Relocating from Miami to Reston, VA (Arlington, Burke: section 8, apartments, rentals)

[HellOnHeelz]

Hi everyone. My company is relocating me to Reston, VA from Miami, FL in the summer. Aside from the interviews, i have never been to VA but we are going! I am divorced and relocating with my first grade son. Can you help guide me where to live where there are good schools and quite neighborhoods? I will be earning approximately $140K my first year so i do not plan to buy a home until i know we are staying (at least a year). the company will pay my first 3 months of rent but i want to be somewhere i know has good schools and is family friendly. I have no idea how expensive things are or what will after school care or summer camp cost, so i'd love to hear from you!!

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by HellOnHeelz

Hi everyone. My company is relocating me to Reston, VA from Miami, FL in the summer. Aside from the interviews, i have never been to VA but we are going! I am divorced and relocating with my first grade son. Can you help guide me where to live where there are good schools and quite neighborhoods? I will be earning approximately $140K my first year so i do not plan to buy a home until i know we are staying (at least a year). the company will pay my first 3 months of rent but i want to be somewhere i know has good schools and is family friendly. I have no idea how expensive things are or what will after school care or summer camp cost, so i'd love to hear from you!!

You should re-post in the Northern Virginia sub-forum. Reston is right outside of DC.

[JfromReston]

Welcome to Reston!

I would recommend any of the elementary schools in Reston, with the exception of Dogwood. You should be able to find a condo or townhouse in the South Lakes area of Reston in an appropriate price range for your income level.

This is my favorite of what is currently available.

https://www.brightmlshomes.com/renta...0191-270324750

[CaptainAaamerica]

I am in the same boat. Relocating late spring or early summer for work in Reston (and recently divorced but I dont have kids). I have been researching the heck out of my options, including Reston, Tysons, Arlington, Mclean and DC - likely to the annoyance of a few on this forum. I have been to that part of NoVa a bunch of times for work (during my past life/work)... so while I cant give you what the locals can provide, here are some food for thought...

I think the warning that folks give as to traffic shouldn't be ignored. I live in 6M+ metro right now where traffic is horrible, so I would have normally thought nothing of the warnings from posters on here or others I spoke to, but given that a ton of people appear to have it as their first warning sign I think its actually not a normal traffic issue you see elsewhere. It appears that the part of NOVA between Dulles and DC has more traffic issues than your normal Metro... which led me to decide to be as close to work as possible (at least for your first year).

I tried analyzing pros and cons of Reston v. other areas/towns where I could live and realized 1) its a very subjective decision that I can only make after having spent quality time in the area, and 2) regardless of whether Reston will ultimately be the ideal place for me to live in for the long term or not, it definitely great area objectively speaking to spend my first year (safe, close to work, very strong/large middle class community, some entertainment etc.). A poster on here did say that some parts of Reston are bad, with a lot of Section 8 housing, so you may want to look into it (but I think that may have been relative). I really took that comment with a grain of salt because objectively speaking Reston is a booming middle class town/suburb with a bright future (committed employment growth by major companies, and you keep seeing new ones come in).

I will be working in the Reston Town Center, - and so I will likely grab anything either in that community or very close to it. There is a ton of options. The luxury apartments are expensive but not outrageous (there is only a handful that I am referring to, - being the new "luxury" apartments).

I have been told that north of the toll road is better than south of the toll road, - but I assume that may have been also relative.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by CaptainAaamerica

I am in the same boat. Relocating late spring or early summer for work in Reston (and recently divorced but I dont have kids). I have been researching the heck out of my options, including Reston, Tysons, Arlington, Mclean and DC - likely to the annoyance of a few on this forum. I have been to that part of NoVa a bunch of times for work (during my past life/work)... so while I cant give you what the locals can provide, here are some food for thought...

I think the warning that folks give as to traffic shouldn't be ignored. I live in 6M+ metro right now where traffic is horrible, so I would have normally thought nothing of the warnings from posters on here or others I spoke to, but given that a ton of people appear to have it as their first warning sign I think its actually not a normal traffic issue you see elsewhere. It appears that the part of NOVA between Dulles and DC has more traffic issues than your normal Metro... which led me to decide to be as close to work as possible (at least for your first year).

I tried analyzing pros and cons of Reston v. other areas/towns where I could live and realized 1) its a very subjective decision that I can only make after having spent quality time in the area, and 2) regardless of whether Reston will ultimately be the ideal place for me to live in for the long term or not, it definitely great area objectively speaking to spend my first year (safe, close to work, very strong/large middle class community, some entertainment etc.). A poster on here did say that some parts of Reston are bad, with a lot of Section 8 housing, so you may want to look into it (but I think that may have been relative). I really took that comment with a grain of salt because objectively speaking Reston is a booming middle class town/suburb with a bright future (committed employment growth by major companies, and you keep seeing new ones come in).

I will be working in the Reston Town Center, - and so I will likely grab anything either in that community or very close to it. There is a ton of options. The luxury apartments are expensive but not outrageous (there is only a handful that I am referring to, - being the new "luxury" apartments).

I have been told that north of the toll road is better than south of the toll road, - but I assume that may have been also relative.

An amazing post from someone who hasn't moved here yet. YES! You have understood everything correctly, especially realizing that most of the advice is relative.

[WVJeep556]

Anywhere in Reston will have decent schools except the South Lakes area. South Lakes is the "worst" area of Reston. You will not be able to afford to buy anything in Reston or Herndon on $140k salary. Most newer townhomes are starting at $500,000+ in both that area of Fairfax and even 30 mins away in Loudoun county. Wife and I make $180k+ combined and we had to move to West Virginia to afford a SFH in a decent school district.

[EmiSky]

Originally Posted by WVJeep556

Anywhere in Reston will have decent schools except the South Lakes area. South Lakes is the "worst" area of Reston. You will not be able to afford to buy anything in Reston or Herndon on $140k salary. Most newer townhomes are starting at $500,000+ in both that area of Fairfax and even 30 mins away in Loudoun county. Wife and I make $180k+ combined and we had to move to West Virginia to afford a SFH in a decent school district.

Who says Reston Southlakes area is the worst? -You?!

U.S. News Best High Schools 2019: Reston School Makes List

South Lakes High was ranked the 39th best high school in Virginia (out of hundreds of schools) and No. 1,340 nationwide with an overall score of 92.23 out of 100.

https://patch.com/virginia/reston/u-...ool-makes-list

Here are some listing of lake front properties and a property on a golf course. If you can't afford to live here that's one thing, but don't spread your ignorance about the area, which you seem to know very little about! Yes, there are some bad areas in south Reston. But part of Reston's Master plan was to make Reston affordable to individuals at every price point.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Reston/207...1/home/9354765

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Reston/111...9/home/9356178

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Reston/212...1/home/9332396

[NOVAmtneer82]

Originally Posted by WVJeep556

Anywhere in Reston will have decent schools except the South Lakes area. South Lakes is the "worst" area of Reston. You will not be able to afford to buy anything in Reston or Herndon on $140k salary. Most newer townhomes are starting at $500,000+ in both that area of Fairfax and even 30 mins away in Loudoun county. Wife and I make $180k+ combined and we had to move to West Virginia to afford a SFH in a decent school district.

I am not sure it is accurate to say that you have to make in excess of $180k in this area to afford a SFH in a nice decent school district. There are homes in the $600k range in Burke/ W. Springfield/ Annandale/ south Reston, etc that are in perfectly fine school districts -provided you have a decent amount for a down payment. They might not be brand new or have the square footage/ acreage as some of the places out in West Virginia but that is a different story. The commute times are horrible from West Virginia as well if you work past Leesburg (unless you leave long before sunrise).

[Annuin]

Originally Posted by NOVAmtneer82

I am not sure it is accurate to say that you have to make in excess of $180k in this area to afford a SFH in a nice decent school district. There are homes in the $600k range in Burke/ W. Springfield/ Annandale/ south Reston, etc that are in perfectly fine school districts -provided you have a decent amount for a down payment. They might not be brand new or have the square footage/ acreage as some of the places out in West Virginia but that is a different story. The commute times are horrible from West Virginia as well if you work past Leesburg (unless you leave long before sunrise).

It will also depend on your tolerance for a commute, but also the Chantilly and Centreville HS pyramids are both very good and have plenty of SF homes in their areas anywhere from $450-500+ (Greenbriar etc.) to the $600-700s+ (Poplar Tree Estates, Little Rocky Run), and that can be done on $150k+ but, as you say, you'll need a decent downpayment for the latter price tags.

[CaptainAaamerica]

Originally Posted by EmiSky

Who says Reston Southlakes area is the worst? -You?!

U.S. News Best High Schools 2019: Reston School Makes List

South Lakes High was ranked the 39th best high school in Virginia (out of hundreds of schools) and No. 1,340 nationwide with an overall score of 92.23 out of 100.

https://patch.com/virginia/reston/u-...ool-makes-list

Here are some listing of lake front properties and a property on a golf course. If you can't afford to live here that's one thing, but don't spread your ignorance about the area, which you seem to know very little about! Yes, there are some bad areas in south Reston. But part of Reston's Master plan was to make Reston affordable to individuals at every price point.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Reston/207...1/home/9354765

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Reston/111...9/home/9356178

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Reston/212...1/home/9332396

Sites like Redfin use GreatSchools to show the rating of a school. South Lakes High is somehow rated 4 out of 10 (very low). Its clearly a mistake based on the more objective links that you provided.