Manassas, Woodbridge, Nokesville, Gainesville, etc.

[Momo4k]

Many, many thanks to wsamon, vermonter16, ChristineVA...more good points than I can outline. I appreciate your insight given what I've shared regarding our situation (btw, we live in a suburb of Minneapolis with a 20-minute work commute to another suburb--and don't possibly expect or necessarily want to replicate that in DC/VA). I'm thankful for those who've been blunt about the realities and those who've shared creative solutions.

Perhaps the only way to know if the area of discussion is 'all that' for us, we'll have to immerse ourselves as best as we can within the confines of house hunting, and see if it's even *worth* negotiating work from home, banking time on the train, driving in on those days the kids have a special event, etc. A logistical nightmare, perhaps. But if it better suits our personalities that the suburban Joneses mindset we put up with now, then maybe we can figure something out on the work end. My husband has been with the company for a number of years and has some pull. If it's a bust, well, then we suck it up, buy a house in town, and save up for a cabin, maybe by the time we have grandchildren.

[michgc]

I think wsamon's comments are excellent! And I totally agree - this is not the type of place that is ideal for finding acreage unless you are working out that way, too. A long commute does not make anyone happy. (Although, if you were already living there and had to do it, it's a different story.) Educational opportunities abound in this area. Most are historical/governmental in nature and cannot be replicated anywhere else in this country - the White House, the Capitol, the Smithsonians, independent museums, cultural activities on the mall, etc. If you are living way out, it would be more of a hassle to take advangage of these.

If you want to take advantage of DC's museums and are "on the go" homeschoolers, why not try to live as close to DC as possible? And you can live in a nice, but older home, on a smaller lot of land closer in and still enjoy privacy, nice neighbors, and trips to the "country." And more importantly, your husband will have a shorter, much more enjoyable commute and more time for the family.

Homeschoolers abound in this area - there are two families in my "in town (of Vienna)" neighborhood alone. It's so easy for them to hop on the Metro during the day and explore all of the museums. It's just as easy to head west to Middleburg, Winchester, or Warrenton and learn about or experience more agricultural opportunities.

If you could state your budget, we may be able to name placs that would be a good fit for you and an easier commute for your husband.

[wsamon]

My personal opinion, and it seems to be the MO around here, is that you should not look to buy right away. You should identify several different areas that you may be interested in and rent there for at least a couple months first. I would suggest trying out a close in suburb (Arlington, Alexandria), a mid-range suburb (Springfield, Vienna, maybe Woodbridge, Centerville, Chantilly, etc.) and a more rural area (Nokesville, Gainesville, Occuquan, etc.).

Even though you seem to lean more towards country settings, you may find that the short commute, improved family time, and amenities make up for the lack of space. Some of these places are still relatively open, have parks, walking and biking trails, water, etc.. Alexandria is an example. I grew up in a small town in PA and am not the biggest fan of cities either. However, I really enjoyed living in Centreville (minus the commute which just became too much), and have really grown to love Alexandria. FWIW, DC is also a very nice city for people that aren't fans of cities.

Yes, this method will cost you a little more, but the knowledge will be invaluable; and this is knowledge that you cannot get from anyone else because it is entirely unique to you. Consider it an investment in your family's future happiness and well-being.

Of course, the biggest problem with this is that if you wait too long you may miss out on the historically low mortgage rates that are already rising. They'll still be low when you go to buy, but it could be a good percentage point or two higher. Also, home values may start rising again soon, especially now that Forbes published a list stating that DC has the strongest job market in the country.

If you absolutely have to buy a place right now, I think I would consider looking in the Leesburg area. Depending on where your husband works, he may be able to get a metro bus that will take him directly from Leesburg close to his job. This would be cheap and relatively fast (45-50 min each way). I know that there's one that drops people off right near the Farragut West metro. It's also a less populated area (for the DC metro anyway), has historic sections, and has very quick and easy access to rural parts of Virginia.

[Alicia Bradley]

Another thing, Momo4k, be *sure* to visit any area you're considering living before you make any sort of commitment that might be hard to back out of. Lots of the suburbs in the DC metro area - even the some of the far-flung ones, and even plenty of the high-median-income ones - can have a, well, 'grittier' look than you might be expecting in your current paradigm. ('Grittier' isn't exactly the right word, since they're not urban, per se.. maybe 'shabbier' is a better word?) There are lots of factors involved here - the higher population density and associated harder/heavier use of the existing (insufficient, but that's for another post ) infrastructure has a lot to do with it, though.

You will find 'walkable' mixed-use facilities/outdoor malls springing up here and there throughout the DC suburbs, and these won't look 'gritty' or 'shabby,' since they're usually quite new, but then you have the whole 'generic' issue. (And I'm sure the Minneapolis suburbs have plenty of generic parts, so this wouldn't necessarily be new to you. ) Finally, if you can swing living *way* out (and, like others here, I wouldn't recommend it if the job is in DC proper), there are a few cute, well-preserved (small-ish, though usually growing alarmingly quickly) historic towns with actual city centers (Fredericksburg, Winchester - even Leesburg in Loudoun County), but most of us don't have the luxury of living that far out.