Where to buy - Centreville or Burke (Chantilly, Springfield: for sale, 2015)

[fdg]

I'm relatively new to the area. Considering buying in the near future. Would be interested in input on the pros/cons in buying in Centreville area or Burke. Input on everything from price, resale value, schools, quality of life - would be appreciated. Thanks!

[JD984]

There are more properties for sale in the Centreville area than Burke, and the housing in Centreville also generally tends to be newer. Burke is a somewhat older area where much of the development took place in the 1970s, whereas Centreville's growth was more recent.

At least as measured by test scores, all the Centreville and Burke-area schools have good reputations. The Burke-area high schools (Lake Braddock, Robinson and West Springfield) may have a slight edge over the Centreville schools (Centreville, Chantilly and Westfield). Compared to other schools in the county, these schools have a LOT of students, particularly at the high school level.

Apart from that, other considerations would depend upon whether and where you'd be commuting. Burke has a VRE station (commuter rail that goes into Union Station in DC). Centreville is closer to Dulles Airport, which can be a plus for frequent business travelers.

[mlv311]

We live very close to Burke and are very happy with the area. It is easily accessible to all types of stores and there are many activities for children, including rec center, tot lots, parks, 3 libraries, etc. If you commute by public transportation (many employers provide a transportation subsidy), Burke offers the option of VRE with free parking, buses and slug lines. The schools in the area are very well regarded. One useful tool for checking out prices and resale values is the MRIS: Zip Code Statistics (http://www.mris.com/reports/stats/zip_stats.cfm - broken link) Just input the zip code you are considering in Centreville and the one for Burke (22015).

[fdg]

Thanks for the feedback. It is much appreciated!