Fair Lakes/ Fair Chase where to buy? Advice needed ASAP! (Centreville: middle-class, apartments) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

asselya · 03-17-2009, 08:42 AM

I am a first time homebuyer and I am new to the area. I narrowed my search to several townhomes. One is located in Fair Chase subdivision (built in 2005, eagle view elementary), another one at Fair Lakes (built in 1994), greenbriar east elementary), the last one at Sully Manor in Centreville (built in 2005, powell elementary). All of them have a 2 car garage. I need an advice on where to buy. Where is the area better for investment? I am not planning to flip but in the future I'd like to have a solid investment property. I have a one-year old daughter so school district is very important to me. Plus I am s stay-at-home mom and I don't own a car so walkability is a big plus. My husband works in Falls Church. He usually leaves home at 10 am. I don't know if it is still a rush hour.

saganista · 03-17-2009, 02:53 PM

Fair Chase is nearest to the County Government Center, so housing demand in that area is likely to stay high for a good while. It's also a very nice area with a lot of nearby amenities. Fair Oaks, Fair Lakes, Fairfax Corner, and Fairfax City are all a hop, skip, and a jump away. It's also the closest to Falls Church...hop on Route-29 and keep on going (mind the left turn at Fairfax Circle). Rush hour is over by 10:00. There are lights on Route-29 that can slow you down some, but not much traffic at that hour. If there's nothing else driving you further out, that would probably be a very good place to start when looking at stuff...

asselya · 03-18-2009, 08:43 AM

Thanks for an advice. I didn't know about the government center. What do you think about eagle view elementary? I know it opened couple years ago but the test results are not so great yet.
My daughter is not even a year old yet. Do you think in 4-5 years the school can get better?

VRE332 · 03-18-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asselya

My daughter is not even a year old yet. Do you think in 4-5 years the school can get better?

hahahahahaah

asselya · 03-18-2009, 12:17 PM

Why are you laughing? I am thinking of resale. The property in the good school district holds value better. Plus if we buy at Fair Chase and my daughter goes to eagle view I want to make sure that the school is decent. And that's why I need your opinions.

saganista · 03-18-2009, 01:34 PM

Eagle View's district is pretty much just the block south of Fair Oaks Mall and north of Route-29 in the area around the County Government Center. There is a high number of apartments, townhomes, and condos. Not so many single-family homes. You have a lot of singles, plus young families just starting out and middle-class families who have settled in. That's the neighborhood. It isn't likely to change too much. As for the school itself, I would set up an appointment to go visit if I had kids and were thinking of moving in. No book or on-line rating site will tell you half as much as simply talking to people who work there and seeing the kids who attend there. Thirty minutes will likely do a great deal to put your mind at ease...