Not sure if I can provide much advice about the Tidewater area but I can say that Virginia itself is a good place to live. We are up in Northern Virginia and have about 6 million people in the metro area. You won't have to deal with that many folks but you do have a LOT of bridges over the rivers and bays that can cause traffic havoc.

My advice is to move down and plan on renting for at least 6 months if not a year (find a rental using the advice of co-workers) so you can scope out the entire area. Once you find something make sure you "road-test" the commute at rush hour. You don't want to find your "dream home" only to have it turn into a nightmare due to traffic congestion.

Good Luck and hopefully we'll see you at a games or festival in the near future.