Something else to consider along with the answer the other agents gave is that statistics show Prince William County "hit bottom" with regards to the housing issues before Fairfax, Loudoun and some of the other surrounding counties. The good news is that if you purchased a home now - in 5 years or so you shouldn't be upside down in your mortgage like so many others are now who bought at the height of the market. If you'd like to talk more about homes in Prince William County, feel free to contact me - I've been a resident of PWC for the past 20 years and know the area very well.

I think that the Occoquan area will do somewhat better than Northern Virginia as a whole because of its proximity to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County. BRAC has recommended a number of jobs be moved to Fort Belvoir which over time will boost home prices in the area. Occoquan is in a good spot to benefit from the increase in jobs in the area, but not be overly affected by the traffic problems the job movement will have on areas closer to Fort Belvoir.

I recently wrote an article on "BRAC" and how it will affect housing prices in areas around Fort Belvoir at: http://novaproperty.blogspot.com/2007/12/brac-update.html . Please feel free to call me if you need help finding a home in the Occoquan area.

Just as Paul said; there is no "Crystal Ball". Prince William county has been having its issues the past couple of years and I expect it to stay that way for a couple more years. What the next 5 or 10 years will bring - I would "guess" will be better.
I personally feel better about the resale values of properties "inside" the beltway. Gas prices and traffic congestioin in Northern VA - brings more folks closer to their jobs in the District and Arlington areas.

Hi.... unfortunately, there is no crystal ball in Real Estate. With that said, however, I believe that Prince William and counties close to DC and easily accessible from the interstate are going to weather fluctuations much better. With as many Military, Government and Contract employees in the area, these locations will always be desireable. The key of course is to do your homework and find those areas that have the things you want (good schools, proximity to shopping, etc) and to find a home that is in balance with the rest of the neighborhood. Probably didn't tell you anything you didn't already know, but if you'd like to discuss further, feel free to contact me. Thanks, and have a GREAT day! Regards, Paul