If you are interested in Pimmit Hills, here is the tract home builder in the range of 950-1.1 million for brand new homes http://www.livepimmithills.com

I also got a COMING SOON alert from zillow of a newer 2 car garage house for 750K
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1734-Gilson-St-Falls-Church-VA-22043/51753196_zpid/

30-40 miles is waaaaaay too far of a radius.

Look just past Tyson's in Fairfax County or around parts of Falls Church. We were considering 22042 in that price range at one point.

Having to cross the Potomac on the Beltway during rush hour every day is something to avoid if possible.

You could also consider Ft. Washington MD. It's a very quiet area that borders VA. I had a few neighbors that worked in Tysons when I lived there. Also you can get a nice home in your price range there.

I think the only place you should look would be Vienna/Sterling/Herndon/Reston for houses, they will all give you a 1/2 hour commute. Stay far away from MD and Centerville is too far too. Herndon might be the best. Great homes, lower price and I think they will be increasing in value. You don't have kids so the schools aren't an issue.

Anonymous wrote:Also check out Reston. Lots of good shopping and outdoor activities. Probably some things in your price range. Most areas very safe. Metro has arrived to parts of Reston and will be extended, which would be good for house values.

I forgot about Reston. Sounds like it would be a great fit for OP.

Anonymous wrote:Also check out Reston. Lots of good shopping and outdoor activities. Probably some things in your price range. Most areas very safe. Metro has arrived to parts of Reston and will be extended, which would be good for house values.

I also think Reston would be a good fit for you; there's areas of good walkability, it's diverse, good social opportunities, the commute to Tysons is decent and can be done via back roads if necessary (or bus/metro). The suggestions for Arlington would put you in a desirable area but I don't think your commute would be good unless your home is very bus/metro accessible...not quite doable in your price range. Even the reverse commute to Tysons is bottlenecked on 66 during rush hour.

Also check out Reston. Lots of good shopping and outdoor activities. Probably some things in your price range. Most areas very safe. Metro has arrived to parts of Reston and will be extended, which would be good for house values.

You could also do something like this in Reston if you don't mind paying for the toll road - should be a reasonable commute, and people seem to like Reston.
http://frankly.com/FX8537808

Also, if you can find something in the parts of Falls Church zoned for McLean HS, you'd get a good commute and great schools. If you can find something zoned for Falls Church HS or Stuart, the schools are a bit lower in the FFX rankings, but you can get more house and a good commute. I lived in Merrifield for years and the commute to Tysons was great, but you'd probably be looking at a townhouse there - prices went up since the Mosaic District opened up.

OP, definite no on Bowie - you want to try to stay on the West side of the Beltway if you're doing Tysons. Bethesda would be an ok commute but it's pricey.

If you reconsider the no-shared-walls thing, this townhouse might be a great fit. It's got almost 2,500 SF, it's in good schools for resale value, and the commute would be sweet. http://frankly.com/FX8539379

Anonymous wrote:Knock out Bowie for distance and Bethesda for price. Have you looked at South Arlington?

South Arlington at her range is townhouse or condo. Very poor condition house
She should do more west if she doesn't want to share walls. Bare as around Leesburg

Anonymous wrote:Rule #1 - do not cross the river (so say no to Maryland)
Rule #2 - do not rely on highways (so say no to Alexandria/Kingstowne)
Rule #3 - always have a backroads route to get to work

I would look in Fairfax, Falls Church (Fairfax County portion as it will be cheaper), McLean, and maybe Arlington and Annandale

Yes, this. Renting is a good idea, but I agree these are the areas you should be focusing on. I think Arlington will be too pricey; you might find something in Falls Church or Annandale (if you buy in the areas that aren't zoned for the super desirable high schools). Of course, this means the resale might not be as great, but at your price point, you'll be making a few compromises. Don't compromise on proximately to work or safe neighborhood. If you decide to pick a highly desirable location with great schools, consider townhouses (everyone here lives in them so they don't impact resale).

How in the world did Bowie make it to your initial list, if you had done "too much research"? That is 33 miles, and 42 minutes in zero traffic? It looks like you've been set straight on that already, but wow.

OK--so here's the deal. Do not cross a bridge if you don't have to. Seriously, don't do it. There are only so many crossings over the Potomac, and one drop of rain causes havoc on them.

Focus on VA. At your price point, a SFH is going to be tough unless you are either 1) out in the sticks, or 2) in a real "fixer-upper". I agree with others that a short-term rental may be best option for you. A Reston commute would be reasonable, but even that will be hard at your price point for SFH.

Definitely rent first.

Town of Vienna (separate from Vienna, which is also great but less in your price range)is worth a look if your willing to go the townhouse route. There are sometimes small single family homes available for under 600, but they get snatched up fast. The commute would be a breeze.

City of Fairfax(separate from Fairfax) has great options too. Little longer commute, but definitely doable.

Falls Church in the Falls Church High and Marshall High pyramid would have some good options and again your commute would be nice.

Anonymous wrote:OP, if I were you I would lease a short-term rental in Tyson's. That way you can get used to the new job and scout out the area to get a better sense of neighborhoods, commute, and where you want to be before you commit to buying a place.

I second this. You need to live here for one year and explore neighborhoods. Buying a property is too expensive to take a chance. Also isn't there a metro stop at Tyson's now?

Anonymous wrote:OP, if I were you I would lease a short-term rental in Tyson's. That way you can get used to the new job and scout out the area to get a better sense of neighborhoods, commute, and where you want to be before you commit to buying a place.

+1
Great idea. There are a ton of rentals/condo buildings there.