Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Oh, but jmarkd...the drive is a beautiful one, at least. You know how Fairfax can be. It's all aggressive. I just drove out to Huntfield today and I actually liked it so much, I think we will start looking out that way. We can't nearly afford anything like that yet, but it's nice to look. At 5pm on today, a Wednesday night, I went from Huntfield to Ashburn Village Road in about 45 mintues. That's the opposite of rush hour flow. Something to consider, you know, WHERE you work and when. Then, it's not as much of a problem.
JMark, My husband and I have lived in Charles Town for 2 years, we moved from Sterling. We leave the house at 5am and arrive around 6:00-6:15 in Sterling where my husband works, (Route 9 and Route 7) and I continue on to Vienna which takes an additional 30 to 40 minutes. Yes, route 9 is crowded and it will probably get worse as time passes (we have seen an increase in traffic since we moved). Last year we only missed 1 day of work and that was because of ice by noon most of it was melted. If it snows we usually take route 340 to route 7 (Va usually keeps Route 7 cleaned off).
If you are going to Herndon you can hop on the toll road, which I have done going to Vienna (this will cut off some time).
Like anywhere if there is an accident traffic will be backed up, and if you are on 9 there is usually no place to go, so you sit.
Me personally, I like my house, my yard, I like not looking into my neighbors house, and I do not miss the constant sierns. To me the traffic is worth it.
Hi- are you still thinking of moving to Charles Town? We moved here- actually to Huntfield, at the end of July, 2006. My husband commutes to Herndon. He leaves around 5 AM (gov't job- works 6am-2 pm) and it takes him about 50 min. he doesn't take 9 though, which I hear can be shorter time-wise, it's just very winding around the mountain.
He takes 7 E either directly to Fairfax County Parkway, or to the toll road (which is faster, but there's the toll)
We LOVE Huntfield. We are from the Phil. area and were renting in N. VA when my husband 1st took the job in Herndon. We soon realized we would not be able to afford the kind of house we wanted there. We discovered WV- and are glad we did. My husband feels the commute is worth having a beautiful and affordable home for our family. Good luck!
p.s. in the 3 months we have been here, we have made more friends and gotten to know many more neighbors than the 10 mos. we were in northern VA- everybody here is a transplant to the area- which i think makes people more willing to meet the neighbors- it's a very nice community feel here in Huntfield
have you been out to huntfield lately? with the housing market slowing so much, I know the houses here have dropped drastically. I don't know what your budgetis, but there are many beautiful homes for resale that have lowered their prices and you could build SF or TH for extremely resonable prices.
i hope you come out for another look- huntfield is a great place to live
good luck
I am priced out of northern Virginia, currently renting, and considering buying a single family home in the east panhandle, perhaps in Charles Town or Harper's Ferry. I am particularly interested in the Huntfield development because of its advertised "small town" feel. If any of you live there or know about the area I would love to get your opinions.
Also, is it a tough commute? I hear 9 is crowded going into Virginia. I would be driving to Herndon. According to Google Maps that's 41 miles and should take 1 hour, 2 minutes. I would like to hear how long it actually takes during rush hour, how bad the mountain pass gets in the winter, and any other thoughts on the drive.
I am not sure if it's worth such a long drive, but my little family is going nuts in a 3 bedroom apartment. If the drive wasn't too stressful I would love to give my wife and kids the nice home they deserve.
Good luck. I looked into a job in Silver Spring that paid $20,000 MORE a year than I make here and I still couldn't afford even a basic home anywhere I'd actually WANT to live in that area. It's sad that $90 grand a year can't get you a house. I'll stay in Ohio.
I also am moving away from my parents. My brother and sister go to college far away. Ill visit my parents a few times a year and they can visit me.
Owning a house is the american dream and I can see why your wife wants one. I thought about a mobile home and renting but after seeing the nice $50k houses in some cities and towns far away from Florida, I fell in love! Wont be able to find a decent job there, but thats what a home business is for.
There are places you can find a decent job and still get a cheap home.
Cincinnati, Ohio. Houston, Texas. Raleigh, NC (getting more expensive but still not outlandish,) Kansas City, MO. Columbus, Ohio. Indianapolis, Indiana. Birmingham, Alabama.
Thanks all for the good advice. In between my OP and now, I actually found a decent home in western Loudoun. $305K for a 3BR brick rambler on a 1/3 acre. Not exactly cheap, but affordable for me and mine!
Of course we will be looking for a "move up" in a couple few years so I will consider the panhandle, as there seem to be plenty of nice people out there.
ibeg4sushi, I hear you on Fairfax aggression. Fairfax's county motto should be something like "F--- you, get outta my way." I won't miss the combat commuting. At least where I'm moving I'll have 20 minutes of relative peace before I cross the county line and let loose the dogs of war.
I just relocated my family to Charles Town from Georgia. When house shopping here we were unable to afford what we wanted in a house in the Loudoun area. We continued looking further west and found this area. It has not been regrettable. I drive into Arlington every day. It takes an hour and a half to get to work daily. I have ridden the marc train only once but prefer driving. It takes me at least two hours on the marc. we have a large house near Huntfield Subd area. We have an acre and a half and my wife and kids love it. It is definitely a nice area to come home to. It is convenient off of 7 or 9 and it is on 340. We love the slower pace here and love not having the busyness of Leesburg area and traffic nightmares. IT is convenient still to go to Winchester or Leesburg or Frederick/Hagerstown if you desire shopping etc. Charles Town is a friendly community and has nice churches and schools. It has such a small town feel that it is great to have a family near. I hear a lot about the race track but do not feel its impact on our personal lives. As far as the commute. I leave by 630 am for work. I use the greenway and have a smartpass. It is worth it. Herndon is going to take you a little over one hour. You have to decide that it is worth it for your family. I get off at 4pm and am home by 530. It is rare that this changes timewise. I have done this now for two months. The mountain views from our home are nice and Harpers Ferry is so close and is a treat. Lots of hiking , fishing, and mountain/outdoor activities available. We have been pleased with the schools. As long as you stay involved with your school/children they seem to stay ahead. Good Luck. Also-I work with people that live within 30 miles from work and it still takes them one hour to get to work. it only takes me a little further and I love what I come home to.
I also work in Reston, Va, but I currently live in Rockville. I have been impressed with WV since 2003 but never made the leap over. I am in the process of buying a home in the Prserves at Barleywood. I really love the amount of land offered and the drive out there is so peaceful that you can relax going to work and coming home. I have driven the route 9 to route 7 commute a few times now and I really enjoy the drive thru the mountains. I have a wife and 3 kids and they are all excited too. Some of our friends had concerns (being African American) but the people out there are just great. Every store that you go in ,you are greeted by a Genuine smile and great service. I fell in love with West Virginia.....
Thanks all for the good advice. In between my OP and now, I actually found a decent home in western Loudoun. $305K for a 3BR brick rambler on a 1/3 acre. Not exactly cheap, but affordable for me and mine!
Of course we will be looking for a "move up" in a couple few years so I will consider the panhandle, as there seem to be plenty of nice people out there.
ibeg4sushi, I hear you on Fairfax aggression. Fairfax's county motto should be something like "F--- you, get outta my way." I won't miss the combat commuting. At least where I'm moving I'll have 20 minutes of relative peace before I cross the county line and let loose the dogs of war.
jmark, sorry I'm late to the game, but my wife and I are looking into the Front Royal/Strasburg area of Virginia with the commute along 66 to Herndon (anyone wanna fill me in on that one please do..).... Anyway, the houses are about 100K cheaper for what you got in Loudoun and would assume the commute would be about 30 or so minutes longer....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You know how Fairfax can be. It's all aggressive. I just drove out to Huntfield today and I actually liked it so much, I think we will start looking out that way. We can't nearly afford anything like that yet, but it's nice to look. At 5pm on today, a Wednesday night, I went from Huntfield to Ashburn Village Road in about 45 mintues. That's the opposite of rush hour flow. Something to consider, you know, WHERE you work and when. Then, it's not as much of a problem.
Good suggestions
move to Charles Town
