Owning a Home vs. Owning a Home and Having a Life in Northern Virginia

Social media is one way that sweethomeva.com stays current with buyer and seller expectations, home design and organization tips, real estate marketing innovations and other real estate trends and issues. Currently, Pinterest is our favorite social media channel. Click to follow us: SweethomeVA Real Estate

It is a glorious, visual representation of ideas, philosophies, tips, needs and wants. We love it! “Pinspirations” from folks in Northern Virginia are great (like this Free & Cheap Date Night Pin), but we grab cool Pins from all over like one about a blog post pondering the balance between owning a home and owning a home AND having a life.

In the blog post, the writer considers trading in her family’s starter home for a larger one that could better accommodate her growing family, a circumstance very familiar to many of Deliea’s SweethomeVA real estate clients. She sees folks moving up – and on the flip side –  downsizing frequently. Her personal account (she considered situations like buying a home for $5,000 less to fund her latté habit for 4 1/2 years, or spending $50,000 less in favor of fully fund a missionary for a whole year), reflects her individual taste and values, but the core theme she raises does have a broader meaning for buyers, and sellers too: how to approach home ownership in the context of your quality of life. In other words, maybe we should consider the difference between owning a home and owning a home and having a life. Especially in the active and pricey Northern Virginia metro region.

When you get into the real estate market in Northern Virginia, there are inevitable trade offs to make based on location (which county, what town, is it near a metro, can I bike to work, etc.), economics (the pay is higher here, but so is the cost of living) and quality of life (is it close to the school you want your kids to attend or the bike/hiking trails you plan to use on weekends). Last, but not least, the big factor that affects all Northern Virginians: traffic. Traffic patterns factor into nearly all daily and weekend activities, from work to grocery shopping to DC sightseeing and kid’s activities.

Northern Virginia Home in Springfield

Finding the best place to live in light of these considerations may seem like a tough task, but if you contact Deliea, she will help you pick out the Northern Virginia neighborhoods you should look at. With over two decades living in the area, and nearly 18 years as a Northern Virginia real estate agent, she is a seasoned, honest and successful REALTOR® who knows how to help you can find a home for sale in Northern Virginia that matches your desire to enjoy your lifestyle, too.

Consider this: if you buy a single family home in Leesburg, your square footage will be greater and mortgage will less than a single family home in Arlington. It seems like a no-brainer to spend less and get more, unless your life revolves around work and leisure activities in and near Arlington. In which case, you may carefully consider the positive impact on your life if you pay more for less house in Arlington rather than saving money in Leesburg. It may just help you live your best, sweet Northern Virginia life. Another scenario: if you are a Falls Church home owner, but you work in Reston and spend your weekends in Middleburg riding horses, you may be spending more time in your car and less enjoying your activities. Not to mention, you can most likely get more house for less money in the Reston and Loudoun County areaa. So, a home in Ashburn, and not Falls Church, may be the key to the sweet Northern Virginia life.

Primary factors to consider when thinking about owning a home and having a life in Northern Virginia

1. Live closer to the activities and interests that bring you and your family joy.

2. When the lender approves your mortgage for more money than you want, or think you can manage, help control your debt and don’t take the full amount.

3. Choose a home in a neighborhood that is closer to your commuter route, or a home that will give you a reverse commute (when you go in the opposite direction of the morning and evening rush hour patterns/

Deliea and her SweethomeVA team can’t wait to help you find your balance between owning a home and owning a home and having a life in Northern Virginia. Contact her today!