Where to go when I get priced out of Arlington? (Alexandria: health insurance, condo)

[SentimentalDemon]

Thanks for the recommendations, I'd summarize the responses here as generally: Springfield/West Springfield/Burke, Bailey's Crossroads, Reston, and Kingstowne. I looked around at the housing prices and I'll be honest...it doesn't seem like anything is actually cheaper than around here, it's just that what you get for your money is newer/bigger/nicer. It seems like there really is no way to live in NoVa without spending 40% (or more) of your income on housing, especially if you want to send your kids to a nice school community. No wonder people sprawl out to the outer ex-urbs.

[Megadell]

Reston is very nice, I gotta say. Very well thought out.

[Cardiff Kook]

Sentimental, which part of Arlington do you live in?

[The_Bishop]

Originally Posted by kweaverre

Falls Church City has great schools. Let me know if you are interested in looking for a place to live in that area.

Those Falls Church City Public Schools are indeed quite good, but (with just a few exceptions) they are for those who live inside the teeny tiny City of Falls Church and pay its taxes. Living "in the area" will not get you in. There is a huge surrounding area that has a Falls Church mailing address while having nothing at all to do with the City of the same name.

And merely for the record, just as neither of the Metro stations that serve the Town of Vienna is in the Town of Vienna, neither of the stations that serve the City of Falls Church is in the City of Fall Church. WFC is in Fairfax Country, and as noted earlier, EFC is in Arlington County.

[Nate_VA]

I moved from Arlington (VA Square) to Reston ten years ago. I was concerned about moving 'way out there', but I love it here and am really glad I moved. Reston has a lot to offer, and has a fairly progressive vibe. The Lake Anne Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings is a lot of fun. I don't have kids, so I can't comment too much on the schools, but from what I've heard Dogwood Elementary is the only school that should be avoided. With the new Silver Line it would be a fairly easy commute into Arlington.

[ACWhite]

Originally Posted by The_Bishop

Those Falls Church City Public Schools are indeed quite good, but (with just a few exceptions) they are for those who live inside the teeny tiny City of Falls Church and pay its taxes. Living "in the area" will not get you in. There is a huge surrounding area that has a Falls Church mailing address while having nothing at all to do with the City of the same name.

And merely for the record, just as neither of the Metro stations that serve the Town of Vienna is in the Town of Vienna, neither of the stations that serve the City of Falls Church is in the City of Fall Church. WFC is in Fairfax Country, and as noted earlier, EFC is in Arlington County.

FCC houses are as expensive (or nearly so) as comparable houses in many parts of Arlington, too, so I don't think FCC will help the OP re: the expense.

[SentimentalDemon]

Originally Posted by GMUAlum08

Sentimental, which part of Arlington do you live in?

Nauck

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by SentimentalDemon

So educate me---that's why I'm here asking these questions. Please tell me which schools in affordable areas you recommend. Points for alternative/progressive programs, possibly offered by charter schools. I'm not aware of any school system in the area offering the diversity of progressive choices that APS does, so I'm probably dreaming.

How do you define "affordable?" As you know by now, that is but a relative term here.

Public charter schools, if they exist at all within 40-50 miles of this side of the Potomac, are few and far between to my knowledge.

When you say "alternative/progressive" program, are you looking for a school that accommodates gifted/talented kids or those with particular special needs?

[SentimentalDemon]

Originally Posted by Tone509

How do you define "affordable?" As you know by now, that is but a relative term here.

The median household income in Arlington County is 100,000. After taxes, figure the monthly take-home pay is somewhere around $5700. Financial advisers say you should spend no more than 25% of take-home pay on your mortgage (including taxes and insurance What Percentage of Income Should Go Toward Housing? | Fox Business ). Therefore the median "affordable" mortgage payment is $1425. Not possible in Arlington.

[stateofnature]

Originally Posted by SentimentalDemon

The median household income in Arlington County is 100,000. After taxes, figure the monthly take-home pay is somewhere around $5700. Financial advisers say you should spend no more than 25% of take-home pay on your mortgage (including taxes and insurance What Percentage of Income Should Go Toward Housing? | Fox Business ). Therefore the median "affordable" mortgage payment is $1425. Not possible in Arlington.

"Financial advisers" are not some monolithic block. Some might say 25% of take-home pay, some might say 25% of pay before taxes, others might say a different number altogether. There is no objective standard.

For example, this article states "As a general guideline, your monthly mortgage payment, including principal, interest, real estate taxes and homeowners insurance, should not exceed 28 percent of your gross monthly income."

100,000 median income is 8,333.33 and 28% of that is 2,333.33. Seems like it is possibly to find mortgage payments for 2,333 in Arlington.

I am not saying that therefore Arlington is affordable. I am saying that it "affordable" is a meaningless designation to use in general terms because it totally depends on the assumptions you use and individual circumstances.