Regional Spotilght: A Step Back in Time By Stephanie Andre
A step into Winchester, Virginia, is a step into history.
This is, after all, the community that shaped a young George Washington, who had his first job, first military post, and first elected office in this quaint, country locale.
Years later, Winchester played a pivotal role in the nation’s Civil War. Deemed so strategic to both the Union and Confederacy, the city changed hands more than 70 times during the conflict.
These days, should you visit Winchester, you’ll find its small-town atmosphere is still very much alive and well. Some would even say that—to a point—time has stood still. No more so is this evident than when the area plays host to more than 250,000 visitors each May for the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival—complete with fireman’s parade, sock hop and coronation of the Apple Blossom Festival queen.
According to Judy Wolfrey, an agent with Coldwell Banker Premier Properties in Winchester, it’s these qualities that make the area so unique.
“This area has so much to offer—I don’t know where to start,” says Wolfrey, who has lived in the area for six years. “Because we’re not as big as other cities that are close to us, we still have that community feel here. We have all of the amenities of a big town, but we are smaller and the pace is a bit slower, which is nice.
“Plus, we just had our annual Apple Blossom Festival, which was just perfect,” adds Wolfrey. “At festival time, the city just really comes alive. We had fantastic people and great weather.
“It just really shows you that there are so many things to do here,” she continues. “Besides the festival, the Northern Shenandoah Valley has the Civil War battlefields; we also have apple orchards and farms. Plus, we are close to Washington, D.C., and Harper’s Ferry [West Virginia], which has a ton of water activities [like kayaking and rafting]. We also have the beautiful Skyline Drive here [which goes some 150 miles through Virginia].”
But like most other areas across the country, Wolfrey says the Winchester housing market has taken a slight hit, coming down to more of a buyer’s market.
“I would say our average sales time these days is 60 days, but I’ve heard some people even say 60 to 120 days,” she says. “It’s definitely increased from a year ago when homes were selling within a few days of being on the market.”
But even with the changing market, Wolfrey says there are many reasons why people are moving to the Winchester area.
“A big draw for us is that we are so close to so many places,” she explains. “We’re within 90 minutes of D.C., two hours of Baltimore, and a short distance from Pennsylvania as well.” Plus, she adds, the area still boasts low taxes and little traffic.
In addition to using the area as a selling point, Wolfrey also gets a number of leads from her company Web site (www.premiermove.com) and she does a lot of print advertising.
“I primarily advertise in the area home guides, like Shenandoah Valley Homes,” she says. “However, word of mouth has also been good to me in terms of referrals. Service is very important, and if people are pleased with your work, you’ll get their referrals.”
When asked why she believes Winchester is such a hidden gem, Wolfrey says, “It’s just a very family and community-oriented place to be.” |
