Location, lot size and a lack of building restrictions make Pimmit Hills in Fairfax County a booming area for home construction and renovation. Many of the original houses built after World War II are being purchased and torn down to make way for newer, more expensive homes, said real estate agents who sell in the area.
Founded in 1950, Pimmit Hills has more than 1,600 dwellings, mostly bungalows built during the 1940s and 1950s. Depending on their condition and size, original homes will sell today for between $350,000 and $500,000.
“[Pimmit Hills is] about the cheapest place in Fairfax County you can buy into,” said Craig Williams, a 24-year resident.
Situated within a highway triangle created by Interstates 495 and 66 and the Dulles Toll Road, Pimmit Hills’ actual boundaries are Lemon Road Creek and Magarity Road. It is just inside the Beltway near Tysons Corner and close to two stations that are part of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, said Rick Davis, a Long & Foster Real Estate agent.
Homes close to Tysons Corner have sold for $1 million plus, Davis said, but added they were larger than most of the original homes in Pimmit Hills, which is a location “that seems to be the buy.”
“It’s right in the middle of being able to get around the area, and it’s a stone’s throw to McLean,” Williams said.
Housing lots are a full quarter-acre, which gives homeowners the room needed to build new, larger residences. There also are no homeowner associations in Pimmit Hills that might restrict building additions to older dwellings.
Most original ramblers have some type of added space, which adds to the price, said Zinta Rodgers-Rickert, a Realtor for Re/Max Allegiance Fairfax Realtor Homes.
That lack of HOA restrictions is spurring many of the home purchases and transforming Pimmit Hills, Davis said. “There are a lot of young professionals coming into that neighborhood and knocking down the old houses and building larger homes that cost from $800,000 to more than $1 million,” he said.
Rodgers-Rickert recently sold two homes that were not inhabitable and the buyer acquired them with the intent of tearing them down. “We had multiple contracts on those locations in less than five days,” she said. “That trend is Pimmit Hills’ future.”
While that might be, the neighborhood still has the reputation of being a close-knit community. It basically is a bedroom community undefined but since Tysons Corner is close, it is a short trip for great shopping, restaurants and entertainment.
“When I first arrived in the United States I felt alone,” said Philippines native Cynthia Bardo, who moved to the area in 1994. “I found out there are a lot of Asian people in this area and being a part of that community keeps me here.”
George Wolfe has lived in Pimmit Hills for 45 years and enjoys the company of his neighbors. “The people here are friendly,” he said.
