I see where you’re coming from and understand why you’re dubious. Thing is: Your Virginian house probably has a basement. Maybe even a boiler or floor heating?

We have none of those things. We have no frost line, so we don’t ever need to dig below it. Hardly any of our homes have basements or any sort of central heating. So, people from colder climates come here and are amazed at how cold our homes are, even when the temperature is above freezing outside, because our homes are simply not built for even mild cold.