Relocating to Reston, Virginia. Need information.
By caseymel
@caseymel (31)
United States
February 25, 2011 3:56pm CST
I just found out that my family and I will be relocating to the Reston, VA area in the next couple months. We have 1 and 3 year old children and a big Labrador Retriever. I was wondering where we could live that would be within a half hour of Reston. We are also looking for an area with good schools. The highest we could pay for a house would be $325K. We are looking for an area that is kid and family friendly and safe. Does anyone have any suggestions??? I could use all the information I could get since I have never been to the DC area.
1 response
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
25 Feb 11
Welcome to northern VA, caseymel. I don't live in Reston, but have worked in that area. I am not too far away in a neighboring county.
Reston was designed as a family community, so you should have no problems finding a good neighborhood and schools.
But I must caution you against sticker shock. Reston is located in Fairfax County which is the second-richest county in the country (see www.newsweek.com/2010/11/10/the-richest-counties-in-america/2-fairfax-county-va.html). According to city-data (www.city-data.com/city/Reston-Virginia.html), the median income in 2009 was $96,549 and the median house and condo value was $419,248.
Virginia is a beautiful state and you will find yourself in close proximity to many entertainment and cultural activities and shopping.
My biggest gripe about the DC/VA area is the traffic, but I guess that's par for the course in any metropolitan area and there are public transit alternatives.
@caseymel (31)
• United States
26 Feb 11
Thanks for all of the information. I just finished looking at the websites. The home prices are a lot higher than where I live right now. We would have to double or triple our mortgage to get a home similar to ours in the Reston area! Are there areas within a 30 minute drive from Reston that are worthwhile to look at?
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
28 Feb 11
Oh yes, caseymel, the cost of living is higher in northern VA. That is why I wanted to caution you against sticker shock.
I'm really at a loss what to recommend within a 30-minute drive of Reston. Again, traffic can turn a normal 30-minute drive into a lot longer than that depending on the time of day. Fairfax County is next to Loudoun County which is the richest county in the country. I live in Stafford Co., and I don't think I've ever been able to get to Reston in under an hour.
BUT, don't be disheartened. Because of the current housing market, it is still a buyer's market here. So now is the time to jump in, although you're probably right about finding a comparable house to yours in IN.
