Neighborhoods in Burke/Springfield for cheap, nice-ish THs? (Alexandria, Chantilly: short sales, 2015)

[emjay6000]

My husband and I have been renting in Alexandria and have been eyeing the market closely hoping to get a really good deal in the next six to ten months on a three-bedroom townhouse. We are looking for something in a relatively nice & convenient community to our workplaces, shopping and--ideally--parks and bike paths. He works in Chantilly AND south Alexandria (down route 1) and I work in DC so the Burke/Springfield area seemed like a good compromise as well as a friendly (I hope) area to start our family. Our budget is pretty small, maxing out around $250,000. My question for you smart people is do you have any recommendations for neighborhoods to check out?

[claremarie]

I have a friend who lives in a SFH in the Burke Station Square neighborhood. You can get a townhouse there in your price range. The townhouses are right across the street from the Rolling Road VRE station, and there are a number of large shopping centers within a 5-10 minute drive. The Audrey Moore REC center is just down Braddock Road, and Burke Lake Park is about 10-15 minutes away. There is a swim club in the neighborhood. Not sure about bike paths.
Checking a realtor website for zip code 22015 found dozens of under $300K (many under 250K) townhouses in the Keene Mill Woods, Lake Braddock, and Burke Center neighborhoods. Some were clearly foreclosures or short sales, but not all.

[springfieldva]

I don't think you can go wrong with the above neighborhoods. The Burke/Springfield area is a great place for families. There are lots of parks and bike paths to enjoy. Happy house hunting!

[emjay6000]

Thanks for the ideas. I think we drove through the Lake Braddock neighborhood and the area (lawns, etc.) was not very well-maintained and the THs were kind of...well...ugly, actually (tiny windows, grungy siding and nothing else). I know we can't be THAT picky, but I do want a place that will be nice for people to visit. Anyway, maybe that was just one part of the neighborhood. We will definitely look into the others!

[springfieldva]

The townhomes in the Lake Braddock area aren't brand new, but I'm honestly surprised that you found them to be "grungy." Many of those homes have a lake view. In fact, there is a nicely maintained jogging trail with tot lots around it. And I think the pool clubhouse is newly renovated.

All of this is within walking distance of one of the best highschools in the nation!

I'm not trying to convince you one way or the other - you know what you like. But I just wanted to point out there are many wonderful things about that neighborhood. Good luck in your search!

[emjay6000]

I went driving around these areas yesterday and by the way you're right that the Lake Braddock area is quite nice. I had been to a different neighborhood near there that is listed as "Lake Braddock" online but is not actually surrounding the lake. That was the not-nice one. Burke Station Square, the *real* Lake Braddock, and Burke Centre were all plenty nice for my tastes, though I'm sure most of the homes are just out of our price range (I did see one or two cheaper ones in Burke Centre). We also liked Shannon Station in West Springfield. We will wait and watch for low hanging fruit. Thanks again!