On the contrary, Manassas and Woodbridge are the low cost areas of Northern Va. Both are experiecning rapidly decreasing house values. One can get a 3/2 in either for under 200k. (in Manassas, I believe you can do it for like 130k
Dude, being the lowest cost area in NOVA doesn't really say much... I mean, one could say that SE is the cheapest area in DC, but it's still way more expensive than Cary, NC. One could say that the west side of NYC is the cheapest area of Manhattan, but it's still extremely expensive. And as for the rapidly decreasing house values, that's nationwide.
And what I was referring to isn't just about how much it costs, it's also about what you get for your money. NOVA (and most of the northeast and upper southeast) is an old metro area; the majority of the more reasonably priced homes here were built ages ago. So, that 3/2 for under $200k probably won't have a garage, it probably won't have a walk-in closet, it probably won't have a separate family room or dining room, it may not have a decent backyard, and it'll probably be 20 or 30 years old, if not more!
To me, it's all about how well you live (but, I admit that's MY PERSONAL value, and it really
is about what you value personally). I've had this conversation with some Washingtonians and Marylanders online, and they all say the same thing - they don't care about having a big, nice house and all that... they value culture, nightlife, socializing, mass transit system, etc. I don't really care too much about that. I want a nice, big house, and a nice, big savings account, without a nice, long commute, and the average working class person like myself can do that a lot better in a Charlotte-type place than in NOVA.
My salary in Atlanta enabled me to afford a very nice 2004 built 4/3 with a double garage, 2 garden tubs, 3 walk-in closets, a separate dining room, bonus room, plenty of space for my 3-person family, 1 dog, 3 cats, and 2 turtles, and all sorts of other wonderful amenities. And I'm not bragging because I wasn't really making that much money, that's just the way a working-class person can live in Atlanta. That SAME salary here in a comparable neighborhood in MD/DC will get me a 1 or 2 BR apartment that was built in 1970 and has 1 bathroom... no garage, of course.
To me, it's not just how much it costs, it's what you GET for that money. On average, the quality of living is much different the further south you go, and salaries are not ALWAYS lower.
