Norfolk Homes For Sale | Norfolk Real Estate
If you're looking for great waterfront real estate, sure, you could look at Scarborough homes for sale. Burlington is a small town, but it has some water access along the shore of Lake Ontario. However, if you want maximum waterfront real estate availability, maximum entertainment value, and maximum satisfaction with your purchase, try Norfolk, Virginia. It has miles upon miles of waterfront real estate thanks to its location near the confluence of several rivers and the ocean. It's also a thriving city with lots of upscale shopping, historical roots, and water-based commerce. If you think Norfolk might be worth a look, all you have to do is keep reading, because this website contains everything you need to know about Norfolk, VA.
Norfolk, Virginia: Thou Shalt Grow
Unlike most cities in the United States, Norfolk does not belong to any particular county. As is the common practice in the state of Virginia, Norfolk is an independent city. It was named for the city of Norfolk in England and is the oldest of the seven major cities located in the Hampton Roads area, where the James and Elizabeth Rivers meet Chesapeake Bay. Founded in 1619, the portion of the tidewater region that would become Norfolk was once known for tobacco cultivation. It has since become one of the principal ports on the Eastern Seaboard, living up to its motto: "thou shalt grow." With a population of nearly 236,000, modern Norfolk is the second largest city in Virginia.
The city of Norfolk, VA is not only a major container and coal shipping port but is also home to the world's largest naval base and the accompanying defense contracting industry installations that support it. Naval Station Norfolk is the headquarters of the Fleet Forces Command and home port to more than 60,000 personnel, 75 ships and numerous aircraft. They are supported by shipbuilding and repair services by companies such as BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair.
Naval presence is felt in the health care sector as well, with the Portsmouth Naval Hospital spawning medical services in nearby Norfolk. The city is home to a number of hospitals including Eastern Virginia Medical School's in-vitro fertilization clinic, which was the first of its kind in the country. The Norfolk medical community has distinguished themselves by giving life to the first in-vitro test tube baby in 1981 and forming the international headquarters of Operation Smile, which repairs facial deformities in underprivileged children.
Neighborhoods and Home Styles in Norfolk, VA
Although all of the original architecture in Norfolk, Virginia was destroyed at the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1776, the city has gone through several architectural phases since then that give potential homeowners a lot of options when it comes to home style. The earliest phase was in the Federal style. A few row houses remain from that period but not many. Next came Neoclassical, Gothic Revival and Italianate, influences from which can be seen in many row and detached homes in the older neighborhoods of Norfolk, VA. Finally, there was an Art Deco phase coinciding with the Great Depression, but that mostly manifested itself in public buildings rather than homes.
Norfolk, Virginia has more than thirty neighborhoods with historical leanings and more along the outskirts of the city in the pre-planned suburban style. They became part of the city in various different ways. Berkley was an unincorporated town annexed into the city, while Willoughby Spit was created by sand displacement during a massive hurricane. There is a neighborhood catering to every income level, including some neighborhoods, like Ghent, that have room for everyone because they're a mix of old bungalows and new condo towers.
Living in Norfolk, VA isn't as expensive as you might expect given how well the city is doing. The cost of living is only 87.9, less than the United States average of 100. The average house or condo in Norfolk, Virginia will cost you between $199,000 and $328,000 and rents are reasonable at approximately $775 per month.
Contact a Norfolk, VA Real Estate Agent
When you've made up your mind as to whether Norfolk, Virginia is the right place for you to buy your next home, click over to our contact page for the names and information of the real estate agents who will be able to help you make that all-important next step. Or, if you're still unsure, our real estate agents can help you anyway by answering your questions. Either way, the next thing you need to do is pick up the phone and dial.
