Buy a house in Manassas 20110 or Woodbridge 22193? (Arlington, Dale City: cul-de-sac, renting)

[Foosterhaus]

Hi everyone, my husband and I have recently moved to NOVA, we are renting in Arlington but looking to buy a SFH. We have a limit of only $250k so we are having to look in the Manassas/Woodbridge areas. I have been to over 20 properties and have finally seen 4 that are possibilities but I am looking for some more info on the specific areas, in particular if they are safe and if the areas are likely to go up in value or not.

1. Salem St, West Gate of Lomond, Manassas 20110
2. Cavalry Lane, Deer Park, Manassas 20110
3. Macbeth St, Highland Park, Manassas 20110
4. Hillendale Dr, Dale City, Woodbridge 22193
5. Huntington Ln, Dale City, Woodbridge, 22193

Do you think one of these areas is a better area in terms of investment?

All 5 of these are in better streets than some we have seen but we are still not 100%, so any advice would be very welcome, thank you!

[oneasterisk]

Where will you all be working? IMO, if you'll be working in DC the commute from Woodbridge has more options than Manassas.

I66 seems to be more congested than I95 IMO. It may be because HOV on I95 is physically separated while I66 is just a designated "lane".

[Foosterhaus]

My husband works at Crystal City and will get the VRE from either Woodbridge or Manassas.

[Bigfoot424]

I am a retired police officer for PWC and know these neighborhoods very well. I'll rank the order I'd list if this were me. And the last three has little chance of me ever moving there. Now I know a few will come on here and argue how wrong I am but I am basing my opinion on over 30 years of experience working these neighborhoods. I know all of these neighborhoods have some good people living there but I still would not move to them.

1- Macbeth St
2- Cavalry Ln

3- Salem
4- Huntington
5- Hillendale

[Foosterhaus]

Thanks so much for this, so do you think Macbeth & Cavalry are decent areas? Are there any areas of Dale City you would recommend?

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Foosterhaus

Thanks so much for this, so do you think Macbeth & Cavalry are decent areas? Are there any areas of Dale City you would recommend?

Are they in GREAT neighborhoods? No. Are they good? I believe they are but any neighborhood can have the "neighbors from hell" so no guarantees. As fas as Dale City the further west you head on Dale Blvd the newer the neighborhoods. Between Prince Dale and Hoadly Rd the neighborhoods are pretty good but more expensive.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Are they in GREAT neighborhoods? No. Are they good? I believe they are but any neighborhood can have the "neighbors from hell" so no guarantees. As fas as Dale City the further west you head on Dale Blvd the newer the neighborhoods. Between Prince Dale and Hoadly Rd the neighborhoods are pretty good but more expensive.

While I don't live in the "planned community" of Dale City, I have a 22193-Dale City zip code. Look for anything off Cardinal Drive but avoid the streets/neighborhoods with "E".

[GreenGene]

Originally Posted by Foosterhaus

Hi everyone, my husband and I have recently moved to NOVA, we are renting in Arlington but looking to buy a SFH. We have a limit of only $250k so we are having to look in the Manassas/Woodbridge areas. I have been to over 20 properties and have finally seen 4 that are possibilities but I am looking for some more info on the specific areas, in particular if they are safe and if the areas are likely to go up in value or not.

4. Hillendale Dr, Dale City, Woodbridge 22193
5. Huntington Ln, Dale City, Woodbridge, 22193

Do you think one of these areas is a better area in terms of investment?

All 5 of these are in better streets than some we have seen but we are still not 100%, so any advice would be very welcome, thank you!

I don't know much about Manassas, but I'm in Dale City (Nottingdale community).

Hillendale is one street I would avoid. It is a major commuter route connecting Dale Blvd with the Prince William Parkway, and as such, there's a fair amount of traffic on it.

Huntington is pretty much the opposite. Either end of Huntington (it's split in the middle by Hawthorn Lane) is a cul-de-sac, and that means no thru traffic, less noise, and better for kids (if not applicable to you now, it's something to think about in terms of re-sale value). And it also offers easy access to Hillendale as well as a separate route to take to the PW Parkway.

As far as commuting goes, your husband may want to check into van pools. There are a number that run from the Horner Road commuter lot (right off I-95 at the PW Parkway) to Crystal City, and it may prove to be a faster and less expensive alternative to the VRE.

[Foosterhaus]

Thank you - how do the van pools work? how much do they cost?

[Kembek]

Originally Posted by Foosterhaus

Thank you - how do the van pools work? how much do they cost?

I can't answer your question, but one of the best ways to commute is via slugging. I did it for 30 years. Horner Road Slug Line