Look in Falls Church, VA 22046. You can get a house for 500K that is not a dump and most of the zip code is zoned for Marshall, George Mason or McLean High School.

If you can get up into the $800K range, then Vienna is close to the metro and has good schools.

If you can stretch to 550, Del Ray, Rosemont, and several other Alexandria City neighborhoods would be great, and leave your husband with a super-short commute.

18:39, I meant to say "If you're okay with South Lakes, you should consider Edison, Lee, West Potomac, and Annandale."

19:56, this again? GS gives you the test scores for your school. VA is nice enough to break them down by grouping. The star ratings can be safely ignored as those are subjective. The city-data thread gives the SAT scores.

20:27, tell us again what, precisely is "not ok" about Annandale, West Potomac, Lee, and Edison; especially when OP has expressed being okay with South Lakes.

Anonymous wrote:SFH *and* high-ranked school?

You've got a lot of options in Burke.

You've got a few options in West Springfield.

If you're honestly wondering why folks are fussing about South Lakes then you'll probably be ok with Lee, Edison, West Potomac, and Annandale HS -- in which case more options open up.

OP, I would not be ok with these options. In case you are wondering, look at the demographics and test scores for Annandale High - http://commweb.fcps.edu/schoolprofile/profile.cfm?profile_id=140

Try something in the Madison, Marshall, George Mason, Robinson, or maybe Woodson high school districts.

Greatschools is the most idiotic and worthless source for assessing the quality of schools. Use anything but that.

Alright, so please explain what that statement actually meant, because I am completely lost.

I think south lakes is a better choice than the bottom couple schools in fcps, but that is my personal opinion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SFH *and* high-ranked school?


If you're honestly wondering why folks are fussing about South Lakes then you'll probably be ok with Lee, Edison, West Potomac, and Annandale HS -- in which case more options open up.

Did you even LOOK at the city-data link with the latest SAT scores? Average SAT scores in the 1600s are where Lake Braddock and Robinson sit. South Lakes sits right below Chantilly, Westfield and Fairfax HSs.

If you think those are shitty schools, too, then you don't get out of your golden zip code a lot, do you?

I added the SAT scores for Maryland schools. So yes, I think I looked at that thread.

But yes, "honestly wondering" might imply "gee, how could you not understand that South Lakes is TERRIBLE! TERRIBLE, I tell ya!"

FWIW, I hardly live in a golden zip code. My DD will eventually go to Tuscarora High School, which isn't exactly a high flyer.

You certainly would have more choices if you could go up to 650K. This is a very expensive area. South Lakes does not get a good rating on greatschools.com

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SFH *and* high-ranked school?


If you're honestly wondering why folks are fussing about South Lakes then you'll probably be ok with Lee, Edison, West Potomac, and Annandale HS -- in which case more options open up.

Did you even LOOK at the city-data link with the latest SAT scores? Average SAT scores in the 1600s are where Lake Braddock and Robinson sit. South Lakes sits right below Chantilly, Westfield and Fairfax HSs.

If you think those are shitty schools, too, then you don't get out of your golden zip code a lot, do you?

Not the poster to whom you're responding, but I think that poster may have been encouraging the OP to consider other school districts, rather than denigrating South Lakes.

I think a house like this in the Edison pyramid would be a better deal for the OP than what you can get for $500K these days in Pimmit Hills:

http://franklymls.com/FX7923510

Anonymous wrote:SFH *and* high-ranked school?


If you're honestly wondering why folks are fussing about South Lakes then you'll probably be ok with Lee, Edison, West Potomac, and Annandale HS -- in which case more options open up.

Did you even LOOK at the city-data link with the latest SAT scores? Average SAT scores in the 1600s are where Lake Braddock and Robinson sit. South Lakes sits right below Chantilly, Westfield and Fairfax HSs.

If you think those are shitty schools, too, then you don't get out of your golden zip code a lot, do you?

SFH *and* high-ranked school?

You've got a lot of options in Burke.

You've got a few options in West Springfield.

If you're honestly wondering why folks are fussing about South Lakes then you'll probably be ok with Lee, Edison, West Potomac, and Annandale HS -- in which case more options open up.

Between those you shouldn't have to consider Vienna, Falls Church, or Fairfax.

I think Burke and Springfield are better options than Pimmit. I have defended Pimmit in other threads, but it just doesn't fit what this poster is looking for based on what she has said here.

I just pulled up about 10 houses for sale in woodson district for $500K or less.

There was one in Olde Creek practically across the street from the HS - it has been on the market for a while, though, so I assume there is something wrong with it.

It can be done. Go to the franklymls site, type in hs=woodson detached and see what pops up.