General Pointers If You are Moving To Northern Virginia (Amended with link to Photo Tours index) (Arlington: hardwood floors, sales)

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by cardinal2007

I really have to disagree with some of the stuff that is written here, first of all, my brother just closed on a 3bd townhouse in Centreville for around $230K, and it was built 16 years ago, you can certainly get much crappier housing if you wanted in FFX Co. Once again, if you want to live in McLean, Great Falls, Arlington near the Orange line, Falls Church or any place that nice and close to jobs and shopping you will pay top dollar. The rest of the people in the county don't have to pay that kind of money, a relatively new 2000sqft house in Fair Oak / Fair Lake area is very good, most housing in significantly older.

I think only LA and Chicago can compete with Washington for traffic now.

Not to get off topic from providing general pointers...but I would have to say that a $230K TH purchase is way below for Fairfax County, even for an older property. I would have assume that the transaction was a short sale or foreclosure.

I did see a report that the DC metro now "officially" has the worst traffic in the country. Of course, like many "lists", that could change tomorrow.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by DeborahT

Some more pointers regarding moving to Northern VA-

-The metro system is very extravagent. You can reach from Vienna, VA, all the way to Rockville, MD. The problem is that not much is right off of the metro stop, unless you are in DC and planning on walking places. The Orange Line on the metro station stretches from DC to Vienna, VA.

actually Ballston mall is very close to the Ballston Metro station. Clarendon Commons is close to the clarendon metro. There is also street shopping and restaurants esp near Clarendon, but even some near Rosslyn and Ballston metros. There are many workplaces near the metro stops from Rosslyn to ballston.

To move from the orange line to the yellow/blue lines in NoVa - Pentagon City metro station is adjacent to both Fashion Center at Pentagon City, a major mall, Pentagon Row, a "lifestyle center" with many restaurants and shops, and to a discount mall with a Best Buy and several other big box stores.

Crystal city metro is adjacent to a major employment center, as well as to shops.

King Street Metro as at the western end of old town - which has retail, art galleries and antique stores, and lots of restaurants. The heart of old town is a bit far - some folks like the walk, but there are also lots of buses from the metro to the waterfront, including I think a free circulator bus on weekends.

Eisenhower metro is close to a major movie complex with a few restaurants.

Franconia - Springfield metro is close to Springfield mall and several nearby shopping centers, though not everyone likes that walk.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Tone509

Not to get off topic from providing general pointers...but I would have to say that a $230K TH purchase is way below for Fairfax County, even for an older property. I would have assume that the transaction was a short sale or foreclosure.

THs only slightly older than that here in Annandale tend to go for 320 to 350k. I dont know about 230k, even out in Centreville - but Im not sure its out of the ballpark.

[Newbee_0711]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

actually Ballston mall is very close to the Ballston Metro station. Clarendon Commons is close to the clarendon metro. There is also street shopping and restaurants esp near Clarendon, but even some near Rosslyn and Ballston metros. There are many workplaces near the metro stops from Rosslyn to ballston.

To move from the orange line to the yellow/blue lines in NoVa - Pentagon City metro station is adjacent to both Fashion Center at Pentagon City, a major mall, Pentagon Row, a "lifestyle center" with many restaurants and shops, and to a discount mall with a Best Buy and several other big box stores.

Crystal city metro is adjacent to a major employment center, as well as to shops.

King Street Metro as at the western end of old town - which has retail, art galleries and antique stores, and lots of restaurants. The heart of old town is a bit far - some folks like the walk, but there are also lots of buses from the metro to the waterfront, including I think a free circulator bus on weekends.

Eisenhower metro is close to a major movie complex with a few restaurants.

Franconia - Springfield metro is close to Springfield mall and several nearby shopping centers, though not everyone likes that walk.

And you are only talking about VA, if you add MD and DC stations there, the list would go on and on!

[Caladium]

Here are some old threads on specific apartment complexes in Reston. Some of the info may be dated, but they might help. A fair number of people seem to like the Charter Oak apartments near RTC, and that's the one I'd probably go for. Be aware, though, that you can expect your rent to rise after the first year. (But hey, if you're only planning to be there a year it's a great choice!)

http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...partments.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...st-reston.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...amazing-2.html (has photo tour of Archstone in Reston)
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...-virginia.html

[BarqCider]

i figured i'd somewhat update this thread.

new folks looking to move into nova, specifically the tysons corner/reston area be aware that once that silver line goes up, expect increase in rent and value of the cost of a house.

we now have the "lexus" lanes (the toll lanes on 495 or better known as the capital beltway) that not many people are using. Guess who will end up paying that australian company for building those lanes? taxpayers of course.

i-95 will most likely also get the same treatment on the northern va side, that is adding tolled highway lanes that increase depending on traffic just like they do on 495.

id also like to say that the apartments in the mosaic district in merrifield (located in falls church,va) near the dunn loring metro station aren't horrible priced (atleast the ones next to the metro, not where target and xsport fitness is at). My sister pays about the same for more room for a single bedroom (roughly 1200 i think).

future parents looking into moving into fairfax county beware: if you are going to be in need of daycare, be aware the county and certain cities are beginning to impose limits to the number of how many kids a private daycare can take ( proposal is 5, down from 12). the board of supervisors here are simply becoming as incompetent as those in california.

also know that there really isnt a section 8 housing per se in nova. technically anyone who has a family of 4 who makes 70k or less can get financial assistance for living, so you might run into section 8 types living in those 1600+ apartments.

[JoanCrawford]

Originally Posted by happy2Baim

Well, that makes me feel better as I bet Atlanta rates up there with Philly or LA. Great input, thanks! Not to mention that was another 'transplant' town.

I don't want to burst your bubble, but I honestly think our traffic is worse than Philly/Atlanta/LA. LA is pretty bad, but having lived there and in NOVA, I honestly think the traffic here is worse or as bad. I would take what this guy says with a grain of salt, however I admire the optimism. ;-)

[NorthenLyon]

I really like this; I'm considering going to school in Arlington (I'm in Va Beach now), and I'm not from this country. I really appreciate this!!! Thanks for everyone who contributed.

Lyon

[jollymon6672]

Originally Posted by VRE332

It's not ALL Korean. A lot of Hispanic and Vietnamese live in that area as well. Occasionally you can find a white guy here and there...

That's my cousin, they just bought a house there.

[compuguy]

Originally Posted by SmerkyGrl

-Housing to own starts around 275k-300k with relatively crappy condos. No, we do not have 3 bedroom single family homes under 400k that are in liveable conditions.

There *are* good condos in Northern Virginia, you just have to do some research....