future plans for Brambleton (Alexandria, McLean: sales, condo, how much)

[stuntmonkey]

Anyone know how much more space is planned for more single family homes in Brambleton?

We love the current Allegheny model from Pulte and that is our basic price point (base of $500K), but we just aren't ready to buy now. We're thinking about two years out is our ideal time frame to buy, and we'd love to buy new, and we love Brambleton. Perfect location for both our jobs and we just really like the area overall.

I know Pulte has a small chunk of SF homes now, Van Metre has a small chunk of SF homes, and Miller and Smith has a larger chunk of SF homes across Belmont Ridge. (We've visited those and like them, too, but not as much as the Allegheny model from Pulte.)

Anyway, I've looked at all the maps I can find online, and it does appear that there is more space for homes, but I can't find an overall plan for future development. Of course I asked the Pulte sales rep, but she said she had no idea and only knew what was available currently.

Anyone have more information?

[perries]

Almost certainly no homes will ever again be sold in Brambleton. The current residents like it so much they will never leave. Thus you will have to get used to the bitter fact that your dream of owning a home there can never be realized.

[stuntmonkey]

Are you mocking me?

I fully realize that there will be resale homes available in Brambleton as time goes on.

My post above did say that we would love to buy new, hence my question about plans for future new SF homes in Brambleton.

If I should be laughing at your sarcasm, please tell me.

[venture2000]

Stuntmonkey:

Like you I am thinking about buying in the Brambleton area in about 2 1/2 years. If I were you, I would keep track of the developments for this community, i.e. new builds and where they are going to be built.

I am looking for new towns homes as close to the towncenter as possible (walking distance). So I have made a map of new builts and their locations. As new locations are scouted and ultimately developed they will be added to the map as well.

On a side note there is a large swath of land just to the south of the town center (behind the gym). In the coming years I have a feeling that this land will be used either for town homes or family homes. If I were you, I would keep an eye on it. It is in a very, very good location.

[beachbag4]

When I moved to Ashburn 10 years ago there was not yet one house built there. We looked, but construction was to start later than when we wanted to move. At that time there was a 10 year plan for build-out. Clearly things have slowed. They have a ton a land, and can probably build for another 10 years. I can remember people camping out overnight to get in line for prime lots for the Gulick homes. Those folks paid steep lot premiums too. I'm sure you can locate plans at the County offices.

[TechRider]

How do you compare schools in Brambleton area to that of Vienna or McLean.

We have set ourselves a similar time frame to buy a home again. I would love to buy a home under McLean or Langley HS but don't think I can afford $$$$.

Anyways, I have heard a lot about Brambleton in my office. Looks like it is hot area. (Sorry I am new to VA..its been just 4 months)

[VATechMURP]

When I visited there a couple of years ago, they had an office where you could walk in and ask questions. In that office they had a mock-up of the neighborhood which showed areas yet to be developed. Most of Brambleton on the strip mall side had been or was being built. At the time, they were talking about building across the road. From what I remember, there was a great deal of land over there. I would call in advance.

Nice development, with plenty of options on housing (condo, townhouse, SFH).

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by TechRider

How do you compare schools in Brambleton area to that of Vienna or McLean.

We have set ourselves a similar time frame to buy a home again. I would love to buy a home under McLean or Langley HS but don't think I can afford $$$$.

Anyways, I have heard a lot about Brambleton in my office. Looks like it is hot area. (Sorry I am new to VA..its been just 4 months)

What is your budget? For 500k you can get an okay SFH in the Madison, Oakton, or Woodson zones, a TH in the McLean zone, or a nice SFH in the Broad Run/Briar Woods/Stone Bridge zones. Does all of Brambleton zone to Briar Woods?

Loudoun County Public Schools are mostly (except maybe Park View and some of the feeder ES) solid middle class schools. None of the highs (like McLean) or the lows (like Mount Vernon) of FCPS.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Loudoun County Public Schools are mostly (except maybe Park View and some of the feeder ES) solid middle class schools. None of the highs (like McLean) or the lows (like Mount Vernon) of FCPS.

FWIW, I'd say Park View HS in Loudoun is pretty comparable to Mount Vernon HS in Fairfax, in terms of the metrics that presumably led you to call it a "low." In practical terms, what that means is that some of the Sterling neighborhoods that feed into Park View aren't too different, in terms of income levels and the like, from some of the neighborhoods off Route 1 in Alexandria that feed into Mount Vernon. They pull the average test scores down and scare off some people.

However, I think anything near Brambleton will indeed be what you'd call "solid middle class schools" (for NoVa). If the price and neighborhood works better for the OP, I really can't see any reason to stretch to live in McLean or Vienna instead just because scores at the schools there are somewhat higher.

[cdmurphy]

stuntmonkey, you should visit the Brambleton Welcome Center. It's in the "pass-through" of the Town Center, between the "daily needs" side and the movie theater side. They can show you maps of the future parcels yet to be developed.

Have you seen the site plan (http://issuu.com/brambleton/docs/siteplan - broken link)? You know where the current builds are. Yet to be sold: the pink area in the lower right, which I believe is intended to be "active adult" (55+); everything south of the hypothetical golf course, east of Belmont Ridge; the triangle south of Creighton, west of Northstar; the yellow and burgundy chunks on the far left.

The current phase is selling very well. Brambleton sold 352 new homes in 2010 - almost one a day, and their best year ever. Brambleton is a great community - I've been here 7.5 years. There are tons of activities, the Town Center is great, and we've made lots of good friends here.

Also, to answer stpickrell's question - all of Brambleton is currently in the Briar Woods attendance zone, but that may not always be the case. We do have some overcrowding issues in our two elementary schools; for next year, both are in "overflow" for first grade, and depending how enrollments shake out over the summer, some kids may be bused to another local school. One school has just under 1000 kids, the other has under 900; a K-5 school that large just blows my mind, but that's just how it is in eastern Loudoun. As for "class", Briar Woods HS is 6% economically disadvantaged; Legacy ES, and Creighton's Corner ES are 9%. All three schools include students from outside Brambleton proper.