Realestateinvestor

I've owned in Centreville since before the current boom/bubble. Whether the following are pro's or con's will differ with each buyer: good central driving location 25 miles/45 minutes in non-rush hour from DC at junction of I-66, 28 and 29. Most of today's existing Centreville was built pretty much overnight circa 1985-87 when three big developers swarmed a quiet country crossroads and, with no central plan, slapped up four large strip malls and assorted TH developments around what is now the cloverleaf intersection. Accordingly there's no 'center' to Centreville, it's classic bedroom suburbia 2.3 kids/SUV/honor student bumper sticker country. Because it was built circa 1987, the TH layouts meander in wooded cul de sacs of much less density than more modern chess-grid TH layout plans. High school is a solid B+. Low crime, you can jog or walk the dog in safety at midnight. No fine dining options currently, but plenty of pleasant enough casual dining, a multiplex, a surprisingly good Library. Best burger pub: O'Toole's. Lifetime Fitness 24 hour megagym. A few minutes' drive to Dulles Airport, Fair Oaks Mall, Costco, Home Depot, Wegman's, etc. Nearby: 10,000 acres of Bull Run battlefield park. Common TH complaints: too many older layouts with all street parking, or 1 car garages with no parking provision for car #2. Unpredictably litigious HOA enforcements a frequent topic. Increasingly visible Korean community. Well located for equidistant drivetimes. But then, you have to drive to anywhere you want to be. Not a magnet zip code for the artsy hip single. Motto: 'Not As Expensive As Fairfax, Not As Tacky As Manassas Park'. $400k 2005 3br TH's now $275-300, still descending. Will recover sooner than Prince William & most of Loudon. Check out 2 car garage newer TH's or older 80's single family's like Little Rocky Run. - Fri Apr 25 2008, 01:30