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Old 07-30-2013, 10:44 AM
 
10 posts, read 75,286 times
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Awesome thanks for the info so far, we will add those places to our list for when we visit!
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Old 07-30-2013, 10:53 AM
 
3,557 posts, read 4,087,732 times
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You might even be able to look toward DC, since your commute would then technically be against traffic. There might be pockets of neighborhoods in your price range, but not many. Just search Redfin or Trulia to get a general idea of prices in different areas.
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Old 07-30-2013, 11:52 AM
 
2,076 posts, read 3,419,584 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hilsmom View Post
$500K won't get you the very "top schools" in Fairfax County, BUT you can still find nice neighborhoods and schools in that price range. We bought in Greenbriar (22033) in Fairfax, but it is basically Chantilly as the HS and library less than a mile walk from my house say. We also looked at the area around Oak Hill ES, which is in 20171 (Herndon) - It is Franklin Farm area. There is also Fox Mill in 20171.

Just throwing out a few suggestions for you in Fairfax near Herndon.
You beat me to it again! I am also a Greenbrair and the surrounding area Hilsmom mentioned supporter. You can find a home in GB for about 500k but they are staring to go up and are turning over fast. All these areas are "older" homes but you will get space and they are very near FairLakes and Fairfax Corner, lots of shopping, not to mention the smaller "strip" shopping of Greenbriar and Franklin Farms. Also, lots to do with small children in the area, the library, Frying Pan Park (old farm with animals), Walney Park, etc. Good luck!
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Old 07-30-2013, 01:19 PM
 
979 posts, read 1,771,200 times
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Personally, working in Herndon, I would not want to commute from Manassas or Gainesville. It might be 60 minutes or less, but it won't be a pleasant commute. I would stay within the areas of Herndon, Reston, Sterling, and western Fairfax/Chantilly. We considered Gainesville when we were looking last year but ended up crossing it off the list because of how awful the traffic is on 66, 50, etc., to get anywhere from there. I'm really glad we made that decision, as we now have a son and a second on the way, and if either of us had to spend 90-120 minutes a day commuting, our quality of life would be diminished greatly (less time with the kids, less time for home cooked meals together, more rushed in the evenings, more exhaustion, increased gas/vehicle maintenance expenses...). We did the longer commutes when we didn't have any kids, and now that we do, there is no way I would voluntarily go back. We currently each have commutes of 20 minutes or less each way. In this area, that's practically living the dream (short of just working from home)!

A word of caution on the schools as well: we wanted good schools near our home, and when we moved last year, the elementary school our address will attend was rated a 7. Now, it's rated a 5. My son is only one, so who knows what the school rating will be once he might actually attend that school! That said, the public schools in Fairfax and Loudoun counties are generally very good.
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Old 07-30-2013, 04:56 PM
 
232 posts, read 360,253 times
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I recently relocated to the area (no kids) from across the country - I share so that you know that by no means am I an expert!

My thoughts:
Reston - close to shopping; not that far from Herndon
Sterling - (I live in Sterling/Cascades neighborhood) close to everything, not that far from Herndon; my neighborhood has great amenities (pool/tennis/fitness, etc.)
Ashburn - planned neighborhood so shopping is close; good amenities; commute would not be too long to Herndon

One thing to consider is yard size; depending on what size yard you want that may "narrow" your focus as well because in my house hunt certain neighborhoods all had bigger lots; others all had smaller lots.

I would agree with previous posts that Redfin site offers a lot of info - to include school and demographic info so that may help you in your selection process as well.

Good luck
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Old 07-30-2013, 05:06 PM
 
9,865 posts, read 14,056,825 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leavingwash View Post
Reston - close to shopping; not that far from Herndon
Sterling - (I live in Sterling/Cascades neighborhood) close to everything, not that far from Herndon; my neighborhood has great amenities (pool/tennis/fitness, etc.)
Ashburn - planned neighborhood so shopping is close; good amenities; commute would not be too long to Herndon
Within the stated parameters and budget, here are my thoughts.

Ashburn - only 5 houses currently listed under $500K - and all are above $495K. They will go quickly.
Reston - only 4 houses listed under $500K. All built in the early 70s, and all under 1,200 SF (including the 5 bedroom 1,100 SF house - must be 5 closets)
Sterling - a lot more options, but most of them are in the "undesirable" school zones.
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Old 07-30-2013, 05:23 PM
 
232 posts, read 360,253 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spencgr View Post
Within the stated parameters and budget, here are my thoughts.

Ashburn - only 5 houses currently listed under $500K - and all are above $495K. They will go quickly.
Reston - only 4 houses listed under $500K. All built in the early 70s, and all under 1,200 SF (including the 5 bedroom 1,100 SF house - must be 5 closets)
Sterling - a lot more options, but most of them are in the "undesirable" school zones.
In this current market homes in almost every area are on/off the market quickly. If one narrows down their preferred areas than I do believe it is possible to find homes in the areas above - Reston is more of a challenge - if they can act quickly, make a good offer, have pre-approval in hand (from my recent search a lot of buyer agents won't even present an offer unless the preapproval is from a local bank).

I just finished buying a home in NoVa Sterling area and did it was conducting most of it from out of state. And my home is 3 bed; 2 ba; not built in the '70's; in a good neighborhood...and purchased for substantially less than $500k. So I believe it is possible.
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Old 07-31-2013, 08:08 AM
 
198 posts, read 357,618 times
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OP - I know you specifically said "HOUSE" but I want to add something for a matter of perspective. Townhomes are VERY common in this area and there are many that are very nice and may be a better option for attaining many of the other things you desire within your budget. I grew up and lived in the midwest for 30+ years, and in the other places I've lived townhouses were not very common and seemed to have some kind of negative stigma attached. That is not the case here at all.

In my six years here, I've lived in two apartments (Herndon), a townhouse (Reston), and now a single family home (Herndon). In the couple years I lived in a townhouse with neighbors on both sides, I never once heard any activity through the walls or anything like that. It was a nice home and community, and I think you may also find more younger couples and families in these communities. Our townhome was near North Point Village Center in Reston - it was a great area.

In any case, I'd suggest that you don't automatically rule out a townhouse based on experiences in other locations. Many townhome communities here are quite nice, more likely to fall in that $500K range with an easy commute, access to shopping and conveniences, and potentially more amenities.

Good luck on your search!
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Old 07-31-2013, 09:07 AM
 
53 posts, read 65,881 times
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I would look in Herndon-there are some older SFH neighborhoods that are decent.
I would also look in Sterling/Potomac Falls-area near Algonkin Regional Park.
examples
MLS FX8136331 1357 CASSIA ST, HERNDON VA ~ FranklyMLS.com in DRANESVILLE ESTATES Home For Sale

MLS LO8142261 1 TYLER LN, STERLING VA ~ FranklyMLS.com in COUNTRYSIDE Home For Sale
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Old 07-31-2013, 10:35 AM
 
1,630 posts, read 2,352,929 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aromano2 View Post
While I appreciate the opinions on here, all I am trying to gather is information about the different areas. I am not looking for a financial advisor and/or a life coach. Just because other 20 somethings don't live in a house, doesn't mean I cannot either. I'm doing research on here so that I DON'T buy in an area we regret. We fully plan on visiting numerous times obviously before buying, we just don't know where to start. Regardless of renting or buying, we are looking for a HOUSE, 3-4 bedrooms, decent area close to shopping, restaurants etc. Good schools are a must (even if I have a non-existent child). If anyone has USEFUL information on the surrounding areas, please feel free to contribute.

No one is coaching you on life or anything, they're just providing recommendations on what your potential best options would be, considering the factors related to COL in the DC area.

If you're going to be an ******* about things, you're better off finding your own way and ending up in a difficult situation in Nova once your child comes into existence. Alternatively you can reconsider moving here since Nova can certainly do without fewer *******s.

..surprised that people still bothered posting here.
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