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Old 08-02-2007, 04:51 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,871 times
Reputation: 11

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Hello Everyone,
I'm considering making a big life-time move from a beautiful place but the clientele is too old for this active 39 year old Mom.

Is Fairfax an active young community and is it easy to meet young families?
I'm a Realtor in this soft market and would be moving to Fairfax to do the same kind of work? In a better market is this an area that is desirable and growing? If not what other areas would you direct me to?
Is the school system in the Fairfax area overall great?
Is the traffic in Fairfax bad everywhere or are there some area that you can live in and get around it?
Any other details or opinions you can pass along would be very much appreciated. I'm looking for a fantastically young, active, beautiful area with good schools, parks and young people who want to enjoy life.
Thank you,
Roxanne in Naples
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Old 08-02-2007, 05:13 PM
 
1,261 posts, read 6,111,266 times
Reputation: 565
Quote:
Originally Posted by NaplesRoxanne View Post
I'm looking for a fantastically young, active, beautiful area with good schools, parks and young people who want to enjoy life.
While I love living in the DC metro area and enjoy living in Fairfax, I'm not sure it meets your criteria. First of all, Fairfax is a large county with over a million people. While I don't like to generalize, the DC area as a whole is very career-oriented so I don't know if you'll meet a lot of people "who are enjoying life." Many people work long hours. Traffic is bad...maybe not as bad as LA or NYC, but it is up there. Many people have over an hour commute each way to work.

Fairfax County schools are excellent. While there are nice parks and many activities available for anyone to enjoy, I don't consider the DC metro area an "outdoorsy type of place" like Seattle, for example. Cost of living is high here too.
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Old 08-02-2007, 08:12 PM
 
17 posts, read 67,713 times
Reputation: 28
Default Bloom Where You're Planted

I believe you can be happy wherever you are if that's what you choose to be. I'm not a Realtor, but have worked in the industry for 20 years with the premier real estate company here in the Mid-Atlantic. If you would like to sell real estate here and live in the Fairfax area, or Northern Virginia in general, I can certainly help you. I've lived in Fairfax for 25 years. As a real estate agent, you already know you just can't generalize about an area. There are great things, and there are drawbacks. But if you are working close to where you are living, the commute is not really an issue. The economy here is incredibly stable and while the housing market isn't what it was 18 months ago, houses are still selling here and housing prices have not plummeted as they have in Florida, Nevada and Arizona.

Follow your muse. If you want guidance, I'd be happy to help you. I'm a few years older than you, a single mother of 3, and this is good place to live. But it's really all about expectations and attitude.
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Old 08-02-2007, 08:44 PM
 
Location: Northwestern VA
982 posts, read 3,491,215 times
Reputation: 569
Roxanne,

We're close in age and I think Northern VA is a "happening" place...there's something for everyone around here. I'm a single mom of three. Ultimately it all boils down to what you're willing to do to make life work for you up here. Traffic is a fact of life in Northern VA...there are shortcuts, but since everyone else knows them, they're not a lot of good (lol). Being an agent allows me to set a schedule where I can avoid traffic for the mostpart. I live in Prince William County, and there are planned communities here that cater to the needs of everyone. There are 55+ neighborhoods, neighborhoods that are built as "family" neighborhoods...if you check the demographics (Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed) I think you'll find lots of places that meet your needs.

Last edited by Yac; 01-08-2008 at 05:35 AM..
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Old 08-09-2007, 06:48 AM
 
20 posts, read 60,844 times
Reputation: 16
Hello Roxanne in Naples,

Our family just relocated in June from Naples to Fairfax County and we have two young children. We relocated due to job transfers to the DC Metro area. When choosing where to live, our top priority was the school system so Fairfax Co. was a logical choice. Our next criteria was well-established neighborhood with lots of other families with young children. And then, of course, commute time to the metro DC was important factor as well. We ended up focusing on the West Springfield/Burke area and are happy with the choice.

I loved living in Naples and miss much about it- the laid back small town feel, the proximity to great restaurants, shopping and the beach, etc. But I totally understand about the older population and sleepy-town feel of Naples. We lived in a gated community there with few families and young kids; it seemed the Home Owners Association board was dominated by the retirees who weren't exactly family friendly! We've found this area to offer lots of culture and great activities for our children, incredibly friendly folks in our neighborhood and a markedly faster-pace than we had in Naples. People seem to be on the go and traffic/commuting is a constant struggle. I recall the griping about traffic in Naples during "season." Well it doesn't hold a candle to the traffic here.

If you're looking for the big-city feel, my area of Springfield/Burke would not be a good fit. Maybe look into Alexandria/Arlington/Falls Church. Good luck with you decision!
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Old 09-02-2007, 04:44 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,611 times
Reputation: 11
Default Happy to be leaving

My family moved to NOVA (Northern Virginia) 5 years ago from the midwest. The area is beautiful. The Blueridge mountians are a 45min drive away, the ocean is an hour away, NY is 3 hours away. You are in a cradle of activity. The shopping is upscale, the culture and art scene is diverse but it comes at a cost. The commute to anywhere other than the corner store is an hour. Morning rush hour starts at 6am and ladts until 10am. Evening rush hour starts at 3pm and last until 7pm. If you are looking for younger interaction you will find it, but again it is a double edge sword. The NOVA area is VERY transient due to the military. It isn't uncommon to have a new neighbor every year. The housing market has completly stalled due to an overblown market. A single family home over 1500 SF will run at least 500K. Inside the beltway add another 200k to that. NOVA is a community of townhomes. I loved it there, was a VP of a construction company and made great money. I was miserable. I am typing this respone from a teekee bar in Naples having finished my first week at my new job. I left and my family is being packed by the movers to join me. IMHO, NOVA doesn't compare.
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Old 09-02-2007, 05:02 PM
 
19,198 posts, read 31,516,035 times
Reputation: 4014
Quote:
Originally Posted by leavingVA View Post
I am typing this respone from a teekee bar in Naples having finished my first week at my new job. I left and my family is being packed by the movers to join me. IMHO, NOVA doesn't compare.
Glad you find Naples to your liking. But I have to wonder at the average speeds you must have driven in order to reach the ocean from NoVa in an hour and NYC in three. Given our new and rather punitive speeding laws here, you may have gotten out just in time... :-)

Last edited by saganista; 09-02-2007 at 05:12 PM..
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