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First timer to this forum, but looking for advice on a potential relocation to the D.C. area (my apologies, as I'm sure this topic comes up quite a bit). I've spent countless hours already browsing the internet on potential areas to live in both NOVA and Maryland, but seem to be left frustrated most the time.
I am currently pre-pre-planning/researching with a potential job offer on the horizon. The job would be located in the Mclean, VA area. I'm searching for an area that would suit my family and I to relocate to (wife, 2 daughters [a 2 yr. old & a 9 month old] and our dog [American Bulldog]. A few things that would be of importance to us:
1. Safe, friendly neighborhood 2. Quality schools (preferably public, but haven't ruled out the option of private either) 3. Affordability (let me just say we CANNOT afford a $1Mill.+ home) - Although we could afford to extend our housing budget, we would prefer to stick between $350K-$400K. We like to vacation and I want toys (boat, etc). We want to live very conservatively (financially speaking) so I don't want to dump all of our money into house payments. 4. Commute. I would be willing to commute 45 min-1 hr. if that would get us into a more affordable, suitable area.
A little background on our current living situation: We currently live in a very safe, quiet, friendly suburb of the Twin Cities. Our home was built in 2009 (5 bd, 4 ba, 3,600 sq. ft). Purchased for $350K three years ago.
One of the main factors of choosing this home was because of the school district. The grade schools, middle schools, and high schools are all great.
Admittedly, I've been shocked at the housing market for the D.C. surrounding area, even after I knew it was an expensive area to live. We are not needing to find a home that is the same size as our current home by any means, but I also don't want to move my family into a cardboard box either. Essentially, I would like to relocate into a home that is comfortable for us and the area is safe for children (3-4 Bd, 2+ Ba, 2,000+ sq. ft.).
This is a bit longwinded already, but I felt that if I can provide as many details of what we are looking for and our current living situation, I might get better suggestions/feedback.
Look at Loudoun County. Look at places like Asburn, Leesburg, Brambleton, etc... That's what I thought as I was reading your post. If you had a bigger housing budget, I would say Reston, or some other area of Fairfax County.
Look at Loudoun County. Look at places like Asburn, Leesburg, Brambleton, etc... That's what I thought as I was reading your post. If you had a bigger housing budget, I would say Reston, or some other area of Fairfax County.
For 400k in Loudoun, you will get a 3 bedroom townhome.
And to keep the commute under 45 minutes, you are likely taking the Toll Road and /or Greenway. That will add up.
We just did the reverse move, I moved to the Twin Cities last September from DC!
If your job is in Mclean, I don't think you want to commute from MD, 270 gets really bad South towards the city. Traffic on the Beltway is also pretty bad. Checking out Ashburn, Leesburg, Loudin etc is pretty good. 66 gets pretty backed up, but you should be able to find something.
If you are willing to sacrafice some space and want to be closer to the city. Maybe check out Shirlington, or Alexandria? Shirlington is a cute area close to the city and seems like it is still affordable, it also has a cute downtown. I think you should be able to find something between 400k-550k it just wont have a huge lot.
Your best bet for distance to work, safe neighborhoods, good schools and something within your budget in my opinion will be the Burke-West Springfield area. While not single family homes, three level townhomes can be quite spacious and offer enough separation that you won't feel crowded. It's about 13-15 miles to the McLean area and by virtue of direction on what amounts to a north-south route you avoid much of the really bad commuter arterials in/out of DC. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...18,14&qdm=true https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Keen...38.9178001!3e0
Thank you everyone for your suggestions and information.
It sounds as if we should try and find something in VA, which i think we would prefer.
Can any of you shed some light or your thoughts on resale of townhomes in the area? My knowledge of townhomes in Twin cities area is that they can be a bit tough to resell, as many people, at least in the suburbs prefer a single-family home. But the cost to get into a single-family is much less here. Is it the same for townhomes in the NOVA/DC area? We wouldn't dismiss the option to buy a townhouse, but would need to be able to resell it a few years down the line because we ultimately would like to be in a single-family home for the long-run.
Also, my wife is an RN (specifically an Orthopedic RN at a surgery center), and she would be looking for, preferably, a surgery center or secondly, a hospital to gain employment in the NOVA area. Are there plenty of options to look into or might she have to look closer to DC? Does anyone have any knowledge of what she would need to do to have her MN license transferred to VA or MD? Would she need to re-test or just apply?
We just did the reverse move, I moved to the Twin Cities last September from DC!
If your job is in Mclean, I don't think you want to commute from MD, 270 gets really bad South towards the city. Traffic on the Beltway is also pretty bad. Checking out Ashburn, Leesburg, Loudin etc is pretty good. 66 gets pretty backed up, but you should be able to find something.
If you are willing to sacrafice some space and want to be closer to the city. Maybe check out Shirlington, or Alexandria? Shirlington is a cute area close to the city and seems like it is still affordable, it also has a cute downtown. I think you should be able to find something between 400k-550k it just wont have a huge lot.
Good luck!!
Interested to know what your personal thoughts are in comparing the two areas?
Interested to know what your personal thoughts are in comparing the two areas?
If you're asking about comparing Loudoun and places in Arlington like Shirlington basically it's this:
- Loudoun County (especially on the more developed side east of Route 15) is new sprawling outer suburbs with larger newer housing stock, new roads, new schools, new shopping centers, etc. and a crapton of traffic, long distances and commutes to almost anything and everything. Hot real estate market and a lot of young families new to the area.
- Arlington County (and City of Alexandria and City of Falls Church) are older, urbanized suburbs with smaller, more expensive housing. Convenience and location are its biggest draws. Schools are good but check the ratings and rankings because they can vary pretty widely from school to school. However, the housing market is EXTREMELY tight and you'll likely have to look at condos/older townhouses/ranch houses that need a ton of work. It's terrible when you buy but good when you sell.
Speaking of which, Northern Virginia generally has a very strong housing market at all levels and reselling isn't usually a problem here, even for townhomes. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule but if the house is in any kind of decent shape (and if it's in a hot neighborhood, even if it isn't) you'll be fine.
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