Tell me about Glen Echo Heights.

[Anonymous]

We have looked at a few newer homes in Glen Echo Heights and like all the trees and the proximity to DC. However there seem to be some pretty rundown or otherwise poorly maintained properties dotting the neighborhood. What is the deal? Do they affect housing prices? It's an odd mix.

[Anonymous]

OP I know the neighborhood well. What exactly is your question?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Just asking about the mix of beautiful homes and ramshackle properties sitting side by side. It seems like an odd phenomenon giving how much they are asking for homes there. Are these older poorly maintained places being replaced? Do people mind it?

[Anonymous]

OP this is PP. I don't know your definitions of beautiful vs. ramshackle. The range of sizes and conditions reflects a neighborhood that developed gradually over 130 years, rather than all at once. Obviously much of the development happened post WWII but I grew up there and my oldest neighbors lived in a much older, smaller home (still in existence, beautifully renovated) could remember a farm within walking distance.

The recent split between large new builds (often the the builders cut down the tress you mentioned) and small, older houses (in many cases, owned by people who have lived in the neighborhood for many decades) reflects post 1990s housing prices, the location close to the DC line and to the Potomac, and the larger-than-average lot sizes for the area.

To your question, do people mind it? Some of the longest-term residents are upset with the scale of the tree-cutting for new builds, and are pretty vocal about it. The residents I know in new builds seem to be happy where they live. IMO it's a beautiful neighborhood and full of nice people of all generations.

[Anonymous]

Good neighborhood. Over time more and more of the old houses will be replaced by new builds.

[Anonymous]

I live there and love it. Just the past 2-3 years have seen lots of tear downs and rebuilds, and it seems to be accelerating. However I wouldn't say that all the newcomers in the expensive houses are all giggly about the older places, mainly the ones in disrepair. There is a place that is half finished, overgrown and has a man living in the attic. Several neighbors, mainly newer ones, keep trying to figure out how to address it. It's probably to be expected when people are now paying 1.5-2M for a house.

[Anonymous]

We moved to GEH last year. I don't think there are many ramshackle homes so much as some smaller, modest homes along with the gigantic new builds. It feels more organic than a neighborhood where all the houses are the same. Love all the trees, bigger yards than our old NWDC hood, the proximity to the canal and the Capitol Crescent trail, neighborhood pool, etc.

Ask whatever other questions you want!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live there and love it. Just the past 2-3 years have seen lots of tear downs and rebuilds, and it seems to be accelerating. However I wouldn't say that all the newcomers in the expensive houses are all giggly about the older places, mainly the ones in disrepair. There is a place that is half finished, overgrown and has a man living in the attic. Several neighbors, mainly newer ones, keep trying to figure out how to address it. It's probably to be expected when people are now paying 1.5-2M for a house.

[Anonymous]

GEH is not the place for people who like uniformity. It's definitely a wide combo of old and new, big and small. Having lived there for almost 20 years, you can see the "old timers" slowly vanishing. If you buy and stay awhile, you may not recognize the place in five years, is my guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live there and love it. Just the past 2-3 years have seen lots of tear downs and rebuilds, and it seems to be accelerating. However I wouldn't say that all the newcomers in the expensive houses are all giggly about the older places, mainly the ones in disrepair. There is a place that is half finished, overgrown and has a man living in the attic. Several neighbors, mainly newer ones, keep trying to figure out how to address it. It's probably to be expected when people are now paying 1.5-2M for a house.

LoL. Yes, it's true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live there and love it. Just the past 2-3 years have seen lots of tear downs and rebuilds, and it seems to be accelerating. However I wouldn't say that all the newcomers in the expensive houses are all giggly about the older places, mainly the ones in disrepair. There is a place that is half finished, overgrown and has a man living in the attic. Several neighbors, mainly newer ones, keep trying to figure out how to address it. It's probably to be expected when people are now paying 1.5-2M for a house.

This raises a good point to know if you are considering moving into the neighborhood. Glen Echo Heights does not have a homeowners' association. In other words, a person can live in unkempt, unsafe and possibly illegal conditions with impunity. There is nothing the neighborhood can do really. Depending on the house you buy it may not matter. But when your neighbor flips on 20,000 watts of Christmas lights, you are out of luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GEH is not the place for people who like uniformity. It's definitely a wide combo of old and new, big and small. Having lived there for almost 20 years, you can see the "old timers" slowly vanishing. If you buy and stay awhile, you may not recognize the place in five years, is my guess.

Agree. We lived there for about 10 years and actually wanted a little more uniformity so we moved. We lived in one of the small 1950s splits (although I wouldn't describe it as ramshackle) and surprisingly it's still there. When we moved in there were I think 3 new builds on the block, now it's about 60% new builds.

[Anonymous]

Get in now, areas like that are becoming unobtainable to regular home buyers. In 15 years there will only be the tiniest number of not multi-million dollar homes, really not that many there now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live there and love it. Just the past 2-3 years have seen lots of tear downs and rebuilds, and it seems to be accelerating. However I wouldn't say that all the newcomers in the expensive houses are all giggly about the older places, mainly the ones in disrepair. There is a place that is half finished, overgrown and has a man living in the attic. Several neighbors, mainly newer ones, keep trying to figure out how to address it. It's probably to be expected when people are now paying 1.5-2M for a house.

This raises a good point to know if you are considering moving into the neighborhood. Glen Echo Heights does not have a homeowners' association. In other words, a person can live in unkempt, unsafe and possibly illegal conditions with impunity. There is nothing the neighborhood can do really. Depending on the house you buy it may not matter. But when your neighbor flips on 20,000 watts of Christmas lights, you are out of luck.

If a property is truly "unkempt, unsafe and possibly illegal," Montgomery County would be happy to hear about it and take care of it. They won't police the color of your front door like a homeowners' association does, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live there and love it. Just the past 2-3 years have seen lots of tear downs and rebuilds, and it seems to be accelerating. However I wouldn't say that all the newcomers in the expensive houses are all giggly about the older places, mainly the ones in disrepair. There is a place that is half finished, overgrown and has a man living in the attic. Several neighbors, mainly newer ones, keep trying to figure out how to address it. It's probably to be expected when people are now paying 1.5-2M for a house.

This raises a good point to know if you are considering moving into the neighborhood. Glen Echo Heights does not have a homeowners' association. In other words, a person can live in unkempt, unsafe and possibly illegal conditions with impunity. There is nothing the neighborhood can do really. Depending on the house you buy it may not matter. But when your neighbor flips on 20,000 watts of Christmas lights, you are out of luck.

If a property is truly "unkempt, unsafe and possibly illegal," Montgomery County would be happy to hear about it and take care of it. They won't police the color of your front door like a homeowners' association does, though.

Not necessarily. Montgomery county inspectors tend to take the path of least resistance.