relocating to dc area

[Anonymous]

my husband and i are relocating to the area, and are just thinking of what area to look in. we are expecting our first baby, have two dogs, and a housing budget of around $600,000. don't even know where to start! i'd like to be in the city but need a decent yard for dogs and three bedrooms. my husband will be working in arlington, rosslyn station. any advice? i know this is a very broad question - I'm looking for city neighborhoods or suburb neighborhoods with a family feel that hopefully would be walking distance to some amenities. Maybe we are crazy to think we can get this for our price point. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My condolences.

[Anonymous]

Why bother replying if you're going to say "my condolences"?

[Anonymous]

I would recommend that you look in Arlington, near Rosslyn, Courthouse or Clarendon area. These neighborhoods are just a couple of miles from DC (it's just on the other side of the river) and has an urban/suburban feel to it. It's metro-accessible, near shops and restaurants and dog parks. Rosslyn tends to be more work-centric with mostly high rise buildings. Courthouse has a lot of condos and townhomes. Clarendon is probably the best of both worlds - both in terms of being city-like, but also has lots of homes and neighborhoody feel to it. Clarendon is probably more expensive as well. For about $600,000, you should be able to find a nice townhouse with a yard for your dogs or an older single-family home. These neighborhoods also tend to have lots of young people - lots of 20 and 30 yr olds. Plus Arlington schools are excellent. But, one down-side is that is it so impossible to find a spot in a daycare or preschool, because there are just so many young families with kids.

[Anonymous]

I think you might have the best luck looking in Virginia given your price point and desired amenities.

This is a great web site that I used when loking - I loved the map feature.

[Anonymous]

We just moved to the area in July after being away since leaving for college (14 years ago). We knew we wanted to be in NOVA and we had a budget of $600k, 1 dc and one on the way. After looking at over 50 homes over 2 months, we bought in Vienna for $600k. We love it here. We can walk to town, the schools are great and our multi-generational neighbors are really friendly. We got a beautiful home with 4 bedrooms, 1/3 acre, 3 baths. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

If you want a yard, I wouldn't even bother looking in DC for $600k. I will second what others have said - look in VA. Even in this market, unfortunately, $600k won't get you what you want in a fantastic location. I would start looking in Arlington and then broaden your search to other areas a bit farther from DC if you don't find what you are looking for.

[Anonymous]

I agree you should probably look in close-in Virginia.

Del Ray, part of Alexandria, Va., might be worth looking at, but the lot sizes will probably be smaller there than further out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree you should probably look in close-in Virginia.

Del Ray, part of Alexandria, Va., might be worth looking at, but the lot sizes will probably be smaller there than further out.

and the public schools stink. Stick with Arlington or Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

If I were you, I'd check out Arlington. He could walk/ride to work.

It is nice here. Your life will be very easy if you find a place in Arlington. It is plenty urban enough for someone with dogs, and the schools are better than down town.

[Anonymous]

If you are like most DC relo's, and won't be here more than 3-4 years, you don't have to worry about school districts since your baby isn't even born yet. That would open up more areas.

Get ready for sticker shock unless you're coming from NYC or the West Coast. At least you're coming here in a down market. $600K will get you a lot more now than it would have last year.

[Anonymous]

rent, don't buy till you see what the dynamics are

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why bother replying if you're going to say "my condolences"?

Get used to it, this is DC. We're Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto!

[Anonymous]

Talking about VA, Reston is a nice neighborhood with plenty of places to walk dogs, bike, walk. For sure, it's less expensive than Arlington. My husband works in DC and use the car every day. I think the cost of gas is less than the difference in rent cost (Reston vs. Arlington). The Reston Town Center is great to walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talking about VA, Reston is a nice neighborhood with plenty of places to walk dogs, bike, walk. For sure, it's less expensive than Arlington. My husband works in DC and use the car every day. I think the cost of gas is less than the difference in rent cost (Reston vs. Arlington). The Reston Town Center is great to walk.

Yes, love Reston too