Top 10 CONS to living in West Virginia

[Music] if you've been researching west virginia for any amount of time you've probably seen a comment along these lines there is nothing good about west virginia these comments are generally left by trolls and haters who seem to have a personal vendetta and maybe it started to concern you that they might be onto something what's really wrong with this place well stay tuned to find out on [Music] hey thanks for joining me for this episode of homesteading west virginia in my last video i promised this would be the semi-weekly web show and it's been over a month with holidays and kids and life wow but it's still going to be a recurring though possibly sporadic show where i share some of what i learn as a budding homesteader and local realtor here in the mountain state so if you're interested in living a more self-sufficient life or you just want to know more about wild and wonderful west virginia go ahead and click that subscribe button right now and since my life is a bit crazy and there's no real way to know when i'll actually be posting you should also click the little bell that magically appeared so that you'll get notified of new videos if you're done researching and dreaming and ready to start looking for your own place here in west virginia give me a shout all of my contact information is in the description of this video i would love to help get you started on the journey to more satisfying and fulfilling life right here in my home state today's show is going to be the antithesis of the last episode because the truth is west virginia is not all sunshine and rainbows in fact that is precisely what we will be discussing number 10 on our top 10 cons to living in west virginia is the weather one of the pros to living in west virginia is that there is plenty of water this is great for crops and livestock it can be good for hydroelectricity and even wind energy but the downside to 44 inches of average annual rainfall is that there are far more cloudy and rainy days than sunny days if solar power was part of your plans or if the daily grind without much sun gets you down you may want to do some serious research and consideration before heading this way i'll be honest this is probably one of the biggest issues for me personally i was born here so doing the research and avoiding the depressing situation wasn't really an option for me if it had been i might have chosen a different life as i really struggle with the lack of sunshine that said it's great for keeping things green and some um i'm looking at you mom some people find the sound of rain on a tin roof to be soothing and restful the next thing on our list is the terrain once again we hearken back to the pros and see yes west virginia is beautiful but what makes that beauty also has a dark side the hills of west virginia are amazing to look at but if you want easy pickens for homesteading endless acres of garden and pasture you're likely to run into some problems the locals know that cows and sheep do just fine on a hillside as long as there's plenty of grass but finding land whether steep or gently sloped that is cleared is a bit of a luxury here and often priced accordingly now with exception to a few very expensive markets even our luxury prices are still cheaper than you would expect to find or might find in other states but the land here is hills all hills and 75 of that is forested if you do find that rare flat piece of ground be sure to check the floodplain map it would be quite a shame if our rainy days covered up your garden speaking of gardens another downside to trying to live off the land in west virginia is our relatively short growing season while west virginia is known for its agriculture that mostly applies to growing hay and raising livestock which is great if you're like mr justin rhodes and eat a carnivore diet for the rest of us we'll need to keep in mind that west virginia lies in planting zone 6 for the most part that means that your frost-free zone is mid-march through mid-november according to the books in practice most local farmers wait to put things in the ground until late april with a few refusing to plant anything until after mother's day and any plants left in the ground after labor day are at risk of being caught by the first frost this makes buying already started plants or having your own greenhouse a must for many plant varieties it also means watching with envy as your southern friends on facebook are buying fresh ripe local peaches before your peach tree has any blooms on it yeah ask me how i know the last thing on our list that will affect your ability to grow things is the soil west virginia has just about every type of soil you can imagine as outlined in an excellent article on the west virginia encyclopedia website which i will link to below that said a large area of the state especially in my area is covered in red clay this is a clay soil that is very high in iron not only is that not great for growing food because the clay isn't very friendly to roots the eye if the iron gets into your water supply it can lead to discolored laundry and possibly medical issues if you drink too much so if you're looking to buy land and you want to be self-sufficient be sure to have the soil and water tested you may have to amend or build up the soil for gardening don't let the red clay scare you too much though we had clay so red you could dye your clothes with it on the farm that i grew up on and my mom still managed to grow the most beautiful garden year after year right beneath the surface lies the next item on our list and that is mineral rights we mentioned in the last video that west virginia has been called an extraction state by many with this comes the fact that most property for sale does not include the mineral rights in fact it could be considered the rule not the exception that a property is being sold as surface rights only so if you want total control over what happens under your property be sure to find a place that specifically says it's being sold with the mineral rights in place and have an attorney verify that for you before you sign the closing paperwork [Music] so we've already talked about all the rain and the beautiful mountains put those two things together and you have a recipe for disaster especially where roads are concerned i'm sure if you've done any research you've found mentioned and maybe even some scary pictures or videos of west virginia roads i'm not even going to sugarcoat it it's mostly all true between potholes mudslides and crazy twists and turns west virginia is not a place for someone who cares more about their car than their children and yes i've met one or two that i think this is true for if you get carsick you might do well in some areas of our cities but i don't recommend searching for total seclusion private to a fault place among the hills mudding is a pastime here both on and off the road what's another cause for those terrible roads poverty west virginia is a hard state for good jobs to look to with low connectivity and high cost to dig a big factory into the hills many large businesses plant themselves elsewhere this state was built and funded primarily by natural resources many towns and cities like the one i'm in were started due to coal oil or natural gas booms when the resources dried up so too did the towns there are entire cities that are turned into ghost towns with the closing of one coal mine this has led to quite a bit of underemployment and poverty sure most people have a job or two or three but it's not enough to keep up with the rising cost of living so if you're looking to move to west virginia be sure you have a job lined up or better yet bring a thriving company with you there are plenty of hard-working men and women who could use a good job as much as i would love to gloss over it there is one major con that i'm sure you've heard about and i have to address that is drugs yes west virginia has a huge drug problem yes we are in the middle of an opioid crisis just like many other states that have a largely rural population with poverty issues however since 2017 we have turned a corner on the issue there is still a problem don't get me wrong but it's getting better and honestly from where i stand it's more of a pitiful situation than a fearful one for the most part the drug users aren't people to be feared the biggest danger they pose is to themselves they need prayed for and helped but not ostracized and feared now if you're a hermit our next con might be a huge plus for you and that is spotty cell and unreliable internet vast expanses of west virginia do not afford any sell signal at all with others offering only the weakest of signal but that is quickly changing you may be limited in which carrier has service in the area you choose but towers are being commissioned and going up at a rapid pace several areas already have 5g and as for internet satellite is the only option in some areas for now but starlink is a promising future that is already rolling out beta for a select few if we cross our fingers and hold our breath those of us who need and want better internet might just have some available sooner than we think [Music] and now for the number one con on this list the bad rap that follows you when you tell someone you are from west virginia no seriously as a born and raised native this is the most annoying part about west virginia if you don't have someone say oh i've been to richmond when you tell them that you're from west virginia you get weird confused or even dirty looks and for those of you who didn't get that i'm sorry your geography teacher failed you but seriously the worst part about west virginia isn't the road you get used to those and the weather and you learn how to be industrious on your own to overcome poverty but one thing you can never change or overcome is other people's opinions so if you're okay with being the black sheep in the family or the butt of way too many cruel jokes come check out west virginia and see if it isn't one of the best kept secrets and most lied about places on the planet you might just fall in love and you know what they say love covers a multitude of sins if you've enjoyed this video please remember to give it a thumbs up subscribe if you haven't already and click the bell icon for more information about living in west virginia if you're finally ready to take that leap and start looking for real property right here in the mountain state check the description for my contact information so i can help make your dreams a reality and remember whether you're looking to live off the land off the grid or just off the beaten path west virginia has a lot to offer all right if you stayed all the way to the end of this episode you are either actively searching for a homestead or just like playing guessing games either way here goes the property you are seeing right now is a beautiful 26.13 acres of cleared land with that cute pond right there a couple of perfectly placed trees and it is fully fenced can you guess how much it costs let me know in the comments below what you think this land costs and i'll pin the answer of the person who gets it right first you

Channel: Homesteading West Virginia

Views: 39,089

Rating: 4.8038712 out of 5

Keywords: Living in WV, Cons to WV, Pros and Cons to WV, Is WV a good place to live, Can you homestead in WV, West Virginia, Living in West Virginia, Cons to living in West Virginia, Is West Virginia a good place to live, Can you live off the land in WV

Id: QcEmcq80F_4

Length: 14min 33sec (873 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 16 2021