Alexandria Real Estate

Alexandria is one of the premium suburbs to Washington, DC and the closest in driving distance. With more than 250 years of history, Alexandria offers an array of historic and cultural attractions. Alexandria's many historic homes, churches, businesses and museums give residents and visitors a glimpse into the past.

Located along the west bank of the Potomac River six miles below the nation's capital, Alexandria offers a vast array of real estate. Gorgeous, historic multimillion dollar homes pepper the streets of Old Town Alexandria, creating a charm, untouched by time neighborhood that continuously attracts new residents and visitors. Waterfront properties – some older and historic and some new – are available, and range in price.

Outside of Old Town and the waterfront, further away from Washington, lay more affordable homes, townhouses and condominiums. Most of these are new, rather than the well established older home sin Old Town. Prices are still premium, given the region's rich diversity of amenities, and its proximity to Washington.

The median home value in Alexandria is about $313,000, and the appreciation rate is more than 100 percent. Rental properties are also available, but are costly compared to other Virginia locations, and very high cost relative to the nation's rent averages.

By far the most special part of Alexandria is Old Town, with its rows of colonial homes made of wood or brick. There are a few pedestrian areas, and some cobble stone streets. Shops selling antiques, home furnishings, and specialty products line Old Town's center. The area has excellent cinemas and galleries, some old and historic, others modern and funky.

Alexandria residents enjoy a relatively low crime rate. They also send their children to prestigious K-12 schools, which are ranked among the best in the nation. Local residents are highly educated, and aim to provide the same scholastic aptitude to their children. The local teacher to ratio is high, making class sizes favorable for children to learn more. Rates of graduation are high, as is the percentage of students who go on to college or university.

Alexandria today is one of America's most historic communities. It has many authentic 18th century buildings, and the charm of the "Old and Historic District" is carefully preserved by strict architectural and demolition control. Alexandria began its historic preservation and urban renewal projects in the 1960s, achieved through the cooperation of citizen activists and local government.

Since 1988, the region has experienced unprecedented commercial development. The historic district today is known for its museums, architecture, special events, fine restaurants and hotels. More than two million square feet of new office complexes have been constructed, making the city a mecca for regional, national, and multinational headquarters for operations ranging from research and development to high technology, associations, and professional services.

During colonial times, Alexandria lured many British and Scottish, most of who remained after the Revolutionary War. Today, descendants of those early settlers remain, and Alexandria is known to have one of the largest concentrations of Scottish ancestry in the nation. An annul festival called the Scottish Games is held in the summer, and a Scottish Christmas Parade brings adults and children alike for a day outdoors in December.

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