Madison County Preserves its Rural Lifestyle
Madison County—named after the family of President James Madison—offers a unique blend of a vibrant, 21st-century country life with a remarkable history spanning more than 200 years. Madison is blessed with beautiful mountains and foothills with a wide variety of outdoor activities, from trout fishing and horseback riding, to hunting, backpacking, and birding. The residents of Madison County know how to celebrate life and their list of year-round festivals reflects their optimistic, exuberant outlook. One of the biggest events is the annual Taste of the Mountains Festival, held in early September on Historic Main Street in Madison.
A pastoral area with a small-town atmosphere, good schools, a low crime rate, low electric/utility rates, and great quality of life that is close to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia, it is no wonder Madison County is such a desirable place to live.
Pat Seeberger, a REALTOR® for Montague Miller & Co.–Madison, has lived in the county for over 35 years and understands its appeal to those from urban areas.
“People find Madison an attractive place to live because they probably have lived in an urban neighborhood with congested roads and highway systems they have to navigate on a daily basis, spending hours going back and forth to work snarled in traffic delays,” she said.
Kevin McHaney, broker/owner of RE/MAX New Horizons, has lived in Madison for the last 20 years and quotes his wife Cindy as saying, “Coming home every day with the scenic view is like going on vacation.”
According to Julie V. Holbrook, with Charlotte Ramsey, Inc. REALTORS®, people are attracted to Madison because of its “rural environment, very close community, and community involvement.”
Seeberger agrees, saying one of the things people quickly find out about living in Madison is the fact that they can have their privacy, and yet be an integral part of the community at the same time.
“When you live here, you become part of the very fabric of the county,” she said. “Everybody seems to know you, gives you a welcoming wave as you drive by, calls you by your name.”
McHaney says in Madison, everyone looks out for everyone. “You can count on your neighbors to be there when you need them.”
Bud Kreh, who is also a REALTOR® in the Montague Miller & Co.–Madison office, has been living and selling property in Madison for 34 years and says during that time, the lifestyle he enjoyed when he first arrived hasn’t changed much.
To McHaney, it’s almost as if the county has been suspended in time. “The biggest change is that while all of the other communities around us have grown rather dramatically, Madison has managed to remain a rural area,” said McHaney.
Where amenities are concerned, Madison’s lure is more the product of Mother Nature than any human endeavor. “Most of our amenities are the natural beauty of the county and its people,” said Kreh.
That being said, McHaney pointed to some tangible benefits of living in Madison County. “We have an excellent school system with low student/teacher ratios, great hiking trails, and access to the national park. As my children say, ‘Wide open spaces, fresh air, and great fishing.’”
Holbrook says the area’s recreational outlets are often tied to school activities and sports. “Madison residents don’t always need to go to the city for entertainment. They spend a lot of time at the school events following the kids. Madison is very big on family involvement. The older residents continue to support the sport programs long after their own kids graduate.”
Housing Market
In his 34 years in Madison, Kreh has seen economic changes in terms of land and home values that followed the trends of Northern Virginia. “The current housing market is characterized as a significant buyer’s market with overall price reduction in the residential market. Unimproved land sales and the commercial markets have slowed.”
McHaney said the market is slow, as it is in most surrounding counties, but added, “Madison did not have the large number of foreclosures that these other locales have had. Therefore prices did not plummet as much.”
Holbrook said that while the market is slow, “Prices tend to remain higher than surrounding counties,” but added, “Residents tend to remain in the same house in Madison as long as they reside in Madison. They don’t tend to move around. Madison residents don’t always have the need to keep up with the Joneses.”
Home prices range from $100,000 to over $1,000,000. “You may be able to find a fixer-upper for $100,000, modest houses in good condition for closer to $150,000, and large houses on acreage ranging from $200,000 to over $1,000,000,” said McHaney.
Kreh said the average price of a home in Madison in 2009 was around $248,000. “All styles and models are available and we have a number of excellent builders that can provide custom homes.”
Madison strives to maintain its rural atmosphere and stay “true to our values” as McHaney puts it, so you won’t find subdivisions dotting the countryside. Kreh says certain areas, especially those that provide mountain views such as Syria/Etlan, Graves Mill, and the Hebron Valley, are in demand.
McHaney said Madison has many long-standing businesses, including Graves Mountain Lodge, Madison Wood Preservers, and Clore Fine Furniture. “While these businesses have been a real backbone, we need to establish more businesses that will sustain this county for the next century. I think the county is becoming more aware and more open to establishing long-term businesses.”
Nonetheless, the desire is strong to preserve the county’s unique rural atmosphere. “Madison wants to remain a rural community,” said Holbrook. “They tend to like the lifestyle that the rural environment provides.”
Down the Road
Kreh says he does not anticipate there will be much of a change in Madison over the next five years, citing the county’s adoption of a “cautious, slow-growth approach to development.”
To Seeberger, who is comforted by the fact that not much has changed in Madison over the last 35 years, the idea that it will remain that way indefinitely is not likely.
“The future will, of course, bring some change and some development is necessary for continued services to be provided. The biggest challenge will be to control that development. One reason Madison has remained pristine and so beautiful is that we don’t have public water and sewer, which would allow building density to increase. Public water and sewer will change Madison drastically.”
Holbrook foresees a lot of growth on the north and south sides of Madison County, but acknowledges that Madison will fight that growth.
“Certainly there will be very modest growth, but revitalization and business accommodation will improve,” said McHaney.
Madison County is definitely a place where creative people can be inspired by their natural surroundings; where agriculture is still king; and where residents know and care about each other.
“Madison is a very close-connected community with a lot of pride and spirit,” said Holbrook. “The residents of Madison support each other and their families.”
McHaney called it a place where “you can raise your children in a safe and supportive community rich in history.”
For Kreh, it’s just “a great place to live and bring up a family.”
