the fact that there is a large well respected VA Hospital there. Martinsburg VA Medical Center for active and as well as retirees veterans.
@@movingtowestvirginiaNo, I live over in the heart of the state. Beautiful college town of Buckhannon,W.V. (West Virginia Wesleyan College) Come visit. I believe you would be pleasantly surprised
Omg that little spot with poke downtown is so good! So tiny and cute inside. My wife and I bought a beautiful completely renovated 100 year old home from plumbing to hvac to the interior yet keeping a lot of its charm for under 300k! In the historic rosemont district. Home Would cost around 800k-1 million in the DMV. WE love it here. Downtown is cute but def needs more spots to bring visitors like bars , eateries, wineries and things of that nature. There’s literally EVERYTHING you need all within 5 minutes from our house. Our home has been valued at 330k now in just over a year and with that gigantic historic apartment complex things will only go up! Love it here. All my business clients are still in northern Va so I’m Deff a super super commuter lol
@brandonjoseph1489 thanks so much for sharing! I'm glad you and your wife love it in Martinsburg. We know many people who feel the same way! I hope you have some great podcasts to listen to on those long drives. It will be exciting to see how Martinsburg changes in the next 5-10 years, I expect your home's value may rise higher percentage wise than what we see nationally or even in the DMV. I wish I had a crystal ball! Hopefully with all the interest in the area, the downtown will see more businesses coming in. Nearby Charles Town definitely seems to have a resurgence of new businesses coming in the last few years!
@movingtowestvirginia I just recently moved to Virginia from Delaware, and I am a service connected disabled veteran. Thats where I get services from as well as the VA Clinic in Harrisonburg , Virginia.
What is the cities policy on certain men who like to dresses and wear gallons of make up while wearing wigs reading stories to kids? What is the school Board position on certain books being allowed in public schools?
@billsteeves2974 you'd need to contact the city and school board to find out more about their policies, we can't speak to these directly. Many people go to local Facebook forums to get local feedback as well!
@ronniewilson9820, sometimes the coffee or tea is gone by the time we film but we've started refilling before we get to that point. One of our viewers pointed out that the cups seemed empty. We're a little more focused on the information than the coffee cups at times!
Hi, my name is Jeff. and I am strongly considering moving to either Berkeley County or Jefferson County West Virginia. I live on the eastern shore of Maryland and hopefully plan on moving to West Virginia in 2025. If there’s any information you can forward me I would greatly appreciate it. i’m not sure if you would prefer having my mailing address but if so let me know. thank you
Hi Jeff, great to meet you! We’d be happy to forward more information based on what you’re looking for you. Can you email us at info@raisethebardmv.com or if it’s more convenient you can call or text at (540) 539-6115?
I am moving to Ranson WV in September. This is a new build and I think it changing rapidly. I'm coming from Frederick Md and money is coming from Loudon VA and Frederick Md. It takes me 35 mins to work in Urbana Md
@@icouldntthinkofaname.1188 Thanks for sharing the changes you’re noticing in the area as well as your commuting experience! Let us know if you have any questions.
We are glad you enjoyed it @franktall7705! One of our favorite clients asks us talk him out of things as he’s deciding, we have a whole video on why not to move to West Virginia as well. Let us know what you think! ua-cam.com/video/NpiWnYKahpA/v-deo.html
Don't move here. The traffic is getting to be like the DMV and people are pushing up housing prices far too high. And if you do move here from a blue state...keep your progressive ideology out of here. Tired of seeing progressives destroy their own cities and communities and then moving to nice areas and repeating the same stupid shit.
I was scrolling around google maps west Virginia would be different compared to my home state of Massachusetts 2nd wealthy state. rents are high median home buying also high especially in the wealthiest areas. minimum wage is $15 hr. I am only gathering info for a move later on.
@scottbrenham1341, I'm very familiar with Massachusetts! What part of the state do you live in? I lived there for 5 years and did my teacher training in Northampton, Mass. Some areas of Virginia are similar in cost, West Virginia prices in some areas may be similar to the Pioneer Valley but you can find more affordable options. My brother bought a house in South Hadley a few years ago so I have that point of reference. If you have any other questions, feel free to email at info@raisethebardmv.com. Many people we talk to are in research mode a few years out, and we're happy to help.
It is true when it comes to like manufacturing and transportation handling of freight goods, Martinsburg is growing in relative to other parts of West Virginia One really has to compare Martinsburg to West Virginia cities, but Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania cities nearby because it’s growth is really fueled by the economic vitality and those places not other parts of West Virginia Martinsburg has the veterans administration hospital and Social Security nearby. It also has a blossoming welfare population that needs government support in order to survive with a lot of this population suffers from drug abuse and social problems and managing their own lives. Martinsburg is not a cultural center of learning, art, or networking
@michaelchen8643 thank you for your comment! People have very different opinions on Martinsburg, and we always appreciate the comments to add onto whatever information we are able to share, as realtors. Perspective is everything, so we find that peoples' opinions are partly based on the locations they're comparing Martinsburg to. So many are looking to move to this area, or retire nearby, because of the low costs. We aim to provide information and resources so that they can do their research (including our visitor's guides, neighborhood driving guides, and retiree's guide to each larger town in the Eastern Panhandle).
@@movingtowestvirginia I’m almost to LifeLock resident of the Washington DC area and spent lots of time in Baltimore and also in Western Pennsylvania and central Pennsylvania through to the Midwest I’m quite familiar with NYC in Philadelphia and Richmond, Virginia I’ve spent a lot of time in Martinsburg, West Virginia and yes, I’m aware even as much as 30 years ago it was a popular place for people to retire. I have a friend who retired in that general area and got a huge house well built with proceeds of the sale of house closer to Moore higher income area of the DC area It is more affordable place to live, but I also find it to be kind of offputting the curbside appeal of many of the neighborhoods, even the nicer newer ones, and the lower quality services you get from West Virginia
@@michaelchen8643 out of curiosity, what services do you find lower quality, and are you comparing to Virginia or Maryland or both? We find that many people are attracted to Berkeley County because they want acreage at a certain price ($300k to $400k, for example). They may visit and like the small town feel of some of the towns around Martinsburg. We always recommend people visit Winchester, Virginia as well because many people in Martinsburg do tend to go there for different reasons (shopping, the Old Towne Mall, etc). Jefferson County is a popular retirement location if folks have the budget for it. It costs a little more to get acreage and a newer house (closer to $700k, but you can find older homes for $500k or so depending on the area). I grew up in Clarke County and my parents moved to Shepherdstown in 2021 and love living there.
Medical services, especially special-needs children, and elderly I don’t have any ants I used to, but there people I’ve known who moved out there and had to go back into Maryland and Virginia especially specialist The quality and training of the police force and domestic incident I’m not gonna go through the attic, but I know somebody who was suicidal who was pushed to suicide because the police were trying to intervene and they did it in a heavy-handed ham-handed manner Grocery store, food, shopping environment, and quality being very low. It’s not an urban food desert, but some of the lack of food grocery stores and they’re low quality really turned me off I’ll be kind and say there’s no like the Kennedy Center that would be ridiculous And sure there’s no place that I could put a boat or a yacht to go into an ocean access waterway that would also be silly But outside of the Shenandoah Valley area, the roads can be very difficult and bad weather and that’s just addictive of being in a mountainous area, but you also have a lot of urban suburban sprawl that creates an urban driving environment because the roads were not properly planned or widened, but the building permits were issued I often wonder what the water quality would be if you were forced well water and septic in such a but I considered to be a improperly provisioned area for suburban development
I remember Berkeley county and Jefferson county back in the very early 1970s That part of West Virginia and points West were kind of a magical place which coming from a relatively crowded suburb and urban area look like a place that you could let loosen cut up and entertain yourself with rural Space and fun it also had rural Small town charm The people who were there and were organic by generations to that area were a lot better mannered and humbled and down to earth. This is not the case anymore. Their psyche and lifestyles are stressed out as people from downtown Baltimore in my opinion
@natureearthchild thanks for the question! The zip code that borders the river is 25404. You’re going to need to drive to town from most parts, though that zip code does include part of the city of Martinsburg. I can send you a map if you’d like, just email at info@raisethebardmv.com for the link or any other Martinsburg/West Virginia questions!
@travelguy9834 great question, Florida is one of the top 5 states that people are leaving to move to West Virginia according to the 2022 census. Are you thinking of a move or just curious?
@travelguy9834 it's true that growth in West Virginia is pretty concentrated to certain areas. If you're curious to learn any more about areas with investment potential, there are certain parts of Berkeley and Jefferson County that are likely to continue to appreciate. Feel free to email us at info@raisethebardmv.com! We may do a video about investments soon.
@antheitmann152 Great question! While everyone's goals for the best retirement location differ, the state of West Virginia is often viewed as a great place to retire. Check out this article: www.travelandleisure.com/west-virginia-most-affordable-state-to-retire-8353033 Here's another one: www.unbiased.com/discover/retirement/retiring-in-west-virginia If you need answers on anything specifically you're looking for in Martinsburg or West Virginia in general, let us know and we can share what we know!
@@movingtowestvirginia I wouldn't move here if I were you. We are thinking of retiring back to Southern Spain. WV and the U.S. as a whole is now a horrible cesspool of trash...thanks in large part to liberal ideology.
Born and raised in this are. Third generation. I can tell you without a doubt that I call B.S. on all of it. Housing is not affordable. Ethnically ppl self segregate. Jobs hire family and friends first, so no to that. Up the road from the hospital and all the doctors are alot of law firms specializing in malpractice for good reasons. I won't even get into crime. Lastly I'll tell you this. Had a bud move here for work coming from Baltimore. He desperately saved every penny he made for three years just to go back to Baltimore and get away. My advice is don't come here.
@ericjorm7520, thank you for your candid comments. Every person's experience in a location is valid and important. We appreciate hearing from someone with deep roots in the community. That said, it's important to note that experiences can vary greatly from person to person. While some may face challenges in the areas you mentioned, we know many people happily living in Martinsburg. Further, there are many working hard on economic improvements for this fast growing area. We recommend checking out what the Development Authority has been up to (www.developmentauthority.com).
@@movingtowestvirginia Nice suger coating. The few ppl here who are happy are those thriving on others suffering. The Development Authority are actually a prime example. They don't listen to the community and are much more focused on their own self interests. Money is the goal and things like this only make it worse for locals. Not to say good ppl are not trying their best to make things better. But believe me when I tell you up to half a million dollars for a cracker box cookie cutter home built to last about ten years before needing major renovation with vinyl siding and acrylic windows is not worth what this area offers.
@@ericjorm7520 I'm sorry that that has been your experience. We appreciate the comments to give our viewers different perspectives. We'll respectfully disagree on this one but wish you the best.
@@movingtowestvirginia it's fine to disagree. Im not looking to troll you. I just want everyone asking to know the perspective of someone who actually lives here. My hope is that our community will be able to eventually get this mess straight. We have asked that planning commission to stop adding more houses and population until then but they won't listen. Most of our county's schools are hiring ppl without teaching dagrees as seat fillers for instance. These are the things we want to focus on but more incoming ppl makes it hard.
@@ericjorm7520 Yours is the voice of reason. Yes, yes, and yes....all of it. But there's more. The corruption. People from the outside world should stay away. As in far away.
You guys give an unrealistic view of the true experience of living in Martinsburg. You should talk about the huge crime and drug problems. Jobs dont pay well. thats why most people here commute to maryland or Virginia to work. The medical care here is awful. I moved here from DC only because the cost of living is low. That downtown revitalizing you mention is also right across the street from some sort of shelter or drug rehab place. You would do your viewers more justice by giving a more realistic view of this city. I live in the suburbs away from the crime and drugs, but most people here cant afford to live in my neighborhood due to the lack of good paying jobs. We are mostly transplants from other places where i live.
@user-ze1cf2hx1t, thanks for your comment. We appreciate all opinions from our viewers. People have very different opinions on Martinsburg, and we always appreciate the comments to add onto whatever information we are able to share, as realtors. Perspective is everything, so we find that peoples' opinions are partly based on the locations they're comparing Martinsburg to. So many are looking to move to this area, or retire nearby, because of the low costs. We aim to provide information and resources so that they can do their research and come to their own conclusions. We offer visitor's guides, neighborhood driving guides, and retiree's guide to each larger town in the Eastern Panhandle (more locations to come in the future).
They’re just trying to bring out of towners to the area to sell houses too must have a hard time selling to locals so they want to bring people in from out of state I’ve had 3 people shot by my house within the last 2 months I live 1 block away from the city police department
@andrediaz6205, we sell to locals, over half of our sales last year were with locals. We get a lot of questions about West Virginia lately and we can save ourselves a whole lot of time with a video library to help people learn remotely. It's all about efficiency. Best wishes to you.
What's opposite of woke? Sleep is the answer; seems like it easy to lose money if ur sleeping... You need to go to the hospital and get that cognitive dissonance check ✔️✅
For a copy of our free Martinsburg WV Visitor Guide, fill out the form here: bit.ly/RTB-Martinsburg-WV
We’re getting a lot of people who work in DC and other bigger cities moving here because its cheaper to commute 3 hours than it is to live in those bigger cities. Its been driving the prices of everything up. Its also meant that a lot of farmland and orchards are getting bought up right outside of Martinsburg to build townhomes and subdivions that are priced to encourage wealthier people to move to the area. That being said, they are trying to revitalize downtown Martinsburg, but with the drug problem in town, its proving difficult. At this point, the city is pushing the homeless and miscreants into the deeper cracks of Martinsburg, but as long as you stay in the main parts of town, its gotten pretty safe. But id prefer if they could use some of the money their raking in rn to actually help those people instead of trying to drive them out of sight. Martinsburg can be breathtakingly beautiful at times, and seem abhorrently disgusting at others.
@tylersteas thank you for your thoughtful comments! There certainly is a large move towards Jefferson and Berkeley county that we've seen, and the new construction sales are high every year. The zoning in West Virginia makes it a little easier to subdivide and build than in some other nearby areas. The revitalization of Martinsburg is something we're following closely. Have you been to The Garage yet? We're excited to see what they put into the old factories, we heard it's going to be a mix of retail and housing.
Hopefully with the economic growth comes some more support for locals who are struggling. Drug issues seem to be on the rise across the board in many locations. Stable housing would go a long way to help people.
We did a video on Martinsburg recently and visited some spots, let us know what you think:
ua-cam.com/video/dufnKXrwBZU/v-deo.html
@@movingtowestvirginia I havent had the chance to make it to The Garage yet, but i did tour the Interwoven Lofts earlier today. Thats the apartment/commercial space The Monument Company is developing in the old Interwoven Mills lot. Its still under heavy construction, but i can already tell its going to be a really nice building. Theyve kept a lot of the historical architecture per their agreement with the city.
As for your video on Martinsburg, I really appreciate you guys showing off some of the best our little town has to offer. That being said, Im a firm believer in showing the bad with the good. I understand you guys are trying to encourage people to move here, but without highlighting what the city could also be doing better, nothing gets fixed. The city would rather focus on revitalizing downtown to bring in prospective homebuyers, than actually helping its local population. And by not highlighting areas that are in need of help, you help disguise it in a way. Which i get. You get more people to move here, the local governments make more money, and they can use that money to then helpin the long run. But it needs help now, not in the long run. If you take one wrong turn off of King or Queen Street, it can get a little hairy. You cant tell me while you guys were driving around, there werent any roads you saw and went, “yeah better not go that way.” But thats where you should go. Put it on display, make the city ashamed enough to do something about it. We dont need fancy eateries, we need better paying jobs closer to home. The best money you can make around here without a degree, fresh off the street, is warehouse work in Hagerstown, MD. Which has the same problem Martinsburg does, the main streets are pretty and bustling, but a wrong turn can put you in a bad situation.
TL;DR I think Martinsburg is a beautiful little city, that needs some help. And i personally think the city isnt trying to give that help,and its turning it into a mini Hagerstown. But im not an expert on city growth, im just a dude who lives here. That being said, i really do appreciate you guys putting Martinsburg, and all of WV in some sort of limelight. Keep it up.
@@TylersTeas thank you so much for your candid response! We have certain fair housing and ethical rules we have to follow regarding what we are allowed to say. We always appreciate it when locals are able to give feedback.
That said, we always encourage our clients to explore an area thoroughly and see what their experience is. It's not our job to decide what is acceptable to a buyer and steer them in a certain direction. We do our darndest to provide all of the information (including PDF city guides and driving tours of neighborhoods) so they can do their own research.
We will keep doing what we can to bring awareness and insights into the areas. Thank you for your kind words.
One thing you might have wanted to mention was the fact that there is a large well respected VA Hospital there. Martinsburg VA Medical Center for active and as well as retirees veterans.
@smirkingguru great point! I believe we mentioned the VA Hospital in one of our previous videos. Do you live in the area?
@@movingtowestvirginiaNo, I live over in the heart of the state. Beautiful college town of Buckhannon,W.V. (West Virginia Wesleyan College) Come visit. I believe you would be pleasantly surprised
Omg that little spot with poke downtown is so good! So tiny and cute inside. My wife and I bought a beautiful completely renovated 100 year old home from plumbing to hvac to the interior yet keeping a lot of its charm for under 300k! In the historic rosemont district. Home Would cost around 800k-1 million in the DMV. WE love it here. Downtown is cute but def needs more spots to bring visitors like bars , eateries, wineries and things of that nature. There’s literally EVERYTHING you need all within 5 minutes from our house. Our home has been valued at 330k now in just over a year and with that gigantic historic apartment complex things will only go up! Love it here. All my business clients are still in northern Va so I’m Deff a super super commuter lol
@brandonjoseph1489 thanks so much for sharing! I'm glad you and your wife love it in Martinsburg. We know many people who feel the same way! I hope you have some great podcasts to listen to on those long drives. It will be exciting to see how Martinsburg changes in the next 5-10 years, I expect your home's value may rise higher percentage wise than what we see nationally or even in the DMV. I wish I had a crystal ball! Hopefully with all the interest in the area, the downtown will see more businesses coming in. Nearby Charles Town definitely seems to have a resurgence of new businesses coming in the last few years!
@@movingtowestvirginia oh really? Not a fan of Charles town at all. Kind of run town and yucky to me!
@brandonjoseph1489 what are some of your favorite spots in the area?
That's where the Major Veterans Hospital is located for the Shenandoah Valley.
@georgetarbutton2141, that is correct!
@movingtowestvirginia I just recently moved to Virginia from Delaware, and I am a service connected disabled veteran. Thats where I get services from as well as the VA Clinic in Harrisonburg , Virginia.
What is the cities policy on certain men who like to dresses and wear gallons of make up while wearing wigs reading stories to kids? What is the school Board position on certain books being allowed in public schools?
@billsteeves2974 you'd need to contact the city and school board to find out more about their policies, we can't speak to these directly.
Many people go to local Facebook forums to get local feedback as well!
Put down the coffee cups...
@ronniewilson9820, sometimes the coffee or tea is gone by the time we film but we've started refilling before we get to that point. One of our viewers pointed out that the cups seemed empty. We're a little more focused on the information than the coffee cups at times!
Hi, my name is Jeff. and I am strongly considering moving to either Berkeley County or Jefferson County West Virginia. I live on the eastern shore of Maryland and hopefully plan on moving to West Virginia in 2025. If there’s any information you can forward me I would greatly appreciate it. i’m not sure if you would prefer having my mailing address but if so let me know. thank you
Hi Jeff, great to meet you! We’d be happy to forward more information based on what you’re looking for you. Can you email us at info@raisethebardmv.com or if it’s more convenient you can call or text at (540) 539-6115?
@jeffhenckel156 just circling back! You can email us at info@raisethebardmv.com so that we can provide you with some resources.
I am moving to Ranson WV in September. This is a new build and I think it changing rapidly. I'm coming from Frederick Md and money is coming from Loudon VA and Frederick Md. It takes me 35 mins to work in Urbana Md
@@icouldntthinkofaname.1188 Thanks for sharing the changes you’re noticing in the area as well as your commuting experience! Let us know if you have any questions.
3 people shot within a block of my house in 2 months I live 1 block away from the police department I can see it from my back yard
I watched a video earlier from a semi local realtor that stated 10 reasons not to move to Berkeley County.
Now what do I do?
Good video ladies.
We are glad you enjoyed it @franktall7705!
One of our favorite clients asks us talk him out of things as he’s deciding, we have a whole video on why not to move to West Virginia as well. Let us know what you think! ua-cam.com/video/NpiWnYKahpA/v-deo.html
@@movingtowestvirginia TY
Anytime!@@franktall7705 We replied last month but it showed up as a separate comment, glad this one came through.
Don't move here. The traffic is getting to be like the DMV and people are pushing up housing prices far too high. And if you do move here from a blue state...keep your progressive ideology out of here. Tired of seeing progressives destroy their own cities and communities and then moving to nice areas and repeating the same stupid shit.
I was scrolling around google maps west Virginia would be different compared to my home state of Massachusetts 2nd wealthy state. rents are high median home buying also high especially in the wealthiest areas. minimum wage is $15 hr. I am only gathering info for a move later on.
@scottbrenham1341, I'm very familiar with Massachusetts! What part of the state do you live in? I lived there for 5 years and did my teacher training in Northampton, Mass. Some areas of Virginia are similar in cost, West Virginia prices in some areas may be similar to the Pioneer Valley but you can find more affordable options. My brother bought a house in South Hadley a few years ago so I have that point of reference. If you have any other questions, feel free to email at info@raisethebardmv.com. Many people we talk to are in research mode a few years out, and we're happy to help.
It is true when it comes to like manufacturing and transportation handling of freight goods, Martinsburg is growing in relative to other parts of West Virginia
One really has to compare Martinsburg to West Virginia cities, but Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania cities nearby because it’s growth is really fueled by the economic vitality and those places not other parts of West Virginia
Martinsburg has the veterans administration hospital and Social Security nearby. It also has a blossoming welfare population that needs government support in order to survive with a lot of this population suffers from drug abuse and social problems and managing their own lives.
Martinsburg is not a cultural center of learning, art, or networking
@michaelchen8643 thank you for your comment! People have very different opinions on Martinsburg, and we always appreciate the comments to add onto whatever information we are able to share, as realtors. Perspective is everything, so we find that peoples' opinions are partly based on the locations they're comparing Martinsburg to.
So many are looking to move to this area, or retire nearby, because of the low costs. We aim to provide information and resources so that they can do their research (including our visitor's guides, neighborhood driving guides, and retiree's guide to each larger town in the Eastern Panhandle).
@@movingtowestvirginia
I’m almost to LifeLock resident of the Washington DC area and spent lots of time in Baltimore and also in Western Pennsylvania and central Pennsylvania through to the Midwest
I’m quite familiar with NYC in Philadelphia and Richmond, Virginia
I’ve spent a lot of time in Martinsburg, West Virginia and yes, I’m aware even as much as 30 years ago it was a popular place for people to retire. I have a friend who retired in that general area and got a huge house well built with proceeds of the sale of house closer to Moore higher income area of the DC area
It is more affordable place to live, but I also find it to be kind of offputting the curbside appeal of many of the neighborhoods, even the nicer newer ones, and the lower quality services you get from West Virginia
@@michaelchen8643 out of curiosity, what services do you find lower quality, and are you comparing to Virginia or Maryland or both?
We find that many people are attracted to Berkeley County because they want acreage at a certain price ($300k to $400k, for example). They may visit and like the small town feel of some of the towns around Martinsburg. We always recommend people visit Winchester, Virginia as well because many people in Martinsburg do tend to go there for different reasons (shopping, the Old Towne Mall, etc).
Jefferson County is a popular retirement location if folks have the budget for it. It costs a little more to get acreage and a newer house (closer to $700k, but you can find older homes for $500k or so depending on the area).
I grew up in Clarke County and my parents moved to Shepherdstown in 2021 and love living there.
Medical services, especially special-needs children, and elderly
I don’t have any ants I used to, but there people I’ve known who moved out there and had to go back into Maryland and Virginia especially specialist
The quality and training of the police force and domestic incident
I’m not gonna go through the attic, but I know somebody who was suicidal who was pushed to suicide because the police were trying to intervene and they did it in a heavy-handed ham-handed manner
Grocery store, food, shopping environment, and quality being very low. It’s not an urban food desert, but some of the lack of food grocery stores and they’re low quality really turned me off
I’ll be kind and say there’s no like the Kennedy Center that would be ridiculous
And sure there’s no place that I could put a boat or a yacht to go into an ocean access waterway that would also be silly
But outside of the Shenandoah Valley area, the roads can be very difficult and bad weather and that’s just addictive of being in a mountainous area, but you also have a lot of urban suburban sprawl that creates an urban driving environment because the roads were not properly planned or widened, but the building permits were issued
I often wonder what the water quality would be if you were forced well water and septic in such a but I considered to be a improperly provisioned area for suburban development
I remember Berkeley county and Jefferson county back in the very early 1970s
That part of West Virginia and points West were kind of a magical place which coming from a relatively crowded suburb and urban area look like a place that you could let loosen cut up and entertain yourself with rural Space and fun it also had rural Small town charm
The people who were there and were organic by generations to that area were a lot better mannered and humbled and down to earth. This is not the case anymore.
Their psyche and lifestyles are stressed out as people from downtown Baltimore in my opinion
What is the zip code by the river and can you walk down town?
@natureearthchild thanks for the question! The zip code that borders the river is 25404. You’re going to need to drive to town from most parts, though that zip code does include part of the city of Martinsburg.
I can send you a map if you’d like, just email at info@raisethebardmv.com for the link or any other Martinsburg/West Virginia questions!
I live in southern West Virginia, a long way from Martinsburg.
@billbergendahl2911, what do you love about southern West Virginia? What county do you live in?
@@movingtowestvirginia I live in a small town in Fayette County, about nine miles from Beckley.
Are there a lot of Floridians flocking to Martinsburg,WV?
@travelguy9834 great question, Florida is one of the top 5 states that people are leaving to move to West Virginia according to the 2022 census. Are you thinking of a move or just curious?
@movingtowestvirginia Already got property in Calhoun County and I know that area isn't going to grow anytime soon.
@travelguy9834 it's true that growth in West Virginia is pretty concentrated to certain areas. If you're curious to learn any more about areas with investment potential, there are certain parts of Berkeley and Jefferson County that are likely to continue to appreciate. Feel free to email us at info@raisethebardmv.com! We may do a video about investments soon.
How is it for retirement?
@antheitmann152 Great question! While everyone's goals for the best retirement location differ, the state of West Virginia is often viewed as a great place to retire. Check out this article:
www.travelandleisure.com/west-virginia-most-affordable-state-to-retire-8353033
Here's another one:
www.unbiased.com/discover/retirement/retiring-in-west-virginia
If you need answers on anything specifically you're looking for in Martinsburg or West Virginia in general, let us know and we can share what we know!
Personal property taxes on your vehicles, higher tax rates so glad we left Martinsburg to Florida
@@movingtowestvirginia I wouldn't move here if I were you. We are thinking of retiring back to Southern Spain. WV and the U.S. as a whole is now a horrible cesspool of trash...thanks in large part to liberal ideology.
Born and raised in this are. Third generation. I can tell you without a doubt that I call B.S. on all of it. Housing is not affordable. Ethnically ppl self segregate. Jobs hire family and friends first, so no to that. Up the road from the hospital and all the doctors are alot of law firms specializing in malpractice for good reasons. I won't even get into crime. Lastly I'll tell you this. Had a bud move here for work coming from Baltimore. He desperately saved every penny he made for three years just to go back to Baltimore and get away. My advice is don't come here.
@ericjorm7520, thank you for your candid comments. Every person's experience in a location is valid and important. We appreciate hearing from someone with deep roots in the community. That said, it's important to note that experiences can vary greatly from person to person. While some may face challenges in the areas you mentioned, we know many people happily living in Martinsburg. Further, there are many working hard on economic improvements for this fast growing area. We recommend checking out what the Development Authority has been up to (www.developmentauthority.com).
@@movingtowestvirginia Nice suger coating. The few ppl here who are happy are those thriving on others suffering. The Development Authority are actually a prime example. They don't listen to the community and are much more focused on their own self interests. Money is the goal and things like this only make it worse for locals. Not to say good ppl are not trying their best to make things better. But believe me when I tell you up to half a million dollars for a cracker box cookie cutter home built to last about ten years before needing major renovation with vinyl siding and acrylic windows is not worth what this area offers.
@@ericjorm7520 I'm sorry that that has been your experience. We appreciate the comments to give our viewers different perspectives. We'll respectfully disagree on this one but wish you the best.
@@movingtowestvirginia it's fine to disagree. Im not looking to troll you. I just want everyone asking to know the perspective of someone who actually lives here. My hope is that our community will be able to eventually get this mess straight. We have asked that planning commission to stop adding more houses and population until then but they won't listen. Most of our county's schools are hiring ppl without teaching dagrees as seat fillers for instance. These are the things we want to focus on but more incoming ppl makes it hard.
@@ericjorm7520 Yours is the voice of reason. Yes, yes, and yes....all of it. But there's more. The corruption. People from the outside world should stay away. As in far away.
You guys give an unrealistic view of the true experience of living in Martinsburg. You should talk about the huge crime and drug problems. Jobs dont pay well. thats why most people here commute to maryland or Virginia to work. The medical care here is awful. I moved here from DC only because the cost of living is low. That downtown revitalizing you mention is also right across the street from some sort of shelter or drug rehab place. You would do your viewers more justice by giving a more realistic view of this city. I live in the suburbs away from the crime and drugs, but most people here cant afford to live in my neighborhood due to the lack of good paying jobs. We are mostly transplants from other places where i live.
The dirty burg drug city don't believe the lies I live here it's lil bmore
@user-ze1cf2hx1t, thanks for your comment. We appreciate all opinions from our viewers. People have very different opinions on Martinsburg, and we always appreciate the comments to add onto whatever information we are able to share, as realtors. Perspective is everything, so we find that peoples' opinions are partly based on the locations they're comparing Martinsburg to.
So many are looking to move to this area, or retire nearby, because of the low costs. We aim to provide information and resources so that they can do their research and come to their own conclusions. We offer visitor's guides, neighborhood driving guides, and retiree's guide to each larger town in the Eastern Panhandle (more locations to come in the future).
Another WOKE DEI video
@steveb thanks for the comment. Is that a compliment? Hard to tell!
They’re just trying to bring out of towners to the area to sell houses too must have a hard time selling to locals so they want to bring people in from out of state I’ve had 3 people shot by my house within the last 2 months I live 1 block away from the city police department
@andrediaz6205, we sell to locals, over half of our sales last year were with locals. We get a lot of questions about West Virginia lately and we can save ourselves a whole lot of time with a video library to help people learn remotely. It's all about efficiency. Best wishes to you.
What's opposite of woke? Sleep is the answer; seems like it easy to lose money if ur sleeping... You need to go to the hospital and get that cognitive dissonance check ✔️✅