My daughter is moving to the DC area from Los Angeles and is having a hard time finding an apartment. She has only three requirements: that it be close to or easy commute to Langley, that it cost about $1500 a month and that is has no cockroaches. Apparently finding all three is akin to finding a service worker who is good, fast and cheap...you get to pick any two.

Specific complex suggestion would be really great. She has found some, but when she researched them online she keeps finding "roaches" to be a common theme. Is this common in that area, or is it her price range? She will be working as lowly analyst and not raking in the big bucks, so her budet is limited.

Anyone in that area have any suggestions? She has been thinking Arlington area might be good? She has accepted her assignment and is to move at the end of January and starting to move into panic mode. This is her first big job out of grad school and I am in Hawaii and not really able to help her with planning and packing and sorting out stuff. The least I could do was post the question here for her. TIA!

I don't have any specific suggestions but is there a chance that she could arrange temporary accomodation and have more luck sorting it out "on the ground" so to speak. If she is just finishing graduate school perhaps she could consider a room in a house or apartment with other grad students or something for a limited period (the summer, a semester) and then she could better figure out what makes sense based on her commute, her interests and what kind of community appeals to her. Colleges and university websites or bulletin boards could be a place to start.

Try Military by Owner and Craigslist.

http://www.militarybyowner.com/

I lived in DC for 11 years and saw a roach maybe two times. Rats, on the other hand, were a little more frequent - but don't panic, as they were always outside. ;-)

Arlington is a good place to live, lots of young people there. I wish I could remember the complex my friend lived in, it was right by the metro and she liked it.

The problem may be the budget, rentals in DC are expensive. She'd probably be better off finding a roommate. Has she checked Craigslist?

She finished grad school nearly two years ago, but it took this long for her security clearance to come through. Her husband might not be too keen on the rooming house idea! lol She's been working, just not at her real dream job. I guess I should have been more specific. She (and her husband) are mid 20s. They both worked while she her grad studies and now, when they relocate, it will be his turn to finish school. She is just hoping for some ideas from people who might know the area more than she does from her few interview trips. They are both CA kids.

And, yeah, she is looking at craigslist. She was just hoping for some recommendations and I suggested we ask here, as well as other places. Every little bit of input helps!

Thanks!

Is she only looking at apartments? The homes sales market has been pretty bleak lately. She might have some luck finding a house to rent. I know our neighbor has given up trying to sell right now is going to rent his house for a while. Maybe she could call a few Northern Virginia real estate offices.

Got it. I don't know if the rental market has cooled a bit but I do know that a few years ago, $1500 for a 1 bedroom was a tall order.

Sorry I have no specific advice, other than living in Arlington will be fine. I wish her luck.

If she's going to work at Langley, she should look for apartments in Maryland instead of Virginia. Do a search on langley md - and there's a link that takes you to apartment listings. Rent will be alot less expensive than it would be in Arlington......and she wouldn't have to deal with the traffic...

Debi: Langley is in Virginia, near McLean.

I'd suggest also looking in Tysons Corner. Since she won't be able to get mass transit to Langley anyway, living near the Metro doesn't really matter. Tysons or Reston are reasonable.

She could also look around Ballston, where you'd think you could find something for $1,500.

Is Langley in Maryland? I thought it was in Virginia, but I know nothing about that area at all, just going by what my daughter tells me. She mentioned Arlington. She is working at that large civilian agency in Langley, That Which Shall Remain Unnamed. ;-)

Thanks for the replies. I am forwarding them to her and will let her sort through everything.

Maybe Debi is thinking of Langley Park, Maryland.

Langley, Virginia and Langley Park, Maryland are two VERY different neighborhoods.

If there is some sort of shuttle bus from Ballston(site of a subway station) to Langley, she could look there. There are apartments to be had in downtown DC near Massachusetts Ave for not much more than $ 1000 a month for an 800 square foot space. Your daughter would be five minutes from a subway stop there.

Hi Here:

First, Langley is in a pretty upscale area. Second, the rents in the DC area may be high, but for $1,500/month, they should have plenty of options. I think you're going to have a tough time trying to get reviews on specific properties, so I can't help you there. IMO, unless they have kids and a minivan or SUV, they probably wouldn't fit in too well in NoVA. They might try northwest DC (Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, Dupont), but not if they want a very short commute.

I must agree that Langley, VA is a VERY pricey area. It's mostly 1 to 2 million dollar single family homes - there are 'some' apartments in Langley but they will be out of budget.

I agree that Tyson's Corner area would be one good choice - it's not too far and has lots of apt. options.

Here's one in North Arlington (which s also close-by) that appears to fit all 3 requirements that I quickly found on
http://www.housingmaps.com/ (linked to Craigslist)


http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nva/apa/477998004.html

Good luck with the hunt. It's not hopeless (except for Langley proper, McLean, or just across the river in Potomac). I think Tyson's and North Arlington will work out.

Thanks to all. She knows she will never live in Langley or McClean, not as long as she is an analyst and he is a school teacher! lol I'll pass this on. At least, where ever she settles for now is just temporary. They plan on moving later, once they learn the lay of the land, hopefully buy something small somewhere nearby, someday!

Mahalo to all!

Here's a company with a huge apartment presence in the DC area. Reston/Herndon, Tysons Corner, Ballston/Clarendon/Rosslyn, and Arlington/Crystal City would all be reasonable.

http://www.archstoneapartments.com/

She can also go further out to the northwest; in general rents decrease as you move away from the Potomac (toward Reston or Herndon).

And as for what is an "easy commute" -- things work differently there compared to LA. Rather than try to live near the Beltway or one of the major highways, it might make sense for her to look in neighborhoods that aren't particularly close to on-ramps BUT which would allow her to get to Langley by non-highways without much trouble. Just because you have a route with few traffic lights doesn't mean you'll get there very easily during rush hour.

Roaches? The unofficial mascot of many areas -- and not necessarily an indication of uncleanliness. The people who mention them most often are those who have come to the area from places without much in the way of insect wildlife. You learn to keep them at bay and otherwise not panic about them.

Much more important is LOOKING at the place before you rent, and DRIVING the commute at the right times of day. Also, maybe consider going up even $200 per month -- could make a difference.

If they're planning to buy a place eventually, why not find a rent-with-an-option-to-buy deal on a condo or house in any of the Northern Virginia communities that have been mentioned? Part of their rent will be applied to the purchase if they decide to buy, although they won't be obligated if they choose not to.

For rentals, try Manassas, Herndon, Chantilly, Centreville...all have rentals under $1500. My daughter pays 1300. in Manassas. Nice 2 BR
No roaches

I second the recommendation for Archstone apartments. I never lived in one myself but have several friends who swear by them!