Anonymous wrote:For that price you could be much closer in than all the advice you've gotten so far. Look in Annandale, Springfield, Franconia, and Alexandria (outside the beltway).

Alexandria/Springfield to Reston? Really?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Burke. Burke. And Burke.

Commute to downtown can be down via VRE, metrobus (to either Metro or Pentagon), or slugging.

Commute to Dulles is up the FFX County Parkway.

Good schools, good community, can get an older SFH (split foyer or split level) or newer TH for $475K

+1000

I agree with this as well, although there are parts of Fairfax that are very close to Burke, but just a little closer and a little better schools. I live in that part of Fairfax -- check out 22032. Robinson school tier. The VRE is awesome.

Much of Burke Centre also belongs to the Robinson school tier.

Are the Burke robots at it again?

Fairfax County Parkway is a parking lot going NB in the morning and SB in the PM.

Fairfax City has better options for getting into DC, has lower taxes, less chance of an HOA, is closer to Reston, is more walkable, is closer to a wider range of main street + big box shopping, and is as cheap as Burke.

In your shoes, I'd look at Herndon and just avoid the highest-FARMS ES feeders (e.g. Dogwood). If you can find a TH in Reston that's near a park you get a backyard that you don't have to care for.

For that price you could be much closer in than all the advice you've gotten so far. Look in Annandale, Springfield, Franconia, and Alexandria (outside the beltway).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Burke. Burke. And Burke.

Commute to downtown can be down via VRE, metrobus (to either Metro or Pentagon), or slugging.

Commute to Dulles is up the FFX County Parkway.

Good schools, good community, can get an older SFH (split foyer or split level) or newer TH for $475K

+1000

I agree with this as well, although there are parts of Fairfax that are very close to Burke, but just a little closer and a little better schools. I live in that part of Fairfax -- check out 22032. Robinson school tier. The VRE is awesome.

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to disagree with 1001 and urge you to look in the Dulles area. One of you should be close to your job because you need to be close to schools/kids, etc. Plus I think there are decent public transportation options to downtown from out that way, yes?

I agree with this, look around the area where they are putting in the new silver line so the downtown spouse can eventually commute by metro. There are some nice townhouse neighborhoods in Reston where you can get a big wide 1970s type TH (look around the golf course area).
Also try the neighborhoods around Fox Mill ES.

22043

Reston/Herndon area? With the metro coming to Reston, commutes from that area are going to change a bit/get better.

We had a very similar budget in summer 2011 and looked in Stuart Ridge (Armstrong ES) and Fox Mill - did not wind up buying there, but good neighborhoods close to the new metro line (and current bus to WFC metro). You might also consider the following school zones: Crossfield, Aldrin and Oak Hill. Another perk in that area is being close to both a magnet school (Hunters Woods) and several immersion options (Lake Anne, Fox Mill and Herndon), although those are lottery admission and not guaranteed, although living within the school zone puts you in a better position.

If you are willing to come a little further down the Parkway, Lees Corner and Greenbriar (which is where our family wound up) are also good areas, although the commute to DC would be a bit more difficult than further north on the FFX County Parkway closer to the Toll Road/new metro line. My neighbor commutes to downtown by both carpool and by bus (on the days the carpool friend is sick). She says it takes just about an hour.

Burke isn't a bad suggestion, either. Depends on where exactly your downtown commute goes to, though - VRE does have limitations. And Dulles would be farther.

Definitely check out Fairfax City, too, as the above poster suggested.

Anonymous wrote:Burke. Burke. And Burke.

Commute to downtown can be down via VRE, metrobus (to either Metro or Pentagon), or slugging.

Commute to Dulles is up the FFX County Parkway.

Good schools, good community, can get an older SFH (split foyer or split level) or newer TH for $475K

+1000

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax City, 22030 -- check Country Club Hills, Old Lee Hills, and Great Oaks (recently featured in the WaPo Real Estate section at http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/neighborhood-profile-great-oaks/2013/01/24/a17692d4-6019-11e2-a389-ee565c81c565_story.html).

Elementary schools are Daniels Run and Providence, middle school is Lanier, high school is Fairfax. These are solid schools but not the best of the best.

I agree. The area is a hidden gem of affordable homes. Just sold my house there. It was 3 bedroom plus office, 3 full baths, single family home with finished basement and nice yard in Fairfax City for 403,000. I loved it but we moved for a variety of reasons. Could walk to lots of things. It was about 90% updated so not a fixer upper.

Fairfax City, 22030 -- check Country Club Hills, Old Lee Hills, and Great Oaks (recently featured in the WaPo Real Estate section at http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/neighborhood-profile-great-oaks/2013/01/24/a17692d4-6019-11e2-a389-ee565c81c565_story.html).

Elementary schools are Daniels Run and Providence, middle school is Lanier, high school is Fairfax. These are solid schools but not the best of the best.

I'm going to disagree with 1001 and urge you to look in the Dulles area. One of you should be close to your job because you need to be close to schools/kids, etc. Plus I think there are decent public transportation options to downtown from out that way, yes?

That's meant to say "done" not "down"

Burke. Burke. And Burke.

Commute to downtown can be down via VRE, metrobus (to either Metro or Pentagon), or slugging.

Commute to Dulles is up the FFX County Parkway.

Good schools, good community, can get an older SFH (split foyer or split level) or newer TH for $475K

DH and I have started seriously discussing buying a home in the next couple of years. We've lived here long enough and spent enough time on Redfin to realize that our budget will mean compromises in at least one of three areas: space, schools/neighborhood, and commute.

Space: We'd like at least a 3BR, 2BA house with more than a galley kitchen, a backyard to hang out in, and some area that could be used as a guest space (even if that's just a pullout couch in a finished basement).

Schools/Neighborhood: We'd like good schools, but they don't have to be the "best." I do find myself hesitating looking at an elementary that's 85% free and reduced priced meals students and over 50% ESL. I'm happy with diversity, but I don't want my kid to be in the extreme minority in terms of race and class. And, having lived in a gentrifying neighborhood as a single person, I'm not sure that DH and I have what it takes to be in one now.

Commute: We'd like to keep our commutes under an hour. One commute goes near Dulles, one downtown. We would like taking public transport to be an option for the downtown commute, though there is parking in the building (at extra cost) if necessary.

Our dream neighborhood is something like Westover in Arlington, but we know that's not in our price range. So, where should we look instead?