Hi all!!

I just bought a condo off of rte 1 about 4 miles north of Ft. Belvoir...I am betting on the values continuing to go up due to BRAC, etc. but I recognize that that is in large part dependant upon Fairfax County doing something to keep traffic down on the Rte 1 corridor. My new place is right near the Fairfax Co. Gov't Building....anybody know what the County plans to do (if anything) to improve Rte 1 roadway in that area and attract new business,esp in light of BRAC? Anyone else in my situation?

All I've heard is an Express Metro Bus service from Belvoir to Huntington.

renee Wrote:
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> Hi all!!
>
> I just bought a condo off of rte 1 about 4 miles
> north of Ft. Belvoir...I am betting on the values
> continuing to go up due to BRAC, etc. but I
> recognize that that is in large part dependant
> upon Fairfax County doing something to keep
> traffic down on the Rte 1 corridor. My new place
> is right near the Fairfax Co. Gov't
> Building....anybody know what the County plans to
> do (if anything) to improve Rte 1 roadway in that
> area and attract new business,esp in light of
> BRAC? Anyone else in my situation?


They're not going to do diddly about it anytime soon. The move won't be complete until 2010. Expect road improvements to begin 5 years after that. It's just going to be a big mess and it won't help bitching about it because it is the military and they don't care if they shove it to the State of Virginia or the residents along Rte. 1.

As for the value of your property, that all depends. Military bases aren't typically big pluses for home values because so many people move in and out of an area. Also, where the military goes, so do the dive bars and topless joints. It's not like AOL is moving next door to you.

Roto Router 1'er Wrote:
>
> They're not going to do diddly about it anytime
> soon. The move won't be complete until 2010.
> Expect road improvements to begin 5 years after
> that. It's just going to be a big mess and it
> won't help bitching about it because it is the
> military and they don't care if they shove it to
> the State of Virginia or the residents along Rte.
> 1.
>
> As for the value of your property, that all
> depends. Military bases aren't typically big
> pluses for home values because so many people move
> in and out of an area. Also, where the military
> goes, so do the dive bars and topless joints. It's
> not like AOL is moving next door to you.
>
I guess some of what you said is true. There is curently alot of new townhome developments going up throughout the Rt 1 corridor. Ft Belvoir is increasing in size and will only get bigger when they close Walter Reed. Rt 1 will probably not get any larger to handle the traffic anytime soon. Obviously Roto hasn't been around that long to know that all the dive bars are now gone from Rt 1. They have removed them and the last one went 3 years ago. THey have all been bulldozed. There is only 1 left in Sacremento Center and that is a latino bar. There are only 2 strip joints in Fairfax county and they are on the other side of I-95 accross from Springfield Mall. The county will not approve another strip joint. There is improvement along the route 1 area, much of it is slow development, but it is happening. They have put up several high priced townhome neighborhood right next to some crappy trailer parks or low income apartments. And the new places are selling. I would say your condo will increase in value, but may slow down soon. If you decide to rent it you may do well in the long run with the influx of military folks coming and going.

like AOL is moving next door to you.
> >
> I guess some of what you said is true. There is
> curently alot of new townhome developments going
> up throughout the Rt 1 corridor. Ft Belvoir is
> increasing in size and will only get bigger when
> they close Walter Reed. Rt 1 will probably not
> get any larger to handle the traffic anytime soon.
> Obviously Roto hasn't been around that long to
> know that all the dive bars are now gone from Rt
> 1. They have removed them and the last one went 3
> years ago. THey have all been bulldozed. There
> is only 1 left in Sacremento Center and that is a
> latino bar. There are only 2 strip joints in
> Fairfax county and they are on the other side of
> I-95 accross from Springfield Mall. The county
> will not approve another strip joint. There is
> improvement along the route 1 area, much of it is
> slow development, but it is happening. They have
> put up several high priced townhome neighborhood
> right next to some crappy trailer parks or low
> income apartments. And the new places are
> selling. I would say your condo will increase in
> value, but may slow down soon. If you decide to
> rent it you may do well in the long run with the
> influx of military folks coming and going.
>
>



I travel Rte. 1 all the time. It is turning into Tiajuana down there. You can have a nice townhome, but it will be in the ghetto in 10 years. The people working at Belvoir will be living in Stafford or Woodbridge. Regarding Rte 1, you can't polish a turd.

Current Fairfax policy seems to be tax the middleclass to the max and use
proceeds to fund low income/ build public housing ("affordable housing").

The Rt. 1 corridor has a lot of apartment complexs that are likely to become preserved as "affordable housing" - proabbly won't help your property values.

You can also expect day laborer centers ;-(

paul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Current Fairfax policy seems to be tax the
> middleclass to the max and use
> proceeds to fund low income/ build public housing
> ("affordable housing").
>
> The Rt. 1 corridor has a lot of apartment complexs
> that are likely to become preserved as "affordable
> housing" - proabbly won't help your property
> values.
>
> You can also expect day laborer centers ;-(
>
>
>


Actually the part around Belvoir is nice. However, if you are in the Hybla Valley area, it strikes me as kind of sketchy. Not sure if that is a good investment or not.

my fried just sold a condo(apartment) right in hybla valley for 2x what he paid for it 2 years earlier. That part of rt 1 is pretty sketchy too. I am glad my folks let me live at home or my commute would be killer to live cheaply

Beacon Mall by the Dunkin Donuts?

Poor people have to live somewhere. If $500K condominiums are built everywhere, where do the po folks go? DC is too overrun with damn near everybody. My suggestion would be to buy whatever you can in that area as an investment, rent it out until the demand is so high you can dump it for a reasonable profit. Granted, even cheap shit down Rt 1 is exceeding $300k but if you are able to pull a $50K profit in 2 years, that's far better than any 401K.

PaperPusher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Poor people have to live somewhere. If $500K
> condominiums are built everywhere, where do the po
> folks go? DC is too overrun with damn near
> everybody. My suggestion would be to buy whatever
> you can in that area as an investment, rent it out
> until the demand is so high you can dump it for a
> reasonable profit. Granted, even cheap shit down
> Rt 1 is exceeding $300k but if you are able to
> pull a $50K profit in 2 years, that's far better
> than any 401K.
Good point

Poor people always end up in the great state of Florida.

PaperPusher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Poor people have to live somewhere. If $500K
> condominiums are built everywhere, where do the po
> folks go? DC is too overrun with damn near
> everybody. My suggestion would be to buy whatever
> you can in that area as an investment, rent it out
> until the demand is so high you can dump it for a
> reasonable profit. Granted, even cheap shit down
> Rt 1 is exceeding $300k but if you are able to
> pull a $50K profit in 2 years, that's far better
> than any 401K.

I am seriously considering a few condos down that way to hold on to as investments. It's true, if nothing else it would be a VERY easy rental income and will sell quickly when it's time- even if i dont make a large profit off the sale, I will still make a decent profit off the rent (assuming the tenants don't trash the place- I know to do FREQUENT inspections and screen carefully!!!)