I'm the PP with the work colleague who did this. This was their younger child. The older child had already graduated. I also have an elementary age kid which is one reason it would not work for us.

We only live 5 miles away, but it takes my child over an hour on the bus in the afternoons to get home. It's only 15 minutes in the morning when I drive them. For us, it makes no sense, but if my kid lived in Chantilly north Reston near Sterling....well I can see the appeal.

And for some people the choice is more like TJ vs. a private school that may cost >$30,000 a year. That's a very different calculation.

If I could afford it, I would consider buying a TH near TJ that I would then want to keep as an investment property. I wouldn't sell the Mclean house.

I personally couldn't do this because I have 2 kids. I live in Mclean and have a 10 yr old who says he wants to go to TJ. I'm hoping he changes his mind before HS.

Let's assume you can get an apt for $1,500/ month, for 4 years that comes to $72,000. I think this is a low estimate.

Let's say you make 200 trips to and another 200 trips from TJ at 1 hr per trip for 4 years. That's 1600 hours commuting. This is likely a high estimate coming from McLean.

$45 per hour to save the commute time to live near Tj.

I can see how this is worthwhile for people with long commutes who have the money.

Move from Mclean to Annadale?

No siblings, I assume?

Anonymous wrote:

My child is now at TJ and while we don't live too far away, there are nights I look at those apartments with envy LOL!

+1

Wow to this post

It's not like there aren't nice parts of Annandale. They could buy right off Braddock outside the Beltway. If they buy inside the Beltway in an area zoned for Annandale HS, I'd try to find something zoned for Columbia/Holmes/Annandale (best resale potential later).

A work colleague did the above. They lived in Chantilly. Mom and son rented an apartment basically across the street from TJ and stayed there Sunday - Thursday night. It also helped mom's commute. I thought it was crazy, but she shrugged and said it was much cheaper than private high school.

My child is now at TJ and while we don't live too far away, there are nights I look at those apartments with envy LOL!

Anonymous wrote:i would sale the house in McLean house & buy the house in Annandale for my child to go to TJ. I prefer not to rent out the house in McLean.

It's quite possible that someone with the bucks to live in McLean could just rent a townhouse near TJ and use McLean as a "weekend home". Ah, to have such decisions to make.

i would sale the house in McLean house & buy the house in Annandale for my child to go to TJ. I prefer not to rent out the house in McLean.

Wow I can't imagine moving just so my child could be closer to TJ --or any high school.

The person who bought my Annandale house had a rising freshman going into TJ.

They can rent a house in Annandale and rent out the one in McLean and move back to McLean
when their child graduates.

Friend's contemplating a move from McLean to Annandale for her DD who's going to attend TJ, mostly to avoid the long bus ride. Both parents work flexible hours and WFH part-time. I'm sure others've done it. Thoughts on pros & cons?