To add to this, it should be recognized that while Lorton Station provides a short 5-15 minute walk to the VRE, and whle the houses in Lorton Station are generally 3000 sq. feet, be aware of the following:
1. It is noisy there. The trains run until 10pm, and sometimes park/idle well past 1130pm.
2. There are no yards. If you are from VA, I suppose this probably means very little to you (b/c few houses, jammed on top of each other have yards). If you are from somewhere else, be prepared for this.
3. There is HUGE turnover in the Lorton Station neighborhood. In one week this past summer there were 7 houses for sale on the same street. If when looking at a home to purchase you don't question this - you probably need to revise your home buying research methodology.
Many people are initially attracted to the houses there on the weekends (when most people look at houses), b/c it is generally more quiet - less frequent trains running. But I repeat - it is a terminal train station, and can be busy.
4. Go there and the surrounding areas after 10pm on a warm Friday night to see if it is OK. While Lorton Station itself is probably not that bad, the surrounding areas can be dicey after hours. There is plenty of crime (carjackings, robberies, etc.) - do your research on this too. Buyer beware!!
I think in all fairness this neighborhood is probably best for singles or military families who will be there only for a few years. It is not the place where families settle and grow roots. I submit that likely 60% of the homes there have turned over at least once since they were built 3-5 years ago...many have turned over twice.
