Welcome to Northern Virginia. DEN to NoVA will offer considerable sticker shock when it comes to housing. Good luck. That said, Fairfax county is the wealthiest county in the USofA. The schools reflect that. Your wife should find a really good teaching gig.

The tech corrider lies along the W&OD bike trail. If you are a rider, and your employer is close, consider commuting by bicycle when you are house-hunting. By car you're in for a LA-style commute.

If tou can afford it, Reston is as good as it gets. Avoid southwest Reston and south Herndon. These areas qualify as the wrong side of the tracks. Your bride should aim for Rachel Carlson middle school or Oakton high. These are the best of the non-magnet schools. (Boy will I get some arguments on this!)

Affordable housing starts in Ashburn and points west. Avoid living in MD. The bridges across the Potomac are always congested. I think the Park Service arranges a wreck every Friday afternoon just about rush hour. It's called Performance Art. People who want aceres of land look west of the Shenendoah. Some from as far as West Virginia.