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[Danman]

So I'm considering a job opportunity within the Herndon/Fairfax area.

For those of you that live in this general area -

- What do you think of the area West of DC? For example, I do like Loudoun County as a place to buy a house. Thoughts?
- What's the REAL cost of a house? I currently live in Northern Florida, so housing is relatively cheap. I'd like to get a decent 3/2 single family house for under $300k when we are ready to buy. Is this possible? It seems housing prices are crazy in Fairfax County, but outside of that area they seem to drop off.
- Thoughts of the overall place?


Thanks everyone.

 

[Danman]

No one?

 

[Vette73]

Houses cost a lot here. The further away from the highway/Metro/DC the cheaper they are.
If you are outside the metro train area the price really drops. But its not worth it to me to be stuck in traffic that much.

I live in Springfield and am less than 5 minutes from a Metro station. So not sure of the area you are looking in, but keep it open. But also make sure to be near a Metro. Ask all the people that were in traffic the other day for 4+ hours.

 

[Triumph]

So I'm considering a job opportunity within the Herndon/Fairfax area.

For those of you that live in this general area -

- What do you think of the area West of DC? For example, I do like Loudoun County as a place to buy a house. Thoughts?
- What's the REAL cost of a house? I currently live in Northern Florida, so housing is relatively cheap. I'd like to get a decent 3/2 single family house for under $300k when we are ready to buy. Is this possible? It seems housing prices are crazy in Fairfax County, but outside of that area they seem to drop off.
- Thoughts of the overall place?

Thanks everyone.

You won't find many SFH for under 300k. In that price range, I'd settle on finding yourself a townhouse. You can find those for 250-300 in Fairfax County. One of the great things you'll find coming here from Florida, property tax is much less, about 1% of the assessed value.

Herndon itself is kinda ghetto. Loudon is a strange place. It has the highest average income in the country, most developments are $500k+ SFH, has great schools, yet it has a small problem with latino gangs. Not like South Central LA problems, but the lower priced areas aren't that great. I also predict that it is going to have huge traffic problems in the future due to poor development planning. Fairfax county, OTOH, is sort of already developed so it's not going to get a whole lot worse than it is. Loudon is still probably 75% rural and they already have traffic problems. Also Herndon is east of Loudon and EVERYONE is traveling east in the morning.

I'd suggest looking around Reston or Chantilly. Not sure exactly where you are working.

 

[Danman]

You won't find many SFH for under 300k. In that price range, I'd settle on finding yourself a townhouse. You can find those for 250-300 in Fairfax County. One of the great things you'll find coming here from Florida, property tax is much less, about 1% of the assessed value.

Herndon itself is kinda ghetto. Loudon is a strange place. It has the highest average income in the country, most developments are $500k+ SFH, has great schools, yet it has a small problem with latino gangs. Not like South Central LA problems, but the lower priced areas aren't that great. I also predict that it is going to have huge traffic problems in the future due to poor development planning. Fairfax county, OTOH, is sort of already developed so it's not going to get a whole lot worse than it is. Loudon is still probably 75% rural and they already have traffic problems. Also Herndon is east of Loudon and EVERYONE is traveling east in the morning.

I'd suggest looking around Reston or Chantilly. Not sure exactly where you are working.

Thanks everyone for the input so far! This is a good start.

I plan on renting for at least a year just to get a feel for the job and area before we make the jump. Just want to see what everyone else is experiencing here.

 

[Vette73]

Thanks everyone for the input so far! This is a good start.

I plan on renting for at least a year just to get a feel for the job and area before we make the jump. Just want to see what everyone else is experiencing here.

I would only do a 6month lease if you plan on living here a while. Prices for the most part have stabilized and in the paper today they were talking about how people are flipping houses in DC again. Let alone low rates etc…

 

[SP33Demon]

Come to Fairfax County, great place to live once you figure out the traffic patterns.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

i mean, you could get a nice SFH out in leesburg or beyond. but then spend the rest of your life in traffic, complaining about outrageous tolls and gas costs.

i dunno, i work in reston, live in herndon. 5 mile commute and i wouldnt have it any other way. yeah we had to spend 450k on a decent 3/2 one car garage townhouse, but I have no regrets at all. cant image wasting so much of my life away in the car. being close to the city and tysons corner is nice too.

it really comes down to the same question that everyone has to deal with. commute or space. you want a mcmansion, expect a long commute. if you value your time and location more, you will need to lower your expectations.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

<------ Lived in fairfax for 28 years, now in NH

Finding a sub 300k SF home is pretty tough in Fairfax. It is probably doable, but you might not like the location. You can get a pretty decent townhome for around 300k though.

If you are willing to live further out and deal with the commute, your options for housing get much better. I'm sure there are developments in Loudon county that are in the sub 300k range, and prices really fall if you are willing to go out closer to 81. My brother works in Winchester and lives in Stephen's city. He paid 190k for his place, and it is nicer than the place my wife and I owned in Waltham (which cost $620k).

 

[dbailey]

I am getting ready to sell my three bedroom townhouse in Fairfax.. about 15 minutes from Herndon. Want to buy it? 410k though! Just renovated the master bath resurfaced the hardwoods and put in granite countertops...

 

[techs]

P.B.S. not found.

 

[venkman]

This is the 3rd or 4th expensive area in the country to live behind NY/SF and maybe Chicago. Traffic hear is a beast in the mornings (#1 or #2 worst in the country) so getting the right housing is a matter of luck, negotiating skills, and what your willing to give up.

For my (rental) place I was willing to give up age of the unit, so I live in a old ass, outdated place for a cheap (For the area) rent next door to metro.

You can also choose to give up some combination of safety, dollars, amenities, commute, location etc.

They are building a metro station through Tysons and into Loudon county in the next year or two (construction already underway, 495 is a mess) so that should help the commute. If I had to pick one place, maybe consider Tyson's Corner. It's not cheap, but it would be a reverse commute to work, not too far to the city for fun, and it's getting more metro access soon. Fair Lakes in Fairfax is also a very nice area and you can get TH for around $300K (saw some nice ones on some HGTV house hunting show not long ago) and it has easy access to 50,66, and 7100.

PS. Leave work early in case of a snowstorm

 

[SP33Demon]

I am getting ready to sell my three bedroom townhouse in Fairfax.. about 15 minutes from Herndon. Want to buy it? 410k though! Just renovated the master bath resurfaced the hardwoods and put in granite countertops...

Yup, this about right. You're not going to found any decent TH for even 350. My top variables in order on where to live:

1) commute time
2) safety of area (not the ghetto), sex offenders in the neighborhood
3) proximity to metro
4) parking
5) space
6) cost of housing (pretty broad range for me but may be higher on your list)

I always say you should pay yourself first, and having a super short commute (20 minutes each way any time reverse commute) is the best thing I ever did living here. Time > money for me.

 

[shortylickens]

Too many illegal aliens. And since 99&#37; of them are hispanic we cant really claim much multi-cultural-ism here. I recommend you learn spanish. Most signs and such are printed in it, and if you wanna be able to communicate with the average person it makes it a lot easier.

Also, not counting the illegal issue this area is very political. Expect to hear lots of debates and flat out pissing contests in your local bar, doctors office, day care, etc. Most everyone here is connected to politics in a roundabout way, whether they are lawyers or government contractors or indentured servants to lazy fat white people who are too cheap to pay minimum wage to have their babies diaper changed.

Cost of living sucks. But this is a high job growth area while the rest of the country is having issues.

Metro and VRE are great, when they are working.

Traffic is shit no matter where you are. Even if you live in a low-density area you will probably have to drive through busy areas to do anything like work or shop.

You know how Europeans think America is just one giant strip mall? That stereotype is exemplified here in Northern Virginia. Farms and Historical fields get regularly mowed down for shitty overpriced housing and dense, crappy commercial districts.

 

[ichy]

Gawd, this thread reminds me how much I despise NoVA. Even ghetto-ass Baltimore is a better place to live than that soul-less, traffic-clogged suburban wasteland. The illegal immigrants overrunning the area just make it worse, nothing like MS-13 to improve the quality of life.

 

[sjwaste]

Live close to work, preferably east of it. Since you didn't say exactly where the office will be located, that's the best I can give you.

I live and work inside the beltway. I have no idea how some people sit in massive traffic every day just to get to their McMansion out in Manasshole. You'll have to do what I did - spend your money on location, not living space.

 

[Danman]

Thanks everyone for the tips. It's a great job opportunity, but really hard to decide if I want to uproot the wife and I (away from family for a little more money after COL estimates).

 

[timosyy]

My 2c (I'm only 23, but I've lived here almost my whole life):

Commutes can be hell but you figure it out (Pretty predictable traffic patterns, you can avoid them by going to work early/leaving early). Metro makes getting places (especially into Arlington or D.C.) very convenient-- they've been upping prices though.

Great place to raise kids. The schools here are among the best in the nation... TJHSS is actually #1, I think (both my sisters went there, looking at the annual report of where their graduates go to college is actually pretty ridiculous). Pretty low crime rate afaik. In-state universities are great (UVA, Virginia Tech, etc.)... Even the community college system is well-organized.

Easy to find tech-related jobs in the area after graduation.

 

[vshah]

northern virginiaaaa
community collegggge
you can have the power!
you can have the knowledge!!

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Yup, this about right. You're not going to found any decent TH for even 350.

Not so! See the following townhouse:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7508-Manigold-Ct-Alexandria-VA-22315/51951738_zpid/

308k in an awesome/safe commuter location.

My wife and I owned a similar townhouse, but right around the corner. Decent master BR and two smaller BR on the top floor. Eat in kitchen and dining/licing room combo on the first floor. Nice finished basement in most units (adding 600+/- sq feet to the 1200 sq feet on the listing).

Seriously, Kingstown is a very nice area and fairly close to everything. You can ride the bus or drive to two different metros, walk to grocery stores, movie theater, restaurants, etc. And you are ~10 minutes from I-95, enabling easy driving access to DC on the weekends.

 

[Danman]

Not so! See the following townhouse:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7508-Manigold-Ct-Alexandria-VA-22315/51951738_zpid/

308k in an awesome/safe commuter location.

My wife and I owned a similar townhouse, but right around the corner. Decent master BR and two smaller BR on the top floor. Eat in kitchen and dining/licing room combo on the first floor. Nice finished basement in most units (adding 600+/- sq feet to the 1200 sq feet on the listing).

Seriously, Kingstown is a very nice area and fairly close to everything. You can ride the bus or drive to two different metros, walk to grocery stores, movie theater, restaurants, etc. And you are ~10 minutes from I-95, enabling easy driving access to DC on the weekends.

I guess it's really strange to me since I've lived in Florida all of my life and had to drive EVERYWHERE. You didn't walk to the store, you drove.


Anyone who has moved from one of the Southern states to VA/DC area? Curious on perspectives from other outsiders.

 

[SP33Demon]

Not so! See the following townhouse:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7508-Manigold-Ct-Alexandria-VA-22315/51951738_zpid/

308k in an awesome/safe commuter location.

My wife and I owned a similar townhouse, but right around the corner. Decent master BR and two smaller BR on the top floor. Eat in kitchen and dining/licing room combo on the first floor. Nice finished basement in most units (adding 600+/- sq feet to the 1200 sq feet on the listing).

Seriously, Kingstown is a very nice area and fairly close to everything. You can ride the bus or drive to two different metros, walk to grocery stores, movie theater, restaurants, etc. And you are ~10 minutes from I-95, enabling easy driving access to DC on the weekends.

Yeah actually I meant 300K, not 350. I think my neighbor just hers for around 300 and it was renovated. About the same size as the Kingstowne one you linked.

I used to live by Kingstowne off Van Dorn and it's one big clusterfck of cars during rush hour. Just from the beltway exit-->Kingstowne (van dorn past franconia rd) can take 5-10 minutes with the lights and gridlock. It's only getting worse, Van Dorn st really isn't equipped for the amount of housing they built. It's a nice area but traffic is a pain. I would recommend living as close as possible to the Beltway exits if that's the way you take to work, it's worth every minute not sitting in the gridlock.

 

[SP33Demon]

I guess it's really strange to me since I've lived in Florida all of my life and had to drive EVERYWHERE. You didn't walk to the store, you drove.


Anyone who has moved from one of the Southern states to VA/DC area? Curious on perspectives from other outsiders.

I moved from a rural southern state (lived/worked there for 3 years) and the first thing I did was get rid of my truck. Parking is somewhat of a premium in many of these areas and a large vehicle is more of a hassle.

You will most likely still have to drive places if you live in NOVA, it just isn't nearly as far. Unless you're within walking distance of a metro or bus stop, you will still have to drive a little. Some of my coworkers who don't have cars and only use the metro all wish they had cars. Metro is getting expensive too... buddy said it cost him over $5 from Springfield to Gallery Place (Chinatown) one way. Which is kind of absurd.

 

[Vette73]

I moved from a rural southern state (lived/worked there for 3 years) and the first thing I did was get rid of my truck. Parking is somewhat of a premium in many of these areas and a large vehicle is more of a hassle.

You will most likely still have to drive places if you live in NOVA, it just isn't nearly as far. Unless you're within walking distance of a metro or bus stop, you will still have to drive a little. Some of my coworkers who don't have cars and only use the metro all wish they had cars. Metro is getting expensive too... buddy said it cost him over $5 from Springfield to Gallery Place (Chinatown) one way. Which is kind of absurd.

Yea I ride springfield to rosslyn and thats $4.60 at rush. Higher at Double rush but I get into work early. Outside of rush its like $2.30 so not bad.