Leavells

The Fredericksburg suburb of Leavells is an area that accommodates two desires that are common to home buyers yet are often compromised on when looking for something close to the action. “It’s a great area for investment properties because there’s a good range of affordable housing,” says Realtor Shawn Derrick of Keller Williams Capital Properties, who has sold over 50 homes in Leavells. “One of the reasons why it’s a great investment property area, which also makes it a great place to live in, is its proximity to 95, as well as shopping on both Route 3 and at Southpoint.”

Just west of Interstate 95, the area of Leavells is mostly made up of winding subdivisions and shaded country roads built over woodlands between Smith Station Road and Courthouse Road. These clusters of houses jut off from the main road and stretch inward to a center of thin groves of trees that shroud small ponds feeding into Massaponax Creek, which splits the area in half. Though largely cleared, the woodland charm of Leavells is still present in many of the area’s subdivisions, where residents cleverly decorate their modest-sized lawns with crepe myrtles and red maples to obscure electrical boxes. Some subdivisions feature smaller lawns, which can limit your landscaping options but make it easier to chat with your neighbor from the back porch.

Anyone seeking a newly built Colonial revival in Leavells won’t have to struggle much. “The only building that has happened in Leavells lately have been larger, nicer homes in subdevelopments,” says Derrick. “But outside of those, most of the homes are more affordable.” While condo and town house communities and housing subdivisions have begun showing up in town, quite a few homes do not belong to a subdivision. Most of these are from the 1980s and can be found along shaded country roads at the south end of town, which lead to recently renovated raised ranch-styles and backcountry bungalows on large, tree-lined properties. All this feeds into Leavells' wide range of home prices, with a median of around $450,000 for single-family homes and some selling for close to $900,000.

Many buyers who move to Leavells do so for its great schools. Students in the area typically begin at one of three elementary schools: Courthouse Road, Courtland, and Parkside, all of which receive a B rating from Niche. After three years at Spotsylvania Middle School, students move on to Courtland High School, which boasts an A- rating from Niche. The school is home to several specialized educational opportunities, including AP classes and an International Baccalaureate program, and is a participating location for the highly prestigious Commonwealth Governor’s School program.

While home prices and schools are an important factor to many of Leavell’s home buyers, the kind of lifestyle offered is just as important. “Proximity to community amenities is definitely why people would want to be here,” says Derrick. “You can hit the backroads and have everything you need to.” When they’re looking to enjoy the outdoors, locals often head to one of two parks in the area. On a hot day, locals head to Loriella Park to shoot some hoops before heading down the road to cool off with a milkshake from Jimmy T’s soft serve. Most locals visit Patriot Park on the south end of town for organized sports. With six baseball diamonds, six multi-purpose fields, two basketball courts, over 3 miles of hiking trail, a jungle gym and an outdoor amphitheater, the park can accommodate the activities of many groups at once. When the weather turns rainy, you can swim laps next door at the Ron Rosner Family YMCA. Or, if the muscles are too sore, a more leisurely outing can be found at one of the many shopping centers near town. To the east, Cosner’s Corner is a destination spot for everything from running errands at Target to a matinee showing at the Marquee Cinemas location.

With so much to do and so few logistics to overcome, it’s no surprise that Leavells is a sought-after area for long-term investments.

Written By

Tom Jakob

Photography Contributed By

Joseph Furio

Video By

Timothy Cerva