Relocation to Northern VA (Arlington, Alexandria: apartment, to rent, condo)

[Torilyn50]

Relocating to Northern VA from Oklahoma due to job. My office is in N Arlington. Looking for any information on the area and the surrounding areas . I would like to be less then an hour from my office. From what I have been researching I see the houses/townhouses are quite expensive. Are any of the areas close to my office less expensive then others? I was looking at Reston and their house prices might be too much for us. We also have to be in a high rated elementary school system. Any information or suggestions would be appreciated as we have never been to Virginia. Thank you

[ersatz]

Welcome to City-Data Torilyn. Hopefully you will find information on here you can use.

You want to buy a less expensive house within reasonable commuting distance to Arlington but find the prices in Reston too expensive. You want a highly rated elementary school too.

Northern Virginia has a lot of pluses and minuses. Unfortunately, housing, commuting and cost of living are definite minuses. You will need to make some deep decisions about what things matters most to you and what you can afford to do. I suggest that you look at the survey at https://www.city-data.com/forum/virgi...-virginia.html and post answers here so that other posters can perhaps offer suggestions you can consider.

God Bless You Dear and the best of luck to you.

[HereinVA]

What is your budget and what kind of house are you looking for (number of bedrooms, do you need a garage, do you need a yard, etc?)

Are you willing to commute via public transportation? Are your work hours consistent and "typical?"

[Torilyn50]

When are you moving? May 2021
Where are you coming from? OKLAHOMA
Why are you moving? JOB
Where will you be working? N ARLINGTON
Have you been here yet? NO

Will you buy or rent? MORE TOWARDS BUYING, BUT WOULD NOT RULE OUT RENTING
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? WOULD CONSIDER HOUSE/CONDO/TOWNHOUSE. BELOW $430,000
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? $2300
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

Are you married or single? Do you have children? SINGLE WITH 2 CHILDREN
Do you prefer public or private schools? PUBLIC
Do you have pets? NO
Do you want or need a yard? WOULD BE NICE
Are you keeping a car? YES
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? CALM

What do you want to be closest to? WORK IN N ARLINGTON
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Where are you coming from? OKLAHOMA
Why are you moving?
Where will you be working?
Have you been here yet? NO

[leighland]

Im desperate to move to OKC (Im KState alum and lived in Wichita for 2 years)

Wish we could switch..

[spencgr]

I hate to say that it will be VERY difficult to find a house or townhouse (which will have 2 or more bedrooms) in a top school district within an hour of North Arlington for under $430k. Honestly, in the Fairfax and Arlington areas, that is the price for houses in the complete gut or tear down condition (and I am not just talking outdated finishes.)


In this area there are three important things to consider when housing. 1) Location 2) Cost 3) House style/ condition/ size Unless you end up winning the $970M MegaMillions this week, you will need to prioritize 2 out of the 3, and you will have to compromise significantly on the other.


Also, (assuming you are commuting at normal hours; and as the single parent of two children, I'm thinking you won't have the opportunity to travel into work at 6 am) when calculating your commuting time, you should NOT consider that 66 is a viable commuting route. At 8-9am 66E averaged between $25-$30 ONE WAY FOR ONE DAY. This didn't include the return trip. Yes, this was pre-COVID, and likely to change; but I do not expect the toll to drop to something reasonable.

[Torilyn50]

Is 66 the route that is usually taken into Arlington?

[Torilyn50]

Is the metro the best way to commute from a Northern Virginia town to Arlington? Is it expensive?. Of course you would have to drive to the metro if it’s not within walking distance of your house so there’s parking to consider also I think. Is that correct?

[MedvedActual]

Originally Posted by Torilyn50

Is 66 the route that is usually taken into Arlington?

I-66 is a major PITA road out west from DC area. I try to avoid it myself as have no reason to go that way, so am not sure if the tolls are 24/7 so to speak or the earlier poster was talking about optional EZ Pass use (HOV lane), which also exists on 95.

Cannot comment regarding the particulars relevant to your situation, but as others have mentioned thus far, to meet all of the requirements: the budget, schools and commuting times will be very tough/unrealistic.

Look around the area as it may make sense to rent, at least initially. Some housing, and nothing crazy, for example in Fredericksburg (way south) goes easily for 400k. Townhomes in Alexandria area get sold in a hurry for 800k. Just what I have personally seen.

I do not mean the above as a discouraging post, as moving to an unknown area can be tough as it is, but it is the reality here in NoVA unfortunately. Also, consider the personal property tax (aka vehicle tax) into your budget, if you have not already.

[boyd888]

Originally Posted by Torilyn50

Is 66 the route that is usually taken into Arlington?

Not anymore as it's now a toll road during rush hours. Rt 50 is a viable option.

The metro is also terrible and always on the precipice of service cuts so I wouldn't count on it for anything.