Just go somewhere you can get to in less than an hour and the economy is diverse and has population growth.  

The great thing about this area is that the population is growing...even the surrounding cities of East Ridge and Cleveland have grown slightly.

I've actually noticed a considerably greater % of multis with respect to population going up on the charlottesville MLS then the richmond area MLS which I find rather interesting.

This was different showing agents...wth...we have a large homeless population... don't want them in there or kids trashing the place or someone stealing what they can to sell at the flea market...is this common...it would not do any good to have the electronic locks that tell you who entered and when...I know who the agents were and they should know better...is this common...are agents so forgetful or uncaring they just routinely go off and leave property unsecured ? 

The thing is though, because I'm not there, I'm left to resort to economic and population forecasts by "expert analysts", which I'd rather not rely on too much.

What's the percentage of population that can afford a house that costs that much?

Based on my research, Monroe is a highly owner-occupied and the city itself is about 12k population. 

They've been drawing their lines (around the population centers) for quite some time, now!

I would advise against buying in markets, for example, that are not displaying strong population growth and/or are dependent on a single employer.  

They said a hugh % of the population (25%+) went to the match and the entire population met the team at the airport when they got back.