Relo from NY to Mclean (Reston, Chantilly: cul-de-sac, how much, townhouses)

[dapeach1]

Will be relocating with my wife and family down to NoVA by July.

Looking for house no more than 10 years old 4 BR , 1/4 acre land or less is fine, reasonable commute to Tysons Corner

Looking for advice on areas for new homes also, and good schools. I know home prices can vary greatly so essentially looking for guidance on the area's/schools and then will satisfy house criteria. Have a pre-schooler and (by then) a newborn.

Heard about Ashburn, Sterling, Vienna, Herndon and I am totally confused.

Commute time is scary but, if the finances dictate it that will have to be sacrificed. Any feedback or links would be appreciated.

Thanks

[claremarie]

What is a "reasonable" commute?
How much are you willing to pay for a house?

[dapeach1]

Probably about 30 - 40 mins. Willing to spend $700

[goldenmom7500]

Originally Posted by dapeach1

Will be relocating with my wife and family down to NoVA by July.

Looking for house no more than 10 years old 4 BR , 1/4 acre land or less is fine, reasonable commute to Tysons Corner

Looking for advice on areas for new homes also, and good schools. I know home prices can vary greatly so essentially looking for guidance on the area's/schools and then will satisfy house criteria. Have a pre-schooler and (by then) a newborn.

Heard about Ashburn, Sterling, Vienna, Herndon and I am totally confused.

Commute time is scary but, if the finances dictate it that will have to be sacrificed. Any feedback or links would be appreciated.

Thanks

Overall, these areas all have good schools so once you found a house you might want to check the specific school pyramids. Gee, I just think that Ashburn and Sterling are a little bit more than you might need to drive. I would first look at Vienna and Oakton; next in proximity might be Herndon and Reston; then Sterling and finally Ashburn. Technically, I guess Bethesda is actually just as close but maybe pricey. It still might be worth checking.

All of these have some "newer" homes. Areas like Sterling, Ashburn, and also Chantilly would have the newest, or many areas of new homes.

You might want to check out the greatschools website to see how they rate the schools.

[claremarie]

If you were willing to consider homes more than ten years old, I would suggest Vienna -- it is the closest to Tyson's and has one of the best school pyramids. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a new-ish SFH on a decent-sized lot for $700K in Vienna. Most of the close-in new construction tends to be either high-end townhouses or clusters of very high-end SFH homes on tiny lots.

Not sure if you can get from Ashburn to Tyson's in 40 minutes, but there is definitely plenty of new construction and lots of young families. That might be your best bet. And since your kids are so young, focus on the elementary schools rather than the high schools -- chances are very good that the high school boundaries in a fast-growing area like Ashburn might change before your kids are teenagers.

As you probably know, you will be making a trade-off in a longer commute in order to get a newer home.

[dapeach1]

Great Input thanks. Any thoughts regarding Sterling some people have mentioned that to me. Is that a doable 40 min commute? Also, someone else mentioned Chantilly. I hope to get down there in the next few weeks to really start to focus.

I agree regarding elementary (and pre-schools) also my son will need some Special Assistance so that is another wildcard to consider.

[goldenmom7500]

I don't know ... with no traffic *at all* (like at 1 in the morning) it would take 20-25 minutes, so you'd have to leave really early to make it in 40 minutes. However, Sterling is very nice and has lovely newer homes.

[hts]

We live in the Lowes Island portion of Cascades in Sterling. It normally takes me 30-35 minutes to get to Tysons during rush hour. We're very pleased with LI Elementary and its excellent principal, Bruce Shafferman. That being said, you might have a hard time getting a decent place back here for $700k. We're looking to list ours next spring for around $875k, even with the soft market (there are two down the street from us at the end of the cul-de-sac for over $1m each.

[goldenmom7500]

... but they could find something nice in Potomac Falls.

[dapeach1]

Any thoughts on Chantilly, either the Fairfax or Loudon side?