This Relocation blog post always stays First in Line so we can easily update it with new links. To access new blog post entries just scroll past this one. Thanks for dropping by!!

Relocation Resources for Northern Virginia 

When folks are moving to an area they want to know:

What are my housing options as far as location and cost?

What is the area like?
What are the schools like?
What are my transportation options?
What are good sources of information for area services?

 

 

Relocation Resources for the Virginia Suburburban Counties of:
Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Fauquier, and Stafford Counties

 

Home Finder for Northern Virginia (automated and live search. 

Requires sign up but no one will bother you. Check it out. Data is current within hours)

Northern Virginia Real Estate Blog  an informal look at real estate happenings and resources

 

Apartment Finder for Northern Virginia

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Virginia County, City, and School Web Sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexandria City                                             Alexandria City Schools
Arlington County                                           Arlington County Schools             
Fairfax City                                                    Fairfax City Schools
Fauquier County                                            Fauquier County Schools
Fairfax County                                               Fairfax County Schools
Loudoun County                                            Loudoun County Schools
Prince William County                                   Prince William County Schools
Stafford County                                              Stafford County Schools
Vienna, Town of                                             Fairfax County Schools serve Vienna
Washington DC                                             Washington DC Schools

 

 

 

Transportation Options:

Amtrak Trains

Metro (our subway and bus system)

Virginia Railway Express

Marc Trains (Maryland and DC)

Northern Virginia Highways

Washington DC area Slugline

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Virginia Hospitals

Arts and Entertainment

Restaurant Guide

Children's Activities

Sports College and Professional in Metro DC

 

 

 

 

 

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Schools in Reston Virginia plus school comparison websites. 

 

 

Diane: We are planning to move to the Reston Virginia area. What can you tell us about the schools there?

 

 

 

 

Steve: Reston is located in Fairfax County Virginia. The resources at your disposal for evaluating your child's education options are extensive and thorough.

This post will give you the addresses of the school web sites that our clients have found most helpful . Click here for the main page for the Fairfax County school system

Diane: How do I know which schools serve a home I might consider buying?

Steve: Go to Fairfax County's school boundary site and enter the address of the prospective property. You will be given the elementary, middle and high school that currently serves that home. There is also a phone number for you to double check to see if any boundary changes are anticipated.

 

 

 

 

Fairfax County schools are divided into clusters then subdivided into pyramids named for the high school that tops the pyramid.

 The following site will also show the elementary and middle schools that feed into it. Reston is in cluster 8 and is served by the South Lakes high school pyramid. Click the link and scroll down past Oakton until you get to South Lakes

Diane: Are there any independent school evaluation sites you know of?

Jan: Here are three sites that our clients have found valuable.

Great Schools

School Digger

School Matters

Sam: How about private schools in Reston?

Jan: The Fairfax County website lists schools alphabetically by town. Click here for Reston private schools.

 

Schools in Reston, Reston schools, schools that serve reston, what reston school serves my neighborhood

 

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We are fortunate to live here...even if we don't always dance. 

 

With our tough traffic and steep fall in home prices since 2005, you may feel put upon. But count your blessings. Our unemployment rate is half the national average and homes under $400k are flying off the shelf often with multiple offers on them (yes...it is true). Our housing inventory is half of what it was this time last year.

That's good news for our residents, our economy and our real estate market…… the economic news might be bad nationwide, but the Washington DC metropolitan area in general and Northern Virginia specifically is financially strong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our median family income is far and away the best in the country. Of the top 20 counties nationwide, 9 are in our area: 6 in Northern Virginia and 3 in suburban Maryland.The last complete year available is 2008. It looks as if Loudoun will be slightly ahead of Fairfax for 2009...but it's all good news for those who live her and our new friends who are coming in the future.

Check the numbers below and be happy!

 

US counties with the highest median family incomes for 2008

1 Fairfax County, Virginia          $100,318

2 Loudoun County, Virginia        $99,371

3 Howard County, Maryland       $94,260

4 Hunterdon County, New Jersey  $93,297

5 Douglas County, Colorado         $92,125

6 Somerset County, New Jersey   $91,688

7 Morris County, New Jersey        $89,587

8 Montgomery Cty, Maryland     $87,624

9 Arlington County, Virginia          $87,350

10 Nassau County, New York        $85,994

11 Marin County, California           $85,892

12 Stafford County, Virginia        $85,014

13 Calvert County, Maryland         $84,891

14 Santa Clara County, Ca           $84,838

15 Forsyth County, Georgia          $83,682

16 San Mateo County, Ca            $82,123

17 Putnam County, New York        $81,907

18 Williamson County, Tenn          $81,449

19 Prince William County, Va      $80,783

20 Alexandria City, Va                  $80,449

 

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Don't let your kid face ridicule at the Acapulco Princess' pool 

 

 

 

 

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Slug line to the Pentagon and Ft Belvoir....a Washington DC institution. 

Slug line to the Pentagon and Ft Belvoir....a Washington DC institution.

A few days ago I wrote a blog post about transportation options for folks moving to a duty station at the Pentagon. An alert reader, Nancy Murray a retired Navy commander who was stationed at the Pentagon some years back left a comment that she had "slugged in from Fairfax Station". I had  forgotten about THE SLUG LINE.

 

 

 

Slugging is a cross between organized hitch hiking and random carpooling. It is human ingenuity at its best. As my friend Rich who slugs to the State Dept. says: "Slugging is an example of a government policy (HOV lanes) creating the desired  government result (cheap alternative transportation) without government involvement".

What is slugging? Well, slugging has become so organized and entrenched that is has its own superb website that explains the whole thing better than I can. http://www.slug-lines.com/:

" The system of slugging is quite simple. A car needing additional passengers to meet the required 3- person high occupancy vehicle (HOV) minimum pulls up to one of the known slug lines. The driver usually positions the car so that the slugs are on the passenger side. The driver either displays a sign with the destination or simply lowers the passenger window, to call out the destination, such as "Pentagon," "L’Enfant Plaza," or "14th & New York." The slugs first in line for that particular destination then hop into the car, normally confirming the destination, and off they go."

For a local interest story of real life slugging visit: Congressman joins the slugline

If you or friends are moving out of Northern Virginia ...away from Slug Central to the more peaceful climes of Colorado Springs and you need real estate assistance....a good place to start would be our alert reader friend Nancy Murray. Nancy is a Realtor in Colorado Springs with knowledge of DC and miltary relocation...from both sides. You can see Nancy's profile at: Nancy Murray  once you are at Nancy's profile, you can check out her Colorado Springs real estate blog by clicking on it over on the left side of the profile page. She and her partner Ann Knoll would be happy to help make your relocation a smooth one.
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Home buyer tax credit forms. Link to the IRS site...better yet hire a Tax Pro. (edit/delete)

If you have purchased a home in 2009 and have not yet filed your taxes, we encourage you to consult a tax professional. There are tax advantages that you may not be aware of if you have not owned before. In addition to the interest you pay each month, there are most likely additional deductible items on the  HUD1 form that you received at settlement.

 

 

 

 

 

Also, if you do decide to do your own taxes, make sure that if you are eligible for the home buyer tax credit that you get the right forms from the IRS. Here is one of the links to do that: IRS tax credit forms.

 

 

 

 

The experience of our buyer clients is that it  pays to hire a tax pro... at least the first time you purchase a home since they will often save you far more than they cost. All good ones should be up front and open about their fees, so that you can make an informed decision.
  

 

 

 

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What is that White Building Across From Reston Town Center?

Casper: I have seen this older looking white building across Reston Ave from Reston Town Center. Do you know what it is? It has been there for years.

Jan Bachman: This building housed the office of our primary real estate settlement attorney back in the early 1980’s, I learned a bit about it when cooling my heels in his waiting room…. it has a great history and we are glad that it has been saved. In the 1940’s, A.C. Bowman lived in the house and produced, “Virginia Gentleman Bourbon Whiskey” from the distillery that was on the property behind the house. Distilling continued until 1988 when the company moved south to Fredericksburg VA. In the 1960’s, the house was sold to Robert E. Simon. Simon, who helped develop Madison Square Garden in NYC and whose family owned Carnegie Hall, liked the idea of the European piazza and as such, was instrumental in creating the Reston of today.

How Reston Got Its Name

Reston, named for Robert E. Simon’s initials R-E-S with the English word for town T-O-N, was one of the first planned communities in the nation. The site, located along Old Reston Avenue, was purchased by Bowman in 1927 and served as his family’s estate. The Bowman mansion oversaw the family business, the Virginia Gentleman bourbon distillery, which is now the location of the Sallie Mae building.

Prison Fellowship bought the property in July 1983 and built the office buildings to house the organization’s staff. Prison Fellowship was founded in 1976 by former Nixon aide, Chuck Colson, who became a born-again Christian after a seven month prison stay for his role in the Watergate conspiracy. The organization, now led by former Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, has become the world’s largest religious outreach program for prisoners, ex-prisoners, crime victims, and their families.

When my husband (Steve, the regular blog author) and I first moved to Reston, there was no Town Center, no toll road, no Reston north of Route 606 and the Smith Bowman distillery was in full function…lots of changes since then!

Check out the Reston Museum for the most acurate historical

information regarding the development of this beautiful planned

community.

 

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John: Should I buy a foreclosure? I have heard from coworkers that there are unbelievable prices on bank owned, foreclosed homes in Prince William…I am renting a townhouse near Fair Lakes and want buy something bigger than I am renting. I work at Tysons Corner, and don’t mind the commute I have now... but I know I can’t get a single family home around here for under $400k. I think I could stand driving more, if I can get more house. Is it possible to get some halfway decent bank owned homes under 10 years old in Prince William county?

Steve Bachman: Yes,there are plenty available in Prince William, however you may want to consider Herndon and Sterling as well, which is a lot closer to where you work. Jan and I just got back from showing 5 3+ bed, 2+ bath single family, detached homes in those communities under $400k that had sold in 2005-6 for over $500k. No joke.

However, you are faced with the classic choice that buyers face in every metro area...far out, bigger and cheaper...close in, smaller and more expensive. Should you decide to move further out in Loudoun or Prince William counties, we believe that you need to be able to commit to that home for…. at least 5 years. No one knows when the market will turn and there is a lot of inventory that has to be bought up before prices can rise …AND builders are still building adding to the problem. This situation can be found all the way over to the river in Woodbridge and down into Stafford and beyond.

Roger: Why do you think that prices in Loudoun and Prince William have fallen faster than in Fairfax, Arlington etc…the inner suburbs?

Steve Bachman: Warning Roger... this is a long answer...Some observations and speculation….. Prince William and Loudoun have fallen further then Fairfax mainly due to over-building. There is no room to build sprawling developments in Fairfax anymore...no available land…..houses go on the market one at a time as the individual seller has motivation.

In the outlying areas, hundreds of homes were coming on the market all at once in 2003-2006…competing for buyers with regular re-sale homes. Since Fairfax and areas in toward DC are closer to employment...there is more demand from folks all over the US and the world, with deep pockets who have no interest in a 90 minute commute. All this building was started before gasoline was priced where it is now...if folks worked in close to the city...they started to think twice about that long drive to and from….weighing the gasoline expense against the cheaper price of housing further out.

In addition to the glut of new homes…the easy credit that fueled the building and buying frenzy dried up. Many first time buyers came out of their rentals during the time of easy credit and poured out to Loudoun and Prince William, drawn by the desire for new homes. Since many of them were just barely able to qualify under easy credit standards, if they had any life crisis (divorce, job loss, sickness etc.)They needed to try to sell the homes they just bought, or re-finance them….. but they could do neither.

Credit had tightened, the builders were hurting because of the credit situation as well, and were dropping their asking prices far below what they had just sold the new-built homes for to that last wave of eager buyers. People ended up owing $400k on homes that would now only bring $325k IF they could sell…they couldn’t re-finance(the home would not appraise for what they owed)…and they couldn’t sell… hence the increase in short sale attempts and properties headed toward foreclosure.

There is a lot of stress on sellers now…it is not a pretty picture...however the seller’s pain has become the buyer's gain. These difficulties have opened opportunities for buyers who were on the sidelines or locked out during the price run up of 2002-2005. Some prices have fallen back to 2003 levels.

We just contracted a townhouse in the below $250k, that was purchased for $350k in 2005. Another client ratified a contract on a 5 bedroom single family home in Manassas at $350k on a home that sold for $550k in 2005. Opportunities exist...but the market is unpredictable ...that is why we tell prospective buyers that they need to plan to be in a home for 5 years...there is no more easy flipping or getting in and out in 2 years without a loss, unless you are really knowledgeable and are willing to fund significant repairs.

If you want to pursue bank owned foreclosed property you need to be patient and have a tough stomach…some of these properties can be very, very rough....in addition there may be delays caused by problems getting the bank to come up with a clear title. In summary, great opportunity exists...but patience, care and an eye toward the longer run are necessary.

Marnie: How did Reston get its name…from being a restful place to live?

Steve: No Marnie, Reston is a peaceful place to live…but the name Reston was derived from the initials of Robert E. Simon, the man behind the outstanding design, vision, and creation of Reston. That is a sculpture of him above sitting on a bench at Lake Anne Center. I will write about the history of Reston from time to time, since it is an intriguing topic for anyone interested in real estate development and the thought process that goes into designing a livable community…rather then just slapping up some buildings, selling them and running off to do it again somewhere else.

The following quote is from the Washington Post 2004:

“Robert E. Simon Jr. is the pioneer behind the groundbreaking planned community of Reston, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year. Reston’s European-style plaza, clustered townhomes, centerpiece lake, and contemporary architecture are studied by planning and architecture students across the country. Named by the American Institute of Certified Planners as a national planning landmark, Reston is a classic study in community planning. Simon, who turns 90 next month, moved back to enjoy his creation 11 years ago.”

Source: Washington Post, Mar 25, 2004

What was he thinking?

Marnie: Do you have some quotes from any speeches made by Mr. Simon which give some background into his thought process?

Steve: Yes …..the following quote is from his Genesis speech in 1961:

“This brings me to 1961. A representative of the Washington real-estate firm of Shannon & Luchs was given the assignment to sell a 6,750-acre parcel of Virginia countryside. He spoke to Jim Lannegan in New York, hoping to interest Roger Stevens, but instead Jim called a friend of his, Henry Wrightson. “Henry, do you know anybody that is interested in 6,000-odd acres in Virginia?” Henry replied, “Maybe, if you come on up and see me.” The person he had in mind, of course, was me. The project was really out of my area, but it seemed such a marvelous opportunity. The location was perfect. The foundations were just being laid for the magnificent Dulles Airport terminal building and construction crews were scratching away at the runways. An airport like that in what seems like a desert will cause the desert to flower. And Dulles Airport was being put into Fairfax County, then the single, fastest-growing county in the United States.

The property was about 18 miles from Washington, the nation’s capital and fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country. On top of this, the terrain was beautiful. It was an irresistible challenge, so I didn’t resist. What should be done with the land? With a parcel this size, the only conceivable single use was a bedroom community; and that, to me, was a repulsive idea. We began to think about a “New Town.” Of the many definitions of a New Town, I prefer the one given by Ada Louise Huxtable in the New York Times: a New Town is a large-scale development with residential, commercial, industrial, cultural and civic functions. In other words, a well-rounded community.

 

Marnie: Is Mr. Simon still alive…I hope so...... he sounds like such a good guy?

Steve: Yes Marnie Mr. Simon is alive and living in Reston at Lake Anne, where it all started. You can kind of visit him at the Lake Anne Plaza….his life size bronze sculpture sits on a park bench there. You can sit beside him after learning more about the very cool history of Reston at the Reston Museum.

Reston VA Living: Get Mulch, Eat, Work, Read, Stop by the Church, then Check in at Reston Hospital

Sally: I want to buy a home in Reston. Are you providing me information in this video that is timeless, never gets old, and is applicable today and forever?

Steve Bachman: Yes Sally. Just watch our home made video by clicking on the link right here beside the lovely picture of Reston's Lake Anne. Link away Sally! Buying a Reston home can be fun if you are not under time pressure and the market is in your favor. There are certain things you need to do to prepare and educate yourself: apply for a mortgage, find the best Reston realtor, determine your "must have" needs as well as those feaures that would make you happy.

 

That is the point of these videos and this blog. Our goal is to make you knowledgeable and comfortable with the whole process. Check out the totality of the choices before you, analyze your needs and wants, separate the two, visit as many properties as you need to until you can connect with just the right home for you. It will be almost a spiritual sensation....a 1970's terminology...you should feel the right "vibe". The right real estate agent will understand this and enjoy the hunt as much as you will...do not work with anyone with whom YOU do not have the right "vibe"! There is no point in that.

Adapted Aquatics:Special needs programs in Fairfax County, Virginia

 

Steve Bachman: Absolutely, positively without equivocation. In general, the swimming community is the most supportive group of families we have come across in the 17 years that we have been involved with kids sports in Fairfax County. The Special needs volunteers are as you can imagine...outstanding human beings.

 

 

Your child does not need to be involved in competitive Special Olympics programs to physically and mentally benefit from aquatic training. For some reason, water has a special power, it is almost spiritual. It has a calming effect on children when they are introduced to it in the right way.

The following information was taken directly from Fairfax County park web page on Adaptive Aquatics: Click here to view.

 

 

Adapted Aquatics

"The Park Authority's award-winning Adapted Aquatics is an individualized swimming and water activity program for customers with physical and developmental disabilities. This success-oriented program targets individuals who do not currently meet the prerequisites for participating in an inclusive environment. The program is designed to develop basic swim skills in a structured setting with one-on-one support from trained volunteers.

Students may register for:

1. Adapted Aquatics Group Classes – These courses are conducted by American Red Cross certified Adapted Aquatics Instructors and trained volunteers.
2. Small group lessons (one to four students) – These lessons are offered at all RECenter pools. Flexible scheduling is available. Classes can also be arranged for school groups and group homes. Call 703-324-8565 for more information.

Please note that family members may be requested to assist in the water if volunteers are not available."

Also available are Special Olympics prep programs for developmentally delayed youth who want to participate in swimming competitions. These swim meets are awesome and  encouraging. Check out what the county currently has available HERE.

Here is the main Aquatics Specialty page: Swim now!