Advice needed: My "moving to NoVA" post. (Housing, commute, schools, etc.)

[normie]

Sounds like you have a lot of "unknowns" right now, especially regarding your job. I agree that renting is the best bet for now. An extra benefit--you can scope out the neighborhoods while you're renting. After all, you're the best judge of which area you'll like the best.

[703]

Originally Posted by Hulud

@ 703

(Concerning your commute) "Its always over an hour."

I'm assuming you start work at 9am? So you have to leave 1 hr and 35 mins before your shift starts. I should probably expect the same if I come to Herndon/Reston and work on downtown DC. This information really helps me prepare myself for what may be to come, so thanks! Another aspect is cost: how much do you pay for a full day of commuting to and from work?

I start at 8:30...well I am supposed to

Tolls are about $3.50 per day + gas
(I park for free in DC)

If I take bus/metro then its probably around $5 one way, give or take, I never pay attention as Metro always changing rates.

Depending on when you leave, your commute time may vary.

[703]

One can always find a short term rental as well, 3-6 month, to have a good look around the area, and figure out if it will work out.

[DCguy03]

I agree w/ normie and 703's recommendations to Rent for at least 3-6 months before buying.

That will help you get to know the area better, allowing you to really make a solid decision when it is time to buy a house/condo. You'll also want to find out how long it truly takes to make a given commute. When it takes you 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to work, you probably have to allow for 2 hours, to ensure that you aren't ever late to work. "Buffer time" is very important if you commute during rush hour and want to be on-time in this area

It is also worth considering that banks are not likely to hand you a mortgage until you and your fiance both have full time jobs. Renting first will allow you to get a few paychecks in before approaching a bank.

[Hulud]

@ bmwdcguy

Wow, that was an insightful read! I'm copying that over to my NoVA "research" file and will reference it plenty in the future. Thanks!

@ normie

Yeah, I'm not against the idea of renting at first, especially since I probably won't have a job until after I arrive in the area. But read the comments below directed at DCguy03...

@ 703

$10 for a daily commute seems steep but maybe I'm just naive about the area. Also, a short-term rental seems plausible, but I know my fiancee hates the idea of moving twice. I'm not too particularly fond of the idea either, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

@ DCguy03

The issue about a short-term rental solving our jobs situation is that I know I won't have my initial job for that long at all since I plan on going to graduate school for an MA and moving on up the DC ranks. So sometime in the not-so-distant future after I arrive there (maybe around 3-5 years), I will be in the same situation where I might have bought a home that is inconvenient for where I work. I'm sure anyone who changes jobs faces the same dilemma.

About jobs, I am thinking of making a separate post about trying to find jobs in the international relations / foreign policy research fields, but I don't know if anyone will have much to say on it. I find that with undergraduate degrees, I'm under-qualified for the majority of the DC jobs in this field. Jobs for which I am qualified are few and far between and I'm generally told that there is a ton of competition for these positions. I hope I don't end up waiting tables out there... ( I don't even have experience in that! :-P )

[Yankeesfan]

To the OP: SLOW DOWN! Get married. Find jobs. RENT for a while until learn the area and where your jobs will be. DO NOT start off a marriage letting your in-laws dictate things to you, like whether you should or shouldn't rent, no matter how good their intentions are. As for the long-term plans, it all sounds great but have you ever heard the phrase "life is what happens while you're making other plans"? It's true. You don't need to make a huge financial commitment on a house, on top of the huge student loans, when you haven't even arrived here or gotten jobs yet.

[claremarie]

"I find that with undergraduate degrees, I'm under-qualified for the majority of the DC jobs in this field. Jobs for which I am qualified are few and far between and I'm generally told that there is a ton of competition for these positions."

Welcome to DC, where droves of eager young people interested in international relations jobs descend each year. Even in the most robust economic times, it's very difficult to find a paying entry-level position in this field. (You'd be surprised how many folks are willing to take unpaid or virtually unpaid internships in DC). In the current market, you'll be competing with graduates of Ivy League schools and those with post-graduate degrees, many of whom have connections or experience working as interns, or both.
You will definitely need a Plan B while you look for that job.

[claremarie]

And one more thing to consider in your housing search -- if you are seriously planning to continue your education, and you are considering a state university, it would make sense to live in that state from the beginning in order to establish residency for tuition purposes down the road.

[Hulud]

In response to many of the wonderful posts on this board, I think we're definitely leaning towards renting. As I continue to look for a job, it's starting to really look like I might need to take a 6 month unpaid or minimal stipend internship to get my foot in the door. Only if we rent is this going to be possible. Even so, I would need to find a night job of some sort to help with living expenses. Ah well... I guess this is the way of DC, hah.

I'd like to go to GWU eventually, maybe after a year or two, but it would probably be a night MA program in International Affairs or Security Policy. I don't think I'd ever be in a position to go to school full time while affording to live in DC with my wife. She frequently asks me if it's all worth it just to live in DC but for me it is. I want to eventually work at the federal level and this is the place to be for that sort of opportunity. The trade off is high cost of living, high cost of real estate, etc. She likes to watch HGTV, see all these really nice houses around the U.S. for like half the cost of the NoVA area and ask "Why can't we just try [anywhere but DC]?" Well, I'm trying to think long term and I want to be near the university where I want to receive my MA and where I'll be most likely to find a good job in my field. From the research I've done, DC seems the place that has it all as far as her and my education/career goals. Plus we both really do like the area, so I hope things work out!