Question about Manassas to Alexandria (Richmond, Lorton: appointed, short sale, apartment complexes) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

Mom2Feebs · 08-28-2012, 12:46 PM

Hi everyone,

My husband just found out yesterday he will be working in Alexandria off of Stovall near Eisenhower. It's not a very long contract (a year plus a year option--and we're already two months into the first year). We would rather not sell our home and move our kids from San Antonio, TX until we feel like he's got a longer contract or he has a GS position (which we'll be continuing to try for there). Having said that, the thought of $1500 rent for a 1 bedroom in Alexandria and the surrounding areas freaks me out a bit. We saw a cute little 2 bedroom condo in Manassas that is around 100K near the VRE station, and have been sort of hemming and hawing over the wisdom (or lack thereof?) with a purchase like that. It certainly seems to be less expensive than an apartment, and something that we can rent out to someone else should he come back to San Antonio next year...but if he stays, it would give us a place to live until we could find a house...I go back and forth.

Would love your experienced thoughts on this. If we did this, he'd be riding in to the Alexandria station and crossing over to the Yellow line to sort of backtrack a little to the Eisenhower Metro station. Pricey? Bad as far as time? Bad idea entirely? Also--he will not have a car initially (for the first couple of months). Please feel free to PM me if you have any recommendations for a Realtor/locator, also. He's going to be in a hotel for about 10 days, so we have to act ASAP.

Sorry if my thoughts are scrambled. Thanks in advance.

FindingZen · 08-28-2012, 01:01 PM

While that 100K price tag may seem tempting at first glance, it sets off a red flag for me as it's rare to find any property in Northern Virginia, even a condo, at that low a price. Without being familiar with the neighborhood, my guess is that the condo dropped that low because it was hard to sell...and may be that way again once it's time for you to sell. I would sooner look at rentals in Manassas - maybe there are some in the same building he's looking at - and see if his contract is extended for at least another five years.

I'm also not familiar with public transportation in Manassas beyond the VRE. I believe the PRTC buses mostly serve as commuter options. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me can share about that.

brooklynborndad · 08-28-2012, 01:10 PM

VRE to Alex and metro one station back seems like a hassle. (Theres probably also a DASH bus from the train station to Eisenhower) Unless parking there is costly he will probably end up driving (or cycling if he is into that and you live fairly close) .

You could look in area of fairfax county near rte 1 south of the huntington metro, or in the springfield area, or annandale, or in southern FFX county (like near Lorton) or in the eastern part of Prince William County. For any cheaper rental it might be worth it asking here about safety issues.

FindingZen · 08-28-2012, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

VRE to Alex and metro one station back seems like a hassle. (Theres probably also a DASH bus from the train station to Eisenhower) Unless parking there is costly he will probably end up driving (or cycling if he is into that and you live fairly close) .

You could look in area of fairfax county near rte 1 south of the huntington metro, or in the springfield area, or annandale, or in southern FFX county (like near Lorton) or in the eastern part of Prince William County. For any cheaper rental it might be worth it asking here about safety issues.

True: within walking distance of the Huntington Metro, there is the Cityside apartments on Route 1/Richmond Highway. They're probably the least well-appointed of the high-rises in that stretch but 1BRs should be available for ~$1000.

I would hesitate to recommend the garden apartment complexes heading south on Route 1. While the properties are kept up fairly well, issues of property damage and theft are not unheard of. Do patronize the typical midscale retail and restaurant options available, though.

Mom2Feebs · 08-28-2012, 01:28 PM

Thanks for the information! DASH. Hmm, okay I need to look into that. It didn't occur to me that there would possibly be a bus. The condo is actually a short sale, close to Old Town, and I have to admit we love Old Town Manassas. I'm not sure we love it enough, LOL, but it does have a lovely appeal...just not sure it's financially worth it.