Roanoke & Salem, VA

[Cassidy Burns]

Hi BP,

I have really been studying the Roanoke and Salem Virginia markets and it seems to have good values and the numbers work.  Does anybody have any input on which neighborhoods to avoid?  Which neighborhoods seem to be the most popular, etc.?  

Thanks guys!

[Matt Clark]

@Cassidy Burns, the Roanoke and Salem markets are pretty strong, and there aren't many areas to avoid.  Of course it depends on your objectives, there are some C/D neighborhoods in Roanoke that wouldn't work for me, but they work for some people.

Salem really doesn't have anything I would consider Class D, and their school system is widely regarded as the best in the Roanoke valley.  It's a really great small city, and is generally considered more desirable than the surrounding areas due to the level of service they provide to the citizens.  Of course there are always exceptions...

Be aware that some properties advertised as Salem properties on the MLS and elsewhere aren't actually in the city of Salem. There are portions of Roanoke County where the mail is routed through the Salem post office, so those properties have a Salem address. But they don't actually have the benefits of Salem (schools, etc.).

In general, the Roanoke Valley is more stable than most markets, with less pronounced ups and downs.