This Alexandria townhome for retired couple?
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Anonymous
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We're looking to downsize into something we can lock and walk away from. Georgetown has become too expensive. What do you think of this? It's so close to the water. Will that make it a poor investment? Will it flood? And it looks more substantial from these photos than just 2 bedrooms. What am I missing?
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/?searchQueryState=%7B%22isMapVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22west%22%3A-77.04776675895857%2C%22east%22%3A-77.00987250999617%2C%22south%22%3A38.79062585686703%2C%22north%22%3A38.81544140326196%7D%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%22sort%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3A%22days%22%7D%2C%22price%22%3A%7B%22min%22%3A0%2C%22max%22%3A2000000%7D%2C%22mp%22%3A%7B%22min%22%3A0%2C%22max%22%3A9890%7D%2C%22beds%22%3A%7B%22min%22%3A2%2C%22max%22%3Anull%7D%2C%22ah%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%7D%2C%22isListVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22mapZoom%22%3A15%2C%22pagination%22%3A%7B%7D%7D |
Anonymous
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Your link doesn't work.
Also, is there a type of dwelling that you can't lock and walk away from? |
Anonymous
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I'll try to fix the link. Yes, I should have been more specific. I meant, something we can leave for several months every year while we travel. As in no yard or maintenance to think about.
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Anonymous
Anonymous
| I wouldn’t be moving into something with stairs as a retirement home. |
Anonymous
| You’re really paying for the boat slip with this condo. Do you have a boat? For $975k, I would expect a bigger kitchen. I know this area and it’s very nice. Would this be your primary residence? |
Anonymous
| I think it's only 2 bedrooms because you're likely only getting the bottom two levels of that townhouse-looking structure. As the ad says, it's a townhouse-style condo. So you'll have someone above you on the upper levels. That's also why there is only one staircase pictured in the photos. |
Anonymous
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As other posters have pointed out, this is a condo and not a true townhouse. The listing indicates as such and specifies two floors, while the building itself seems to have four floors, so the top two floors will belong to someone else (which ain't ideal especially at that price point).
Moreover, given retiring, stairs may not be ideal long term (granted it's only one floor up but still). But may be difficult to find a one story house so not very sure how to rectify that issue. The actual size (2 br and 1300) is probably fine for retirement, don't need as much space plus cleaning smaller is easier imo. I do think it's overpriced given that it's a condo with others above you, and as someone else also pointed out, you are paying a premium for easy boat access. Looking around (walkable areas so old Town, Georgetown, and Rosslyn Through Ballston) not seeing anything under a million or even 1.25 that is only one floor. Most are multi floor townhouses. But I am sure in a few months a decent amount of inventory will hit the market. |
Anonymous
| Stairs aren't as big a deal as people seem to think, especially if it's only one flight. A chair lift can be installed for under $5K if it gets to the point where you need one. |
Anonymous
| Lock down and walk away from would be easier in a true apartment building. I wouldn’t want just a door between my empty house and street-level access if I was planning to vacation a lot. If you’re ok with shared walls and ceiling, an apartment would be easier and you wouldn’t have to deal with stairs. I’m only in my 40s, but I’ve had a couple of lower body injuries that made me realize that my house (steep stairs from street, bedrooms on 2nd floor) is not going to be my forever house. |
Anonymous
| Good feedback. Thank you. I think I have 20 years before I need to worry about stairs, but I hadn't even noticed the boat slip, and don't want it. I'll continue looking. Just not loving the idea of an apartment. |
Anonymous
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Agreed with the other poster, if you want something where you can just lock and walk away, an apartment maybe more ideal. Imagine having a TH, you are away, and mail starts piling up. Will be a massive sign for potential trespassers that no one is home.
I agree apartment in many ways (space, HOA) is not ideal as well but given the divide between your apartment and street level, coupled with a lack of stairs, I do think it may be a better bet. Either that or a TH in a more TH community setting with lots of neighbors so that you at least reduce the chances of a break in when away (but the massive amount of stairs will be annoying). If apartment here is one I just saw, 3BR, decent Sq footage, and very walkable (can't comment on price as I don't have much experience with apartment pricing plus I find, due to my own inherent bias, to price them fairly since I feel they tend to be overpriced compared to TH options...but that's my bias I feel): https://redf.in/LghyI8 |
Anonymous
If you’re looking in Old Town, be wary of Union Street. The first few blocks up from the waterfront are built on fill and flood pretty regularly. Look at the water level measure carved into the Torpedo Factory. The elevation rises pretty quickly, so anything more than a couple blocks up is fine. |
Anonymous
+1. You can check the elevation of any location by hovering over it in Google Earth. PP makes an important point: there's flooding like "the street is under water" — which is plenty likely this low in Old Town — and there's "the ground is completely waterlogged and my basement is saturated even though I don't see the river lapping at my door...yet." Important to be aware of both. In sum, if I wanted to be in Old Town, which I think is fantastic for retirees, I would look for an upper-level unit if I wanted to be that close to the water or further from the river if I wanted a house with street-level entrance and main floor. |
Anonymous
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I checked the Flood Factor on this one and it reads: “this home has a 99% chance of flooding in the next 30 years.”
Love Old Town but I don’t understand why anyone would buy in this low-lying part that is virtually guaranteed to flood unless/until the city builds some type of massive flood wall along the waterfront. |