Elem Schools, Soccer and where to live as a commuter... (Arlington: transplants, rentals)

[SWFLtoNOVA]

Hello All!

My husband has accepted a job in D.C.(a few blocks from the White House, not sure what you call that area) and we will be moving to the area this summer from Southwest Florida. Besides being very nervous about the drastic increase in the cost of living we are excited for this new adventure! We love visiting DC, so living there is going to be awesome!

I am looking for advice on where to live. As I said my husband will be commuting, taking the Metro into the city daily and we have two elementary aged sons, one of whom is already in a gifted program and the other has been referred, but hasn't had the testing yet, so we're looking for a great school with a challenging curriculum, as well as any information anyone has on the gifted programs. They are currently in a school that is rated an 8 by Great Schools, so we'd like something comparable, but I'm really having a hard time wrapping my head around these prices, while also trying to keep my husband's commute under an hour. I have been looking at realtor.com at Alexandria and Arlington, anywhere else I should check? I found one house in Annandale?

Also, it looks like Alexandria and Arlington each have their own school system and aren't part of Fairfax County, is that right?

We'll be renting for the first year in order to be sure we have found the right neighborhood, but would ideally like to buy in the area that we start out renting (so the boys don't have to change schools again), so we'd prefer not to rent in an area that we won't be able to afford to buy in later. We think $600,000 is our top end when we buy, but we understand we may need to adjust that...

Also, at my oldest's request, he'd like to know about the soccer programs in the area. He played for a travel team last year and he's pretty bummed it doesn't look like that will happen next year since, if it's like here, try outs are happening now and he's missing them.

Thanks for any advice!

[SWFLtoNOVA]

Or what about Falls Church or Vienna? Thanks!

[acgood]

You're going to need to provide some more details about what you expect / desire to get for your $600k housing budget.

I know that travel soccer is very popular in the area, so I wouldn't anguish about that (and please await more detailed, informed replies for others!)

[SWFLtoNOVA]

For a housing purchase we would probably be ok in a townhouse or something of that nature, as long as there is some outside space, or at least parks and areas for my super active boys to play outside.

Coming from Florida, as Florida natives, we are truly concerned with winter and dealing with snow, so I'm not even sure how we'd handle that with my husband commuting (do you walk to the metro in the snow? drive there and park and then ride?), so we would want garage parking.

And we would want a minimum of 3 bedrooms, although a 4th bedroom/den would be ideal for visiting family we are leaving behind.

Also, it appears many homes have a walkout basement, which looks like it would be nice additional living space, so I think we would want that too.

As you can see, we're really just not sure. We currently own a 4/2 one story single family home on a .25 acre lot with a pool and a fenced in yard. It is near a golf course and across the street from water, but we have to drive EVERYWHERE, including the boys school, which at 3.5 miles away is really close, relatively speaking. So, needless to say, I think we're going to have a bit of culture shock!

[acgood]

Oakton/Vienna in the vicinity of the Vienna metro stop might fit the bill, and you could get a nice townhouse for your budget. Whether or not it would have a garage is almost entirely a function of how recently it was built. There should be plenty of TH rentals available in the same school districts I would think.

I'll let others chime it on Alexandria / Arlington, but yes they do have separate school systems (and property tax rates, etc.).

[Ffxdata]

Finding a townhouse with a garage in Vienna or Oakton in that budget is not impossible but not easy. Most townhouses close to Vienna metro are built in the early 80s and late 70s so they don't. There are a few 90s and 00s builds right near the metro but I believe they are $650k plus range.

Size wouldn't be an issue for that price though. Having a garage is nice but we are Texas transplants and always managed the snow fine without one.

[SWFLtoNOVA]

Thanks! After posting this last night I actually started looking at rentals in Vienna and it seems like a nice town with good schools. I'll check out Oakton, too!

How do the schools compare in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County?

[jeff22152]

Originally Posted by SWFLtoNOVA

Thanks! After posting this last night I actually started looking at rentals in Vienna and it seems like a nice town with good schools. I'll check out Oakton, too!

How do the schools compare in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County?

Very generally speaking, Fairfax performs better than Arlington, and Arlington performs better than Alexandria. With that said, there are some Arlington schools that outperform some Fairfax schools, so it really boils down to what school and HS pyramid you're zoned for.

Another spot for you to consider is West Springfield. It's a family-friendly area with well-established neighborhoods, excellent schools, convenient amenities, and decent commutes into D.C. -- either by express bus/MetroRail or by "slugging" -- an established, safe, and popular form of ad hoc carpooling. With your budget, you would have no problem finding a well-constructed SFH ranging anywhere in age from 25 to 50 years old.

Traffic in south-central Fairfax County is also a bit less congested than what you'll encounter along the I-66 corridor -- both on weekdays and weekends.

[johnsonkk]

Southern Fairfax school system in Lorton fits the bill and is really nice with quality. Usually a price for townhomes in the $600k range pushes many from that area. Its the Lorton area along Hooes road. Very nice open area for being do close to DC and close to Springfield metro stop.

[Hal Roach]

22152, 22153...also, Kings Park, and along Braddock Rd, where school boundaries are a little tricky.