Family Friendly Affordable Housing in Northern Virginia? (Arlington, Dale City: for sale, lease) - (VA) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

JfromReston · 11-26-2014, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynchburgLover

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...3-44126?row=10

Tone 509, Here's one example in Purcellville.

Nice house - but -- here is the bus schedule to Capitol Hill.

http://www.loudoun.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/60915

Leave the house at 5:15 a.m.
Bus Departs Purcellville at 5:25 a.m.
Bus Arrives at N. Capitol and Mass at 7:17 a.m.
Arrive at the office at 7:30 a.m.

Work an 8 hour day with 30 minute lunch and catch the 4:12 bus - getting back to Purcellville at 6:00 p.m.

tgbwc · 11-26-2014, 07:00 PM

JfromReston · 11-26-2014, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgbwc

Great options tgbwc - Mayo and Stoneford are my a favorites of the ones you presented.

justtitans · 11-26-2014, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kww

One hour commute will put you out of PWC imo (where you could get a detached home with .25+ acreage), unless under optimal commuting circumstances.

$350,000-400,000 would be townhome range in Lorton/Springfield/Fairfax, helping in commute but not so much with dog space (or four bedroom requirement).

A ride on the commuter bus could make the hour commute plausible.

Best thing would be the OP to priority these things and this can narrow the search, list in order of importance: size of home, commute for husband, schools, affordability

JfromReston · 11-26-2014, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justtitans

A ride on the commuter bus could make the hour commute plausible.

Yes - but the total commute from Purcellville to Capitol is over 2 hours! TOO CRAZY TO CONSIDER

blindside · 11-26-2014, 08:23 PM

At 175k income (from your other thread), why not move closer in? 350-400 is low for this area, maybe you could get an older SFH in western loudoun.

If you can increase your budget, Great Falls might be a viable option. Commuting from loudoun county to DC is asking for a very slow death. Like worse than I25 north going into Denver in the morning before the light rail came in.

Personally I wouldn't live any further west than Reston.

justtitans · 11-26-2014, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JfromReston

Yes - but the total commute from Purcellville to Capitol is over 2 hours! TOO CRAZY TO CONSIDER

I was referring to the suggestion made for PWC.

ChristineVA · 11-27-2014, 05:21 AM

OP, your price range is not totally implausible.

For instance, close to where I live, this house sold last summer for $360,000.

3812 Wertz Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22193 (MLS# PW8256464) - Woodbridge VA Real Estate - cbmove.com

I have other examples (but no links) of houses that sold in my own neighborhood in the very low $400,000s. These homes are 20 years old and on 1/2 acre lots. They are in Woodbridge and not in the undesirable parts of Woodbridge. I live in a spacious 4 bedroom house on 1/2 acre and I believe current rates would have me selling at about $425,000, so I don't think the OP is out of line in attempting this. Public schools aren't as highly regarded as Fairfax but that's what social/economic diversity does to test scores. Plenty of kids who go to Prince William County schools go on to top universities and do very well.

I live in Woodbridge and commute to DC, near the Capitol. The benefit of Woodbridge is the plethora of commuting options. We have rail, bus, vanpools, and slug-lines galore. If your husband wants to work EARLY, driving is actually pretty great. I work the 6-3PM schedule and I drive solo. Rarely do I have any issues.

When I had to go to work later, I was a "driver" for the slug-lines and that worked out really well. Most of my coworkers are actually slug "riders" and they love it. For more info on that, go to Slug-Lines.com - Slugging and Slug Lines Information For Washington DC.

I would urge you to look into the 22192 and 22193 zip codes in Woodbridge for homes. Stay away from the "alphabetized" Dale City neighborhoods for the most part (the "Q" neighborhood is okay) because the houses are REALLY old there and the school districts aren't great. I think the "S" neighborhood is okay too, for schools.

Montclair in Dumfries is also great but I can't confirm that the price range will work for you there. It is a planned community with a strong HOA and amenities which bump the price up a bit. Schools are good in there as well as transportation options.

LynchburgLover · 11-27-2014, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JfromReston

Yes - but the total commute from Purcellville to Capitol is over 2 hours! TOO CRAZY TO CONSIDER

I said MARC train. Our son did it for a couple years and actually enjoyed the comraderie of the commuters. Before I paint too rosey a picture, he did have a relatively low-paying job and decided to move out of state. He said the other commuters frequently used the time to do paperwork, read etc.

I should have selected a Lovettsville house:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...0-43779?row=10

If OP wants 4 bedrooms under $400 with a small town feel, you have to go way out and Loudoun schools are good.

Mnseca · 11-27-2014, 07:07 AM

You need to increase your housing budget and look for a place closer to DC. As a public school teacher in Fairfax, you'd make a pretty decent salary. You should be able to afford more than 400K for a house. In that price range, you can get a townhome, but not a 4 bedroom house. If you go up to 475-550, you can get a 4 bedroom house in a nice neighborhood, but the house will probably not be completely updated and will be older (70s-80s). This would be places like Burke, Fairfax, Annandale, and Springfield. If your husband can do VRE (the commuter train), then you could live in Fairfax or Burke very close to the station, but no matter what it's likely to put him at the limit of his commute. Alexandria is closer to DC, and there are many teaching jobs in that area, but there are also many low-income neighborhoods, and you'd have to decide if you find the public schools there acceptable. There are some nice elementary schools, but once you get to middle and high school there are fewer options. Basically, you are going to need to increase your housing budget to the 500's in order to realistically live here in the type of house that you want.