Communities with less then an hour (rush hour) commute time to Falls Church (McLean: houses, neighborhood)

[eyeye]

My husband is interviewing for a job at Inova hospital in Falls Church. I am trying to figure out the logistics, like hosing, cost of living, etc to see if it will be a possibility for us. The cost of living is WAAAAY higher then in Texas. i'm looking at houses and I am like

What communities are w/i and hours commute to the hospital in Falls Church? My husband usually leaves for work at 7am and leaves work at 7:30 or 8 pm. Would that cut down on the travel time if he continued his 12+ hour work days there?

Are there any more rural communities/small town feel in an hours drive?

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by eyeye

Are there any more rural communities/small town feel in an hours drive?

It really depends on your budget. Great Falls has a very rural feel though it is VERY expensive. You may find small town but you will have to stretch what you think of as small town. Lots of people think Vienna has a small town feel - it is expensive compared to Great Falls very expensive. Leesburg has a moderate cost of living but is pushing the one hour limit in rush hour and you need to add the cost of tolls to your budget.

To really help you we need to know what your budget for housing is and what you "hope" to get for that budget.

I encourage you think outside your normal box and explore options that are as close as possible to the hospital - traffic here is terrible even at 7:00 am (though by 7:30 - 8:00 pm most of rush hour is over).

[gomason]

Clifton is a more "affordable" small town than McLean within an hour but there's a good chance it's outside of your budget.

15 mile commute around here = about 45 minutes+ during rush hour.

[eyeye]

Our budget is flexible, because we can't move their unless the pay is higher then it is here. If we were to buy a house there, I don't think we could go under 800K to get what we want in a house (aka what I am willing to move for)

How long of a drive is Great Falls?

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by eyeye

Our budget is flexible, because we can't move their unless the pay is higher then it is here. If we were to buy a house there, I don't think we could go under 800K to get what we want in a house (aka what I am willing to move for)

How long of a drive is Great Falls?

So you are able to spend up to $800K? What type of house are you looking for? Size?

[eyeye]

3000+ sf, 4 bed room, 2 bath, large yard, basement to install a large art/craft and play room, updated/newer, attached 2 car garage. I'm not even seeing many houses with all that for 800k.

[eyeye]

Oh and privacy from neighbors...not absolute but where we live we are so close, and one side is a racist a-hole (we have an multiracial family). I am sooooooo done with having neighbors close enough to hear each-other talk all the time.

[eyeye]

Also in a insulated neighborhood not too close to a busy road so the kids can safely play in the neighborhood

[kieplangdu]

Have you looked into Pop Head or Springfield area?

[airjay75]

All of your housing requirements will be very difficult to accommodate within an hour commuting distance of Falls Church. One, most of the housing stock is not new because most of the area within a hour commuting distance of Falls Church was largely built out decades ago. Two, the newer housing stock that is available tends to be infill development with very small lots.

Many people who move to this area, particularly from cheaper places like Texas, have to greatly adjust their housing expectations. For some, it's still worth it to move to this area despite this, but not so for others. $800k is a healthy housing budget for this area and it will give you a lot of options, but you're still going to have to make some trade offs. If that's not something you're willing to do, you're probably not going to like your housing options in this area.