Job in Arlington - Need Housing Help! (Washington: apartments, for rent)

[nsomniac]

Hi, my wife and I are considering moving to the area and I'd be taking a job in Arlington that pays 50-60k. My wife is a teacher and will most likely look for a job although it's so close to the school year she may not find one at this point! Also we are a young couple and may look to start having kids soon and we're considering her staying home with them...

What I need to know is if we can survive on just my salary... I'll be honest we're from the Midwest and the prices for apartments seem insanely high to us! We're used to paying about $750-$1000 per month for a decent size (at least 1000 square feet) 2 bedroom apartment. Can we find anything like this in or around Arlington? We're willing to commute and live outside the city a little ways (30-45 minute commute) if necessary.

Also, we've never lived anywhere with decent public transit. Is the commuter rail fairly reliable? It sounds like it is. I guess we'll have to look into that and adjusting to it accordingly.

If anyone has advice on finding an affordable place to live in a safe neighborhood, and any other tips for Midwesterners looking to relocate that would be fantastic! Thank you in advance...

[SmerkyGrl]

You will most likely not be able to raise a family on 50-60k, not in Arlington. The housing prices in Arlington are a tad higher than what you'll be used to. A decent 2 bedroom can range from $1500-$2000. Be prepared for that. If you want lower prices, I suggest fanning out a bit toward Annandale or Falls Church. But even in those places, you need to be prepared to be paying upward to $1,800 for a 2 bedroom. Sorry, this definitely isn't the midwest with midwest prices! The economy is shot but our job market is still pretty decent, thus driving people like yourselves to flock here and creating a pretty big demand for renters.

The metro here is very reliable, so at least that will be a nice change. Just go to the DC metro website and study the rail lines and you'll be good to go. Compared to most other metro systems, our's is extremely clean, safe, and reliable.

Just a heads up though, the living costs will probably be higher than you'll be used to. Most people who are looking to raise a family should have at least $80k per year to do so. Otherwise, you'll be scraping by.

Good luck!

[nsomniac]

We just saw an ad on Craigslist for decent looking apartments in Germantown/Canterbury MD...(2 bd/2ba for $1195) What's that area like? I understand taxes are worse in Maryland though...

[juniperbleu]

Germantown generally seems nice. It's further out, which can make it a little cheaper. However, your drive to Arlington will not be enjoyable. I'd say at least an hour each way. Where in Arlington will you be working? Will there be parking (for Arlington, I'm assuming yes, but you never know)?

In general, supporting a family in this area on $50-60k will be very difficult. A lot of people I know are making that individually and live in studios or a bigger place with roommates. To live on that budget you'd have to look further out and deal with a 60-90 minute commute, each way. For now you can get a decent 1-bedroom apartment somewhere for the two of you and feel the area out.

[nsomniac]

Yes they have parking for me where I'd be working in Arlington. So I wouldn't have to use the rail line necessarily. However spending 60-90 minutes in the car each way will cost a lot in the way of gas and time.

[mlv311]

Originally Posted by nsomniac

Yes they have parking for me where I'd be working in Arlington. So I wouldn't have to use the rail line necessarily. However spending 60-90 minutes in the car each way will cost a lot in the way of gas and time.

To stay within your commuting time limit (under an hour), you'll need to find a place inside the beltway, particularly if you plan to drive to work and you work regular business hours. Check out Craig's List and the Washington Post online to get a feel for rent prices by area.

As far as your wife's job prospects, she may want to look into a job as a substitute teacher if it turns out to be too late to find a regular teaching job.

[DCguy03]

You might want to consider living close to your job and paying a slightly higher monthly rent. There are a lot of places in Arlington that are within walking distance of the office districts so that you could walk to work. I know it might seem crazy to pay an extra $2-300 in rent each month, but it evens out if your commute costs $0 (walking commute).

If you drive an hour each way, every weekday, that is 10 hours/week...or 40 hours/month driving...which will cost roughly $100/wk or $400/mo in gas. That cost alone makes it better to live closer to work, but when you factor in car maintenance costs, etc., it is truly a better value to live close to work.

You can probably find a 2 bedroom apt for $1400-1500/mo. in Arlington. What neighborhood is your office going to be in? I'd be happy to recommend some affordable neighborhoods to live in based on that.

[adamf]

Off-topic, but just a fellow Midwesterner who's moving to DC this summer saying Hi...

[orion1778]

Originally Posted by DCguy03

If you drive an hour each way, every weekday, that is 10 hours/week...or 40 hours/month driving...which will cost roughly $100/wk or $400/mo in gas. That cost alone makes it better to live closer to work, but when you factor in car maintenance costs, etc., it is truly a better value to live close to work.

I know it is difficult to put a dollar value on time, but think about that for a second... thats 40 hours per month, 480 hours per year (20 full days!) that you spend doing nothing but driving to and from your job. Can you imagine the things you could accomplish if you had 40 extra hours per month to spare?

[nsomniac]

DCGuy03 - My job will be located right near the Clarendon Station of the Metro rail. If you can give me some ideas for affordable neighborhoods based on that, I would be grateful! Thanks.

Adamf - What part of the Midwest ya coming from? We've sort of been all over... from Kansas City originally but have spent the last several years in Minnesota...