Possible relocation from Tampa, FL to Northern VA area (Chesapeake: townhouses, neighborhood)

[LauraZS]

We are considering relocating to the Northern VA area from FL and are hoping for some local insight. My husband is a pilot and needs to be within 1 1/4 hrs of Dulles Airport (he only drives there once or twice a week - it's not a daily commute), and I am a stay-at-home mom. We have two young kids and are looking for a community-oriented place that's a great place to raise a family (good schools, small town family-friendly feel, etc). My husband would love to be near a lake and have a boat. We also enjoy farmers markets, local restaurants, and wineries/breweries. (Okay now I'm getting picky!)

This is a big move for us and we are debating between North Carolina, which would still be a commute to work but at least closer than Tampa, or if we can find that special place within about an hour of Dulles, we'd love to move there and eliminate the commute altogether. Our budget is 500k-650k. Any guidance is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[spencgr]

Ashburn fits all criteria except for the boat. Most boat people drive down to Lake Anna.

[FCNova]

You could check out Leesburg, or even some of the smaller towns farther out like Purcellville, which I hear is very community oriented and nice. There are other towns like that in that area. Lots of wineries and breweries out there. It's usually a nightmarish commute from out there for most people but your commutes(or lack thereof) would allow it.

Your husband could get to Dulles within an hour using the Greenway tollroad, which is pricey at $5-6 each way but if he's only doing it 1-2 times a week not too bad.

[LauraZS]

Thanks so much for the info - we will look into those areas and I appreciate the help!

[ICS67]

You can also check out Reston, a planned community in northwest Fairfax County, since I think it would meet most of your criteria. It's only 15-20 minutes to Dulles. There are nice single family homes available within your price range. They will tend to be 1970s and 1980s houses, but they will have more acreage than seems to be the case with newer construction in northern Virginia. With perhaps one exception, elementary schools in Reston are very good (and I doubt you would be buying in the not so good school district). Although at 60,000 people I wouldn't call Reston "small town", it is definitely family friendly, with the Reston Association (basically our governing body) sponsoring a huge amount of activities for kids throughout the year, lots of pools, and a great nature center. There are four lakes in Reston, but no motorboats are allowed, only canoes and the like. At least one lake, Lake Audubon, has a public boat ramp. Housing that fronts the lakes normally has its own water access, but in your price range I think lakefront housing would limit you to townhouses.

As for other amenities, Reston Town Center is our so-called "urban core" with a lot of nice restaurants, some higher-end shops, a multiplex, and a central area used for ice skating in winter and free Saturday evening concerts in summer. Within an hour's drive of Reston you get can to a lot of good wineries in adjoining Loudoun County, the Shenandoah mountains, or the area's many historical sites, not to mention Washington DC itself.

If you're doing a scouting trip to Northern Virginia, it might be worth your while to at least check out Reston.

[elias9193]

There are a lot of nice area's around Dulles Airport that won't be an issue but as far as boating goes, we're
definitely lacking in that area. Potomac river just doesn't size up to Tampa bay in the least bit.

[car54]

Originally Posted by elias9193

There are a lot of nice area's around Dulles Airport that won't be an issue but as far as boating goes, we're
definitely lacking in that area. Potomac river just doesn't size up to Tampa bay in the least bit.

Lacking in boating? The tidal Potomac is 100 miles long and 11 miles wide at it's widest point....you can't see the other side with the naked eye

If that's not enough water for you, the Potomac empties into the Chesapeake Bay which is more than twice the size of Tampa Bay. In fact, it's the largest estuary in the U.S.

I operate a classic 57' Chris*Craft out of the Eastern Shore and I can attest to the fact that you can spend a lifetime on the Bay and not see it all...at least not in almost 50 years I've been out there.

Go up to the mouth of the Susquehanna or the C&D canal on any nice Saturday morning and you will see hundreds if not thousands of boats southbound from Jersey and Philadelphia. They're not burning all that fuel for no reason!

And the closest points on the Bay from NOVA are closer than that nuclear puddle called Lake Anna...

[Deluusions]

Originally Posted by car54

Lacking in boating? The tidal Potomac is 100 miles long and 11 miles wide at it's widest point....you can't see the other side with the naked eye

If that's not enough water for you, the Potomac empties into the Chesapeake Bay which is more than twice the size of Tampa Bay. In fact, it's the largest estuary in the U.S.

I operate a classic 57' Chris*Craft out of the Eastern Shore and I can attest to the fact that you can spend a lifetime on the Bay and not see it all...at least not in almost 50 years I've been out there.

Go up to the mouth of the Susquehanna or the C&D canal on any nice Saturday morning and you will see hundreds if not thousands of boats southbound from Jersey and Philadelphia. They're not burning all that fuel for no reason!

And the closest points on the Bay from NOVA are closer than that nuclear puddle called Lake Anna...

lol okay none of that stuff matters. We still don't match up to tampa when it comes to boating and houses on the water...... This isn't even a argument. Just common sense, here in NoVa you pay a premium to have a house on the water. In Tampa it isn't as expensive to have a house on a lake with a boat like it is here.

[gomason]

Lake Barcroft in Fairfax County has boating and is a very nice neighborhood. That's pretty much your only option. There are plenty of marinas on the Potomac though even if you don't live on a lake.


You might be better off just moving to Charlotte and getting a house on Lake Norman. I have a family friend that lives on Lake Norman and it's very nice.

[car54]

Originally Posted by Deluusions

lol okay none of that stuff matters. We still don't match up to tampa when it comes to boating and houses on the water...... This isn't even a argument. Just common sense, here in NoVa you pay a premium to have a house on the water. In Tampa it isn't as expensive to have a house on a lake with a boat like it is here.

You pay a premium for waterfront property everywhere. And if it's protected and has deep water for building a dock you will pay an even greater premium.

That's why I had to go to the Eastern Shore to find waterfront property that suited my needs...for what I wanted to pay.