Neighborhood suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
http://franklymls.com/FX7837735
5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, built in 2005, 4000 square feet.

I am seeing over a dozen places in 22180 for under $900k and 4+ bedrooms, of which six are post-1990 construction.

http://franklymls.com/FA7852848

5BR in Falls Church City.

The house in Vienna looks like shoddy construction to me.

I like the rambler in FCC - nice addition. I wonder if the problem is that it's a dead-end street off Leesburg Pike so close to Seven Corners. Getting in and out could be a pain.

I've seen that house. Most of the rooms are small, the bathrooms and the kitchen are bad (old and small), and the floor plan is odd. The back yard is entirely landscaped so not great for young kids.

PP here. Those comments are for the FCC house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just toured this house last weekend (for fun, as we're not ready to buy yet, but like checking out houses in the neighborhood where we're renting). This house seems poised for a price reduction, which might get it in your ball park, and it was lovely. Right across the street from Lyon Park. There was another house initially up for a million that went for $850 about a block over.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/501-N-Garfield-St-22201/home/11255281

I think that's a really nice house, but see it selling for somewhere @ $950-975K, which sounds like more than the OP can afford.

N.Pershing is a busy road...not as busy as 50 but it is a faster- cut-through type road.

Which is why I figure it won't go for the asking price, despite how nice it is.

Even though Pershing is busy, it is a very attractive street. Homes have sold for around a million on Perhsing.

But I think this house will sell for under 1 mill because there are much more attractive homes on Pershing that sell for less. The exterior proportions of the second story addition are way off.

[Anonymous]

If commuting was not an issue, I would happily move out to Reston or even Ashburn, you can get so much for your money out there. However, commuting is a major issue, so we're staying in our teeny-tiny in N. Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Unless you want to spend your entire life driving, skip Vienna, Tysons, or anywhere near there. If your life is susceptible to VRE travel, I would look at Fredricksburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just toured this house last weekend (for fun, as we're not ready to buy yet, but like checking out houses in the neighborhood where we're renting). This house seems poised for a price reduction, which might get it in your ball park, and it was lovely. Right across the street from Lyon Park. There was another house initially up for a million that went for $850 about a block over.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/501-N-Garfield-St-22201/home/11255281

I just looked at this listing and cannot for the life of me understand why they would renovate every piece of the house but keep the 1950s tile and floors in the bathrooms when they changed everything else?? They even updated the vanities in the bathroom but kept the outdated black and white tile, it looks awful. What the hell?? That just makes me think that the owners majorly cheaped out with their renovations. I would not buy that house solely for that reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you want to spend your entire life driving, skip Vienna, Tysons, or anywhere near there. If your life is susceptible to VRE travel, I would look at Fredricksburg.

Oh or Burke, I have a co-worker in Burke who loves it there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you want to spend your entire life driving, skip Vienna, Tysons, or anywhere near there. If your life is susceptible to VRE travel, I would look at Fredricksburg.

That's nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you want to spend your entire life driving, skip Vienna, Tysons, or anywhere near there. If your life is susceptible to VRE travel, I would look at Fredricksburg.

That's nonsense.

Really? Are you saying that there isn't a ton of traffic in that area? At what times do you drive that you avoid traffic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you want to spend your entire life driving, skip Vienna, Tysons, or anywhere near there. If your life is susceptible to VRE travel, I would look at Fredricksburg.

That's nonsense.

Actually, I stand corrected. I didn't mean driving; I meant stuck in traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just toured this house last weekend (for fun, as we're not ready to buy yet, but like checking out houses in the neighborhood where we're renting). This house seems poised for a price reduction, which might get it in your ball park, and it was lovely. Right across the street from Lyon Park. There was another house initially up for a million that went for $850 about a block over.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/501-N-Garfield-St-22201/home/11255281

I think that's a really nice house, but see it selling for somewhere @ $950-975K, which sounds like more than the OP can afford.

N.Pershing is a busy road...not as busy as 50 but it is a faster- cut-through type road.

Which is why I figure it won't go for the asking price, despite how nice it is.

Even though Pershing is busy, it is a very attractive street. Homes have sold for around a million on Perhsing.

But I think this house will sell for under 1 mill because there are much more attractive homes on Pershing that sell for less. The exterior proportions of the second story addition are way off.

Way too much is made of busy roads in this forum. They simply don't carry that much of a discount, not in this area.

[Anonymous]

Fredericksburg is nice. The traffic horrendous. VRE is a plus but the crime is not for the size of the area. We looked there because we have friends who live there and DH has family there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fredericksburg is nice. The traffic horrendous. VRE is a plus but the crime is not for the size of the area. We looked there because we have friends who live there and DH has family there.

Is the traffic bad if you stay in the area or just commuting. In other words, if they took the VRE, would they still be stuck in traffic all the time like they would in Vienna?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fredericksburg is nice. The traffic horrendous. VRE is a plus but the crime is not for the size of the area. We looked there because we have friends who live there and DH has family there.

Is the traffic bad if you stay in the area or just commuting. In other words, if they took the VRE, would they still be stuck in traffic all the time like they would in Vienna?

Vienna traffic is nothing compared to Fredericksburg commutes. VRE has delays but it is worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fredericksburg is nice. The traffic horrendous. VRE is a plus but the crime is not for the size of the area. We looked there because we have friends who live there and DH has family there.

Is the traffic bad if you stay in the area or just commuting. In other words, if they took the VRE, would they still be stuck in traffic all the time like they would in Vienna?

Vienna traffic is nothing compared to Fredericksburg commutes. VRE has delays but it is worth it.

Right. But assume they would take VRE. Are there traffic problems in Fredricksburg similar to those in Vienna when the commute is by train?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you want to spend your entire life driving, skip Vienna, Tysons, or anywhere near there. If your life is susceptible to VRE travel, I would look at Fredricksburg.

That's nonsense.

Actually, I stand corrected. I didn't mean driving; I meant stuck in traffic.

The people most frustrated by Tysons traffic are people who have to commute in and out of Tysons during rush hour, or people who drive through Tysons and Vienna to get some place further west and don't bother to learn any local shortcuts.

If the OP can travel to DC by Metro and/or drive at non-rush hour times, Vienna might be a good choice for her, given her budget and housing preferences. I think living in a place like Fredericksburg largely takes you out of the DC region, and trying to find a nice house in her price range in Arlington that isn't a dump can be quite a challenge.