Getting desperate: What would you suggest to a first time home buyer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here you go...

https://www.zillow.com/community/sutton-heights/29569422_plid/

These schools have the same rating as the bush hill /edison house. Do 22310, op.

Next to a diesel/chemical distribution center and off a very busy street, pass.

That’s even closer to that petroleum plant than infamous mantau

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here you go...

https://www.zillow.com/community/sutton-heights/29569422_plid/

These schools have the same rating as the bush hill /edison house. Do 22310, op.

Next to a diesel/chemical distribution center and off a very busy street, pass.

That’s even closer to that petroleum plant than infamous mantau

Do people not care about this stuff anymore? You can literally see the plant from the site.

[Anonymous]

I am somewhat surprised at how low the inventory is. There really isn’t much for sale at all. However, OP waited until they had elementary aged kids to think about buying. There was no reason not to buy sooner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am somewhat surprised at how low the inventory is. There really isn’t much for sale at all. However, OP waited until they had elementary aged kids to think about buying. There was no reason not to buy sooner.

Lack of money might be one.

[Anonymous]

OP, have you considered the Fox Mill neighborhood in Herndon? Not far from the train for your weekly commute, prices aren't as crazy as some other areas around here, and the neighborhood is great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My coworker is drinking every night thinking about this. Praying for a crash.

Ha, yeah me too. 3 years ago we were trying to save for a $1.2M home, now that we could afford that, the same home is $1.4-1.5M. In another 3 when we can afford this, those homes will be $1.7M. F this mess. We are just going to throw our money away on rent and live in the home we wish we could buy in the neighborhood we love. Funny thing is, we are so rich ($270HHI) but we can't afford a 3br home. Nuts.

The 1.2 house three years ago is 1.6 already, and will be 1.8-1.9 in another 3 years. So, you are doomed.

Also, let me break out the world's tiniest violin.

At 270k, you absolutely can afford a 3 bedroom home

Yeah, but then their kids might have to interact with the serfs. What if they made friends with a family that didn't have a graduate degree? I mean, you can't come back from that.

Exactly this.

Literally 99% of "It's impossible to buy a house" posts on here are just "I don't understand the difference between 'what I can afford' and 'what I believe I deserve.'"

[Anonymous]

We live in an old tiny teardown because that's all we can afford in the neighborhood we wanted.

You make compromises as first-time buyers without an unlimited budget. Tale as old as time.

Make the compromises you can live with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My coworker is drinking every night thinking about this. Praying for a crash.

Ha, yeah me too. 3 years ago we were trying to save for a $1.2M home, now that we could afford that, the same home is $1.4-1.5M. In another 3 when we can afford this, those homes will be $1.7M. F this mess. We are just going to throw our money away on rent and live in the home we wish we could buy in the neighborhood we love. Funny thing is, we are so rich ($270HHI) but we can't afford a 3br home. Nuts.

The 1.2 house three years ago is 1.6 already, and will be 1.8-1.9 in another 3 years. So, you are doomed.

Also, let me break out the world's tiniest violin.

At 270k, you absolutely can afford a 3 bedroom home

Yeah, but then their kids might have to interact with the serfs. What if they made friends with a family that didn't have a graduate degree? I mean, you can't come back from that.

Exactly this.

Literally 99% of "It's impossible to buy a house" posts on here are just "I don't understand the difference between 'what I can afford' and 'what I believe I deserve.'"

Yes, I sense quite a bit of that from the comments regarding the house in Burke.

[Anonymous]

OP,
Is the extra den a HAVE to have? Reducing your search to just 4 BRs may help a good bit for the areas you're looking in.

Burke & West Springfield at least - these mostly turn over on the military move cycle in the spring so i'm not surprised you're finding nothing now in the dead of winter. If you decide you like that area, one thing you could do is pick an ES in either town and rent there if you end up crunched on timing this year (again, lots of TH and SFH rentals in both due to military moving) and then be well positioned to be constantly on the lookout in your one ES zone from there forward. I wouldn't go past those towns to Fairfax Station - it's lovely and houses are quite pretty but I don't see how you'd get downtown in an hour. Even Burke you'll need to either do VRE, slug lines once they restart or off-hours commuting to get to DC in that time. I live there and it's 1 hour to Arlington (near Clarendon area) flexing drive time just slightly off the peak. But most of my neighbors that went to DC pre covid did VRE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean you definitely aren't getting 5-6 bedrooms close in for under 3 million...

Absolutely untrue. Under $1.5? No way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean you definitely aren't getting 5-6 bedrooms close in for under 3 million...

Absolutely untrue. Under $1.5? No way.

The thing is, OP doesn’t need to be super close in for a one day a week commute. If OP really needs five bedrooms they need to look in Prince William or Loudon County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My coworker is drinking every night thinking about this. Praying for a crash.

Ha, yeah me too. 3 years ago we were trying to save for a $1.2M home, now that we could afford that, the same home is $1.4-1.5M. In another 3 when we can afford this, those homes will be $1.7M. F this mess. We are just going to throw our money away on rent and live in the home we wish we could buy in the neighborhood we love. Funny thing is, we are so rich ($270HHI) but we can't afford a 3br home. Nuts.

The 1.2 house three years ago is 1.6 already, and will be 1.8-1.9 in another 3 years. So, you are doomed.

Also, let me break out the world's tiniest violin.

At 270k, you absolutely can afford a 3 bedroom home

Yeah, but then their kids might have to interact with the serfs. What if they made friends with a family that didn't have a graduate degree? I mean, you can't come back from that.

Exactly this.

Literally 99% of "It's impossible to buy a house" posts on here are just "I don't understand the difference between 'what I can afford' and 'what I believe I deserve.'"

Yes, I sense quite a bit of that from the comments regarding the house in Burke.

I think there is a difference between buying a dilapidated house which has a huge potential to be a money pit as a first time home buyer with no experience in renovations, and being picky, at least with our budget. For whatever it's worth, we moved out of a top ranked school district that was nothing but pure white UMC/UC in the past to give our kids a better life and educational experience...
All the other homes suggested here are perfectly fine and we couldn't get them or were already outpriced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,
Is the extra den a HAVE to have? Reducing your search to just 4 BRs may help a good bit for the areas you're looking in.

OP here: yeah, not sure how we got to 6 bedrooms. We're looking for 4 bedrooms, with some sort of an extra space for the second office area. We've seen many homes with 4 bedrooms and basement +den or office combo, listed all as 4 BR's, and that's perfectly fine... We're also happy to put the kids in the same bedroom as long as there is room for two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surely there is a middle ground between close in and exurbs? If you give budget and wish list, people could give suggestions.

Good point: 825k or so, 4 bedroom +den/office, within 1 hour or so commute of DC, preferrably somewhere in Nova. It's OK if it needs cosmetic work, but we need the space and decent (middle pack) schools.

Have you looked the area of Falls Church near Shrevewood Elementary? Falls Church Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surely there is a middle ground between close in and exurbs? If you give budget and wish list, people could give suggestions.

Good point: 825k or so, 4 bedroom +den/office, within 1 hour or so commute of DC, preferrably somewhere in Nova. It's OK if it needs cosmetic work, but we need the space and decent (middle pack) schools.

Have you looked the area of Falls Church near Shrevewood Elementary? Falls Church Fairfax County.

Oh and South Arlington? I don’t see a lot now but I would add those to your list to monitor.