Judy C.

My husband and I will be relocating to the D.C. metro area after the Christmas holidays and have been doing some preliminary checking and research on housing costs and neighborhoods in the area. I come from a high cost of living area (in fact D.C. has a lower cost of living than Chicago currently) however the real estae prices seem out of line with everything else and are staggering. We were initially looking for a single family home in the district but found we did not want to pay that much and so are currently looking in Arllington, Falls Church and McLean. Do you think recent events and tragedies will have an impact on the real estate market in these areas (maybe they already have!) If so do you think housing costs will rise in the next 3 months or lower. We want to time our move so that we get the best possible deal obviously. P.S. This question is not meant to be insensitive even if it sounds that way. We are asking an honest question.

Bruce

I live in the Northern Virginia suburbs. Up to recently we had the best economy in the country but the closing of National Airport will cost our economy billions. People are waiting in line just to get into the building at the unemployment office.

How this will affect our realestate prices is unknown though if they drop our local governments and schools will really suffer.

Generally the closer to Washington Arlington or Tyson Corner your home is the higher the prices. Close in suburbs are expensive but the schools are mostly minorities which affect test scores, unless you are in Mclean, which is very pricey.

I recomend Annandale outside the beltway and Vienna. Fairfax is real nice. Falls Church City is nice but many places that have a Falls Church address is mostly hispanic and asian. I am not saying this is bad but if you feel uncomfortable being a minority in your community, then it could be an issue. Inside the beltway in both Maryland and Virginia is a true United Nations it is great in some ways but it hurts the schools and housing. Many homes have three or four families living in them in parts of the area with a Falls Church address, not the City of Falls Church.

Good luck.

xx

Consider this before you buy in Virginia: National Airport is closed, but will probably re-open. If you buy while it is closed, you may not know how much jet noise your home will receive until it is too late.

Investigate before you buy.

Chris

I live in Falls Church, just a block away from Falls Church city. Housing prices rose dramatically over the past year, but they are not climbing as rapidly in the past month before the attack. I do not believe housing prices will change dramatically one way or the other in this area -- I have lived here for 20 years and prices either rise rapidly or rise slowly, but they don't drop. In many ways a move after the holidays is a good time, it's a slow real estate time in any year and probably interest rates will be very low. In spite of the person who tried to turn you off Falls Church because of the Dreaded Minorities, there are many reas of Falls Church, not just Falls Church city, where homes range from subsidized apartments to houses at $500K and up. Any real estate agent in the area worth their salt can direct you to the neighborhood that's right for you, for your pocketbook or your preference.

Within a half-mile of my house there are houses that cost $400K and houses that cost under $300K. A three bedroom, 2 bath brick rambler with a basement costs about $365K right now. What I like about my Falls Church/McLean neighborhood is the diversity of homes (old/new, big/small) and individuals, from many occupations, from many parts of the country, and many parts of the world.

The recommendations for Fairfax, Annandale and so forth put you in the midst of almost unbearable traffic. My location is 10 minutes from my job at Tysons Corner, 15 minutes from my doctor in downtown DC, 5 minutes from my son's school, 5 minutes from the Beltway and I-66, and a walk to the subway. In a snowstorm or an emergency we can do without a car and walk for our groceries, public transportation, or a coffee at Starbucks.

If you have any questions about particular neighborhoods, and/or if you want to share more about your budget, lifestyle, family, etc., I'd be glad to offer my two cents for what it's worth, just as having been a 30+ year resident of the Falls Church/Arlington/Annandale/Fairfax area.

Steve Towner

The real estate market in Virginia is based on two things, location in relationship to employment centers and schools.

Lets start with the schools. This is a diverse area with people from all over the world, especially in the last 15 years. It has had an incredible effect on the schools in Fairfax County. The minorities, while bringing diversity to the area, have brought down test scores in a number of schools, this has affected real estate prices in areas dominated by the minority school populations. Those neighborhoods with a larger percentage of whites and asians in some cases have schools with higher test scores and better schools bring higher real estate prices. The minorities moving into Fairfax County are good people but they struggle in a school where the language is not their first language. Would you and I do well in school in Spain?

As for the jobs, the major employment centers are along Highway 66, the Dulles Toll Road and Tysons Corner. The closer you are to those areas, the more expensive the houses. The same house that would cost $300,000 in Springfield, further from the job centers, would cost $600,000 in Mclean, right next to major job centers.

This is an interesting area to live but you will find many cold type A people and a stressful life style. Trust me, this place is different. Rush hour starts at 5:00 am and people work long and hard hours. In general offices are more work- work than other places in the country. Less chit chat, more work!

Good luck to you!

Judy C.

First of all, I believe diversity and "minorites" are a good thing. We live in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago and quite enjoy the diversity there. Second, we are definitely not looking to go beyond the beltway, in fact, we would rather liver closer in than Fairfax County. As I said, we originally looked in the AU area in the district and couldn't afford what we wanted there so moved outward to Arlington. We are looking in the 22201 and 22207 areas, along I-66. Maybe I was under the wrong impression, but I had heard from many that the North Arlington schools oin the area were among the best, please someone help me with this. I was just wondering if since the attacks peope were tending to move further out from the district and if housing costs would begin to level out, maybe this isn't the case?

Judy C.

Forgot to mention we have a 2 year old daughter and hubby will work adjacent to White House. I am an attorney and will work within the district but do not have a job there yet. Long hours do not scare us. Again we come from Chicago where I arrive at work at 7:30-8 and leave at 6p.m. Husband gets to work 7am and leaves at 6:30p.m. We know the work day will be long and that is why we want to live closer. The idea of adding a 1 hour commute each way (2 hours total) to 10hr. workday does _n_o_t_ appeal to me.

Chris

I agree with you about the diversity and love the Arlington/McLean/Falls Church area because of it. Some of the "distressed areas" and poor school scores you're hearing about exist, again, in pockets here and there, but overall Arlington County and Fairfax County and Falls Church City's schools are the some of the finest in the nation.

It's bothersome to me when people assume "minorities" means poor test scores and lower real estate prices. negative. These issues are the result of poverty, not where someone comes from or what color they are.

Your search along the I-66 corridor/Arlington is a great location -- you'll find what you want. My doctor is a block from AU and from my home in Falls Church (blocks from the Arlington border) I'm there in 15 minutes, even at rush hour. You can extend to 22101, 22102, and 22046 and get more of the same.

Different strokes for different folks, I know, but I personally wouldn't trade for a bigger house in Springfield in neighborhoods that all look the same, and the perpetual traffic gridlock. A number of folks we know started out there but chose to move in closer to get away from all that. I live in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with a full basement, 1,500 s.f. lot, a half-mile from Metro and in one of the best school districts in Fairfax County, and my house just appraised for $300K. Granted it's 70 years old but that's part of the charm!!

Good luck.

22201

I think you're smart to be looking in Arlington/McLean. I hear the schools are good, too, although our son is still a toddler, so I can't prove that. But a friend who was moving back to the midwest from Arlington said the thing he'd miss the most was the schools.
I guess housing prices could drop in the next few months, but if you're planning on being in DC long-term, it seems to me that you're better off worrying about getting a house you like than getting the best deal. For a long time, Arlington inventory has been extremely limited, so if you like something and can afford it, make your move.

Joanne

As Steve and other posters have mentioned, price is affected by proximity to jobs.

With National Airport out of commission for the forseeable future, many jobs have been lost (or at least relocated) and I think we can expect more houses on the market, with decreased demand, in the near future. This has got to depress housing prices.

As far as test scores go, sure, if there's a language gap, then test scores will drop. But if it's because of a language problem on the part of the test-taker, it does NOT follow that the school is not as good as one that has higher scores and fewer disadvantaged test-takers.

This is the hazard of relying too much on test scores -- a school with lower test scores could actually be a better one, but with many students whose scores are undermined by issues unrelated to the quality of the school.

Sue

Diversity in Northern Virginia comes with a price. Look at South Arlington, it is really not that diverse, everyone is hispanic.

Look out for neighborhoods that have alot of apartments, that tends to lower property values.

Diversity has affected the schools. The minorities are good people but they have a hard time adjusting to our schools and life style. Forget about all the political correctness, you will know what I talking about when you move here!

I also agree with the other poster. The Washington area is a place people come to work and work they do. A 12 hour day is typical. I also miss the friendly offices I remember from Omaha.

This type of work work culture the other poster talked about makes it a area less friendly, less family and not laid back. People do not talk to their neighbors. I suspect it is even tougher than Chicago. I use to live in the midwest, this is one tough town.

Leone

While you're thinking zip codes, add this one ... 22314. Do some investigation. 22314. Take your time. 22314. Think about traffic congestion. 22314. Think about property value. 22314. This is one of the hotest zips in the USA. There are many reasons. Check it out. 22314. Ciao

Joanne

A quick search on realtor.com shows that of the 102 properties listed for 22314, only 10 are single-family and the rest are condos.

martha python

Isn't 22314 Old Town? I wouldn't be pushing Alexandria public schools; if you're going to veer from Metro's path, go to McLean.

Diane

You should also consider Montgomery County, Maryland. Fabulous schools, very diverse and (sorry, personal prejudice here) easier to get around in than Northern Virginia. However, the closer in you are, the more expensive housing is. Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, where 40-50 miles out isn't unusual, 20 miles here is considered far out. You may find it necessary to rent for 6 months while you look for a neighborhood. I've lived here for 30 years and I don't think housing costs are going to drop, they just may not increase as rapidly as they have been. (Last month we saw three homes in our neighborhood put up "for sale" then "sold" signs with about 2 weeks turn-around.) But that will probably be true country-wide, and not just here. What is going to hit you the most, will be the cookie-cutter neighborhoods here. It seemed to me that there was way more custom building in the Chicago area (and had been for many many years) than in the DC area. Don't expect you are moving to a lower-cost-of-living area, however. You'll pay as much for a basic development house here as you would for a custom built home in Chicago. Location, location, location is the trite and true homily that applies. Good luck.

AyCarumba

Judy: I live in Chicago, too. Diversity in Lincoln Park????? By diversity, are you referring to the colleges that the residents there attended? (Go Blue flags vs. ND flags displayed on Saturday afternoons.) There's diversity in Wicker Park, Hyde Park and Uptown - but sorry, not in Lincoln Park.
Leone: what was that zip code, again?

Chris

Just for the record,I guess it depends on where you live and what you do, but neither my husband nor myself work 12-hour days (and I'm a part-owner/vice president of a consulting firm, he's a school teacher) nor do any of our friends, and I think we all do pretty well financially and culturally in this town. And we talk frequently to our neighbors, as do all our friends in Arlington, Falls Church, and McLean. I know of folks in the $1M type neighborhoods in Great Falls and parts of McLean where the parents are never home,the kids are alone day and night, and the neighbors are transient strangers, but it's not been my/our experience in the family-oriented neighborhoods of the above locations.

L

Why that was 22314, of course. And may I expand a bit to add this: check Mapquest for Rte. 236 (same as Duke Street) from Old Town Alexandria to I 395, plus the area of Delray west of US 1. Someone suggested a relatively few houses are on the market. That of course is not correct. And many more are being built. I suggested 22314 because it's close to Metro ... and it's the hotest area around DC, thus good for the investment ... and it offers a lot. It is not necessary to go west out I 66 or to McLean, and have to face that traffic. The beltway is a mess!! The trend these days with many professionals is to move back toward the city. And yes, that zip code was 22314. Please write it down. Have a good day. Ciao

Christina

I'm a DC area resident in Montgomery county in a very diverse community (whites are minority actually, just under 50 pct) and nice houses are reasonably priced, there is a metro line and you are within about 1/2 hr to central DC--that's Takoma Park. I looked in Arlington, Lyon Park, etc and liked it fairly well at the time I bought (around 1990) but could not afford it as houses in that area, No VA in general, seemed to be about 25 pct higher than in a good Maryland suburb. I'm glad I didn't, actually, as the traffic congestion is terrible in NoVA, even worse than Maryland, and I don't care for their politics. Partly higher housing prices are offset by property taxes which are slightly lower in VA, so you make it up, partly it's for social reasons and taxes if you want to know it, as NoVA does not have as diverse a population in demographics and income and VA in general is known as employer-friendly, meaning for example, unemployment compensation is the lowest in the area in VA, it is a shamefully low level (but employers like it as their taxes are low) and workers have limited rights. In any case, I don't think recent events will affect real estate at all in the way you are suggesting. No one is going to move from NoVA because they are near an airport and airport service workers can't afford those expensive homes you are talking about. The only reason I think that he NoVA housing market might cool a little is probably due to the failures and scaling down of dot.com and computer technology firms who employ a lot of people in that area. I agree with someone else's comment that housing prices never seem to go down a lot in DC, they either stay the same or rise. Housing prices did go down a lot where I live in the early 90s recession period, there were real bargains from about 1991-1995. Personally, I think you are in a good bargaining position just because of normal seasonal housing prices; there are fewer buyers in late Fall/winter so if someone needs to sell, you have an advantage; also, it looks like a lot of people are (so far at least) perhaps worried about spending and the economy, which also means fewer potential buyers, probably. I like Arlington and Falls Church fairly well, McLean is obviously a very high-price area, one of the most expensive in this area, but you couldn't pay me to live around Tyson's Corner. Are you aware what traffic is like around there? I have to pass it coming to work on the beltway and 5+ years ago it wasn't that bad, now the traffic trying to get off the beltway to Tyson's backs up onto the freeway and is horrendous. My office used to look onto I66 and it is also horrendous during commuting hours. Well, I hate traffic so that would bother me, but maybe not you.

Beth

As a Lincoln Park/ Lakeview resident of Chicago who used to live in D.C. and who still goes there often, I have some observations. First, there is diversity in Lincoln Park/Lakeview, maybe not as much as other areas but Chicago as a whole is VERY diverse. I go to Target at the corner of Diversey and Western and see more hispanics than caucasian. In my complex, Plaza 32, we have white, black, asian, hispanic, hetero and homosexual among many others. You can get any type of cuisine you want without leaving a 2 mile radius. It is NOT suburbanite white, families, with picket fence houses.

I lived in D.C. while attending law school at Georgetown so I never owned a home there and lived in an area mostly populated by students, not families. But, as I often return, I view North Arlington as a great location for proximity to downtown and as a great walking/public transportation area. Though Judy didn't mention Maryland, I add that I view Chevy Cahse just north of American University in the same manner however as has already been disussed, housing costs in these areas are high.

I would disagree also with someone who posted earlier that the general cost of living in chicago is lower, its not. It appears Diane was comparing the metro D.C. area with the Chicago suburbs (not the city) which is like comparing apples and oranges. Things in the burbs are cheaper. Here in the city, I have a small 2 brm condo, no washer/dryer, no central heat/air, no parking included, no view of the lake and it cost me $325k 2 years ago! I looked at the price of gas this morning as I was walking to the subway, $2.11 for regular at Amoco. When we go to the movies it's $10.50 person plus either a charge for parking or a taxi ride there. I could go on and on. I think in general entertainment and living expenses in the Arlington/D.C. area are less, though housing there is pricey. If however, the unemployment rate in the area rise and people begin move away, these housing costs could go down.