Yes, your reserve time will probably be shorter than those hired 8-12 months ago if they keep bringing classes on every 2 weeks.

Couple guys in my class lived in a house just across the VA border in NC, just a hundred yards or so from the beach. They said it was about 45 minutes to ORF but the price was right (I don't remember but CHEAP), the location was right, and there were 4-6 AWAC folks living there.

Not to dredge up an old rumor but RDU wouldn't be a bad place to live; fairly cheap and lots of overnights there so once off reserve you might get a decent amount of nights home, plus you could drive to ORF if you had to. There are maybe a dozen flights a day between RDU and DCA on Airways and Eagle.