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Northern Virginia has its share of notable neighborhoods. The 1950s and 1960s was a period of expansion, which saw the rise of several large and distinct communities in our area.
Falls Church has a few of those communities, and there is one in particular that has become very popular over the years.
If you are currently house hunting in the area, take a drive around Lake Barcroft.
Not only is there a great mix of traditional and contemporary homes, but an entire lakeside community complete with a host of water and outdoor activities.
Holding it all together is a body of water that has seen its share of change. But one thing will never change: the importance it has had to Northern VA and the residents around it.
Welcome to Lake Barcroft!
Homes for Sale in Lake Barcroft
There are a large variety of homes for sale in the Lake Barcroft neighborhood.
Like all large neighborhoods, sometimes there are a lot of homes available and other times there are less for sale.
Below is a list of homes currently for sale at Lake Barcroft. Take note, use the “search in map” feature to show all homes in the area. There may be some homes that participate in Lake Barcroft’s HOA not listed.
Location & Community
Lake Barcroft itself is part of the Cameron Run Watershed.
To the east, Holmes Run connects into the Potomac River; to the west, both Tripps Run and Holmes Run runoff into the Lake Barcroft community.
The lake and neighborhood is just south of Rt. 7. The neighborhood has a Falls Church mailing address.
With that in mind, it lies outside of the City of Falls Church, so if you live here you will be in Fairfax County’s jurisdiction.
The lake is long and sprawling. As you can see, the lake winds through the land.
There are 5 different private beaches in Lake Barcroft. In the summer, there are lifeguards on duty for residents to swim.
Swimming is not the only water sport that you can enjoy – fishing and boating are also popular leisure activities, and the lake has been stocked with various species of fish.
Before you make an offer, verify that the home you chose is in the Lake Barcroft HOA.
Sailing, electric boats, and oar powered/pedal boats are all allowed for residents to enjoy on the lake.
The location is also by a major intersection at Seven Corners, giving access to many parts of Northern VA. Its proximity to both 495 and 66 make it a great area for commuters.
Lake Barcroft Association
The Lake Barcroft Association has played an integral part in making the community what it is today. More on that below.
They are very active and do a great job of putting together community events, conserving interest in the lake, ensuring quality construction in the neighborhood and more.
Lake Barcroft Association has a website that gives information about the community and also has a calendar of events.
The Story of Lake Barcroft
Lake Barcroft started as drinking water for Alexandria. A dam was built in 1915 to create a reservoir to serve the needs for the City.
By 1950, Alexandria had grown to the point it needed to use other sources for its water. The Alexandria Water Company put the reservoir up for sale.
Although initially considered by Fairfax County for parkland, the decision was made to sell to private developers.
A group of developers bought the reservoir and its surrounding land and subdivided into just over 1,000 lots.
Lake Barcroft now consists of approximately 1,000 homes, according to the Lake Barcroft Association.
The community was originally built largely in the 1950s and 1960s, and featured large lots with lots of wooded area. The homes were also varied and had lots of space.
Compare this to Pimmit Hills on the other side of Falls Church, which featured lots much smaller and homes much more compact.
Lake Barcroft was built for comfort of lake living and owning a good piece of land by the water.
In 1969, the community association purchased the rights to the lake from the heirs of the majority stakeholders. This gave the residents control over the lake and lake recreation activities.
Like other early large subdivisions in Northern VA, Lake Barcroft has been the subject of numerous articles by the press.
It also has been the feature of articles written by residents documenting the history of the community. For more information see the association site.
Conservation Efforts
Over the years since its inception, both the community members and Fairfax County have taken an active role in protecting the lake environment.
Over the years, lake dredging, testing, and efforts to keep the lake clean have been put in place.
Virginia has put in place the Lake Barcroft Watershed Improvement District.
The community itself also has an environmental quality committee that has similar goals to preserving the lake and keeping it clean and safe for residents to enjoy.
New Homes in Lake Barcroft
Lake Barcroft is one of the neighborhoods that has seen new construction over the years, as well as major renovations. If you are thinking of building a new home in Northern VA see our guide here.
The neighborhood has many attractive features that make it appealing for custom homes.
First of all, the lots are very large. You can put a large luxury home and still have room for a nice yard.
Secondly, Lake Barcroft offers lakeside living inside the “beltway” (495, a major highway in Northern VA if you are from out of town). A community with beaches, boating and fishing will not be found as close to DC.
Lastly, the Lake Barcroft Association has an architectural review committee that historically has approved new home projects. Some HOAs are much more restrictive about building new.
With that said, before building new make sure you are ready to submit information about the project to the review board. More information about that can be found here.
Waterfront Homes Lake Barcroft
Property with lakeview and lake frontage is the most sought after in the community. One unique aspect of this lake is its sprawling size.
As you can see from the maps, the lake is long and winding, which means more waterfront land compared to other communities in the area.
The market value for this land is obviously higher.
You will pay more to acquire it, but having been in these lakeside houses I can tell you they offer views and activities that you will not find elsewhere in Falls Church.
Below are the waterfront properties currently on the market. If you are interested in a waterfront property, get in touch with me and I can help you.
Selling Your Home
No matter how much you may love living here, there comes a time to sell your home to the next happy homeowner.
If that time is now, we recommend requesting a home value request from us. One of our experienced agents will prepare it for you.
• Fairfax County Market Stats
Single family detached homes have been a very hot commodity in Northern VA over the years. That trend has grown with the addition of more companies moving their headquarters to the area.
The graph above shows the growth over the last 5 years (by quarter) of the median sales price vs median list price for single family homes in Fairfax County.
This is great if you are just beginning to think about selling. But if you are getting serious about getting your home on the market, get an expert to give you a more thorough home evaluation.
Nearby Communities
Here are some other single family home communities nearby to consider.
- Annalee Heights – West Falls Church neighborhood.
- Holmes Run Acres – Historic and quaint mid-century modern homes.
- Broyhill Park – A large neighborhood of 750 homes close to 495.
- Pimmit Hills – A sought after neighborhood very close to Tysons Corner. Diverse selection of home types.
- Mantua – This neighborhood is in Fairfax, large wooded lots and many different home types.
- Use our MLS backed search here. Make an appointment to see a property!
Contact
Falls Church is home to several iconic Northern VA neighborhoods, but there are few others are able to offer what Lake Barcroft has: lake living in a hugely convenient area.
If you are thinking of selling a home in Lake Barcroft, we can help you. Alternatively, if you are looking to make Lake Barcroft your new home, browse the homes for sale.
As always, if you have a real estate question we can help you find the answer. Get in touch with the form below.
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