Where would look given these criteria? (Arlington, Reston: house, neighborhood, new construction)

[theS5]

We are considering relocating to NOVA from Raleigh, NC. Reasons are many, but mainly we want to be closer to a major city and closer to family back in NJ.
Here are a few of our criteria:

1. We have three kids under the age of 10, so good schools are a priority.
2. Since I work from home, commute in a non issue, but would like to be close to an airport.
3. We could spend more, but would like to keep a home under $700,000.
4. If possible, find a place that has a sense of community.

Lastly, we don't want to feel like we are living so far out of the district that it becomes a hassle to visit.

Thanks for your responses.

[cdmurphy]

My community, Brambleton, might work for you. We are a few miles from Dulles Airport, good Loudoun County schools, homes in your price range (current resale listings (http://www.ilovethishome.com/Resales.html - broken link) | new construction quick deliveries (http://quickdelivery.brambleton.com/ - broken link)), a wonderful sense of community. The only thing that might be problematic is the distance from DC. We do go to DC to visit friends, attend Georgetown basketball games, and go to museums and attractions. On a weekend, it takes about 30-40 minutes to drive from my house to the Verizon Center, depending on what else is going on. We think it's manageable, but that might not be close enough for you. (Plus, we've got the best Air and Space Museum right down the road from us!)

Here's a recent photo tour of Brambleton that I did.

[buildinginva]

I would recommend Vienna. Good schools, access to metro, reasonably convenient to Dulles airport.

[athousandlogins]

With a budget of up to 700K, really all of NoVA is open to you.

Vienna, Falls Church, Oakton, North Arlington...all of these places would fit your criteria. What kind of house are you looking for? The housing stock in Arlington and Falls Church tends to be older, though most homes in your price range would be updated.

[theS5]

Thanks for all of the responses.

Regarding homes, we are fine with older homes. I work from home, so I would need space for an office.

Which of these locations have the best schools and community involvement?

[JfromReston]

Reston would satisfy your criteria nicely. It is close to Dulles Airport (I'm a $20 cab ride away). It is just far enough away from DC to be able to get a nice home in your price range but not too far to take in all the activities of DC on a regular basis (I commuted daily to DC for 5 years in 45 minutes during rush hour using the HOV). Fairfax Schools rank among the best in the country (America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com). Reston has a great sense of community and lots of activities for kids.

Here are some photos I took this past weekend
//www.city-data.com/forum/north...uth-lakes.html

Information on Reston
Welcome to Reston Association!

[mdcrim]

I vote for Ashburn. It has great schools and lots of community activities. There are a lot of people around during the day-either working from home or stay at home parents (we have 2 stay at home dads in the neighborhood). It's close to Dulles airport. You could get an incredible house for $700k and a very, very nice house for mid-$500k.

[Caladium]

Actually, almost all the towns near the airport would fit your description. With the possible exception of Centreville/Chantilly (not that much a sense of community there as in other areas).

I live in Herndon and love it. I work in Lowes Island, and that's another community that fits your description. Reston's great too.

[athousandlogins]

I would definitely agree about the merits of Ashburn and Brambleton for the OP's situation...except that I kind of think getting to DC is a "hassle" from those locations. I guess it depends on a person's definition of "hassle," though, and how important the DC factor really is to the OP.

But Ashburn to DC is a good 45 minutes by car without heavy traffic. And there's often heavy traffic. IMO, I wouldn't go any further than Reston if I wanted (relatively) "hassle-free" trips to DC. But that is really an indivudal preference thing, and you do get a ton of house for your money out in Ashburn. And those areas do have great community spirit.

[claremarie]

If you want each child to have his/her own room, plus room for an office, you'll need five bedrooms. Many of the homes under $700K in close-in areas such as Vienna, Falls Church, or Arlington won't have that many bedrooms, nor would many of them have a suitable non-bedroom office space unless they were recently updated.
Since you aren't commuting to DC, it makes little sense to pay the premium to live close in. You'll get much more house for your money further out.