Dream Job! Now what....?
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DCFan
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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. |
Anonymous
| From Bowie to Tysons??? No way! |
Anonymous
| Knock out Bowie for distance and Bethesda for price. Have you looked at South Arlington? |
Anonymous
| 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. |
DCFan
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Ok, thanks! |
DCFan
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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! |
DCFan
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Not yet but I will now, thanks! Would that include the Annandale/Alexandria areas or just Arlington (looking on the map, bordered by I66 and I395?) |
Anonymous
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Look at Cabin John Gardens in Cabin John Maryland / would be a great place to be single and have a small reasonably priced house and a 20 minute commute to tysons.
Bowie is way too far. Centerville etc would be so dreadful for a single person I would think and you'd be with traffic every way. Bethesda / cabin john you'd be against traffic at least in the AM. |
DCFan
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Ok, thanks. I'll check out Cabin John right now. When you say Centreville would be dreadful for a single person, why is that? Boring because of the areas/neighborhoods/people or dreadful because of the commute? |
Anonymous
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http://mocorealestate.com/idx/mls-mc8394497-19_mckay_cir_cabin_john_md_20818
This is too much to ask for that area I think. But if you are at all funky, California in style, healthy but fun, like walking or biking or jogging or rock climbing along a beautiful river just a 5 minute WALK from your house, would like arts and social events a few minute drive from your house - this is a great place. If I were still single without 2 kids would still be living there. |
Anonymous
| Centerville is full of really fast construction. Tract McMansions. Crappy condos. Planned housing crowded in around nouveau style strip malls. It's really not nice at all. And the commute would probably be hellish. Maybe not so many miles but they would be crowded miles. |
DCFan
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LOL, thanks.  I'm about as unfunky/non-Californian as they come but I get your point and appreciate the feedback. Looks like that area has a lot of houses that would work, I just need to win a small 100-175K lottery  Thanks also for the website, another good resource for the area.
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Anonymous
| Also check out Pimmitt Hills, part of mclean but it's sort of the side near route 7 and tysons. Area of tract housing but is coming around. If you found something there you could easily sell if you don't like it and you'd be 10 minutes from work and pretty near falls church and Arlington social scenes. |
DCFan
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Nice find! Thank you, I'll dig into this, even though it will stretch things a bit. And you are right, close to work with a quick resale if it just doesn't work? Good thoughts, all - thank you!
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DCFan
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Gotcha, thanks. Google maps doesn't have a "hellish" layer, so your advice on the miles vs. hellish miles is exactly what I was hoping to find - thanks again! |