Thoughts on moving to Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How come no one on here ever mention Rosslyn (22209) or North Highland (22201). There are great selection of townhouses and some sfh in those two areas and are so incredibly convenient. A ton of people with money have moved into the area, now there's hardly a listing that is not a shabby condo in one the old 1950's building. The new condos are snapped up quickly. I have a friend that has been waiting for six months for a townhouse to come on the market there. I am surprised that all the savvy real estate people on here are so unaware of what's going on there. One developer has been so impressed with the price point and quickness some of the condos are selling, they have postponed plans for an office tower in favor of residential tower because the demand is so strong, particularly from people with deep pokers. Construction will brick ground January 21 last I heard. The school pyramid is Key/Williamsbug/Yorktown.

You beat me to it poster. That is exactly the area I was going to mention, particularly as OP has only one child and her husband travels. He would have great access to the airport (one of the reasons so many high net worth people bought at Turnberry Towers and Waterview) and she would have little maintenance at places like Palisades or Highgate. The single family houses on Troy and Taft Streets are either being renovated or replaced by new house, but of a scale that suits rather than overwhelms the neighborhood. The Dawson Terrace Rec Center has a great play area and the whole area feels very outdoorsy. The new center at Vietch and Lee Highway with the MOMS market and retail is gong to transform the quiet little pocket of North Highland especially. If you are living there, kudos to you for making a smart real estate buy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Major bubble in North Arlington

Too many other Metro accessible areas being built up. Developers have pulled their money and are investing else where. That is the Canary in the mine. Many houses over 1.25m are sitting and have no takers.

People who buy $1.25 M houses, even in Arlington, generally don't rely on Metro. Metro is for the folks who have to buy the down market condos near Tysons Corner, Vienna and Reston and aren't provided with a parking space at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How come no one on here ever mention Rosslyn (22209) or North Highland (22201). There are great selection of townhouses and some sfh in those two areas and are so incredibly convenient. A ton of people with money have moved into the area, now there's hardly a listing that is not a shabby condo in one the old 1950's building. The new condos are snapped up quickly. I have a friend that has been waiting for six months for a townhouse to come on the market there. I am surprised that all the savvy real estate people on here are so unaware of what's going on there. One developer has been so impressed with the price point and quickness some of the condos are selling, they have postponed plans for an office tower in favor of residential tower because the demand is so strong, particularly from people with deep pokers. Construction will brick ground January 21 last I heard. The school pyramid is Key/Williamsbug/Yorktown.

You beat me to it poster. That is exactly the area I was going to mention, particularly as OP has only one child and her husband travels. He would have great access to the airport (one of the reasons so many high net worth people bought at Turnberry Towers and Waterview) and she would have little maintenance at places like Palisades or Highgate. The single family houses on Troy and Taft Streets are either being renovated or replaced by new house, but of a scale that suits rather than overwhelms the neighborhood. The Dawson Terrace Rec Center has a great play area and the whole area feels very outdoorsy. The new center at Vietch and Lee Highway with the MOMS market and retail is gong to transform the quiet little pocket of North Highland especially. If you are living there, kudos to you for making a smart real estate buy.

Yuck. Very ugly area for exceptionally boring people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Arlington choices for a million are sad. Look at the thread regarding the dump next to a 711 day laborer pickup area.

Sorry Debbie Downer, but the closed 7-11 at Lee Highway to which you are referring was never a pick up spot for day laborers. We have an entire County funded space for day laborers to be picked up for work in Arlington. Now your experience with the 7-11 on Little River Turnpike or in Hybla Valley where you live may be different but the only "laborers" at that 7-11 were those stopping in for slurpees during work and lunch breaks.

That's some nonsense there. Day laborer centers just multiply the number of places where the illegals look for work in Arlington.

But at least they're seeking work unlike all the people seeking handouts off Glebe and in Rosslyn every day.

[Anonymous]

Westover is awesome, but commands a bit of a premium over some of the other surrounding neighborhoods. (Neighborhoods that are basically Westover too: Larchmont, Highland Park, Parkhurst.) We're in Country Club and we love it - you could find something nice here for under a million. The homes around Tuckahoe ES are often walkable to East Falls Church metro. I also like Waverly Hills and Waycroft, and parts of Cherrydale. Closer in, my favorite hood is Ashton heights. (close to metro, but less expensive than Lyon Village.) Country Club hills is great too, but you'd have a hard time finding anything under $1M.

[Anonymous]

23:05 - also, if you look at cape cod style houses, you could have main floor master bedroom options. We have a 4BR cape with 2BR upstairs and 2BR on the main level. For now, family bedrooms are upstairs and guest bedrooms are on the main. But if I retire in this house, I'll move my bedroom to the main level and have 1-story living. (my parents keep threatening to move in and take the 1st-floor bedrooms.)

[Anonymous]

There were never day laborers at that 7-11 at Lee/GM, nor the one slightly east of it on Lee at Edison.

Also, you can get on an orange line train in the morning from the north Arlington stations - you're just not getting a seat in any but the first or 8th car. I ride every day from Ballston or Virginia Square, and it's pretty reliable and usually not ridiculously crowded.

[Anonymous]

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/4115-16th-Pl-N-22207/home/11233818

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/3615-Vacation-Ln-22207/home/11233011

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Major bubble in North Arlington

Too many other Metro accessible areas being built up. Developers have pulled their money and are investing else where. That is the Canary in the mine. Many houses over 1.25m are sitting and have no takers.

People who buy $1.25 M houses, even in Arlington, generally don't rely on Metro. Metro is for the folks who have to buy the down market condos near Tysons Corner, Vienna and Reston and aren't provided with a parking space at work.

why are the houses in McLean at 1.25 through 1.6 being snapped up quickly? Even Tysons Marshall near 1.25 get sold quickly.

LOL @ down market condos

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There were never day laborers at that 7-11 at Lee/GM, nor the one slightly east of it on Lee at Edison.

Also, you can get on an orange line train in the morning from the north Arlington stations - you're just not getting a seat in any but the first or 8th car. I ride every day from Ballston or Virginia Square, and it's pretty reliable and usually not ridiculously crowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Major bubble in North Arlington

Too many other Metro accessible areas being built up. Developers have pulled their money and are investing else where. That is the Canary in the mine. Many houses over 1.25m are sitting and have no takers.

People who buy $1.25 M houses, even in Arlington, generally don't rely on Metro. Metro is for the folks who have to buy the down market condos near Tysons Corner, Vienna and Reston and aren't provided with a parking space at work.

Wow. Just wow.

[Anonymous]

Ignore the school dick-waving. North Arlington, Oakton, etc., are all in the same league in terms of parental SES, SAT scores, etc. We're hardly talking moving to DC and to an 80% FARMS student body where everyone else is fleeing before the kids hit middle school.

The McLean parts of Arlington (far north Arlington, especially north of 29) really won't be much better than Oakton in terms of local amenities -- your husband's commute would be shorter of course, but there'd be as little to do there as there is in Oakton. As for the Lee Highway corridor -- let's get real, though, it really is full of strip malls.

You've got Orange Line Arlington and Blue Line Arlington that provide the urban experience you're wanting. Go from there and you may end up with a TH instead of a SFH.

Have you considered Vienna, Fairfax City, or Falls Church? Any of those three would offer you more walkability and a shorter commute than Oakton, and you can get an older SFH for well under $1MM.

If you're willing to take a gamble, you could consider Reston or Ashburn around the future Silver Line trains (*); if your husband could take a long train ride (and works along the Red Line), then consider downtown Frederick.

(*) Amenities could get built, or they could not get built. I'd say buying near future Metro stations is less of a risk than buying in some mega-community out in WV, Winchester, or Hagerstown where the builder is more likely to go bankrupt or go back on promises of swimming pools, clubhouses, etc., than actually build them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Major bubble in North Arlington

Too many other Metro accessible areas being built up. Developers have pulled their money and are investing else where. That is the Canary in the mine. Many houses over 1.25m are sitting and have no takers.

BWAHAHAHAHA... I've lived in Arlington since 2000 and people were singing this song then... and now?Haha. Real estate is largely about location. Arlington is closer to DC - like it or not - and people will pay more for less time spent in cars. Quality of life, baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Major bubble in North Arlington

Too many other Metro accessible areas being built up. Developers have pulled their money and are investing else where. That is the Canary in the mine. Many houses over 1.25m are sitting and have no takers.

BWAHAHAHAHA... I've lived in Arlington since 2000 and people were singing this song then... and now?Haha. Real estate is largely about location. Arlington is closer to DC - like it or not - and people will pay more for less time spent in cars. Quality of life, baby.

Is there really a limitless supply of people making 300k a year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Major bubble in North Arlington

Too many other Metro accessible areas being built up. Developers have pulled their money and are investing else where. That is the Canary in the mine. Many houses over 1.25m are sitting and have no takers.

BWAHAHAHAHA... I've lived in Arlington since 2000 and people were singing this song then... and now?Haha. Real estate is largely about location. Arlington is closer to DC - like it or not - and people will pay more for less time spent in cars. Quality of life, baby.

Is there really a limitless supply of people making 300k a year?

I don't know. My DH and I don't make near that. We did buy before the market took off, however.

I liken it to other major cities - London, NYC, LA, SF - those cities continue to see an increase in their Real estate. Lots of lawyers, lobbyists, doctors, international types buying and investing.