Abby
Have 4 kids who will be in 2nd-9th grade in the fall. Always lived in houses built @ 1920 or so. Moving from Cleveland, but we are both originally east coasters. I'm a stay at home mom at this point. Want 4 or 5 bedrooms, and most importantly GREAT schools and a feeling of community.
Answer
Coming from Cleveland, I'd suggest you look at the Vienna area. Vienna is very different than most of No. VA in that it is a distinct village within an urban setting. You will find 100 yr old victorians amidst brand new mcmansions. Quant small town feel with restaurants and shops all in walking distance.
Vienna's school district may be in flux as FFX Cty is drawing up new school boundaries as we speak. (I put a link below). FFX Cty schools are fantastic...but parents are in uproar over the changes since some AP schools are adversely affected.
Since you are in that dollar range...you frankly have so many choices, rather than most coming here from non-high cost of living areas. Ashburn surrounds the Dulles area and is a massive development that is about 12 years old and you will find everything there is sparkling new. Anything you buy here will require an automobile and feeding the coffers of the Dulles Toll Road. Otherwise you will be cranky in a car just going to the stores on jam packed local streets. Frankly, I'd rather die than live there....but I do know folks love the community as I have lots of friends there.
With foreclosures already adversely affecting that area....you might get lucky to purchase something comfortably in the 600K range that only a year ago was pushing 800K. Schools there are brand new too!
Again...before an agent takes you under your wing...make sure you get them to take you to the Town of Vienna....then go check out Ashburn and you will see what I'm talking about. Vienna is also more likely to maintain its real estate values over Ashburn since volume and new construction is still ongoing and can affect future value (something NOT to be overlooked).
Coming from Cleveland, I'd suggest you look at the Vienna area. Vienna is very different than most of No. VA in that it is a distinct village within an urban setting. You will find 100 yr old victorians amidst brand new mcmansions. Quant small town feel with restaurants and shops all in walking distance.
Vienna's school district may be in flux as FFX Cty is drawing up new school boundaries as we speak. (I put a link below). FFX Cty schools are fantastic...but parents are in uproar over the changes since some AP schools are adversely affected.
Since you are in that dollar range...you frankly have so many choices, rather than most coming here from non-high cost of living areas. Ashburn surrounds the Dulles area and is a massive development that is about 12 years old and you will find everything there is sparkling new. Anything you buy here will require an automobile and feeding the coffers of the Dulles Toll Road. Otherwise you will be cranky in a car just going to the stores on jam packed local streets. Frankly, I'd rather die than live there....but I do know folks love the community as I have lots of friends there.
With foreclosures already adversely affecting that area....you might get lucky to purchase something comfortably in the 600K range that only a year ago was pushing 800K. Schools there are brand new too!
Again...before an agent takes you under your wing...make sure you get them to take you to the Town of Vienna....then go check out Ashburn and you will see what I'm talking about. Vienna is also more likely to maintain its real estate values over Ashburn since volume and new construction is still ongoing and can affect future value (something NOT to be overlooked).
Should I pick a 2br or 3 br apartment?
Ms.Matashi
I have an option to move to a all inclusive apartment community close to my school. This will be my first time doing the roommate thing. Should I pick a 2 br/2ba apartment and room with one other person or a 3br/3ba apartment and room with 2 other people? The 2br is $520 a month and the 3br is $435 a month.
Answer
If you can swing the finances, I would definitely go with the two-bedroom, one roommate scenario. Having to share space with one other person is hard enough, but with two, that just further compounds the problem.
Just think how it will be with one roommate having messiness issues (if that does happen), late-night or all-night visitors (work that out right up-front so there will be NO misunderstandings or surprises) or partying going on while you are trying to study--again, set limits and agree to them up-front. Imagine everything that COULD go wrong and decide if you want to deal with it from one or two people. That would be your answer.
That being said, if you have friends whom you get along with, are pretty similar in habits (level of neatness, keep same hours, etc.) and you think you COULD live together, it would be a GREAT way to share expenses, and to look out for each other. Statistics indicate you would be much safer living off campus in a group of two or three than just by yourself.
I'm not sure where you are planning to live, but the rent is less than I would expect to pay for my son's share at University of Virginia, were he to go off-campus. Sounds like you got a deal, no matter what!
If you can swing the finances, I would definitely go with the two-bedroom, one roommate scenario. Having to share space with one other person is hard enough, but with two, that just further compounds the problem.
Just think how it will be with one roommate having messiness issues (if that does happen), late-night or all-night visitors (work that out right up-front so there will be NO misunderstandings or surprises) or partying going on while you are trying to study--again, set limits and agree to them up-front. Imagine everything that COULD go wrong and decide if you want to deal with it from one or two people. That would be your answer.
That being said, if you have friends whom you get along with, are pretty similar in habits (level of neatness, keep same hours, etc.) and you think you COULD live together, it would be a GREAT way to share expenses, and to look out for each other. Statistics indicate you would be much safer living off campus in a group of two or three than just by yourself.
I'm not sure where you are planning to live, but the rent is less than I would expect to pay for my son's share at University of Virginia, were he to go off-campus. Sounds like you got a deal, no matter what!
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