My family will be relocating to the area for work. We are considering living in VA or MD, but would prefer NOVA. We have young kids, so like most people, we are trying to thread the needle between a manageable daily commute to DC, good schools, low crime, "affordable" housing, and polished amenities.
Ideally, we'd love to find a turnkey house under $650k that is in a master-planned community. I know that's a tall ask, so we're open to a townhouse if it checks off the other boxes. With two little kids and my background in law enforcement, safety and peace of mind are crucial to us. I know there's no one-size-fits-all, but I'd like to hear what you'd recommend I lean into or steer clear of.
I've done my due diligence and know the different school ratings, taxes, and relative housing market in these places... I'm more so looking for your lived experiences and what you think is great or bad (e.g., "the commute on I-95 is WAY worse than I-66 even though mileage looks similar..." or "They just built X down the road from _______, which is awesome/bad for the kids...").
**UPDATE: I'm open to new suggestions, so if my short list of places doesn't accomplish our goals, please let me know where you'd suggest instead. Thanks!*\*