RoB1833

Looks like I might have half a chance at a decent job, at last (after all my moaning and not re-educating myself!)

The one thing is it would be on the Washington DC / Virginia border. I know that accomodation is expensive, but hopefully the wages would cover that. Anyone know anything else or have any experience of this area?

rogerpenycate

As you say accomodation is very expensive particularly in the immediate areas, Fairfax/Alexandria.
The worst thing is the traffic around the Beltway and getting into the City.
Wages depend on your job, I've been offered a few jobs $30,000 - $35,000 as Conference manager for Associations (there are over 3,000 in the DC area) but wild horses wouldn't get me to commute to DC on that sort of money.
If you have been offered a decent job and can rent/buy near a Metro station then it may be worth it. The Metro is like the Tube in London during rush hour, although very few actual underground stations.
If you wanted to live further out, train links are virtually non existant. There are 2 from Virginia to DC, depending on what time you travel the cost varies considerably.
eg: if you lived in Fredricksburg and caught the VRE before 8 and came home before 4, the cost is $7 each way.
However after those times it goes up to $25 each way, that's $250 a week (although there are obvioulsy season tickets) that's $12,000 a year !!
I live about 15 miles from DC in Southern Maryland and there are no trains and hardly any buses. Outside rush hour I can to DC/Northern Virginia in 20 minutes, in rush hours allow 2 hours.

rogerpenycate

To paint such a bleak picture, there are Many plus points as well to living and working in the area.
What sort of business/work are you in ?

NC Penguin

I've never lived in the DC area but my husband lived in northern VA for seven years prior to moving to the US. Also, my sis-in-law lives just outside of DC in MD.

From my observations about the areas you're enquring about, I'll say that traffic is a huge pain. Commutes are often long and you can expect to sit in traffic during rushhours so who know how early in the morning you'd have to leave home to make it to work on time.

Also, I've heard that the property taxes in (northern) VA are very high. For example, my husband paid close to $500 pa for his car in the 90s. He drove a Honda, nothing fancy. We pay half that now in Durham, NC for the same model of vehicle (later model of course).

I believe there's also some odd taxes in VA. e.g. a tax on cellphone ownership. No idea how much this costs but apparently, northern VA does tax residents for cellphones!

I'm confident that salaries are higher in the DC/VA area but the higher amount would mostly be eaten up by the higher cost of living in the region.

How about looking at realtor websites in the area where the job is located? Quite often, such sites contain pages or links about amenities, cost of living, schools, etc.

Oh, undoubtedly education is a whole lot more expensive in the DC and VA areas compared to NC.

RoB1833

The job itself is at Dulles Airport, so I wouldn't need to commute into the centre of DC. I wouldn't like too much of a commute either, I've had a quick look at rentals and it looks like $1000 - $1200 for a two bedroom is about average. Anyone suggest any good websites for property as the one's I found were limited detail to say the least.

jcapulet

We live in Virginia about 10 minutes (driving time)(assuming there's little traffic ) from DC. I commute from Alexandria...my commute is via Metrobus and the Metrorail, and it's about an hour total. I transfer at one station on the train. The train can be a nuisance during rush hour, people love to squish in even if there's only an elbow's length of room. It's not always that bad...although yesterday I heard someone yell "THERE'S NO MORE ROOM BUDDY" LOL!

I have a car, but I commute by public transportation for a few reasons. One is I am a supreme chicken, and don't want to drive through DC traffic. Second, it reduces wear and tear on my car. Third, often times you can avoid traffic via buses in the HOV lanes. However, driving to work would probably cut my commute in half, assuming I left early enough.

Car taxes are a pain, although they have been lower over the years. The state has payed for part of the car taxes in the last few years. Last year mine was less than $140 for a 2000 model car. Car taxes are ridiculous Any way for the state to make money, eh?

I can't tell you much about the rent because it really depends on where you live. It could be anywhere from $700 to $1500, give or take. I've seen some highrises starting at $800-900. I know the closer you live to DC in Va, the higher rent tends to be. If you are in the VA area, there's an "Apartments for Rent" publication that's free- you can find it near news stands. Very handy!!

Good luck with everything. Hope this is helpful

Juliet

rogerpenycate

It depends the type of place you like living in. If you like the city then Alexandria is a great place. (but costly)
If you head out the other way, towards the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley, it's beautiful (and cheaper)
Try this link

www.nationalrealty.biz/map/county.htm