Will Montgomery County ever recover?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take just one factor - Thomas Jefferson. There are mountains of people who move from MoCo Fairfax just to be able to apply there. They have smart kids and the whole school is serving the best of the best in Fairfax. The dedicated school with all classes and the program tailored to their needs. MoCo could do the same but never will. Why? No idea.

You cannot be that clueless, can you?
The best of Fairfax, in fact the whole NoVa, cannot lit a candle to the best of MoCo.

The PP probably hyperbolized a bit, but your response is complete and utter nonsense. Look in your mirror to find the “clueless.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take just one factor - Thomas Jefferson. There are mountains of people who move from MoCo Fairfax just to be able to apply there. They have smart kids and the whole school is serving the best of the best in Fairfax. The dedicated school with all classes and the program tailored to their needs. MoCo could do the same but never will. Why? No idea.

Mountains of people? Where are these mountains of people that move on a slim chance that their kid will be accepted into TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looking at the appreciation forecasts for Arlington and Fairfax and feeling very depressed. If you had told me 15 years ago that houses would be selling for over 1M in Falls Church I would have never believed it. Our decision to move to Montgomery County over Falls Church or Arlington has probably cost us 600K-800K in lost opportunity equity. We were really on the fence at the time but thought that there was more room for appreciation in Montgomery County.

Is there any chance that things will flip around or will Montgomery County be stagnant or dropping for another 10 years?

I would take quality of life over home appreciation anytime. This is why chose to live in MoCo over NoVa. The quality of life in NoVa is horrible. I don’t want to raise my family around rednecks just because my house would appreciate by a few more bucks.
Your home is primarily a place to live. If your financial success depends on your home appreciation, you are doing it wrong and you are going to lose badly.
Remember this: Your primary home will never make you rich. A bad place to live will ruin your life and happiness.
Enjoy you happiness in one of the best places to live in the country (MoCo)

Where are these rednecks in NoVA? Or - are you comparing all of Northern Virginia, which includes Stafford, Culpeper, etc, with just Montgomery County, the wealthiest single county in "southern maryland" and excluding places like PG, Anne Arundel, etc, where there are definitely no "rednecks" or otherwise undesirable to you people?

Whatever makes you feel better I guess.

Virginia is the south. The area around DC is trying to distance itself from the south by using the name Northern Virginia. But NoVa is still the south. Drive around in Alexandria and Arlington and you will see confederate flags in front of some properties. This tells you everything you need to know.
Turn a blind eye if you want, or pretend that it exists everywhere but the facts are that intolerance and racism are more prevalent in NoVa.

[Anonymous]

Am I the only one who thinks Fairfax County is ugly? That combined with nightmarish traffic, I have struggled to see the draw unless you have a job there. Housing is too expensive, restaurant options seem limited to chains or Korean food. Basically the only pluses are high paying contract jobs and schools staffed by under payed teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OPs point is that people who bought in Alexandria or Arlington in the late 90's were/are sitting on a gold mine. I bought in Alexandria in 1999 and our house appreciated @ 90% in 5 years, stayed level during the recession, and then we sold for 100% profit shortly after (and it wasn't a cheap house to begin with). All tax free. I rented a house in Arlington that sold in the late 90's that has appreciated more than that. It was a lovely neighborhood that we enjoyed living in, but it was also a great investment. I see houses that I toured in 1990 in Potomac that are selling for about the same price now (adjusted for inflation). It's reasonable to be annoyed at not losing $$ when you see people around you doing very well on a similar investment.

We bought in the late 90’s in Silver Spring and sold for more than 100% profit. Our house wasn’t even near Metro.
I don’t know anyone who bought in the 90’s in this region and would lose money today. Most would sell for more than 100% profit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was born in DC, but grew up in moco. It’s been in decline for at least 20 years. Md is very pro poor people and con business. It’s not sustainable.

+1

High taxes with a shrinking tax base to pay it

I think Maryland should make VA people pay tax for income earned in MD. A large part of my company live in VA but work in MD and pay no taxes to MD and use our roads and services. Problem solved

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was born in DC, but grew up in moco. It’s been in decline for at least 20 years. Md is very pro poor people and con business. It’s not sustainable.

+1

High taxes with a shrinking tax base to pay it

I think Maryland should make VA people pay tax for income earned in MD. A large part of my company live in VA but work in MD and pay no taxes to MD and use our roads and services. Problem solved

Typical Marylander: "There's a tax out there to solve every problem."

BTW -- the states have reciprocity. MD residents who work in VA don't pay taxes to VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looking at the appreciation forecasts for Arlington and Fairfax and feeling very depressed. If you had told me 15 years ago that houses would be selling for over 1M in Falls Church I would have never believed it. Our decision to move to Montgomery County over Falls Church or Arlington has probably cost us 600K-800K in lost opportunity equity. We were really on the fence at the time but thought that there was more room for appreciation in Montgomery County.

Is there any chance that things will flip around or will Montgomery County be stagnant or dropping for another 10 years?

I would take quality of life over home appreciation anytime. This is why chose to live in MoCo over NoVa. The quality of life in NoVa is horrible. I don’t want to raise my family around rednecks just because my house would appreciate by a few more bucks.
Your home is primarily a place to live. If your financial success depends on your home appreciation, you are doing it wrong and you are going to lose badly.
Remember this: Your primary home will never make you rich. A bad place to live will ruin your life and happiness.
Enjoy you happiness in one of the best places to live in the country (MoCo)

Where are these rednecks in NoVA? Or - are you comparing all of Northern Virginia, which includes Stafford, Culpeper, etc, with just Montgomery County, the wealthiest single county in "southern maryland" and excluding places like PG, Anne Arundel, etc, where there are definitely no "rednecks" or otherwise undesirable to you people?

Whatever makes you feel better I guess.

Virginia is the south. The area around DC is trying to distance itself from the south by using the name Northern Virginia. But NoVa is still the south. Drive around in Alexandria and Arlington and you will see confederate flags in front of some properties. This tells you everything you need to know.
Turn a blind eye if you want, or pretend that it exists everywhere but the facts are that intolerance and racism are more prevalent in NoVa.

Uh. Sure. Because Baltimore doesn't have any problems with racism and intolerance, and Confederate flags proudly displayed outside towns like New Windsor, MD, don't mean anything...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who thinks Fairfax County is ugly? That combined with nightmarish traffic, I have struggled to see the draw unless you have a job there. Housing is too expensive, restaurant options seem limited to chains or Korean food. Basically the only pluses are high paying contract jobs and schools staffed by under payed teachers.

Nope, you are definitely not the only one. I feel the exact same way. Could not pay me enough to live there.

[Anonymous]

So many people on this thread are a reminder why this entire area just sucks so bad. Can't wait to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many people on this thread are a reminder why this entire area just sucks so bad. Can't wait to leave.

Honestly, so many of you NOVA and MOCO die hards are much more alike than you are different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was born in DC, but grew up in moco. It’s been in decline for at least 20 years. Md is very pro poor people and con business. It’s not sustainable.

+1

High taxes with a shrinking tax base to pay it

I think Maryland should make VA people pay tax for income earned in MD. A large part of my company live in VA but work in MD and pay no taxes to MD and use our roads and services. Problem solved

Typical Marylander: "There's a tax out there to solve every problem."

BTW -- the states have reciprocity. MD residents who work in VA don't pay taxes to VA.

It is not true Reciprocity. If it was it would be an equal exchange. VA residents should get a 100% of the MD tax rate and get to take that off their VA taxes. VA has a lower tax rate so they are avoiding taxes in this deal. I lived in NY when I worked in MD my first year. I paid full MD taxes on income earned in MD. I filed a NYS Resident return and a MD non resident return. I got a credit on my NYS return for tax paid in MD. MD got its fair share of my income tax.

Now that I live in MD if I work in VA I still pay full MD taxes. Why would MD or DC for this matter agree to this. In NYC they have the deal between NY and NJ for Reciprocity. But with roughly same tax rates it is different. VA has a wildly different tax rate than MD or DC so why did MD and DC cut them in. DC loses a fortune in this arrangement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looking at the appreciation forecasts for Arlington and Fairfax and feeling very depressed. If you had told me 15 years ago that houses would be selling for over 1M in Falls Church I would have never believed it. Our decision to move to Montgomery County over Falls Church or Arlington has probably cost us 600K-800K in lost opportunity equity. We were really on the fence at the time but thought that there was more room for appreciation in Montgomery County.

Is there any chance that things will flip around or will Montgomery County be stagnant or dropping for another 10 years?

I would take quality of life over home appreciation anytime. This is why chose to live in MoCo over NoVa. The quality of life in NoVa is horrible. I don’t want to raise my family around rednecks just because my house would appreciate by a few more bucks.
Your home is primarily a place to live. If your financial success depends on your home appreciation, you are doing it wrong and you are going to lose badly.
Remember this: Your primary home will never make you rich. A bad place to live will ruin your life and happiness.
Enjoy you happiness in one of the best places to live in the country (MoCo)

Where are these rednecks in NoVA? Or - are you comparing all of Northern Virginia, which includes Stafford, Culpeper, etc, with just Montgomery County, the wealthiest single county in "southern maryland" and excluding places like PG, Anne Arundel, etc, where there are definitely no "rednecks" or otherwise undesirable to you people?

Whatever makes you feel better I guess.

Virginia is the south. The area around DC is trying to distance itself from the south by using the name Northern Virginia. But NoVa is still the south. Drive around in Alexandria and Arlington and you will see confederate flags in front of some properties. This tells you everything you need to know.
Turn a blind eye if you want, or pretend that it exists everywhere but the facts are that intolerance and racism are more prevalent in NoVa.

Um yeah. Because you say so it's true.

I've lived in Arlington for 5 years after living in DC for 25. I've never seen a confederate flag in either place. I'm sure someone has one, but if you think Arlington any less liberal than DC then you're just trying to solve some personal insecurity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many people on this thread are a reminder why this entire area just sucks so bad. Can't wait to leave.

I'm sure you'll find somewhere that everyone thinks exactly the same and all online conversations are about the weather and the best place to get a latte. Pleasantville? Mayberry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who thinks Fairfax County is ugly? That combined with nightmarish traffic, I have struggled to see the draw unless you have a job there. Housing is too expensive, restaurant options seem limited to chains or Korean food. Basically the only pluses are high paying contract jobs and schools staffed by under payed teachers.

Nope, you are definitely not the only one. I feel the exact same way. Could not pay me enough to live there.

What spectacular displays of sheer ignorance! Well-done!