So I got an offer (Centreville, Chantilly: appointed, apartment, leasing)

[cdaq]

and it was not quite as much as I'd hoped. 88k with a 5k signing bonus. This would probably be sufficient if my wife had a job in NoVa and I wasn't having to initially support 2 households. So my question is where would I most likely find the cheapest livable (clean and safe) apartment within a half hour commute from Chantilly? I'm thinking that I could probably make it for almost 5 months off the signing bonus (assuming it isn't taxed too high right off the bat).

Do you think it would be worth it to sacrifice for a few months in order to live in the DC area? Things would get a lot easier if/when we could either sell or rent our current house.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by cdaq

and it was not quite as much as I'd hoped. 88k with a 5k signing bonus. This would probably be sufficient if my wife had a job in NoVa and I wasn't having to initially support 2 households. So my question is where would I most likely find the cheapest livable (clean and safe) apartment within a half hour commute from Chantilly? I'm thinking that I could probably make it for almost 5 months off the signing bonus (assuming it isn't taxed too high right off the bat).

Do you think it would be worth it to sacrifice for a few months in order to live in the DC area? Things would get a lot easier if/when we could either sell or rent our current house.

Remind us of your preferred rental range and number of BRs again. (Don't be surprised to pay over $1000.) Next door in Centreville would be fine. Further southwest, Haymarket and Gainesville are known for being family-friendly areas. Manassas has received mixed reviews on this forum. It's not the Wild West but some neighborhoods have better reputations than others.

[anonymous703]

Originally Posted by cdaq

and it was not quite as much as I'd hoped. 88k with a 5k signing bonus. This would probably be sufficient if my wife had a job in NoVa and I wasn't having to initially support 2 households. So my question is where would I most likely find the cheapest livable (clean and safe) apartment within a half hour commute from Chantilly? I'm thinking that I could probably make it for almost 5 months off the signing bonus (assuming it isn't taxed too high right off the bat).

Do you think it would be worth it to sacrifice for a few months in order to live in the DC area? Things would get a lot easier if/when we could either sell or rent our current house.

If you mean pay all of your expenses when you say "make it for almost 5 months off the signing bonus" I'd realistically plan for 2-3 months after the tax man takes his hit.

What are your motivations for leaving NM? If you're sitting fat, dumb, and happy over there in a nice big house, you're going to feel a lot of pain moving into a smaller place out here. If you have other reasons for moving, and your wife could work with little negative impact on the family life, then you'll be fine.

[cdaq]

Originally Posted by Tone509

Remind us of your preferred rental range and number of BRs again. (Don't be surprised to pay over $1000.) Next door in Centreville would be fine. Further southwest, Haymarket and Gainesville are known for being family-friendly areas. Manassas has received mixed reviews on this forum. It's not the Wild West but some neighborhoods have better reputations than others.

Price range would definitely need to be less than 1100. Since i will be alone at first even a studio would work.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by cdaq

Price range would definitely need to be less than 1100. Since i will be alone at first even a studio would work.

Slightly greater chance of getting a studio in Centreville but otherwise you should be able to find a 1BR in all of the places I suggested.

[lchoro]

furnished studio in Chantilly

Furnished Studio – Free Utilities and Cable TV (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/1385468932.html - broken link)

McNair Farms in Herndon is about a 15 minute drive taking either Route 28 or Centreville Rd

Now Leasing 1 Bedrooms from 949 (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/1388220693.html - broken link)

[cdaq]

Originally Posted by anonymous703

If you mean pay all of your expenses when you say "make it for almost 5 months off the signing bonus" I'd realistically plan for 2-3 months after the tax man takes his hit.

What are your motivations for leaving NM? If you're sitting fat, dumb, and happy over there in a nice big house, you're going to feel a lot of pain moving into a smaller place out here. If you have other reasons for moving, and your wife could work with little negative impact on the family life, then you'll be fine.

Not all of my expenses, just rent.

Our motivations are better schools (mostly). Frankly we're tired of the southwest and being so close to family. We've been considering moving for some time and then this job offer kind of came out of the blue.

My wife is already working. The problem is that her job is in NM As soon as she could find work in Virginia and we could sell our house she would join me. I guess it possible but I don't know if its worth it...

[anonymous703]

Originally Posted by cdaq

Not all of my expenses, just rent.

Our motivations are better schools (mostly). Frankly we're tired of the southwest and being so close to family. We've been considering moving for some time and then this job offer kind of came out of the blue.

My wife is already working. The problem is that her job is in NM As soon as she could find work in Virginia and we could sell our house she would join me. I guess it possible but I don't know if its worth it...

My personal opinions here... I think that as long your kids have a safe place to learn, "good schools" on average are overrated -- what matters so much more is a parent's involvement in the child's education. One other thing to think about as well, depending on where your might plan on going to college -- it may actually be harder to get into a top tier elite college as a graduate from FCPS than from ABQ -- for the sole reason that your kid will be competing with a lot of other students from similar backgrounds for a limited number of slots. Colleges don't want to be an extension of any particular high school, and to avoid that, they have to place limits.

As someone who is looking at moving here "just 'cause" I would caution you that this city is traffic hell. Considering your job is in Chantilly, that'll help keep your time in traffic to a minimum. So maybe that's not that big of a knock. And as gets mentioned ad naseum, housing prices are through the roof. If you have a nice big house in ABQ and like it, you will be disappointed. If you don't care, then that's a different story.

So basically, for you, I'd sit and think long and hard about what you expect out of this area, what would make you glad you moved *here* (getting away from family makes you glad you moved away from ABQ, not necessarily glad that you moved to *NoVA*) and what would make you unhappy that you moved here. (In your other post, you asked about boating... some extended family of mine lives in Ashburn and keeps a 24-ft boat on the Occquaqon Bay (spelling, I know) in Woodbridge. It's not a bad drive on the weekends.)

If your wife works at the equivalent to the GS-9 level, you'll make a combined $140k. That's enough cash to live life around here and not feel broke.

[ShannonMilligan]

We rented in Ashburn while our home was on the market in PA...We rented at Archstone Stonebridge...right on Rt 7. We paid $1400 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1 car garage. It did the job...We lived there for about 6 months. The schools are good and the drive to Chantilly would be about 20-30 minutes by taking Rt 28.
What does your wife do?
$88K is good. My husband makes just a bit more than that and we can manage on his salary. I work but all of my money goes to daycare (I work for sanity) so it doesn't really count. We live in a single family but did put down about 33% so that isn't a fair comparison. Anyway, I think $88K is great but having to support two households would be tough.
Good luck.

[NRUD]

Rent in Chantilly.

Chantilly Crossing is the apt. complex name

Check into their prices.

Next step - Herndon, about 10 minutes from Chantily