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Old 05-01-2014, 06:38 PM
 
57 posts, read 68,364 times
Reputation: 101

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Hello!

I'm considering buying one of the older condos in Reston (the Vantage Hill area to be specific) and was wondering if anyone has information about the area? I know they're dated, but the interiors are all mostly updated and much larger than some of the newer construction units they've built. (Plus, these are much more affordable.)

Anyway, I know everything is up to individual taste and perspective ... but is it safe, worth the money, etc? It seems like a walkable area, between both RTC & Lake Anne and that seems nice ..
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Old 05-01-2014, 10:05 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,620 posts, read 77,669,252 times
Reputation: 19102
Vantage Hill is perfectly fine from a safety standpoint. I used to live at Archstone Charter Oak and frequently ran to Lake Anne via North Shore Drive and would routinely detour via the "Green Trail" over to Wainwright Drive on my way home. Yes, like the rest of Reston the community is very "dated" from an aesthetic standpoint, but you really can't beat the convenience of being walking distance to Lake Anne Plaza, Reston Town Center, and even the North Point Village Center if you were feeling more adventurous on a fair-weather day.

JfromReston is the resident Restonian expert here and should be along shortly to help, albeit he lives in (and advocates) South Reston and may not be as familiar with the Wainwright Drive area as I was. Be advised I moved out of this area in 2010, so my advice may be dated in and of itself, but I can't imagine things changed that drastically in just a few years. I'd be most worried about snow removal, to be quite frank. During the major storms a few winters ago in early-2010 my apartment community was uber-pro-active with plowing/salting the parking lot whereas North Shore Drive (a major road) and nearby Temporary Road (a major "feeder" road) weren't clear to the pavement for several days. I'm sure if those roads weren't the greatest that relatively isolated Vantage Hill Road wasn't exactly a high priority.
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Old 05-02-2014, 06:28 AM
 
Location: Reston, VA
2,090 posts, read 4,250,631 times
Reputation: 1331
Welcome to Reston!

As SCR points out I'm really a South Restonite. Actually a South Lakes Restonite! I don't know Vantage Hill - I even just looked it up on a map. I agree it is a great location between RTC and Lake Anne. With the arrival of the Silver Line being only a few months (not sure how many) away Reston is a great real estate investment and the property you are looking at is only 2 miles from the new station.
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Old 05-02-2014, 11:47 AM
 
57 posts, read 68,364 times
Reputation: 101
Default Thank you!

Thank you both for your input ...

I did just come back from looking at the unit. They are quite spacious, setup pretty well, compared to the newer constructions I've looked at. The green areas are fabulous! Seriously, it's hard to believe you're so close to everything when all you see are trees and flowers ... all you can hear are birds chirping away.

That said, the aesthetics of the units are more dated than some of the pictures I was able to find online. In driving through, you can clearly see some building sections are 'nicer' than others ... but, I'm not sure I can get past the appearance. (Lame, I know!) Prior to setting up the view, I did some research and learned a lot of homes in the area run on RELAC - which I never heard of before. Seems like a VERY antiquated system that isn't very reliable or effective. The listing realtor told my realtor the unit itself had a NEW A/C unit, but once there we couldn't really find evidence of that ... and, the community board by the mailboxes had a flyer announcing the attempt to get RELAC up and going for the upcoming season the end of May ... so I need to find out more about that. Do either of you have experience with the system - is it really a huge deterrent?

I feel silly putting so much stock in aesthetics of the building, but in the end, I guess I have to be happy ... and I'm just not sure all the blah buildings surrounding me would do that. Also, resale value is also a major concern. I don't have much of a workable price point, so I'm really very conflicted ...
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Old 05-02-2014, 12:20 PM
 
Location: Reston, VA
2,090 posts, read 4,250,631 times
Reputation: 1331
Be sure to get the facts on the new AC and RELAC. I have not paid much attention to the issue, but the issue has been in the news around Reston for the last few years.

Here are some Reston sources.

Welcome to Reston Association
RestonNow.com - Reston, Va. News and Information
Restonian: News blog from Reston, Virginia, the mauve-colored New Town (tm)
https://www.restoncommunitycenter.com/
Reston, VA Patch - Local news, community, sports, shopping, restaurants, things to do (This used to be a good source until the editor left and started Reston Now - may be useful for historical information on RELAC from the last couple of years)
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Old 05-02-2014, 01:16 PM
 
57 posts, read 68,364 times
Reputation: 101
Thank you again ...

I just heard an offer was made, and accepted, so I guess it's no longer a decision I have to make. Back to the search I guess.(Was only on the market 4 days, so I guess the area isn't all that bad after all ...:-S)
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Old 05-02-2014, 02:30 PM
 
Location: Reston, VA
2,090 posts, read 4,250,631 times
Reputation: 1331
Check out this nearby townhouse that just came on the market this afternoon. Open house on Sunday.

1713 WHISPERHILL DR, RESTON, VA 20194 | Listing Information | MRIShomes.com
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