IT WAS A PERFECT STORM,  JOBS - TRANSPORTATION - HOUSING

A funny thing happened to the demographics of Northern Virginia real estate beginning about 1993 to 2000 and continuing on today.  

        *  High tech industry came to Northern Virginia with the expansion of the Internet.

        *  Smart government investment in highway construction provided improvements
            for major commuting arteries.

        *  The Virginia Railway Express Commuter Rail opened the line from Fredericksburg
            to Washington, D.C.

        *  Construction of the Dulles Toll Road and Greenway connecting the Washington
            Beltway and Leesburg and the Dulles International Airport. 

Employment opportunities in Northern Virginia exploded.  This change in employment opportunities was sparked by the growing high tech sector of the economy and the improvements to transportation alternatives for employees.  No longer is the trip across the Potomac River into the District of Columbia a necessity to get to work on a daily basis.  Metro D.C. has the two highest percentage of college educated people in the country, Fairfax County in Virginia and Montgomery County in Maryland.  What Fairfax County also has is quick access to the Dulled International Airport.  By 1998, Northern Virginia has approximately 178,000 high tech jobs and brought employees from all over the country into the area.  Real estate brokers enjoyed a vigorous relocation business.  Familiar high tech companies like AOL, Network Solutions (Internic), UUNET are just a few of the pioneer companies that spurred employment and housing growth in Northern Virginia. 

Once employment expanded in Northern Virginia, the housing market exploded at the same time.  The zoning regulations in Northern Virginia counties encouraged subdivision of large tracks of farm land.  Builders and developers recognized that the explosion of high tech jobs in Northern Virginia also meant high earning families that would be in the market for homes.  With recognized high ranking public schools, Fairfax County was the first area of choice for many families.  However, demand naturally spurs price increases and Fairfax County was quickly priced out of the reach of many new employees.  Prince William County, Loudoun County then became the "boom" market and folks made the commute to jobs in DC and in the Tyson's Corner area where large Internet related companies were located. 

Once prices reached a level where the average home buyer couldn't pay the price for homes in Fairfax County, the "boom" market moved south and west.  South into areas  in Prince William County and finally south to Stafford County.  And the popular location west was the Leesburg area with the Dulles Greenway connecting to Dulles and on to the high tech companies in Fairfax County.  With employment in Fairfax County, Loudoun County didn't seem so far away and communities sprung up throughout Loudoun County and especially in Ashburn, which was also home to a significant number of high tech companies that located their businesses in Loudoun rather than the expensive office space in Fairfax County. 

Once a significant number of Northern Virginia residents did NOT have to cross the Potomac River into Washington, D.C., housing in Northern Virginia went farther and farther south and west.  It is not unusual for home buyers to travel from Fredericksburg areas in Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties to jobs in Fairfax County, The Pentagon in Arlington County or even into D.C. by the VRE.  One the west side, very popular communities expanded into Ashburn, Leesburg, Purcellville and even Lovettsville.  Lovettsville itself attracted housing construction due to the location of the MARC commuter train station in Brunswick. 

Transportation alternatives are an important key to housing growth.  Northern Virginia governments met the challenge and for the past 10 years, improvements in highway, rail and access to the airport have spurred the phenomenal growth in housing in Northern Virginia.  Employers saw what proved to be a very attractive area in which to locate their businesses and attract qualified employees to an area with highly ranked public schools and a home for everyone.

While the job descriptions have added a significant number of Homeland Security employees, the attractions to Northern Virginia are the same - wonderful homes, quality public schools, transportation alternatives and employment growth. 

            Typical New Home in Northern Virginia