Moving to NOVA (Chantilly, Fairfax, Front Royal: apartments, lease, house)

[JerseyGirltoVirginia]

Hi all!

My fiance and I are moving to Northern Virginia.. He was offered a job in Chantilly. I've been doing a lot of research here on these boards and on google but I figured I'd post myself because every situation is different!

I noticed apartments run high when you're closer to DC. We're looking to pay about $1000/month (will go a TAD higher) and trying to find an area where we can find a nice little cottage with a little bit of land. (perhaps about an acre.. little less is ok too.) Is there a town around Chantilly with about a 30 minute commute where we might find something like that?? Anyone know a good realtor? We're going to be visiting in about two weeks to check things out and I just want to know a little more info. Schools and nightlife and such aren't very important to us.. Just a decent commute and a nice little place that's a little bit more rural.

Thanks in advance!!

[ChristineVA]

Have you been to Northern VA yet? There are not really any "towns with cottages". I think that's the biggest shock to people who come from areas where there are real towns that developed back in the 1800s, usually around some type of industrial/manufacturing focus.

We never had this here. There was Washington DC and everything around it was farm. The focus has always been government and suburbia developed around that. There really are no small towns, although you will find some of that in Fairfax City and Falls Church.

Having said that, it's going to very hard to find some sort of single family home/cottage with a rent of $1,000. You are going to get a 1 bedroom apartment.

Rents get very high when you get near the city or any area where the jobs are.

The number one thing to remember here is to live as close to your job as you can without going into debt. Working in Chantilly puts you at an advantage because you can live in the outskirts, pay cheaper rents, and live close to work.

[CaliTerp07]

Yikes...I hope someone can come in with an answer for you, but off the top of my head that sounds pretty impossible. $1000 is cheap for the area, and an acre of land is huge. You're right that closer to DC is not where you want to be looking for your wish list. Anything that fits the bill will be WEST! $1000 is generally 1 bedroom apartment range, even out in Chantilly.

You might try Purcellvile or Warrenton. Both will be over 30 minutes away (without traffic), but you may be able to find something without going to much over $1000 (maybe $1200 or $1300?)

2 1/2 bath Renovated Farm House (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/2314726170.html - broken link)
1820's Farmhouse on Western Loudoun Farm (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/2307616126.html - broken link)

Bluemont has what you might be looking for, but I think it'll put you over an hour for a commute.

Mountain Home Stunning View Loudoun County (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/2306320799.html - broken link)
Mountain Cottage Near Bluemont (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/2305833365.html - broken link)

I rarely recommend using a realtor, because I think you can find what you want cheaper doing the leg work yourself online, but in your case since your wants are so unique, it may be worth working with someone. You'll need to accept that either your budget or your commute is going to have to increase though. $1000 and a 30 minute commute just isn't realistic here.

[JerseyGirltoVirginia]

Thanks for the great feedback to both of you! I figured $1000 was going low.. especially after doing the research.. Just didn't know if it perhaps got lower going west! I have only driven through Northern Virginia so these posts really help to give me a better idea. I live in a country part of New Jersey so there are tons of small towns everywhere. Once again, thanks for the wonderful advice. I think we are definately going to have to compromise as to what we are looking for!

[khuntrevor]

Moderator Cut: Off Topic. Congestion is bad around Chantilly. Maybe look in Hamilton (near Purcellville), Linden, or Delaplane, but the selection is going to be slim, if non-existent. The commute from Front Royal would be a killer. I66 is horrific.

[JerseyGirltoVirginia]

And Caliterp, you gave me the most amazing links!! That mountain cottage would be exactly what we are looking for! Thank you a million times over!

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by JerseyGirltoVirginia

And Caliterp, you gave me the most amazing links!! That mountain cottage would be exactly what we are looking for! Thank you a million times over!

You're welcome, but be sure to make the drive from that area during rush hour when you're visiting. Only you can decide if the commute is worth the extra land/savings. Traffic can double the commute time, easily.

There are two types of people who move here--one wants the nicest house/property their money can buy, and is willing to sacrifice a few hours a day in the car to get it. The other would rather sacrifice the type of home and is content with a 1950's tract home or apartment, in order to gain a shorter commute and time at home with family or doing hobbies. Unless you're wealthy, you probably won't get both.

Actually, there's a third type--they somehow finagle being able to work from home, so they can avoid the commute and have the nice house away from the congestion! I haven't figured out how to be that type of person yet

[JerseyGirltoVirginia]

LMAO! Wouldn't we all love to work from home?!!

Great advice. I'll make sure we take the rush hour ride so he can determine if the commute will be worth it.

[LynchburgLover]

Not trying to be the downer here, but Blue Ridge Mountain Road and that part of Route 7 can get VERY wicked in winter weather. Ice, snow, and fog are major problems for commuters. If there is an accident up on the mountain, there are very few alternate routes and they can take you miles and miles out of the way. It looks like a small mountain but can be very deceiving.

Going the other way down Snickersville Turnpike to Route 50 is an alternative but no piece of cake either, especially in bad weather.

Just want you to know -- check out the drive carefully -- before you sign a lease. Good luck.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

You are going to miss NJ - take it from me - I do.

No cottages or little acres of land here - NOVA is just as urban as NJ - even more so in some cases

If you found something out in the country it would be a living h___ to get to work - traffic here is horrible