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Old 10-06-2014, 01:35 PM
 
2 posts, read 3,037 times
Reputation: 10

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There are couple of threads on this forum regarding this topic. Since they are out of date - I wanted to get some thoughts on the current situation.
https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...on-reston.html
https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...-living-2.html
https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...g-schools.html
https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...-opinions.html

Background:
I lived in NOVA for the last 12 years (Falls church / New side of Herndon) and an trying to get my own place now.
My SO and I (late 20's) are planning to start a family. Having a safe neighborhood, decent schools and community activities are important for us.
Both of us work and commute to Rosslyn area. so commute is another factor.


Townthouses in fairfax (govt center area), Herndon, Reston, Vienna, are very expensive. I am looking for a 2 car garage with atleast 1700sq ft for under 500k.
I started looking into Sterling and found the houses to be very cheap. The identical house in herndon or reston (<5 miles away) is 100K+ more.

Its clear sterling has a stigma of lowincome / crime and "****ty" schools (park view is rated at 2/10).
Area has been rundown after the housing market crisis in late 2000's.
Crime has gone up. High income folks left the area to Ashburn / southriding. Illegal immigration is an issue.

Sterling has both good and bad neighborhoods. Can you point them out?

Safety - ??
Future Resale - I see houses on market for 4 months without any movement.
Renting - If i do keep it and try to rent it, what is the likelyness of good renters. (Its not that close to the silverline metro)
value - If there is a downturn in housing market, it will hit these neighborhoods first.

As it stands, I might have to bite the bullet and deal with commute from ashburn or moveout to a smaller house in fairfax.

Please provide your input...
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Old 10-06-2014, 01:48 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
336 posts, read 592,899 times
Reputation: 274
The most desirable area in Sterling is Cascades in 20165.
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Old 10-06-2014, 02:14 PM
 
1,784 posts, read 3,462,798 times
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Don't forget 20166 north of Church Road as well - easy access to both 28 / Toll Road and 7 (as opposed to having to choose one), plus you're zoned for Potomac Falls, not Park View.

Nice area and there's a couple very large TH's in your budget there I see.



(For commute, probably Silver Line or head over to Dulles North to catch the Loudoun County Connector bus)
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Old 10-06-2014, 02:16 PM
 
20 posts, read 28,373 times
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Sterling is a big place ( The wegman’s over by Ashburn is still technically in Sterling for example) so there is a variety of good and bad neighborhoods. Yes Sterling park has a bad reputation and also to a lesser extent Sugarland run but both also have some nice parts and newer houses tucked in amongst the older areas. We live in the countryside area of Sterling and love it . In addition to countryside there is the cascades neighborhood as well as Lowes Island, which is technically part of cascades. Both are great areas and have well run HOA’s and lots going on in the area. Both are north of route 7 and there are a few other neighborhoods over that way. Schools are very good at Lowes Island Elementary is meant to be one of the best in the area. In addition if you’re looking at town houses you might want to look at the developments around Dulles town center or just south. Can’t tell you much about them except they are newer and seem to have some great amenities.
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Old 10-06-2014, 02:19 PM
 
526 posts, read 902,643 times
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I know nothing about Sterling, but have you considered West Springfield/Burke? Lots of really nice family neighborhoods, excellent schools, and a straight commute to Rosslyn on the blue line. A single family home is not out of the question for $500,000. There are lots of really nice townhouses as well for well under $500,000, although a 2-car garage might be difficult. The square footage is well within your reach though.
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Old 10-06-2014, 03:17 PM
 
Location: New-Dentist Colony
5,759 posts, read 10,739,644 times
Reputation: 3956
I refuse to live anywhere named after an alloy.
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Old 10-06-2014, 03:24 PM
 
4,041 posts, read 4,972,603 times
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We lived in a townhouse in Dominion Station (20166) for 5 years before we moved out of state. We didn't have kids and bought it in our mid 20's. We loved the location and we made some life long friends. We didn't have any crime and I do believe the school boundaries have changed from Park View to another one. It was close to 28 and 7 and there was Wegmans and other groceries close by. The mall was close for shopping and quite a few restaurants around. When we first moved in, I commuted to Bethesda then Tyson's and then Ashburn. My husband commuted to Chantilly.
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Old 10-06-2014, 03:42 PM
 
9,887 posts, read 14,169,146 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carlingtonian View Post
I refuse to live anywhere named after an alloy.
After looking at the linked document, I would say you should stay away from any place named after an element. Telluride, CO appears to be the only place on the list that appears to be livable.....the others just look miserable.

http://www.getnickt.com/elementtowns.pdf

(In full disclosure, I lived in Sterling - 20164 for 7 years and still own a house there. I never felt unsafe, and prices in my neighborhood are nearing "peak" again.)
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Old 10-06-2014, 03:50 PM
 
Location: New-Dentist Colony
5,759 posts, read 10,739,644 times
Reputation: 3956
Quote:
Originally Posted by spencgr View Post
After looking at the linked document, I would say you should stay away from any place named after an element. Telluride, CO appears to be the only place on the list that appears to be livable.....the others just look miserable.

http://www.getnickt.com/elementtowns.pdf

(In full disclosure, I lived in Sterling - 20164 for 7 years and still own a house there. I never felt unsafe, and prices in my neighborhood are nearing "peak" again.)
I also have foresworn Leadville and Silverton. As well as the entire Gold Coast of Australia.
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