Buying

Affordable Dwelling Units in Northern VirginiaCounty homes sold far below market: the rules, the wait, buying and selling

Answer five questions. See which county homes you could buy, what they cost, and how long the line is.

Some homes sell far below market· Chantilly, Fairfax County

Rules and prices: each program’s own page, October 26, 2026. Pictures: artist’s renderings of real places.

The checker

Can you buy a below-market home?

Where do you want to live?

Household income, yearly

People in the home

Do you own a home, or did you in the last 3 years?

Do you live or work there now?It decides Loudoun’s priority group and adds Fairfax drawing points.

Income before taxes, for everyone 18 and older who will live in the home. Used only to match the limits: nothing is saved or sent.

Pick where you want to live, then type your household income. Each program shows its prices, the wait and where your income sits.

Updated October 27, 2026Rules read on each county’s page, October 26, 2026A 30-second checker, plus an 8-minute read

Quick answer

Yes, they are real. Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington and the City of Alexandria sell some homes far below market to buyers who earn under a limit, and Prince William is starting. A 4-bedroom Fairfax County townhome in Centreville was listed at $207,000, where regular townhouses there sold for a median of $565,000 in 2026.^1,13 The catch: you usually cannot have owned a home in 3 years, the homes go by drawing (Fairfax) or a waitlist of about 3 to 4 years (Loudoun), and when you sell, the price is capped for 30 years so the next buyer gets the same deal.^1,3,4,7 Use the checker above to see which programs fit you.

Compiled byAhmed MakkiyahREALTOR®, Douglas Realty of Virginia · English and ArabicMobile 734.•••.•••• · Direct 703.•••.••••

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Below-market homes, in six numbers

Northern Virginia, 2026

$207,000a 4-bedroom Fairfax County ADU townhome listed in Centreville, 2026¹

$565,000Median Centreville townhouse sold, January 1 to October 2, 2026 (274 sales)¹³

3 to 4 yearsLoudoun’s wait if you live and work there (Priority 1)⁴

9 pointsthe most you can hold in a Fairfax County drawing¹

30 yearsprice cap on Fairfax and new Loudoun homes, restarting at each sale^3,7

$116,250yearly income limit for 4 people, Fairfax ADU homes (70% of area median income)¹

Prices and limits change every year. Each county or city confirms them with your papers.

How far below

About a third of the price of the home next door.

Two real pairs: the program price against what regular townhouses sold for in the same place this year.

In shortIn Centreville the county home costs about a third of a regular townhouse: $207,000 against a $565,000 median.

Same street, same builder, different price. The Fairfax ADU in Centreville, $207,000; the median townhouse there, $565,000.^1,13

Centreville, Fairfax County^1,13

Fairfax ADU townhome, 4 bedrooms$207,000

Median townhouse, 2026$565,000

The program home costs 37% of the median, about $358,000 less.

South Riding, Loudoun County^6,13

Loudoun ADU price, 3 bedrooms$246,750

Median townhouse, 2026$707,000

The program home costs 35% of the median, about $460,250 less.

Medians: townhouses, not condos, sold January 1 to October 2, 2026, Bright MLS pulled by Ahmed Makkiyah on October 2, 2026. Program prices: the county’s listing and price table.

So “half price” undersells it: in these two places the program home costs about a third of a regular townhouse nearby. Fairfax’s ADU homes run from $95,000 to the low $200,000s; its workforce homes, for higher incomes, from $200,000 to the high $400,000s.^1,2 The price is not negotiable, and it is set by the county, not by the market.

The homes sit inside regular new communities, built by the same builders. When a builder puts up a large neighborhood, the county’s rules ask it to sell a share of the homes at these prices; in return it may build a little more. Same street, same pool, different price.^1,12

Lower price also means a lower tax bill: Fairfax and Loudoun assess these homes at the capped price, not the market price.^3,7

The line

How long you wait, place by place.

Fairfax holds a drawing for each home; Loudoun keeps a waitlist. Tap to see each path, step by step.

In shortFairfax has no line, only drawings, and points decide who goes first. Loudoun has a real line: about 3 to 4 years for Priority 1.

Two ways in. Fairfax: a fresh drawing for each home. Loudoun: one line, about 3 to 4 years for Priority 1.^1,4

OpenFairfax County^1,2
Homes listed most months. Each one is a 2-week drawing; you need a “Passport to Homeownership” first.
3–4
yrsLoudoun County⁴
A waitlist. About 3 to 4 years if you live and work in Loudoun; longer for everyone else.
FewArlington⁸
62 homes in the whole program. New ones go by lottery, a building at a time.
FewCity of Alexandria⁹
A home now and then, some listed for sale with an agent. One 1-bedroom is listed now.
Via
countyCity of Fairfax¹²
Its homes are sold through Fairfax County’s program. The last ones, at Sutton Heights, are sold.
None
nowCity of Falls Church¹⁰
No homes to buy now. Only people who live or work in the city can join the list.
SoonPrince William County¹¹
A new law since December 1, 2025. No homes built under it yet.
Not
openManassas Park¹²
1 ADU and 2 workforce homes listed; the application has not opened.

1
Watch the orientation
A recorded video on the county’s page, then a short online survey.
Day 1
2
Take the free homebuyer class
Virginia Housing’s class, online and free. Keep the certificate.
1 to 2 weeks
3
Get pre-approved
A lender fills in the county’s pre-approval form. Ask for the most you qualify for: it opens more drawings.
1 to 2 weeks
4
Mail the application
By mail, the drop box at 3700 Pender Drive in Fairfax, or secure fax. You get an email within 72 hours.
5
Information session
Staff go over the covenants and give you your Passport to Homeownership.
6
Enter drawings
Check the listings weekly. Each home is open 2 weeks. Highest points go first; within that, a random draw by household size.
Weeks to years
7
Picked: sign and close
Your lender finishes the loan at the program price. You put down at least 2% plus closing costs.

In Fairfax there is no line to stand in, which is good and bad. Every drawing is a fresh chance, but there is no promise. Points decide who goes first: living or working in Fairfax County is worth 5 of the 9, and each year you stay in the program adds 1, up to 3.¹

In Loudoun the line is real and it moves slowly: the county itself puts the Priority 1 wait at about 3 to 4 years, based on how many homes it gets each year. Turning down a builder’s offer does not send you to the back of your group.⁴

Concept image: a county letter and a calendar of crossed-off months on an apartment table in Ashburn, new townhouses being built outside the window — Loudoun’s line: the letter lasts 16 months, the wait for Priority 1 about 3 to 4 years. A concept image.

Buying

What to expect when you buy.

Less cash than a regular home, more paperwork, and a few rules worth knowing first.

In shortLess cash than a regular home (Fairfax: 2% down and a 620 credit score), a free class, and a lender who knows the program.

Money: less than you think

Fairfax asks for 2% down, closing costs and one month of savings, with a 620 credit score. On a $207,000 home, 2% is $4,140 (one-time).¹

A free class first

Every program here asks for Virginia Housing’s homebuyer class. It is free and online.^1,4,9

A lender who knows the program

The lender must fit the loan to the program price and the county’s papers. Alexandria keeps a list of participating lenders.^1,9

Your own agent, where allowed

Loudoun lets you bring a real estate agent, and Alexandria’s resale homes are listed with agents. I can be that agent.^4,9

Assets count

Savings can raise your counted income (Fairfax, Loudoun), and Falls Church caps savings and other liquid assets at $40,000.^1,7,10

Options have limits

In Loudoun, up to $10,000 of builder options can go into the loan; anything above that is cash at closing.⁴

Move-in day in a new townhouse: the same kitchen as the home next door. A concept image.

Owning

Living there: the rules while you own it.

Some rules protect the program; some work in your favor.

In shortLive in it, do not rent it out, and sign the yearly form. In return: a lower tax bill, and in Loudoun a raise never forces you out.

No renting it out

You must live in it. Fairfax and Loudoun send a yearly form you sign (Fairfax: notarized) to prove it.^3,7

Refinancing is capped

Loans cannot go above the capped price, and Fairfax wants a call before any refinance.^2,3,7

Your income can grow

Loudoun does not check your income after you buy; a raise does not force you out.⁴

A lower tax bill

The county assesses the home at its capped price, not the market price.^3,7

It is yours

You own it, fix it, and pay the HOA or condo fee like any owner. Approved improvements add to your resale price.^1,3,7

The county gets the first call

Before you sell, you offer the home to the county or its buyers first.^3,7

Selling

When you sell: the price cap, year by year.

Move the years and see what your capped price could be, next to a regular home.

In shortYour price grows with inflation, not the market, for 30 years, and the clock starts again for the next owner.

The 30-year clock. In Fairfax and on Loudoun homes sold since 2025, every sale starts a new 30 years.^3,7

Price you paid

Years you own it: 10 years

Inflation each year (your cap grows by it)

A regular home’s rise each year (your guess)

Your capped price$278,200

The regular home next door$829,000

A sketch, not a quote: Fairfax and Loudoun use the real Consumer Price Index, Arlington uses HUD’s area income, and approved improvements add to the cap. The regular home starts at the price that makes yours 37% of it, like the Centreville pair. 5.9% is the yearly pace of Northern Virginia’s median house from 2020 to 2026, not a forecast.

How the capped price works. Loudoun spells out the math: your purchase price times the change in the Consumer Price Index since you bought, plus the value of approved improvements. Its own example: a home bought for $119,000 in March 2010 had a resale price of $132,177 in April 2016.⁷ Fairfax uses the same idea, the original price plus the CPI change, and credits certain repairs and improvements.³

Who you sell to. In Fairfax you write to the county first; it has 30 days to say whether it will buy, and if it does, closes in cash within 90 days or hands the contract to a program buyer. In Loudoun the home goes on the county’s resale website for certified buyers first.^3,7

When the cap ends. In Fairfax the 30 years start again every time the home sells, so most homes stay in the program for good. Only an owner who keeps it the full 30 years goes free, and even then the county gets the first offer and half of the gain above the capped price goes to the Housing Trust Fund.³ Loudoun ADUs first sold before 2025 have a 15-year cap; homes first sold since January 1, 2025 follow Fairfax’s 30-year, start-again rule. Arlington’s homes stay affordable forever.^7,8

Timing

When to apply, and when to buy instead.

The best time to join a list is before you need the home.

In shortApply before you need the home. Buy on the open market instead when the wait is longer than your plans.

Apply early, even if you are not ready to move. The wait is the long part. In Loudoun your date in line counts from approval, and in Fairfax each year in the program adds a drawing point. Renew on time: Loudoun’s letter lasts 16 months, and Falls Church wants a renewal every year.^1,7,10

Check your timing with the calendar. Loudoun is moving its application to new software: the county expects it to close near the end of October 2026 and reopen in mid-November 2026.⁴ Fairfax listings close after 2 weeks, and no new applications or passport changes are taken once a listing is posted, so get your passport before you need it.¹

Life changes move you. A new job in Loudoun can lift you to Priority 1 once you send the change form. A bigger household changes your income limit and the homes you can enter for.⁴

Buy now instead when the wait is longer than your plans, your income is over the limit or close to it, or you want a home you can rent out later or sell at full market price. That is the next section.

Every program

Every county and city, side by side.

Pick how many people live with you; the green bar is the income each program allows.

In shortMost ADU programs stop at 70% of area median income; Fairfax’s workforce homes go up to 120%.

People in the home

Fairfax ADU homesFirst-Time Homebuyers, 70%
Also sells the City of Fairfax’s homes. ¹
Loudoun ADU homesADU Purchase, 30% to 70%
Loudoun’s 2025 table. ⁵
Prince WilliamAfDU for-sale, up to 80%
No homes built yet. ¹¹
City of AlexandriaSet-aside homes, up to 100%
Table for 1 to 4 people. ⁹
Fairfax workforce homesWDU, up to 120%
Mostly condos near Metro. ²

Allowed income, yearly Your income from the checker: $95,000 a year

Below-market homes to buy in Northern Virginia, read on each program’s page October 26, 2026. Incomes are yearly, before taxes.
Program	Income limit	Prices	How you get one	Price cap
First-Time Homebuyers (ADU)^1,3Fairfax County	$25,000 to $153,450 (1 to 8 people)	$95,000 to low $200,000s	Drawing, points	30 years, restarts
Workforce (WDU)²Fairfax County	up to $139,500 to $263,100	$200,000 to high $400,000s	Drawing, points	30 years
ADU Purchase^4,5,6,7Loudoun County	$34,450 to $80,350 (1 person) up to $151,500 (8)	$157,050 to $350,025	Waitlist, 3 to 4 years	30 years (since 2025)
Affordable Dwelling Units⁸Arlington	set for each home	$369,300 (2-bed, 2023 to 2024)	Lottery	Forever
Set-aside and resale-restricted⁹City of Alexandria	up to $116,300 (1) to $166,100 (4)	$193,896 (1-bed, now)	Lottery or listing	Long-term
ADU (through Fairfax County)¹²City of Fairfax	70% of area median income	Fairfax’s prices	Drawing	Set by the city
ADU Program¹⁰City of Falls Church	set for each home	None for sale now	List by priority	15 to 30 years
ADU For-Sale (new)¹¹Prince William County	up to $93,050 (1) to $175,450 (8)	None built yet	Drawing	In each home’s covenants
ADU and WDU¹²Manassas Park	set for each home	1 ADU, 2 WDU	List of eligible buyers	Covenants

“Area median income” is HUD’s middle income for the Washington area, set each spring: $166,100 for a family of four in 2026. 70% of it is the top limit for ADU homes in Fairfax, Loudoun and the City of Fairfax; workforce homes go up to 120%.^2,10,12

Loudoun posts its 2025 table (April 1, 2025 limits); expect the 2026 numbers to be a little higher. Call the program before you rule yourself out.⁵

Concept image: a modern condo building beside the elevated Metro Silver Line in Tysons at blue hour, a train passing — Fairfax’s workforce homes are mostly condos near Metro and jobs. A concept image.

The other way in

Is the line too long? Buy on the open market.

A county home and a regular home are different deals. Here is the trade, honestly.

In shortThe county home is cheaper; the open market is faster and every dollar of gain is yours. You can stay on the list and shop at the same time.

Wait for a county home

A price around a third of the market, in the two pairs above
Years of waiting (Loudoun) or drawings with no promise (Fairfax)
You must have no home for 3 years, and stay under the income limit
The resale price is capped, often for 30 years
No renting it out; a yearly form to prove you live there

Buy on the open market now

No line and no lottery: you pick the home and the street
Every dollar of gain is yours when you sell
Rent it out later if your plans change
Down payment help still works: Fairfax up to $50,000, Loudoun up to $70,000, Virginia Housing grants. See which fit you
Townhouses and condos in Woodbridge, Sterling and Manassas cost far less than the county medians. The cheapest areas

You can do both: stay on the list, which costs nothing, and look at what you can buy today. One thing to know before you do: buying a regular home ends your place in line, because these programs are for people who do not own one.

If the wait is too long for your life, tell me your budget and where you work. I will show you the homes that fit, the down payment help that comes with them, and the monthly payment, so you can compare it with the wait in real numbers.

Questions

What people ask about county homes.

What is an Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) in Virginia?

A home in a regular new community that the builder must sell or rent below market to households under an income limit, under county rules. The for-sale ones carry covenants: you live in it, and when you sell, the price is capped (30 years in Fairfax, restarting at each sale).

Can I really buy a house for half price in Northern Virginia?

Some homes sell for about a third of market. A Fairfax County ADU townhome in Centreville was listed at $207,000, where regular townhouses sold for a median of $565,000 in 2026. You must qualify on income, usually not have owned a home in 3 years, and accept a capped resale price.

How long is the wait for an ADU in Loudoun County?

Loudoun County says about three to four years for Priority 1, households that live in Loudoun and where at least one applicant works there. Other priority groups can wait much longer.

How does the Fairfax County ADU lottery work?

After an orientation, a free class, a lender pre-approval and an information session, you get a Passport to Homeownership. Each home is open for drawing entries for 2 weeks. Applicants with the most points go first (up to 9: 5 for living or working in Fairfax County, 1 for a child under 18 or a dependent with disabilities, 1 per year in the program up to 3), then a random draw by household size.

What are the income limits for Fairfax County ADU homes in 2026?

At least $25,000 a year and up to 70% of area median income: $81,400 for 1 person, $93,000 for 2, $104,600 for 3, $116,250 for 4, up to $153,450 for 8. Workforce Dwelling Units go up to 120%: $199,300 for 4 people.

Can I sell my ADU at market price?

Not during the control period. In Fairfax the resale price is the original price plus inflation (CPI) and approved improvements for 30 years, and the clock starts again at each sale. Loudoun ADUs first sold before 2025 have a 15-year cap; newer ones follow a 30-year rule.

Can I rent out my ADU?

No. You must live in it as your main home, and Fairfax and Loudoun ask you to confirm that every year.

What happens if my income goes up after I buy an ADU?

In Loudoun, nothing: the county does not check your income after you buy, and you do not have to move. The limit applies when you buy.

Can I use a real estate agent to buy an ADU?

In Loudoun, yes: the county asks for a copy of your buyer agreement. In Alexandria, resale-restricted homes are listed for sale by agents. In Fairfax the county runs the drawings and your lender handles the loan.

Does this checker save what I type?

No. It runs in your browser, and nothing is stored or sent unless you choose to text or email Ahmed.

Your next step

Waiting for a county home, or ready to buy now?

Tell me where you work and what you earn. I will tell you which county program fits, how long the wait looks, and what the same money buys on the open market today. I answer in English or Arabic, with real numbers, not a pitch.

For owners

What's my home worth?

Send a message

Ask Ahmed

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Affordable Dwelling Units in Northern VirginiaCounty homes sold far below market: the rules, the wait, buying and selling

Can you buy a below-market home?

Below-market homes, in six numbers

About a third of the price of the home next door.

Centreville, Fairfax County1,13

South Riding, Loudoun County6,13

How long you wait, place by place.

Watch the orientation

Take the free homebuyer class

Get pre-approved

Mail the application

Information session

Enter drawings

Picked: sign and close

Self-screen

Gather papers and apply online

Intake session

Letter of Eligibility

Wait for your turn

Contract and close