Want to move to Northern Virginia but don't know where to go. HELP! (Alexandria: real estate, to rent)

[smprops]

Hello All:

We are a family of 4 (2 kids under 6yrs of age).We currently live in New York, but want to move to Northern Virginia area within the next year so I am starting my research now. My husband is an Environmental Project Manager and I am in the IT arena (specifically Quality Assurance). My husband is interested in getting into a government position in his field so location to a potential government job is important.

We are looking for what some of the best/safe areas are in N. Virginia. The school system is very important to us. This is the highest priority as far as I am concerned. We would be looking for a house (where houses are not right on top of each other if you know what I mean). Pricing I would say @400k - 500k

Looking for a family oriented area. lots for kids to do / lots for families to do

I will continue my research based on feedback I get from this forum.

Can anyone help/advise?

Thanks in advance for your comments

[novadc]

Hi there, there are others on this forum that are more knowledgeable, but I would say it depends on your tolerance for a commute. For 400-500k, you're definitely going to need to be outside the Beltway, I would say as far out as Herndon, Gainesville, etc. But then you're looking at at least a 45 min. commute. I live in Alexandria, which is 20-30 min. from downtown DC and is a super-cute town on the Potomac, but a nice, updated/renovated/new house, maybe 2000 square feet is going to cost at least 700,000. Maybe start looking out at Reston, Herndon, etc. and go from there? Good luck!

[CaliTerp07]

You can look around and get a feel for different areas, but until you have jobs I wouldn't pick out a specific place. Traffic and commutes dictate where people live here. Unless you can stomach multiple hours in traffic each day, you'll want to plan around where your jobs are.

[smprops]

thanks for the quick response. I would say no more than a 1 hour commute so I will consider all suggestions.

[FairfaxGuy73]

I probably can't post the links, but find a real estate site that allows you to search by price. Then search this forum on the areas. Most topics have been discussed a zillion times.

Finally, don't move here for a job unless you already have something set up. We have a long thread on it. The job market is _bad_ here even in skilled areas. Even people with inside connections are unemployed. Most would do better staying where they are.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by novadc

Hi there, there are others on this forum that are more knowledgeable, but I would say it depends on your tolerance for a commute. For 400-500k, you're definitely going to need to be outside the Beltway, I would say as far out as Herndon, Gainesville, etc. But then you're looking at at least a 45 min. commute. I live in Alexandria, which is 20-30 min. from downtown DC and is a super-cute town on the Potomac, but a nice, updated/renovated/new house, maybe 2000 square feet is going to cost at least 700,000. Maybe start looking out at Reston, Herndon, etc. and go from there? Good luck!

Who gave you the idea you'd need to spend more than $500K to find a house inside the Beltway? There are plenty of properties below $500K both within the Beltway and right outside the Beltway. They may not always be in the top-ranked schools, but they'll still be in highly-ranked school districts. [NoVa is not like NY/NJ/PA, where every town or borough typically has its own school system.]

Best for at least the OP or her spouse to find a job first before deciding where to live. But, if the OP or her spouse ends up finding a job in DC, commuting from Reston or Herndon likely would be a serious pain.

[smprops]

Originally Posted by FairfaxGuy73

I probably can't post the links, but find a real estate site that allows you to search by price. Then search this forum on the areas. Most topics have been discussed a zillion times.

Finally, don't move here for a job unless you already have something set up. We have a long thread on it. The job market is _bad_ here even in skilled areas. Even people with inside connections are unemployed. Most would do better staying where they are.

We definitely would not move unless at least one of us had a job lined up. I just wanted to get an idea of the different areas in Northern Virginia that met our criteria. I know the commute could potentially be an issue, but as I mentioned before, the school system is going to be our highest priority an we may just have to deal with an awful commute.

thanks again

[Alicia Bradley]

There are some adorable little SFHs inside the Beltway for under $500k (but not much under, mind you) - in excellent pyramids, too - but they're mostly way too small to be called bungalows.. micro-bungalows, maybe? Oh, and did I mention scuffed nylon floors in the kitchen and bathroom, and knife-scarred laminate countertops? So they might end up costing you well over $500k in the long run, actually. But a lot of them do have hardwood under their aged carpeting.

[heatherm941]

Fairfax county is known for good schools and there are many great and safe places to live. I know it may be frustrating, but picking a "side of town" is very important for your commute so it is really impossible to research to far without knowing exactly where you will work. Just know most of Fairfax county is nice with very good schools and you won't have trouble finding saftey and good schools. The biggest problem with the area is the price of real estate. You may want to rent first until you get a feel of exactly where you want to go because it is such an investment. I am not sure what kind of houses are inside the beltway for under 500,000 because I have never seen them but my guess would be very small and old ramblers. Outside the beltway, a modest size properties built in the 60-70s with a standard lot are going to be 450-650.

Best of luck

[jmking]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

There are some adorable little SFHs inside the Beltway for under $500k (but not much under, mind you) - in excellent pyramids, too - but they're mostly way too small to be called bungalows.. micro-bungalows, maybe? Oh, and did I mention scuffed nylon floors in the kitchen and bathroom, and knife-scarred laminate countertops? So they might end up costing you well over $500k in the long run, actually. But a lot of them do have hardwood under their aged carpeting.

You just described my house. However, mine's a cheapy for 450k.