Hampton Roads, Virginia · REALTOR® · Retired Navy Senior Chief
Moving to Hampton Roads? Let me simplify that.
Seven cities, a lot of water, and a few tunnels that decide what your day looks like. I'm here to help you pick the right one without rushing it.
About me
An advisor first. Not a salesperson.
I'm Jason Edwards, a retired Navy Senior Chief and a REALTOR® with eXp Realty. I live in Suffolk, and I help people buy and sell homes across Hampton Roads.
A lot of the people I work with are moving here from somewhere else, some with orders and some with a new job. Most of them ask the same things: which city, how bad is the commute, and what is this car tax bill? So I put the answers here, Barney style, with a source and a date on every number.
Real talk: I'd rather tell you the truth and lose a sale than help you buy the wrong house. You don't have to rush this.
When I'm not working, I'm usually at the smoker, out for a run, watching baseball, or hanging out with my wife and our two girls.
City guides
The seven cities of Hampton Roads
Every city has its own tax rates, fees, flood picture and commute. Pick one to see the numbers, the trade-offs and the questions people ask me most.
Suffolk
Virginia's largest city by land area: newer North Suffolk, a historic downtown on the Nansemond River, and a lot of rural land.
Read the Suffolk guide →SouthsideChesapeake
Big and spread out, with hubs in Greenbrier and Great Bridge, older Western Branch and South Norfolk, and farmland to the south.
Read the Chesapeake guide →SouthsideVirginia Beach
Virginia's most populous city: Oceanfront and Bay beaches, a big suburban middle, Town Center and the rural south end.
Read the Virginia Beach guide →SouthsideNorfolk
The urban center: downtown, two universities, the main airport and the world's largest naval station, with water on every side.
Read the Norfolk guide →SouthsidePortsmouth
A historic port city across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk, home to Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval Medical Center Portsmouth.
Read the Portsmouth guide →PeninsulaHampton
On the Peninsula side of the HRBT, home to Langley AFB, NASA Langley, Fort Monroe and the bay beaches at Buckroe.
Read the Hampton guide →PeninsulaNewport News
A long, narrow city on the James River, home to Newport News Shipbuilding, City Center and suburban Denbigh and Kiln Creek.
Read the Newport News guide →All sevenCompare the cities
Prices, real estate and car tax rates, tolls and crossings side by side, so you can see the trade-offs at a glance.
See the comparison →*Median sale price, all home types: Redfin, three months ending Aug. 2026 (checked Oct. 10, 2026). Real estate tax: FY 2027 rate per $100 of assessed value, City of Chesapeake FY 2027 Local Tax Comparisons.
Free tools
Run the numbers yourself
BAH Home Buying Calculator
Enter your pay grade and see what your 2026 BAH covers in each of the seven cities, with taxes and the VA funding fee built in.
Open the tool →CalculatorBlended Rate Calculator
Thinking about a second mortgage or keeping a low-rate loan? See your blended rate and payment side by side.
Open the tool →CalendarHampton Roads Homeowner Calendar
Month-by-month home maintenance and local deadlines (car tax, real estate tax, hurricane season) you can add to your phone.
Open the tool →Free guide · 23 pages
Get the free Hampton Roads Relocation Guide
All seven cities side by side, the taxes that catch newcomers off guard, flood zones and insurance, bases and commutes with 2026 BAH, and a moving timeline for PCS and civilian moves. Every number has a source and a date.
- Honest pros and cons for each city
- Tunnels, tolls and the HRBT, explained
- PCS and civilian checklists