Looking to move to Leesburg Area home search (Suffolk, Herndon: real estate, 2015)

[Moorea03]

We are looking to move from Suffolk County, Long Island, NY to the Leesburg area. We are currently looking but not planning on moving until summer 2015. We visited last July and will be coming down again this April to look around. We are looking for a good family neighborhood where kids play together that is not too far from parks, shopping, restaurants, etc. Would also like to be within driving distance from Ida Lee Park. Currently looking at homes in Selma Estates and resales in the surrounding Leesburg area. We are looking for a 4 bedroom + house, on half and acre, for under $750,000 and less than $10,000 in taxes. Low HOA association fees. Any feedback on Selma Estates and the area it is located in? Any suggestions on other areas of Leesburg? From visiting, I believe that most things, downtown, shopping, etc are a ten minute drive from any part of the area.

I am currently a stay at home Mom but would be looking to return to a job outside the home two years after moving. My husband would be working in Herndon. I believe that is a 40-45 minute commute (we would like to keep it at about that or less). Any suggested routes that might have less traffic would be appreciated. Does using the Dulles toll road save any time? If so, how much time?

We have two children that will be turning 5 and 3 shortly after we would move. What age do children start kindergarten in VA? I've heard that the registration process is in person, is it any different for new residents? I know that there was just a lot of redistricting in the area schools (and there may be more as the population grows), and that doesn't concern me, although I would prefer my children to be in schools that have good programs, music, science, etc. My youngest is born a week after the school cut off date. Is it possible to put your child ahead that year (since it is only a week), not sure I would want to do it with the core curriculum but would like to know the options.

[SophieDaphne]

Hi there!
I relocated from Suffolk County, too (West Babylon, to be exact). I don't own a home yet (I'm in school and rent), but if you have any questions regarding the area/differences between LI & NoVA, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Good luck!

[Moorea03]

Hi SophieDaphne. I would love to hear what you think the differences (positive and negative) are between NoVA and LI. I grew up in the Huntington area, Leesburg reminds me of how LI was about 30 years ago (don't know if you would be old enought to remember), before it was over built and congested.

Anyone else have any input? I'm new to this, so if I didn't post enought info, please let me know. Thanks!

[dmv101010]

Your budget is great its just getting the 1/2 acre that i would see to be a problem. I grew up in Leesburg and still live here and love it, schools are awesome people are pretty friendly.
For just being 4 of you I have to ask why you want such a large home? I could think of a million different things to spend my money on the wouldn't be a mcmansion in Leesburg.
Oh and Kindy is only half day here.
Best of luck you'll love it here.

[newnewsmama]

Welcome to Loudoun.

Lansdowne has one section with 1/2 lots. Raspberry Falls have some homes on bigger lots too.

Kindergarten registration starts on April 8. I think the process is the same for new residents. Kids who go to kindergarten have to be five years old by either August or September. I can't remember the exact month and date of the age cutoff.

[LillyJo]

Cut off is the end of September but many people hold their children back a year if they have a summer birthday. Pushing your child to be the youngest child in his class is a mistake, maybe not in kindergarten, but in later grades. No kid wants to the youngest, and often the smallest. No kid wants to be the last to drive, the last to wear makeup, etc. It's also not fun to be in college and be the youngest. Don't rush your children in school. It's a mistake. Give your child the gift of another year of childhood.

[stpickrell]

Problem with the area North of town is that the 15 Bypass gets tied up pretty awful in the PM with folks heading to the shopping centers + Maryland commuters all going home. I'd be looking to the South and West of town for that reason. Are you completely set on having an HOA or would you like 1-2 acres + well/septic?

You can get a place w/o HOA fees to the South and West of town with an acre or two for under 750k. Not sure if you're pining for new construction or not though. If you want new construction that will be a taller order.

I don't think you'll get Lansdowne + 1/2 acre for under 750k though.

[Moorea03]

We're definitely not looking for a Mcmansion (or that sort of mentality), and while our budget is $750,000, that's the ceiling, we would love to pay less. If we could get more land that would be great as well, we just hadn't seen anything within a reasonable commute for my husband. We are fine with new construction or resale. We would like public water rather than a private well and gas rather than propane. When we were there last July the real estate agent took us to a couple of resales, but the houses were very close together.

We're looking for 4 bedrooms as we need a master bedroom, one for each child, and then another for family visiting from out of town, as we are close with our families and are moving away from them.

What towns or areas in the South or West of town would you recommend?

[Moorea03]

Any thoughts on roads my husband would take to work to lessen the commute?

[stpickrell]

Anything in the 20175 or 20176 ZIP codes (Leesburg). I'd look at options in Hamilton, Purcellville, and Round Hill as long as they are near Route 7.

The Greenway (west of 28) and Toll Road (east of 28) DO save time -- it will run you about $10-$11 a day in tolls however.

Purcellville to Herndon is about 35 minutes w/o traffic but unless there's an accident things typically don't get terrible in the AM until right after the Greenway and all the traffic from 28 gets on. In the PM, there's a hill west of Leesburg on 7 and if you're stuck behind a truck it can get dicey (Fridays there can be a long line of people trying to get off at the Purcellville exit).