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Old 10-04-2010, 08:11 AM
 
2 posts, read 5,946 times
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I'm considering Reston and Ashburn as potential locations to buy a townhouse (300-400k range). I can definitely get more house for the dollar in Ashburn, but Reston seems like a more convenient location all-around.

My only qualms about Ashburn are that it's a bit farther out and that I'm not sold on the area's growth. It's supposed to be one of the wealthiest and fastest growing areas but for some reason I don't have faith in that trend continuing.

I'd get an older place in Reston..probably 20191. Hard to stomach paying so much for a smaller older TH in Reston after seeing places for the same price in Ashburn that're the size of a large single family house. Also the education system's a minor concern.

What would you recommend in terms of convenience and also as an investment? Do you think Ashburn is a safe bet in terms of continued growth and property value? Does location in Reston outweigh new and shiny in Ashburn? Feel free to way in on anything I'm missing and thanks in advance!
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Old 10-04-2010, 08:17 AM
 
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How long are you planning on staying in the townhouse?
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Old 10-04-2010, 08:34 AM
 
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Apart from the financials, things of importance for me were the school district, racial diversity of the area, public safety and proximity to our work places. This ensured we bought what we loved and made it a safe bet if we ever had to sell the house in a downturn.

Good luck!
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Old 10-04-2010, 08:54 AM
 
Location: Richmond, VA
2,309 posts, read 2,333,258 times
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Ashburn is really growing. We moved there in Jan 2008 and I can not believe the growth that has happened just in that short period of time. We just sold our home (sold it in two days so that tells me the market is pretty good there)...We are moving to Central VA. The one thing about the growth in Ashburn is traffic is awful. Really just a couple ways out in Ashburn: Take the Greenway which will cost you about $4 each way, take Ashburn Farm Parkway/Waxpool to 28 or take Route 7. The Parkway and Rte 7 can be very backed up depending on what time you leave. There have been some imporvements with roads being widened and some off ramps being built. Other than that I really enjoyed Ashburn. I liked the community feel and I liked the bang for the buck.

Reston is great as well. It was closer to my hubby's work but we chose Ashburn b/c we wanted the bigger house.

Good luck in what ever you decide!
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Old 10-04-2010, 09:17 AM
 
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I plan on staying for the long run. Worst case scenario, at least 3-5 years.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kutra11 View Post
Apart from the financials, things of importance for me were the school district, racial diversity of the area, public safety and proximity to our work places. This ensured we bought what we loved and made it a safe bet if we ever had to sell the house in a downturn.

Good luck!
Ashburn seems better for everything you listed - except location. My biggest concern with Ashburn is it's too far from the beltway and DC to justify it's growth rate and value (in my mind) - though it's been proving me very wrong But consider Gaithersburg and other solid areas that are a bit farther from DC/495 that grew during the boom and depreciated considerably since. It'd be tough to stomach if Ashburn cooled down and all of a sudden I found myself with negative equity and a long commute.

I feel Reston is a very safe bet solely because of location - it might not have the potential to appreciate as much as Ashburn, but I can't see it possibly depreciating with the metro coming. If my job situation changes, the location is a whole lot more workable than Ashburn. I don't even want to imagine commuting from Ashburn to DC - that alone scares the bejesus out of me.
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Old 10-04-2010, 10:25 AM
 
Location: Sterling, VA
1,059 posts, read 2,969,607 times
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Have you considered Sterling (20165)? There are some lovely homes in your price range in Cascades (Potomac Lakes and Lowes Island) and Countryside, newer and larger than the same price range in Reston and closer in than Ashburn. The schools are very good and some are excellent. There are several park and ride areas with a commuter bus to the West Falls Church metro or you can take Georgetown Pike to Chain Bridge Road. Algonkian Park is right on the Potomac River with a public golf course and Claude Moore Park has great activities for all ages. Are you using homesdatabase.com? Check out the homes in your price range in 20165.
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Old 10-04-2010, 11:55 AM
 
Location: Home is where the heart is
15,402 posts, read 29,009,671 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fatandgreedy View Post
My biggest concern with Ashburn is it's too far from the beltway and DC to justify it's growth rate and value (in my mind) - though it's been proving me very wrong
Job growth is mostly in the tech corridor, which is Reston, Herndon, Ashburn and Leesburg. IMO, that's where all the job growth is going to be for at least the next decade, too. So, being close to DC or the beltway is somewhat of a moot point. There are many people who live and work in Ashburn and go into DC only a few times a year. Also Ashburn is getting a metro station, which will make it easy to get into DC without needing to drive.

Having said that, I agree with Margery that Sterling is a good compromise. It's closer to DC than Ashburn, but has lower prices and newer construction. I personally like the section of Sterling north of Rt. 7 (commonly known as Potomac Falls), especially a community known as Cascades. Here are some photos so you can see what it's like:

Cascades/Lowes Island (a part of the northern section of Sterling)
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Old 10-04-2010, 12:53 PM
 
Location: In the woods
3,315 posts, read 10,114,668 times
Reputation: 1530
Quote:
Originally Posted by fatandgreedy View Post
. . . If my job situation changes, the location is a whole lot more workable than Ashburn. I don't even want to imagine commuting from Ashburn to DC - that alone scares the bejesus out of me.
You've hit a major point here. Reston is far more accessible to metro than Sterling, Ashburn and points out. Even better if your new TH is within walking distance to the bus services. There are pros and cons for both areas; personally, if it were me (and of course, depending on the house), I'd choose Reston.
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Old 10-04-2010, 12:58 PM
 
Location: Virginia
18,717 posts, read 31,159,601 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx View Post
You've hit a major point here. Reston is far more accessible to metro than Sterling, Ashburn and points out. Even better if your new TH is within walking distance to the bus services. There are pros and cons for both areas; personally, if it were me (and of course, depending on the house), I'd choose Reston.
FWIW, Ashburn's getting a metro station in about 2 years. OTOH, I think I'd choose Reston just because it's such a fun town. There's always something going on there. I guess it doesn't appeal to some people, but I love it there.
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Old 10-04-2010, 01:04 PM
 
Location: In the woods
3,315 posts, read 10,114,668 times
Reputation: 1530
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caladium View Post
OTOH, I think I'd choose Reston just because it's such a fun town. There's always something going on there. I guess it doesn't appeal to some people, but I love it there.
Yeah me too. Seems like there's something entertaining always going on and there are more/new Lifestyle Centers (or was it Town Centers?) being built within a reasonable distance. The big, tall trees are nicer and it is far more accessible to DC, Arlington, and Alexandria.
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