Dream Job! Now what....?

[Anonymous]

http://www.zillow.com/pimmit-hills-falls-church-va/

Here is Pimmit hills info. A lot of young hip people there (don't believe the snark on this board if you search for pimmit hills). Many have young families. Very friendly. Some old timers wondering when the hell those fields turned into Tysons corner but actually a good investment and coming up area.

For cabin john it has to be in "cabin john gardens". Why? That's a single family coop so it keeps house sizes and therefore prices down. But it's also the best location in cabin john and just an amazing place to live.

[DCFan]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.zillow.com/pimmit-hills-falls-church-va/

Here is Pimmit hills info. A lot of young hip people there (don't believe the snark on this board if you search for pimmit hills). Many have young families. Very friendly. Some old timers wondering when the hell those fields turned into Tysons corner but actually a good investment and coming up area.

For cabin john it has to be in "cabin john gardens". Why? That's a single family coop so it keeps house sizes and therefore prices down. But it's also the best location in cabin john and just an amazing place to live.

Fantastic! Thank you for this, I've added it to my (growing) Zillow profile. Good point on Cabin John vs. Cabin Johns gardens, I was running the wrong search and coming up with really wild results - your link is very helpful, thanks for that.

[Anonymous]

If you are working in McLean, have you thought about getting a house there? I dont know too much about the area (I'm in Chevy Chase) but I think it's beautiful, and there might be some affordable places, though I know McLean is famous for its McMansions. If not there, then perhaps Alexandria or Arlington? Those are close to DC, and it would be a much easier commute than MD. Though I grew up in Glen Echo and if you are at all outdoor inclined, all the areas near to the C&O canal are absolutely gorgeous and you kind of feel like you're living in the middle or the country, by some measures, rather than near to DC, at least in the summer and spring and fall when the foliage is out.

[Anonymous]

Twinbrook neighborhood in Rockville might also work

Much safer and closer than Bowie. Could cut across tower oaks to 495 to get to tysons.

Simple houses but that is what you get in DC area for under $500k but actually a great location with great schools and easy to sell, with upside potential.

http://www.zillow.com/twin-brook-rockville-md/

[Anonymous]

In general I'd say minimize your commute the best you can. Take a good look right around Falls Church and see what you can live with. I'd look to the east from there.

What about Del Ray - cute areas. Schools aren't great but it sounds like that should be fine.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Alexandria/3818-Elbert-Ave-22305/home/11849301

[Anonymous]

Reston?
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Reston/2075-Cobblestone-Ln-20191/home/9343675

[Anonymous]

Fairfax...
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Fairfax/10123-Dwight-Ave-22032/home/12028701

[Anonymous]

I would look in Alexandria south of the Beltway.

[Anonymous]

Avoid crossing the river unless you have some other circumstances you haven't listed.


Reston would be a great choice - 10 minutes to Tysons without traffic - 15 or 20 max in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Kimgstowne / West Springfield - not bad commute to Tysons via 495 and easy access to shops and restaurants. Good resale value as Kingstowne is a solid choice for military families (Ft Belvoir, Pentagon) and W Springfield has desirable schools and Mayberry-esque subdivisions.

Probably can't do a SFH but a nice end unit TH

[Anonymous]

DCFan wrote:Hello future friends and neighbors, I'm one interview away from landing my dream job in the Tyson's Corner/Falls Church area and, being cautiously optimistic, I'm looking at the logistics of relocating from the west coast. I think I need some help though, primarily on real estate/traffic/ground-rules for the area. I'm coming in from Northern California but I'm still hitting a bit of sticker shock, no surprise. I'm doing wayyyy too much research (zillow.com, city-data.com, dcurbanmom.com, etc.) but there's only so much that the Internet can tell you from +2,000 miles away. I am very interested in your input on where the good/bad, viable/impossible places are and perhaps helping me tamp down my initial expectations (though, hopefully, not tooooo much? )

Criteria:

1) Travel time - The same as everyone, I guess. I'm trying to stay 30-40 miles from the workplace but the real goal is less than an hour commute (which currently means driving, I'm still looking into the public transit options)
2) A house (vs. condo, townhouse, apartment) - While it is just me (single, 45 yr old, no family/kids, not dating), I'm not terribly interested in sharing a wall with neighbors (spoiled, maybe, have been living in standalone houses for 20 yrs... and there's all this furniture...)
3) Re-sale value (eventually) - I'd like to buy something large enough to have solid resale value in 5-10 years (when either I'm done or I'm moving up but otherwise, 10 yrs is a tad arbitrary). Area plays a key role so I've been looking at schools, price trends, etc.
4) Neighborhood - Should be nice enough for family (nieces/nephews) to come visit and feel safe, close enough for anyone that wants to visit DC to stay, etc.

Limitations:
Not too many, I hope....

1) I'm targeting 400-500K price range, may drift a tad higher but I think the 800K+ is out of my range, so I'm okay with looking at a greater distance (If it is cost vs. distance, cost wins because I don't want to get up to my eyeballs in debt)

Current areas I've been looking at (and would like your thoughts on, please)

1) Bowie, MD - Lots of great new house options but I'm told the area is not as safe as I would like. The commute may be a bit long as well?
2) Bethesda,MD - Smaller houses within the price point, can't tell about the neighborhoods. Traffic may be okay though?
3) Gainesville/Centreville, VA - Similar to Bowie in the houses, maybe a better area but I can't tell whether traffic is an issue...
4) Ashburn/Broadlands/Sterling - May be beyond my price range and again, traffic stories seem to be bipoler: no problem vs. nightmare-every-day. Still, looks like the best option so far?

In general, my sense is that anything inside the beltway is too expensive (for a standalone), the northwest areas are too expensive, as are the south west areas. The eastern sides are affordable but they may not be okay traffic/area wise?

Okay, enough rambling. If I've left key things out, please remind me and I will fill in the blanks as quickly as possible.

Thank you all in advance for whatever help/insights you can offer. I should know in the next 45 days whether I've put the cart before the horse but.... if not, I'll have to be ready to act quickly.

Hope this job is worth the move from your beautiful area to this miserable one. I'm from here but lived THERE - where you're coming from - and no way would I choose this area over yours. That said, here are doable options:

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2039-N-Vermont-St-22207/home/11234978

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/6078-9th-St-N-22205/home/11240700

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/4850-Crescent-St-20816/home/10644659

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/9705-Bellevue-Dr-20814/home/10664320

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2133-S-Oxford-St-22204/home/11271723


https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/35-S-Edison-St-22204/home/11258357

[Anonymous]

DCFan wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bowie to Tysons will take you 40 minutes in the middle of the night. I cannot even begin to imagine the hellishness of a rush hour commute between the two.

Okay, thanks. Scratching Bowie off the list. I suppose that takes out Laurel, Severn. etc. as well.

What about Lanham, Greenbelt, Belstville? (Or do those only make sense if Metro is an option?)

Thanks for the feedback, either way!

Yes. Scratch them. Your life will be horrible with any of those commutes.

[Anonymous]

Rule #1 - do not cross the river (so say no to Maryland)
Rule #2 - do not rely on highways (so say no to Alexandria/Kingstowne)
Rule #3 - always have a backroads route to get to work

I would look in Fairfax, Falls Church (Fairfax County portion as it will be cheaper), McLean, and maybe Arlington and Annandale

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

DCFan wrote:Hello future friends and neighbors, I'm one interview away from landing my dream job in the Tyson's Corner/Falls Church area and, being cautiously optimistic, I'm looking at the logistics of relocating from the west coast. I think I need some help though, primarily on real estate/traffic/ground-rules for the area. I'm coming in from Northern California but I'm still hitting a bit of sticker shock, no surprise. I'm doing wayyyy too much research (zillow.com, city-data.com, dcurbanmom.com, etc.) but there's only so much that the Internet can tell you from +2,000 miles away. I am very interested in your input on where the good/bad, viable/impossible places are and perhaps helping me tamp down my initial expectations (though, hopefully, not tooooo much? )

Criteria:

1) Travel time - The same as everyone, I guess. I'm trying to stay 30-40 miles from the workplace but the real goal is less than an hour commute (which currently means driving, I'm still looking into the public transit options)
2) A house (vs. condo, townhouse, apartment) - While it is just me (single, 45 yr old, no family/kids, not dating), I'm not terribly interested in sharing a wall with neighbors (spoiled, maybe, have been living in standalone houses for 20 yrs... and there's all this furniture...)
3) Re-sale value (eventually) - I'd like to buy something large enough to have solid resale value in 5-10 years (when either I'm done or I'm moving up but otherwise, 10 yrs is a tad arbitrary). Area plays a key role so I've been looking at schools, price trends, etc.
4) Neighborhood - Should be nice enough for family (nieces/nephews) to come visit and feel safe, close enough for anyone that wants to visit DC to stay, etc.

Limitations:
Not too many, I hope....

1) I'm targeting 400-500K price range, may drift a tad higher but I think the 800K+ is out of my range, so I'm okay with looking at a greater distance (If it is cost vs. distance, cost wins because I don't want to get up to my eyeballs in debt)

Current areas I've been looking at (and would like your thoughts on, please)

1) Bowie, MD - Lots of great new house options but I'm told the area is not as safe as I would like. The commute may be a bit long as well?
2) Bethesda,MD - Smaller houses within the price point, can't tell about the neighborhoods. Traffic may be okay though?
3) Gainesville/Centreville, VA - Similar to Bowie in the houses, maybe a better area but I can't tell whether traffic is an issue...
4) Ashburn/Broadlands/Sterling - May be beyond my price range and again, traffic stories seem to be bipoler: no problem vs. nightmare-every-day. Still, looks like the best option so far?

In general, my sense is that anything inside the beltway is too expensive (for a standalone), the northwest areas are too expensive, as are the south west areas. The eastern sides are affordable but they may not be okay traffic/area wise?

Okay, enough rambling. If I've left key things out, please remind me and I will fill in the blanks as quickly as possible.

Thank you all in advance for whatever help/insights you can offer. I should know in the next 45 days whether I've put the cart before the horse but.... if not, I'll have to be ready to act quickly.

Hope this job is worth the move from your beautiful area to this miserable one. I'm from here but lived THERE - where you're coming from - and no way would I choose this area over yours. That said, here are doable options:

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2039-N-Vermont-St-22207/home/11234978

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/6078-9th-St-N-22205/home/11240700

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/4850-Crescent-St-20816/home/10644659

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/9705-Bellevue-Dr-20814/home/10664320

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2133-S-Oxford-St-22204/home/11271723


https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/35-S-Edison-St-22204/home/11258357

Eh, double bubble money has really changed california and made it a very hard place to live unless you win startup jackpot. And the drought is very bad new (onto year 4 now, this rainy season seem like a bust). And from OPs budget, it seem like she did not win startup lottery, so living in DC will be quite pleasant. I have friend from LA who LOVE DC b/c it has a lot going on, and the amount of GREEN is unmatched for most of desert-like California where people live (Sierras are nice and up near humboldt, but there are no jobs there).

[Anonymous]

OP, if I were you I would lease a short-term rental in Tyson's. That way you can get used to the new job and scout out the area to get a better sense of neighborhoods, commute, and where you want to be before you commit to buying a place.