FWIW, I would never buy anywhere in the hope that the high school would improve. Improvements in bad school systems take years.

02:08 back again - I just checked the commute times on metro from vienna vs. cheverly. They are actually quite similar, I guess since there is no line change. The line change is what makes MoCo a pain and why we ultimately went to Reston instead of Gaithersburg when we were first househunting and my job was in arlington.

I retract my previous warning about commutes from PG. If you can get close to a metro line, go for it. I have a friend who lives in Cheverly and absolutely loves it. I think there are some elementary schools in PG that are quite good, and my sense is that the schools might improve as the kids in the good elementary schools move through. Now, HS is likely the really sore spot, but there is a magnet school, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were more options by the time your child gets to HS.

I don't think there is much in SFH in that price range closer in. According to real estate analysis, many homes are back up to 2006 levels. That means 400K not quite enough. Shocking to me...Reston is lovely, but far and the schools not great. But probably will change.

01:35, what school pyramid or are you going private? Schools are what give me pause in PGC.

How long is a commute from PG to Foggy Bottom? Arlington? I think that is the reason why I wouldn't suggest PG or MoCo.

If you are willing to accept a commute of an hour where you would have to take a bus to the Vienna metro, West Fairfax/Chantilly area is family friendly (I live in Greenbriar), and also parts of Centreville. Again, these areas are farther out, but they definitely are more affordable and have good schools.

Good luck - there are plenty of good neighborhoods in the DC metro area, you just have to realize that you cannot have it all in this price range. Trust me, I get it - we were close to moving out of the area and had househunted in our target city already and could have gotten a house in a downtown neighborhood there for what we paid here for the way out burbs.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thoughts about Manassas? I'm seeing stuff I like there, but not sure if the commute would be too much of a bitch.

In a perfect world I'd buy in Falls Church or Arlington. Not sure if that'll be possibly financially, though. My plan B is Annandale. I can afford that but don't really like the houses as much, so that'd be the compromise. Also looking in Franconia-Springfield, Fairfax, and Alexandria West.

OP, we were basically in the same situation as you. For over a year, we looked in the areas you note above. We have a DC who is 1 yo. We bid on house after house, and I was very unenthusiastic because they were all, well, old shoeboxes. My DH, who works in PG county, kept saying "Why don't we look in PG?" and I would say "Ick, are you kidding?"

Then we actually went to an open house in PG County. Then we started looking at the neighborhoods in PG County, and other houses, and I did a ton of research to figure out what we'd actually be risking by living there (answer: not very much, unless you have a thing against well-to-do black people).

This week, we are closing on a gorgeous home in a lovely, convenient neighborhood in PGC. It won't hurt you to look at all the options available to you. Just saying.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pimmit Hills - it's a stretch though

Afraid not - anything under 400K will be a teardown. Modestly updated/expanded will be around 500K. It will be nice but by no means top of the line.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/2046-Cherri-Dr-22043/home/9470593

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/1819-Pimmit-Dr-22043/home/9396655

These are double or triple the size of the standard 884 sq. ft. home in Pimmit Hills. One of the regular sized ones can be bought for the low 400s on a less than perfect lot, but it can be done.

I'd probably look at the towhouse communities around Vienna and Dunn Loring metros. I lived out there for 12 years (covington complex) and the commute by metro was pretty good to DC and Arlington, especially since you could usually get a seat. commute by car was a little more variable. You've got some commuting options out there - 66, 50, 29, 495 plus metro. I probably wouldn't consider Fairfax Villa, though, as posted by a PP - I looked there and it was kind of sketchy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pimmit Hills - it's a stretch though

Afraid not - anything under 400K will be a teardown. Modestly updated/expanded will be around 500K. It will be nice but by no means top of the line.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/2046-Cherri-Dr-22043/home/9470593

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/1819-Pimmit-Dr-22043/home/9396655

this one isn't bad

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/1916-Cherri-Dr-22043/home/9471275

Very interesting neighborhood lot of new construction going on

Anonymous wrote:Pimmit Hills - it's a stretch though

Afraid not - anything under 400K will be a teardown. Modestly updated/expanded will be around 500K. It will be nice but by no means top of the line.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/2046-Cherri-Dr-22043/home/9470593

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/1819-Pimmit-Dr-22043/home/9396655

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We make 250k and bought in 2006 at 850 k. No trust fund. No student loans. Car 6 years old. We eat out from time to time but I shop at Aldi grocery and try to keep that at $80 a week. We vacation with family.

There is a way, minus a trust fund.

I could save a lot too with your HHI. You are among the elite, even if you shop at Aldi.

Stfu, most of the money goes to the house so people like me and pp shop the same as people like you . No elite

Seriously?
Most folks do not make your HHI....
just because you choose to spend most of it on housing still means you have more vhoices thsnmost
DUH!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh FFS, could people please stop with the ridiculous, "I bought a million dollar house with no help," BS and just answer the OP's question already? Seriously, no one cares what a fabulous financial planner you are. God, people on here are so insufferable.

+1

Amen.

We were approved for up to $450 in 2010. Bought a SFH in FC City for $435. DH rides his bike to the metro and takes the Orange to Pentagon. It usually takes him about an hour b/c of the bike ride.

Was this a SFH or TH/condo? That price sounds very low for a SFC in Falls Church City. I'm doubtful that OP could find anything that inexpensive in today's market.

Whoops! FX City - finger slip.

Sorry!

Op, I'm the pp who suggested Annandale and Alexandria and Burke. We were in your position a couple of years ago, similar wish list and just a smidge higher hhi and price range. We have commutes to falls church and downtown. It seems like there were more housing options then, but we still couldn't find anything we liked in Arlington, falls church or Alex city. We ended up in Springfield near Burke. The commute is a bear, but we like the neighborhood feel and the school situation. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thoughts about Manassas? I'm seeing stuff I like there, but not sure if the commute would be too much of a bitch.

In a perfect world I'd buy in Falls Church or Arlington. Not sure if that'll be possibly financially, though. My plan B is Annandale. I can afford that but don't really like the houses as much, so that'd be the compromise. Also looking in Franconia-Springfield, Fairfax, and Alexandria West.

I'd definitely pick Burke or Reston over Manassas.

AGREEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! Manassas is "rough around the edges" still

Pimmit Hills - it's a stretch though