So tired of the crappy housing stock in the DMV combined with skyrocketing prices

[Anonymous]

I could deal with the high prices if it didn't buy such garbage. There are so many houses in DC and the suburbs selling in the $1-1.2m range that are just... bad. Ugly flips, cheaply built new developments, houses in desperate need of major updates.

I used to live in California and before I moved to the DMV (about 15 years ago) I felt like the cost of housing there was insane. And it is. But it has been eclipsed in the DMV, but for much uglier, poor quality houses.

Look at this bungalow in an LA suburbs (Monrovia, which has decent schools and is a nice little community but still good proximity to LA -- a perfect suburb compromise if you have some WFH flexibility). Yes, it's on the small side (3/2, so still plenty big enough for a small family with 1-2 kids). But it's beautiful, updated, in a nice neighborhood, and has great outdoor spaces. For $1.2m.

In the DMV, $1.2m buys you a cramped row house on the Hill with no outdoor space, or a completely unrenovated home in one of the close in suburbs, or an ugly McMansion further out with cheap finishes and no charm.

I'm not just saying housing here is too expensive. It's expensive, and that's driven by demand, and while it's a lot, that's what it costs to live here. I'm saying the housing stock is freaking ugly and in poor shape and you wind up spending money for location and schools but the houses themselves suck. There are so few good houses here, even when you have money to spend. It's just depressing.

[Anonymous]

I felt that way and I moved to just outside Annapolis. I’d rather have a long commute from my gorgeous water views house than live in a million dollar shack.

[Anonymous]

Get over yourself. Monrovia is to downtown LA as Laurel is to downtown DC. That's what you should be comparing to Monrovia, not a row house on Capitol Hill.

[Anonymous]

I agree that housing here is ugly. I'm not rich, we'll be looking to buy a $800k house in NOVA soon, but yeah, most homes are ugly in exterior appearance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could deal with the high prices if it didn't buy such garbage. There are so many houses in DC and the suburbs selling in the $1-1.2m range that are just... bad. Ugly flips, cheaply built new developments, houses in desperate need of major updates.

I used to live in California and before I moved to the DMV (about 15 years ago) I felt like the cost of housing there was insane. And it is. But it has been eclipsed in the DMV, but for much uglier, poor quality houses.

Look at this bungalow in an LA suburbs (Monrovia, which has decent schools and is a nice little community but still good proximity to LA -- a perfect suburb compromise if you have some WFH flexibility). Yes, it's on the small side (3/2, so still plenty big enough for a small family with 1-2 kids). But it's beautiful, updated, in a nice neighborhood, and has great outdoor spaces. For $1.2m.

In the DMV, $1.2m buys you a cramped row house on the Hill with no outdoor space, or a completely unrenovated home in one of the close in suburbs, or an ugly McMansion further out with cheap finishes and no charm.

I'm not just saying housing here is too expensive. It's expensive, and that's driven by demand, and while it's a lot, that's what it costs to live here. I'm saying the housing stock is freaking ugly and in poor shape and you wind up spending money for location and schools but the houses themselves suck. There are so few good houses here, even when you have money to spend. It's just depressing.

Life is full of choices. You choose to live here. You could choose to go elsewhere. Quit whining. It's pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Amen.

I’m the same way. I complain a lot about not being able to afford a house here but you’ve done a good job pinpointing the more accurate issue. Even with what I think is a big budget to most of America, all it buys me here is a tear down, an empty lot, a fixer upper, an ugly townhouse, or a hideous spec house with a 90 minute commute.

Most new construction here is heinously ugly (VA). And insult to injury, it’s all unnecessarily big and $3 million. There aren’t many nice, older homes either. Unless you’re ok with $1.5 for a 1500 sq ft home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could deal with the high prices if it didn't buy such garbage. There are so many houses in DC and the suburbs selling in the $1-1.2m range that are just... bad. Ugly flips, cheaply built new developments, houses in desperate need of major updates.

I used to live in California and before I moved to the DMV (about 15 years ago) I felt like the cost of housing there was insane. And it is. But it has been eclipsed in the DMV, but for much uglier, poor quality houses.

Look at this bungalow in an LA suburbs (Monrovia, which has decent schools and is a nice little community but still good proximity to LA -- a perfect suburb compromise if you have some WFH flexibility). Yes, it's on the small side (3/2, so still plenty big enough for a small family with 1-2 kids). But it's beautiful, updated, in a nice neighborhood, and has great outdoor spaces. For $1.2m.

In the DMV, $1.2m buys you a cramped row house on the Hill with no outdoor space, or a completely unrenovated home in one of the close in suburbs, or an ugly McMansion further out with cheap finishes and no charm.

I'm not just saying housing here is too expensive. It's expensive, and that's driven by demand, and while it's a lot, that's what it costs to live here. I'm saying the housing stock is freaking ugly and in poor shape and you wind up spending money for location and schools but the houses themselves suck. There are so few good houses here, even when you have money to spend. It's just depressing.

Life is full of choices. You choose to live here. You could choose to go elsewhere. Quit whining. It's pathetic.

I'm noticing a pattern that you're probably the same poster who keeps writing about life being about choices in a lot of different threads. For someone who claims to be so happy with your choices, you sure sound bitter and angry. About what I wonder, if your life is so amazing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could deal with the high prices if it didn't buy such garbage. There are so many houses in DC and the suburbs selling in the $1-1.2m range that are just... bad. Ugly flips, cheaply built new developments, houses in desperate need of major updates.

I used to live in California and before I moved to the DMV (about 15 years ago) I felt like the cost of housing there was insane. And it is. But it has been eclipsed in the DMV, but for much uglier, poor quality houses.

Look at this bungalow in an LA suburbs (Monrovia, which has decent schools and is a nice little community but still good proximity to LA -- a perfect suburb compromise if you have some WFH flexibility). Yes, it's on the small side (3/2, so still plenty big enough for a small family with 1-2 kids). But it's beautiful, updated, in a nice neighborhood, and has great outdoor spaces. For $1.2m.

In the DMV, $1.2m buys you a cramped row house on the Hill with no outdoor space, or a completely unrenovated home in one of the close in suburbs, or an ugly McMansion further out with cheap finishes and no charm.

I'm not just saying housing here is too expensive. It's expensive, and that's driven by demand, and while it's a lot, that's what it costs to live here. I'm saying the housing stock is freaking ugly and in poor shape and you wind up spending money for location and schools but the houses themselves suck. There are so few good houses here, even when you have money to spend. It's just depressing.

The bolded isn't quite right. The locations and schools suck, too.

Seriously though, you are right in a few senses. Housing is super expensive, and often (in my view) uncharming. So are the areas themselves, except for certain picturesque pockets of certain suburbs or neighborhoods in DC. Commutes can be pretty bad. But there are a lot of great things about living in, say, Silver Spring (as uncharming as that can be) that you won't necessarily get in Monrovia: the whole chain of Smithsonians, which are free; great concerts at multiple venues within 20-30 minutes drive/Uber; many famous historic homes, battlefields, buildings, monuments; sometimes super interesting and well educated neighbors, sometimes with surprisingly interesting jobs; some access within 2 hours of some of the nicest national parks (in my view). All that is to say, yeah, there are things that are great about Monrovia that we don't have here, and some things about here that Monrovia doesn't have. You have 3 options: (1) weeping and gnashing of teeth; (2) move; (3) celebrate what you have.

[Anonymous]

Lol, I can’t believe you’re comparing Monrovia to Capitol Hill. Are you saying a (historic) Capitol Hill row house is ugly and poorly built, and a suburban house in Monrovia is not??!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I felt that way and I moved to just outside Annapolis. I’d rather have a long commute from my gorgeous water views house than live in a million dollar shack.

PP who gets this decision! Good idea.

[Anonymous]

That’s what you get when homes for poor people in the 1960s become homes for rich people in the 2020s. They were ugly as hell then, built for simple people (plumbers, nurses, teachers) over 50 years ago. They have not aged well, yet now house dual income professionals. Really makes you wonder whether you’ve come out ahead, doesn’t it?

[Anonymous]

It's crazy how exurbs are cheaper than living in a city. Wild!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s what you get when homes for poor people in the 1960s become homes for rich people in the 2020s. They were ugly as hell then, built for simple people (plumbers, nurses, teachers) over 50 years ago. They have not aged well, yet now house dual income professionals. Really makes you wonder whether you’ve come out ahead, doesn’t it?

+1

All the bootstrap people need to read the thread in politics about foreign money in real estate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's crazy how exurbs are cheaper than living in a city. Wild!

Please. Even Leesburg and Broadlands are overpriced.

[Anonymous]

You are comparing apples to oranges.

The examples you provided in CA or not in the city. They are suburbs of LA. DC is a city. Like for like would be like SF city to DC city. Like for like, DC is still cheaper than SF city.

You can get nice sfh in the DC suburbs for under $1mil.

I lived in SoCal for 25 years, then SF Bay area for another 15. DC area home prices are expensive, but not like CA expensive.