Need help finding place to live in VA

Littlemermaidklb · 02-14-2008, 08:15 PM

Well this is very off-topic hence why I'm posting it here. I am moving down to VA in a few months for a job and want to know if anyone has any words of wisdom when it comes to finding a place down there. I need to be in decent commuting distance from DC, preferably near a metro station, but my budget is not very high.

To make a very long story short, my parents are planning on buying a place they can retire to in a few years that I will live in for the time being and pay rent to them. They want a townhouse/condo type thing (because dad doesn't want to have to mow the lawn anymore, haha). And they want to find something for as close to 200K as they can while still being a decent place..... Basically I'm asking if this is even possible... I do not know the area, but internet searches have me ready to tear my hair out.

Thanks in advance for any help!

sg516 · 02-15-2008, 11:25 AM

my suggestion is to check out the local police websites for towns there. there is a serious problem with ms-13's in the northern VA and DC metro area. primarily in the suburbs more than in the cities which is weird. especially if you have kids it might not the nicest place to live. but if you have any questions about particular towns i can tell you what i little i know and give you an insight into the traffic, travel times and distance form metro etc.

the metro here is pretty user friendly but some lines are more dangerous that others. i live near the red line and that tends to be the safest one.

sg516 · 02-15-2008, 11:28 AM

and property values here are stupid expensive. even in VA. i think you have to move further south in VA to find things that are really affordable.

Littlemermaidklb · 02-15-2008, 02:02 PM

Yeah I know about the MS-13s, though I had forgotten a bit since it's been a while since the last time I was in the area. I do not have children (I'm only 21, well.. 22 in 10 days) but safety is of course a concern.
I lived in Alexandria for a summer and it wasn't bad, what do you know about that area as far as where to look for townhomes? Also Arlington is nearby too.

sg516 · 02-15-2008, 02:49 PM

i am pretty sure arlington is wicked expensive but i have a lot of co workers that live ther and in alexandria i will ask around and see if they have any reccomendations or warnings about places. i probably won't get back to you til tuesday though since its going to be a 3 day weekend it will be hard to talkto any of them about it.

NotForLong · 02-15-2008, 03:57 PM

You'll be hard pressed for 200K but there are parts of Arlington I would imagine you could live. That said, those parts are not very nice. DC is one of the most expensive areas in the US to live. It is like trying to find something for 200K in Greenwhich, CT, NYC, San Fran or LA. You might find it, but you'll be very scared by what you found.

Some potential turnaround neighborhoods include:
Anacostia... You're really betting on a comeback for this area with the new stadium (I think they settled that this is where it would be going).

It is becoming 'hot' now but Clarendon is right on the metro grid and an up and coming place as the sprawl of DC moves outward. 200K might be tough there but I'm not sure as you move farther out toward Dulles how much property starts decreasing

Egham · 02-15-2008, 04:54 PM

You're looking at big $$$$! I have family who ended up buying something out past Dulles about a year ago. The express bus stop is about 4 miles away and it's about a 75-90 minute ride into downtown DC. Their place is nice, but quite pricey for what they got. Prior to that, they were near the train station in Manassas Center. That was also fairly pricey. It's simply not an inexpensive area, although real estate values do seem to be declining over most of the metro area...You shouldn't have to worry as much about bidding wars driving the price well up over the asking price.

kmwest · 02-16-2008, 01:20 AM

To echo what everybody said, to live in Washington or one of the closer suburbs is ridiculously expensive. Having said that, I lived in Stafford, VA (37 miles on I-95/395 to the 14th St Bridge) and paid $600/month (rent including utilities) to rent out the basement of a small townhouse. There are good public commuting options in Northern Virginia besides your car, but it'll still be a bear no matter what. If you can handle that, then you can get cheaper housing; if you want to be closer or in Washington than expect to pay a lot or be in a sketchy neighborhood.

If you do decide to live farther away in VA, I suggest looking into slugging (Slug-Lines.com - Slugging and Slug Lines Information For Washington DC). I did it when I lived in Stafford and worked in the Pentagon area and it went very well; very few complaints and it was fast most of the time.

Have fun.