READ if you are asking about where to live in VA (Vienna: apartment, to rent)

[claremarie]

My husband is going to be working a lot in DC and some in Baltimore. He'd like to take the metro when possible. We would like an area that is country-ish, because out here in CA having country/land is very difficult. We can spend between 390 - 480K on a house. We don't want to be in hicksville, but yet we don't want suburbia haven either. We definitely want good schools, and ideally some cultural diversity.

Unfortunately, 480K doesn't go very far in the DC area, especially if you need to be relatively close to DC and want to commute by Metro. The Orange Line, for example, runs out to Vienna, where the least expensive single family home suitable for a family of 5 would be at least $500K.
You might have better luck in Prince George's County in Maryland, but you should be aware that the public schools in that county are not very good.

[jb124]

Oh and please post your questions in new threads/topics. This is more of a how-to topic.

[csmartinez750]

What is does pie or cake mean?

[SmerkyGrl]

Originally Posted by csmartinez750

What is does pie or cake mean?

You've never had pie? Or cake?

[mydoula]

I am sending off my just 18 y/o to American University in D.C.
Pins and Needles, I have heard horror stories, my husband being the primary author. I need lot's of input so we can seek out a relatively safe area, at a minimum no driveby shootings and home invasions...

Where you are working~4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016
-How much you are willing to spend on housing~600-800
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate~30-50min.
-If you have kids: Private school or public school?
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight?any
-Community amenities important to you
-Pie or cake?-pie

We on the Virginia forum would appreciate it if you included the above information in your initial post so you can get the information you want as quickly as possible and we would not have to repost the same questions for every thread. Thank you.


PS: WTB Sticky.

[austindoxie1972]

Is there anyway Virginia can have separate cities? My goodness, if El Paso, Texas can have it's own category, I'd think Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Richmond (to name a few) should have their's, too.

[jb124]

Yeah a NoVA could really use a separate topic. The trouble is where do you draw the line? Stafford maybe? Fredericksburg?

The best way to get changes made is to report to the mods. If everyone reports Austin's post we may get a subforum for NoVA.

[peaceandblessings]

Why does it bother you so much that people are not being specific in seeking information on a subject that is probably in most cases totally unfamiliar to them, that would be the only obvious reason that I could think of, Generalization leaves room for information that may not be typical or commonly thought of. I also am someone that has posted and included that things that I felt was relevant to gathering information for my specific needs. And as much as being able to read every posting that lists Va to look for a specific question that may have already been answered three months ago, well I guess for someone that has a lot of time on their hands or who can keep up with the postings on a daily basis that would be ok but for the average time just doesnt permit. I thank you for any information that you have been able to provide and hope that you would be able to understand things from the other side of the fence. Have a Good Day!!!!

[jb124]

Originally Posted by peaceandblessings

Why does it bother you so much that people are not being specific in seeking information on a subject that is probably in most cases totally unfamiliar to them, that would be the only obvious reason that I could think of, Generalization leaves room for information that may not be typical or commonly thought of. I also am someone that has posted and included that things that I felt was relevant to gathering information for my specific needs. And as much as being able to read every posting that lists Va to look for a specific question that may have already been answered three months ago, well I guess for someone that has a lot of time on their hands or who can keep up with the postings on a daily basis that would be ok but for the average time just doesnt permit. I thank you for any information that you have been able to provide and hope that you would be able to understand things from the other side of the fence. Have a Good Day!!!!

While your posts were indeed pretty specific, someone who posts asking "I've been offered a job in Virginia and want to know the safest neighborhoods with the best schools" is being a tad vague. Virginia is a decent-sized state with let's say 100 different counties/cities. That's a lot of potential neighborhoods and school districts.

I'm not saying people have to read every post in the Virginia forum before posting a new topic but they might find a lot of information if they do a simple topic search. It only takes a minute to type in "Fredricksburg" (or whatever) in the Search This Forum field and briefly glance at the list of topics that is returned to see if any catch their interest. It takes us time to respond to each post and when the same question comes up repetitively (sometimes on the same day even), it gets old.

All I'm saying is if we can take the time to answer questions, new posters can take the time to a) ask a reasonably specific question, and b) see if similar questions have already been addressed before asking (if nothing else, to help them refine their question). This isn't our job, we are doing a favor by answering questions and sharing experiences. What's the harm in doing a simple search before posting?

[MHilton]

Joe in response to your posting, I am a native Virginian and have lived in Woodbridge, Stafford, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania. My husband and I finally decided to settle down here in Spotsylvania with our 4 children. We're about 40 miles from Richmond and 60 miles from DC. Shopping and restaurants are never a problem here. The problem is choosing which of the 40 places to pick from! The real estate is very affordable and right now, from what I've seen, it is definitely a buyer's market with so many homes up for sale or rent. We purchased our home in Lee's Parke for $390,000 and we couldn't ask for more in a community. Shopping is close by, within a mile, and we're only 3 miles from 95. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Richmond and about an hour or so to DC. The schools are fantastic too. Stafford County is nice too, although congested at times (that's almost anywhere now though). Homes are a bit more pricey, as you will find they go up as you move further north toward DC. Our home probably would sell for $450,000 if it were in Stafford County. Well, I hope this helps make your decision a little easier. Good Luck!