Non moto: NOVA roomie wanted

Well, I'm starting to get my life back in order and I'm thinking that I
could possibly use a roommate. Here's the deal:

* three-level townhouse in Centreville, VA, starting sometime around april or
may
* I have a dog and two cats, so you have to like animals, but not bring any
of your own The cats are a special breed that don't bother those with
allergies to cats.
* Own bedroom with own bathroom
* Reserved parking
* I would prefer to live with a male (easier to live with) but will consider
a female
* No pigs, drug addicts, alcoholics, or weirdos
* lease can be done in 6-month increments

$500 + half of utilities

If you know anyone who is interested, have them email me!
Thanks.

LAG

 

Well that pretty much rules out everyone on the BBS. Have you tried posting your ad elsewhere?

Good luck in your search Laura. I wish you the best and will see you at the track this year!

 

Thanks, man. I need it right now!!!!

Laura

 

too bad im married ( permanent roomate) , id do it. Im lookin for a house to buy in northern va , that has good schools for my daughter when she starts. Any areas you would reccomend? ( im new to the area)
Commuting distance from alexandria would be nice.

 

It actually depends on the amount of money you are looking to spend. Fairfax county has a great school district. Alexandria is expensive to live in, but well worth it because of its distance from DC. Centreville is a little bit farther out there, but a nice place to find somewhere to live for cheaper. It all depends on what your budget and priorities are.

Laura

 

Yeah, it's an old thread, but curious about school systems in NoVa. My (potential) new employer is based in Fairfax which seems to have good schools from the Internet and this post I'm quoting, but the great schools rating (to the extent that matters) is pretty pathetic for the area. Is that a case of schools in that area aren't going to compare to what I'm used to (just north of Philly on the I95 corridor), or are the schools truly crappy?

If they're good, which are the good school systems to try and be in?

 

Well, there are some great ones, some good ones and some I'd tell you to avoid any way you can.

What age(s)? Smarty pants kid(s) or average student? Want to pay or public only?

 

Lol, I looked at private and at $45K+ plus I decided I think I like the public option (have three girls, in 60 days they'll be 9/7/3; the older two are smaht like me but the 3 year old has special needs).

 

I'm new to the area and don't have kids, but it seems like the Fairfax Co. schools are where you want to be. The friends we're staying with moved from Alexandria to McLean solely for the schools. The have two kids, 3 and 5, and the younger one is on the spectrum. The support they are getting is great.

 

So, you're looking at public elementary and middle right now with a good special needs program. I'll ask around but out my way has very good programs (but houses, even townhouses are expensive and sell in hours).

I'll ask around a bit but a lot in Fairfax county are good (some are better).

Avoid Woodbridge (although the HS is not bad), I'd recommend staying out of Alexandria and Manassas is pretty butt. Area around Manassas is not bad and the Colgan HS is new and the girls I know that go there like it.

I'm trying to remember the name of the middle school down the road. If you can get in (it is public but you have to get in via testing and all that shit), it's insanely great for science and math.

 

Yeah, I think Fairfax seems to be the consensus (FWIW, still undecided on whether that company is a good fit but trying to do some legwork beforehand) but the issue is here's Fairfax schools:



And here's the schools closest to me:



Maybe it's just something weird with how Great Schools does their ratings..........I dunno.

 

Oh, look at the commute before you decide. 66 is totally f@cked and I don't expect it to get any better in the next few years.

Chantilly HS is really not that bad, good really. Marshall is okay (was just there the other night).

I was going to suggest looking in Vienna but housing prices there has gone insane. Come out my way and you have Westfields and Centreville HS (with Chantilly maybe 8 miles from me) with Willow Springs middle school close as well (this is the middle school you have to apply to but is damn good). The special needs services out here are second to none for VA (we have some "passionate" parents who forced it and did a great job).

If needed there is a high school maybe 2 miles from me for kids that need extra help.

 

Man, really, we also have a decent university very short driving distance (you could bicycle it but traffic is tough) from Fairfax. You're also driving distance into DC.

One thing I'll tell you is if you're buying, have your finances in order and be ready to move fast and above asking. You're most likely gonna get stuck with an HOA so be ready for that.

Oh, youth sports. Pick a sport and chances are there is an organized program in your immediate town.

Where are you looking to live? In Fairfax? Fairfax and west? Won powerball and you're going into Great Falls?

 

Just be aware that the housing market is beyond insane. I'm in the process of trying to buy and it's hard to describe how crazy it is, particularly in the nicer and closer in areas.
We made an offer on a house Saturday, list was twice as much as I'd ever paid for a house. We offered 66K over that, waived inspections, waived 70k of appraisal gap, gave them 45 days of free rent-back...and didn't get it.

 

I just heard approximately 10,000 kids were withdrawn from that school district. If you follow the news, you know why.

 

That’s nuts about the market. I should sell and rent somewhere. I’m just a bit further west of Fairfax being north of Haymarket. Prior to this place my kids went to Brentsville HS, then they built Patriot HS nearby. I was pleased with the schools. Some friends kids went to Battlefield and were happy. Commute to Tysons and later Reston was not pleasant. I would not want to be any further east than I am. Too crowded.

 

DaveK is on the mark on considering commute times. Driving is to be avoided if at all possible. Both I-66 and I-95 can totally lock up, at any time of day, and all the secondary roads can get very slow. My wife is working at the Pentagon (reason for the move, I telework) and one of the biggest search factors for us is proximity to the Metro or VRE.
The Manassas schools probably won't be good for you, but otherwise we really like the town. Very cool old town area, VRE station, just a nice relaxed vibe. At this very moment sitting in a church that's been converted to a pub/restaurant, sipping on a beer.

 

Yeah, it's the same here - Bucks County (where I live) is a suburb of both Philly and NYC, so prices are bonkers. I think I'd be looking to live in Fairfax because that's where the potential employer is, but TBD..........FWIW, I'd be looking in the ~$1.5ish range for purchase price.

 

At $1.5KK I'd almost steer you towards the Clifton area and just deal with the commute.

Edit: but really, at that level, you're mostly going to be good. You can get a lot for a lot less then that.

 

Basically I95 north from Richmond, VA, to Canada is the absolute most worthless interstate known to mankind.