Buying/Renting in Burke or Similar Towns (Arlington, Alexandria: apartment, for rent)

[MyStardustMelody]

My partner and I are interested in moving to DC for his job. We would be on a single income since I stay at home with our kiddo. We were looking at Burke because we've heard it's a nice/safe town. Our budget would be $350-400K for buying and $2400 for renting. We really want to buy because we've been renting our whole lives but it seems like a pipe dream in NOVA.

If Burke isn't great, any advice about other towns commutable to DC? Arlington? Alexandria? We just want some green space and a safe neighborhood. We currently live in a very walkable rural town. Thanks for any pointers.

[chocolatelover]

I live in Burke and I think it's a great place for families. Your budget would be on the low end for the area though.

[Bigfoot424]

Burke itself is not a town but an unincorporated area within Fairfax county. If you abhor traffic then avoid this area. While within in Burke it is fine you are surrounded by areas that see very heavy traffic. But it is a nice place to live.

[ChristineVA]

Burke is nice. Not sure what type of housing you are looking for but your housing budget for buying seems low except for an older condo or maybe very old townhouse. Tough, expensive market right now.

[NOVAmtneer82]

Burke is a great community but your housing budget is rather low. You're going to be looking at a unit in an older condo or apartment building or a dated townhouse. The market is insane at the moment and doesn't seem to be losing momentum. You would get a bit more for your money in say Woodbridge or Leesburg but then your commute will be greatly increasing if the job is in DC proper or even Tysons.

[heather777]

If you can pay a monthly rent of $2400, it's better to get your own house instead of renting. Depending on your downpayment, you can also calculate your affordability online, there are plenty of calculators there for you to play with. Or you can talk to a loan officer.
Regarding the neighborhood, you should provide more details about what you are looking for, for instance, which zip code/city is your spouse at and if you have a preferred commute time, like within 25 minutes one-way to Fairfax/22031 or so; and if you need to look into the school district, some people think a 5/10 is a good school while some prefer only a 10/10/10 would count a good school district. There are many neighborhoods great for family, safety/entertainment/community, etc. but it's better to have your need customized.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by MyStardustMelody

My partner and I are interested in moving to DC for his job. We would be on a single income since I stay at home with our kiddo. We were looking at Burke because we've heard it's a nice/safe town. Our budget would be $350-400K for buying and $2400 for renting. We really want to buy because we've been renting our whole lives but it seems like a pipe dream in NOVA.

Way too low. You can afford a 3 bed condo and the condo market is pretty good right now (more inventory)

idki there are condos in Burke. i think its all single family homes.

You need to make a family decision:
Do you want a 4 bed home with a yard and a garage? Move to Kansas City
Do you want to live in DC? Apartment in Alexandria section of Fairfax County.

Good Luck

[oneasterisk]

I'll echo what others said about your budget. Housing costs have really increased during the pandemic and even more so in the DC metro area. I'm in Woodbridge and even older starter homes in the area are going for 350-400, so I'd wager housing in Burke is higher then that.

[ersatz]

Below is a list of residences that sold in the Burke area for $400,000 or less. Notice that all are listed as townhouses or condos. As others have pointed out, that is a low price for this area and the properties likely need repair and updating.

https://www.realtor.com/soldhomepric...-200000-400000 shows a list of homes sold in 2021.

[spencgr]

Why is everyone assuming that condos and townhouses aren't acceptable to the OP? There are actually some remodeled condos within the OP price range that look to be remodeled.