So many choices! Where is a great area buy now? (Burke: 2015, apartment)

[nu2VA]

Hello, I just moved here from Las Vegas. I used to live in Sterling 14 years ago, but the area has changed alot since I lived here.

Now I'm back and I want to live near my family, but I no longer know the area well enough to choose a location. I've been hearing all kinds of conflicting info as to where to buy. Here is what I'm looking for. Any help you guys can give me is much appreaciated!!

My price range is $550,000, I want a 3/4 bd 2/3 ba home w/ a nice yard or view. 2 car garage. Most importantly I want it in a great area w/ a lot of appreicaition potential. I'm single and like to go out so I think something that is close to the toll roads would be good.

Where should I be looking? Reston, Ashburn, Broadlands, Brambleton, McLean, Falls Church, Burke, Fairfax ???? I'm feeling overwhelmed!

Thanks for your suggestions!

[Tish Thompson]

Feeling overwhelmed?? Rightfully so! There is so much to choose from, it's easy to go into overload. As far as appreciation, any area in NOVA is a good choice. One thing to keep in mind is if you decide on single family, go with at least a 4BR, 2.5 bath. If you decide on 3 BRs it should be a condo/townhouse. 3 BR houses are hard to sell in this area.

Ashburn, Broadlands, Brambleton are hot spots because they're close to the "tech " companies...a lot of companies are headquartered in the Dulles Corridor. Those areas are also close to the toll roads. If you go with Reston, I think a good place would be around the Town Center. There are some really nice condos around there...and not just the apartment style condos that a lot of folks are used to seeing.

[nu2VA]

Thanks for the info, I was looking at a few single family homes and didn't know the 4 / 2.5 are whats popular here, in Vegas its 3 /2 ! Thanks!

[mlv311]

The areas you mention are all nice although you are more likely to find a SFH with 4 bedrooms/2.5 baths in your price range in Burke versus McLean. Reston has become very popular, particularly with single professionals and they expect metro service in the future so that's a plus from a resale standpoint.

I would just suggest focusing your search on an area that is an "easy" commute to your workplace. Good luck.

[dullnboring]

As others have said, your value everywhere will appreciate, although I personally think a good investment will be in those properties close to Metro's upcoming Silver Line. Due to be completed in 2015, the line will be going through Tysons Corner, Reston, Herndon, Dulles, and Ashburn, all of which lie along the Dulles Toll Road.

Within these areas, you can find a handful of homes in your price range in Reston, and quite a large number in Herndon, although none will be newly constructed. If looking for a newer home, I'd say that may push you out to Ashburn and potentially even further out to Leesburg where you can get the most bang for you buck. It's a matter of trade offs.

Traffic, which was never good, has gotten infinitely worst since you've been here so I feel your commute to work should be given just as much precedence when selecting a place to live as all of your other criterion, if not more.

My personal advice would be to move back for a bit, staying with family or renting out a room in someone's home or in apartment in the area, find a job (if not possible to transfer or find one from where you are now), and then after becoming re-acclimated to the area and finding a stable job and commuting and things of that nature, THEN checking out the buyer's market. Personally, I think for someone young and single with an active social life, the closer to DC, the better, but it all depends on the person really.