A House Commutable To Arlington For Less Than $250K? (Annandale: fit in, for sale)

[shalleran]

I will be working in Arlington. I would prefer to keep house cost below $250K but could go higher. I will need 3 bedroom+ and a garage. School quality and safety are primary concerns. Prestige is lowest priority. If commute is more than 45 min, I hope there is a mass transit option. Any advice???

[smokemaster]

Annandale or Springfield--less than perfect, but you may be able to be in a sfr. Otherwise, you will be in an hoa, and possibly commuter hell.

[Tone509]

Even in this economy, it will be difficult to find a relatively convenient single family home that isn't bank-owned for less than $400K. Not to mention that a 45 minute commute around here can often mean 20 miles...or less. That won't give you a lot of affordable options within that radius from Arlington.

Consider looking in Prince William and Stafford Counties. In Prince William, you could live in or near the City of Manassas. Others here have stated their opinions on the quality of schools within and outside of the incorporated city limits. Prince William County as a whole has experienced more foreclosures than anywhere else in Northern Virginia which will work to your benefit in terms of lower housing costs. I know even less about Stafford County but from both areas you can take the Virginia Railway Express to Arlington. You can probably expect at least an hour commute, however.

[NOVAmtneer82]

Originally Posted by shalleran

I will be working in Arlington. I would prefer to keep house cost below $250K but could go higher. I will need 3 bedroom+ and a garage. School quality and safety are primary concerns. Prestige is lowest priority. If commute is more than 45 min, I hope there is a mass transit option. Any advice???

A 3 bedroom for less than 250k within a 45 minute commute to Arlington? Simply not possible. If you are willing to go for a 2 bedroom condo then you MIGHT luck out and find something in Centreville or further out towards Manassas. The commute to Arlington will definitely be more than 45 minutes though. You could also look south of town as Tone mentioned. Stafford or Spotsylvania County around Fredericksburg might have that. You will have to expect at least a 15 minute drive to a VRE station then train time (probably 45 minutes to an hour to Arlington) and then depending on your location in Arlington either a Metro or Bus ride to your office.

[stuntmonkey]

You can find a 3-bedroom townhouse for under $250,000 in Centreville, but it most likely will not have a garage . Schools are very good and the area is very nice.

It is certainly "commutable" to Arlington, but it's not going to be quick. I'd say a good 45 minutes or so each way, maybe more.

3 bedrooms for $220,000
Moderator cut: Please post only generic MLS sites, not broker-specific or sponsored, thanks.

Cheapest one I could find with a garage is $275,000
Moderator cut: Please post links to general MLS sites, not broker-specific or sponsored, thanks.

[CaliTerp07]

There are several homes for sale in my neighborhood (North Springfield - 22151) that look nice around the $300k mark. I don't know anything about schools in the area, but the neighborhood is very cute and feels safe to me (a young female).

[liloulou]

As others have mentioned this is going to be difficult, especially if good schools are a big concern and the 45 minute commute. I have a friend who lives in Centreville and commutes to Arlington everyday. Before she could qualify for HOV, she spend anywhere from 1 hour to 1:30 hours on a bad day. With HOV she usually get's there in 40-45 minutes when leaving her house at 7am-ish.

Most schools in Centreville are good, but if you're looking at elementary schools, you better do your homework since some are not good.

Plus, you will most likely be able to afford a townhouse, or an older single family home (probably without a garage). This area is not fun for affordable housing.

[claremarie]

Prestige is ordinarily correlated with school quality, safety, and a short commute.
If you need a house in "move-in" condition (rather than a fixer-upper that needs some serious work to be livable), you will not find it within a 45 minute commute to Arlington.
My guess is that you will need to double that commute time, and even then you might have to compromise on the school quality.
Most people will pay more than $250K for a condo within 45 minutes of Arlington. A 3+BR house plus garage is just not going to happen.

[5stones]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

There are several homes for sale in my neighborhood (North Springfield - 22151) that look nice around the $300k mark. I don't know anything about schools in the area, but the neighborhood is very cute and feels safe to me (a young female).

When is 300k under 250K?

Look at townhouses too.
As others have stated If you want even a TH you will have to increase your commute time. sorry.
Centerville is probably the closest (aprox 1hr+ each way) you will get that has good schools, and a "reasonable commute", and 3 bedrooms for close to UNDER 250.
There are actully quite a few TH in centerville 3 bed for 250 and under.
(some have 1 car garages)

What about Renting?

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by 5stones

When is 300k under 250K?

Look at townhouses too.
As others have stated If you want even a TH you will have to increase your commute time. sorry.
Centerville is probably the closest (aprox 1hr+ each way) you will get that has good schools, and a "reasonable commute", and 3 bedrooms for close to UNDER 250.
There are actully quite a few TH in centerville 3 bed for 250 and under.
(some have 1 car garages)

What about Renting?

Since the OP said they "could go higher", prices are usually negotiable, and saving an hour on a commute might be worth spending a little more money (especially to get everything they asked for in the OP), I thought I'd put it out there. No harm in a suggestion.

There are actually quite a few UNDER $250k, but they're foreclosures, so I'm not sure how accurate the listing price is relative to sale price.

OP, go on Trulia - Real Estate, Homes For Sale, Sold Properties, Real Estate Maps and check out various neighborhoods.