Neighborhood advice (Fairfax) - houses NO MORE than $450K, good schools, FULL-day K (Reston: living in, marketplace) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - Page 5 - City-Data Forum

restoner · 01-30-2011, 05:21 PM

This SFH is in a very nice location in Reston off Lawyers Rd-

Home for Sale at 11502 Drop Forge Lane Reston VA - Real Estate Listings - MLS #FX7519639 - Realtor.com®

stpickrell · 01-31-2011, 07:02 AM

Moving to an area based on all-day kindergarten is, to me, a lifelong solution to a one or two-year problem.

If your boss was was willing to let you telework from Austin, I'm sure working half-days from home can be doable. Given that you're asking for a SFH in good repair in a good school zone, I'm going to say that may have to be the first on your wish list to cross off. (Speaking of which, why would it have to be Austin? Are other cities options?)

FX County Parkway will be pretty crowded heading NB in the morning/SB in the afternoon. If your hubby is heading to Ashburn, then may as well get on 28 to whatever.

We live in the second-richest county in the country. The housing stock will be priced accordingly. I'd like to live in a 3000 SF home like the ones in Winchester or (more likely) Front Royal at your price point. But I don't get to.

Fairfax sounds like your best bet for house price/condition and location for a generic commute.

Woodson is well-regarded and Fairfax is in the middle of the FCPS pack.

car54 · 01-31-2011, 07:27 AM

I think County-wide full-day K is going to happen soon....

I say this because the higher ups in Transportation (I drive a school bus) are hinting around that us drivers with kindergarten runs should prepare for a large pay cut....on the order of 25-30 percent....when our midday K-runs are eliminated. This won't impact me because I'm retired and drive a bus for fun....but many of my colleagues will need to find other employment.

BTW, full-day or not...please, please be at your kinder's stop to receive them! If you want someone else to receive them, make sure that person is on file with the school as authorized to recieve your child! If not, we HAVE to take them back to school! This usually upsets the child and often makes us seriously late to our next bus run...

hilsmom · 01-31-2011, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Moving to an area based on all-day kindergarten is, to me, a lifelong solution to a one or two-year problem.

If your boss was was willing to let you telework from Austin, I'm sure working half-days from home can be doable. Given that you're asking for a SFH in good repair in a good school zone, I'm going to say that may have to be the first on your wish list to cross off. (Speaking of which, why would it have to be Austin? Are other cities options?)

Half days wouldn't get me up to my 30 hours/week.

No, other cities are NOT an option. Austin was to be close to my husband's family, who is never going to leave TX. My parents are planning to move wherever we are. If we stay here, they are moving here. Both of our jobs make the most sense here, really. I see no reason to uproot to a different city to be close to just ONE set of grandparents.

Look, I think there are good options for us in good school pyramids that already have full-day K. I realize it is a one-year thing, but it is on my wish list and it appears that I have gotten several good recommendations already. Not to mention, if my child is accepted to one of the lottery schools in Reston, we already know several neighborhoods we like that are relatively affordable closeby in Reston and Herndon. My budget isn't going to get me McLean or Great Falls, but if it is HS you are all worried about, how do you know my kid can't go to TJ? OR a private school?

I'm looking for suggestions and I'm not buying tomorrow. It is still possible that we WILL move to Austin this summer, but I'm a crazy planner and like to know I have options.

hilsmom · 01-31-2011, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by car54

BTW, full-day or not...please, please be at your kinder's stop to receive them! If you want someone else to receive them, make sure that person is on file with the school as authorized to recieve your child! If not, we HAVE to take them back to school! This usually upsets the child and often makes us seriously late to our next bus run...

No problem - I will definitely have SOMEONE to pick her up if we even put her on a bus. I actually prefer NOT to do that, which is why I'd like a neighborhood with a school I can walk to.

Thanks for the heads up - it appears the negotiations with the Clifton school closing may accelerate the full-day K implementation in the schools receiving those children. We shall see - again, we're not going out to REALLY hunt for a couple months. These decisions should be made by then.

jillabean · 01-31-2011, 08:04 AM

I didn't see anyone mention this, so I will. Fairfax County schools have a program called SACC (school age child care). You might consider that as well. It is relatively inexpensive (and is based on your income level), but I wouldn't call it cheap. The most you would pay (if you are in the top income bracket) is $300 a month for "Kindergarten SACC" (which basically changes your 1/2 day kindergarten into a full day at school--half-day kindergarten and 1/2 day in SACC).

It's worth consideration if you find a house and area you love and the only thing lacking is full day kindergarten.

hilsmom · 01-31-2011, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillabean

I didn't see anyone mention this, so I will. Fairfax County schools have a program called SACC (school age child care). You might consider that as well. It is relatively inexpensive (and is based on your income level), but I wouldn't call it cheap. The most you would pay (if you are in the top income bracket) is $300 a month for "Kindergarten SACC" (which basically changes your 1/2 day kindergarten into a full day at school--half-day kindergarten and 1/2 day in SACC).

It's worth consideration if you find a house and area you love and the only thing lacking is full day kindergarten.

I am aware of SACC and the After-K program for the half-day schools. I would definitely have to pay that $300 IF we can even get in. Admission isn't guaranteed as far as I know. I registered for the school in my district in October for NEXT Fall and I believe I was already waitlisted.

I would prefer to avoid that cost if I can. This is why I asked for full-day K neighborhoods.

Now, can we please stop arguing about half-day vs. full-day and offer suggestions based on my criteria?

Bigfoot424 · 01-31-2011, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilsmom

Bigfoot424 - I know, it is insane when THAT budget is so "low-rent" We make more than $100K combined, for crying out loud - finding a decent house shouldn't be this hard. There were so many reasons why I was hoping to get to Austin by this summer, but oh, well!

We were THIS.CLOSE to moving to PWC a couple years ago when my husband was commuting to Stafford. Then he got the job in Ashburn. Again, a lot of moving targets here, but I do prefer Fairfax just for the possibility that I may go back to working in the city at SOME point. We have several months, though - we shall see. PWC is all full-day K, correct?

Sorry. I don't know. My kids went to Manassas City schools.

jillabean · 01-31-2011, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilsmom

I am aware of SACC and the After-K program for the half-day schools. I would definitely have to pay that $300 IF we can even get in. Admission isn't guaranteed as far as I know. I registered for the school in my district in October for NEXT Fall and I believe I was already waitlisted.

I would prefer to avoid that cost if I can. This is why I asked for full-day K neighborhoods.

Now, can we please stop arguing about half-day vs. full-day and offer suggestions based on my criteria?

My intent wasn't to argue, my intent was to let you know about the program as in option in case you didn't know. Sorry if I came across wrong.

hilsmom · 01-31-2011, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillabean

My intent wasn't to argue, my intent was to let you know about the program as in option in case you didn't know. Sorry if I came across wrong.

OK, sorry - didn't mean to jump on you. If your intent was to just tell me something you thought I maybe was not aware of, thank you for that

I'm just not sure why people can't just leave the issue alone and give me suggestions based on my criteria. We all have our reasons for what we want out of a neighborhood, right? If I really CAN'T find everything I want in a full-day K school neighborhood, fine - I will deal with that. I feel we have enough lead time to find all the things we want, though.