Townhomes are everywhere in Fairfax, but does anyone like living in them?

[AeroGuyDC]

Originally Posted by Megadell

That's what I'm thinking. I mean, how common is it for entire blocks of townhouses to burn down due to one person?

Based on my penchant as a news-junkie, I can confirm anecdotally that it happens all the time. On any given week i've got at least one news feed that reports a fire in a townhome/row home somewhere across the country that took out more than one unit. Usually makes the news because of the number of families affected...especially those with children.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC

Based on my penchant as a news-junkie, I can confirm anecdotally that it happens all the time. On any given week i've got at least one news feed that reports a fire in a townhome/row home somewhere across the country that took out more than one unit. Usually makes the news because of the number of families affected...especially those with children.

There was a fire in my friends townhouse complex in Stoneridge earlier this year. Adjacent units were damaged but not too badly it seemed. Disfigured siding from the heat, etc. The neighbors might've been displaced for a brief time while minor damage was fixed but the only one that seemed to be in really bad shape was the TH that started it. The odds of your neighboring TH having a fire are probably pretty slim. Shouldn't deter people from buying a townhouse. You're probably far more likely to be badly hurt in a car accident but driving doesn't faze people one bit.

[KittyTwoShoes]

Despite all my complaining on previous forums, I think we had it good in the townhouse we sold earlier this year. Our neighbor to one side was a cranky single lady - but she was super quiet. The other side of us, we had a single mom with two teenagers. The family on that side we barely heard unless the son blared his music at night. A few times the neighbors would hold street parties, but as long as the noise stopped at the allowed HOA time (9pm), we were fine with it.

We had a small small yard, something I would have liked more of, but size wise it was pretty decent (1668 sq ft) and the neighborhood was decently safe. I wasn't a big fan on constantly going up and downstairs, and because of the way the stairs were done, I was constantly slipping on the steps, as did my kids and husband. We found out later it had something to do with the height of each step and the curves of the staircase to compact it all in.

There is such a variety in the type of townhomes available in N. Va now, you can also pick and choose what type of neighborhood and style you want. Brambleton just threw up a slew of different townhouse styles, as did Aldie.

If you can't shell out the 500k+ for a SFH in a good neighborhood, keep an open mind with the townhouse communities. Chances are they are like you - really don't want a TH, but cannot afford a SFH.