New ones with a new one on the way! (Arlington: apartment complexes, rentals)

[FL2DC]

Hi all. Ive been reading on the forum for the past 6 months, trying to get a good feel for living in the DC area, and Ive finally stepped up and posted. My wife and I will be relocating to DC from Florida in September and have been searching for places to live. I have spent a few months living in Arlington previously, so I am familiar with the different areas of NOVA and DC (and prices). However, that was before I was married, had dogs, and a child on the way! So, we are looking to the boards for suggestions that may fit our needs. We have been set up with a realtor to find a SFH to purchase in the future. However, in the meantime we are looking for a rental for the first year, so that we can get situated. I will be working in Tysons, and she will be working in either Chantilly or Woodbridge (she has yet to accept one of those two offers). I understand they are in almost-opposite directions and the decision will definitely affect where we live permanently, so we are looking for some short term options. Our thoughts are to find a place closer to my work so that when she is on medical leave, I would be more readily available.

Here is a little about us:
- Our rental budget is comfortably up to $3,300 before utilities/fees.
- We are expecting a baby in January/February timeframe, so we are looking for a minimum of 2 bedroom.
- We have 2 dogs that we will be bringing with us.
- Both of our jobs require us to need vehicles, so we need guaranteed parking for 2, underground or garaged.

One of our main goals is to keep the nuances of rental living to a minimum, as having our baby will take up most of our effort and free time, and we are willing to pay for these amenities. This means reserved (or guaranteed) garaged parking, easy outdoor access for the dogs, security of a concierge building or reputable townhome community, and solid buildings so the baby and dogs dont bother others. We are looking to stay on the NW side due to drive-time, so Alexandria, Maryland, and DC are out. Metro access is not a requirement.

My first thought was to find a low-rise condo with direct-access units like Halstead Square. I spoke to them and they have 2/2's with direct-access available right at our budget. So this is the most promising. Are there any other developments which have these direct-access units?

The second option is a townhome community, with attached 2-car garages, or 1-car with driveways that have easy outdoor access for the dogs. I need some suggestions on quality communities. From searching online, how does Tysons Avalon Crescent sound? From some of the reviews, it seems like a good community.

We are excited for the move, and eager to hear from some of you on suggestions! And we are happy to answer any questions!

[Novadhd5150]

It is a good idea to rent first but I would recommend one year. Your budget is plenty for a rental but with 2 dogs that could be dicey in an apartment complex. You still can but will pay for more pet deposits..Not many underground/covered garages here that I am aware of unless you go to some sort of high rise complex. You might want to look into renting a house also.

[VRE332]

right now the inventory is low, and you might be fighting for scraps. So like the above poster said, rent and get used to the area before you decide to buy.

[JfromReston]

If your wife accepts the job in Chantilly, Reston would be very convenient for both of you and have lots of different types of options in your price range. Here are a few to consider.

10852 GROVEHAMPTON CT, RESTON, VA 20194 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com
11990 MARKET ST #1503, RESTON, VA 20190 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com
12079 TRUMBULL WAY, RESTON, VA 20190 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com
12000 MARKET ST #430, RESTON, VA 20190 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com

I understand Winwood Child Care in Reston Town Center is highly regarded.
http://www.winwood.com/

[NoVA_Lurker]

I'm a bit biased because I'm familiar with the area, but I agree with JfromReston that Reston/Herndon might be a good in-between area if your wife works in Chantilly. However, I would guess the drive to Woodbridge would not be so much fun from that area.

I think you could find a nice townhouse or condo rental from a private owner in the Reston area for that budget.

Also, he brings up a really good point regarding daycare - be sure to budget that into your expenses if you will be needing childcare next year if your wife returns to work. It is expensive in this area. Infant care at a daycare center is probably about $1400-1600 per month (at least at the four or five places I looked at in Reston). It will likely be less if you find an in-home provider and more if you look for a nanny.

I also moved from FL (though only lived there 1.5 yrs) to this area and have a little one with another due in the Jan/Feb timeframe.

Good luck to you and your growing family!

[FL2DC]

Thanks. Ya, we are definitely renting the first year. I think when we began searching for rentals, we were striking out finding a SFH that allowed pets. Most of the advertisements we were seeing did not allow them, so we turned our efforts to condos and townhomes. We can certainly go back and look at homes, especially with JFromRestons suggestion in using homesdatabase. I was not aware of that site before.

If we decide to go with the townhome rental, what do people think of Avalon Crescent in Tysons?

Are there any other suggestions of quality townhomes in Reston that allow pets?

[NoVA_Lurker]

Sorry, I don't have any suggestions about the best way to actually find a rental property. I found my first apartment/roommate here on Craigslist, so that's one place to look but maybe not the most effective.

The townhomes in Reston aren't generally like apartment complexes that are managed by a company and have specific policies regarding pets. They are residential neighborhoods and most of the units are privately owned by individuals, so it's up to the particular owner whether or not to allow pets. It's probably going to be a matter of finding lots of "by owner" listings (and some might be through a property management company that the owner's have hired) and looking at each of them individually to see whether pets are allowed. I just did a quick look at craigslist and found a few that said stuff like "pets on case by case basis."

I wish I could offer you more specific advice. Maybe some of the other fine posters on this board will have some suggestions of how to find rental listings.