Possible relo to NVa area later this year (Arlington, Alexandria: sales, townhome)

[lesliemc]

Looking at possible relo opportunity later this year with job in DC..no interest in living in the city (me, my husband and 2 kids--4th/6th grades).

Looking for suggestions on places to look at to buy 3-4 bedroom home in NVa in a GREAT school district...preferably $550K or under...hoping to keep commute to 30-45 min. each way...

Thanks for your help!

[normie]

That could describe all sorts of places. Maybe you could tell us a little more about what sort of community you want to live in? Or, if it really doesn't matter, I'd zone in on the shortest commute for your husband and then ask us what we think of a specific community.

[ShannonMilligan]

Is your husband's job actually in DC or near? Single family or townhome? If the job is in DC then I would suggest Vienna or McLean. They are both expensive so a town home would probably be your best best. (If you are not familiar with the area brace yourself for the prices here. I live in Ashburn in a single family, 4 bed 2 1/2 bath and it is about 1 to 1 1/2 to DC b/c of traffic and my home cost about $525K in 2008. Today it is valued at about $485K. just to give you an idea. The closer to DC the more expensive.
Vienna is lovely and is exactly where I want to live. My in-laws have a place there that is a single 3 bedroom 93rd bedroom very small) 2 1/2 bath no basement but about an acre lot and it is valued around $625K. At one point it was valued at $800K. Again, just to give you an idea.
Great Falls is also lovely but expensive.
I tend to like these areas more than say Falls Church and Arlington as I feel they are more rural than city. (And rural is the wrong word, but just for illustration)
Where are you moving from? If we know where you are we may be better able to help with what your expectations are.
Good luck! NOVA is great for education.

[lesliemc]

Thanks...coming from an even more expensive area with higher taxes..much higher taxes! Currently living in a suburban area in a 4 BR, 3 BA 2400 square foot house on 1/4 acre.

The job is mine..possible commute to NY Avenue.. DH's is not of consequence in the location decision-making...

[CAVA1990]

Check out the neighborhoods along the GW Parkway South of Alexandria. You'll find homes in your target price range in a nice setting with a bike and walking path going along the Potomac. It's convenient to Old Town and not a bad commute to DC (I did it for years). Zip codes would be 22308 and 22309.

I might get some brickbats but the schools here are fine. Test scores aren't as high as more expensive areas due to the way the boundary lines are drawn but the quality of teachers and facilities are comparable. My kids and their friends liked their schools and went on to very good colleges.

[normie]

Originally Posted by lesliemc

The job is mine..possible commute to NY Avenue.. DH's is not of consequence in the location decision-making...

D'oh, just realized what a dumb thing I said. Guess I was just assuming that when one person gets the job the brings about the move, the other ends up doing all the research to make the move possible. I saw you doing the research... and made a dumb assumption. Anyway, congrats on the job, and welcome to Virginia!

[ShannonMilligan]

I made the same assumption-sorry!
You mentioned a home in the $500K range...As I mentioned in my other post that is tough in the areas I said. My suggestion would be to call a good realtor and tell them your situation and they can give you some areas...just so you have an idea.
Again, good luck!

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by twinmma

I made the same assumption-sorry!
You mentioned a home in the $500K range...As I mentioned in my other post that is tough in the areas I said. My suggestion would be to call a good realtor and tell them your situation and they can give you some areas...just so you have an idea.
Again, good luck!

Realtors around here generally work small collections of neighborhoods so are probably not going to give you as good an overview as if you'd just go to realtor.com or zillow and start poking around.

[JD984]

I think that, for folks looking in NoVa, the franklymls web site (which has quite a few search features) is hard to beat - it also provides access to historical sales data.

www.franklymls.com

CAVA1990 mentioned the 22308 and 22309 zip codes near the GW Parkway. Agree this is an area well worth considering for the OP in terms of commute and price; expect that most homes in 22308 are going to be more expensive than houses in 22309 (which also includes a chunk of the Route 1 corredor and the surrounding neighborhoods).

[Alicia Bradley]

Yeah, franklymls has been our house-hunting Bible these past few months. Frank Llosa rocks!