Possible Job Transfer to Dulles (Suffolk, Oakton: apartment, rental, condo)

[jonquil0315]

Hi all - My husband has a potential job transfer to Dulles Airport. We currently live on Long Island NY (Suffolk County) which has a high COL. We have been wanting to relocate off the Island for some time now - but would only consider to places that make sense, ie - a lower COL area. He will take his pay with him, but I may not make as much as I do here (Office manager - Animal Hospital). The immediate surrounding areas seem to be very expensive, just as here on LI. However - any more than a 45 min commute would just give him road rage,,,hahaha. Our max price for a rental would probably fall in the $1400-1500 range, purchasing a house (a single family home instead of a condo/TH) we would probably stay around $200-220. Our 14 yr old daughter would be starting HS in Sept - so a safe school and area would be appreciated. And activites for her (she's in cheer/dance/horseback riding/summer camp, etc) would be essential.
OK - so what does everybody think?! I really like that small town feel - but not so crowded like NYC. I don't need a supermarket or CVS on my corner, but within a 5-10 min drive is ok.
I have done extensive research already on this site - some postings were kinda old though.
It doesn't make sense for us to uproot to another area with the same COL.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY RESPONSE!!

[blindside]

200-220k condo within 45 minute of dulles? I don't think so. And expect rents to be closer to 2000 for a 3br apartment/TH, and that's on the low end!

[FCNova]

Loudoun County is pretty affordable for this area, because it's so far away from DC. But your budget is light. When I say affordable I mean a nice decent sized house can be had for 400s in a lot of places within 30-45 minutes of Dulles. For low 200s I think you could find a condo within 45 minutes of Dulles, but a single family home no way. The farther out you move the more dependent you'll be on the Greenway(tollroad) to get to Dulles, which is very pricey itself.

[blindside]

Does your husband work for the airlines?

[Mnseca]

I thought LI prices were much higher. You can buy a house in LI for 200?? You can't even get a condo for that here. Within 45 minutes of Dulles, I think you will not find less than mid or maybe low 400's.

[choff5]

For that price range, if he's working at Dulles airport, you will have to go west, but that is even growing so much I have no idea what price points are out there, especially for a 45 min commute.

[LynchburgLover]

Originally Posted by choff5

For that price range, if he's working at Dulles airport, you will have to go west, but that is even growing so much I have no idea what price points are out there, especially for a 45 min commute.

I can tell you most of Western Loudoun is going to be well over the price of $200-250k for a sfh. Going "over he mountain" to Clarke/Frederick helps a bit but opens up a lot more commuting issues. The "mountain" itself might look like a big hill will lovely views but snow, ice, fog or a traffic accident can cause horrible problems. There are very, very few alternative routes and those will add a tremendous amount of time.

[airjay75]

Probably best to keep looking, OP. I don't think you're going to find a cheaper COL within a 45 minute commute of Dulles. Just to give you an idea of how expensive housing is in this area, even if you came on here looking for a SFH with a $500k budget, you would have to make compromises on your housing. Yes, you would have options at that budget, but you'd still be looking at trade offs.

[patriot201]

I'm sorry to add to the "bearer of bad news" group, but your expectations for cost of living anywhere near Dulles are unreasonable.

Suffolk County is actually cheaper (based on basic measurements) than either Fairfax County or Loudoun County (which aren't the only options for being near Dulles, but are closest).

Suffolk County: Long Island, NY - Forbes

• Median Home Price: $396,600
• Median Household Income: $91,582
• Cost of Living: 30% above nat'l avg

Fairfax County: Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed and Forbes: Fairfax County Among America's 10 Wealthiest Counties | Oakton, VA Patch

• Median Home Price: $481,000
• Median Household Income: $105,409
• Cost of Living: 61.8% above nat'l avg

Loudoun County:Forbes: Fairfax County Among America's 10 Wealthiest Counties | Oakton, VA Patch and Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

• Median Home Price: $425,500
• Median Household Income: $119,525
• Cost of Living: 52.8% above nat'l avg

[mdcrim]

You may (?) be able to get a SFH in West Virginia close to the Virginia line. Look at Harpers Ferry or Charles Town. But it still may be farther than 45 minutes and he'd most likely have to take the Greenway (tolls) so that may negate some savings.