Aspen Hill residents, give me your experiences with the place

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a Nova troll who always comes out in full force on any thread about Maryland. Hey dude, how's it going? You checking zillow daily to see if your shack in South Arlington has appreciated?

The insecurity is rather astonishing. But on top of the insecurity, they also make up totally random facts -- just for the record, McLean was not the same price as Aspen Hill in the 1980s. That's like comparing Bethesda to Hoodbridge -- it's apples to oranges. It's really silly season on this board.

Not the 80s, but if you say that Aspen Hill was not once as expensive as McLean you are lying to yourself. The appreciation in Aspen Hill is horrific. The Aspen Hill house is beautiful and new insidr and has gone from $390,000 in 2010 to $650,000 today. That is peanuts compared to what you would get for a similar house in NoVa during a 15 year period.

McLean School District
1973 for $64,000 - Today for $1.4M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Mc-Lean/7100-Tyndale-St-22101/home/9398185

1979 for $78,000 - Today for $1.1M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6731-Crest-Pl-22046/home/9482227

Aspen Hill
1978 for $93,000 - Today for $650,000
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/3109-Birchtree-Ln-20906/home/11084607

I'm not going to scour redfin, but you're cherry picking by picking the most desirable, wealthy part of NoVa and comparing it to a part of Maryland that people are saying is nice but working class. You need to compare apples-to-apples, so look up the numbers for Hoodbridge or Dale City or Sterling. This was a thread about Aspen Hill, remember that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WTF is up with all the racists on this thread?

What racism are you referring to? Aspen Hill doesn’t seem racist in real life anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a Nova troll who always comes out in full force on any thread about Maryland. Hey dude, how's it going? You checking zillow daily to see if your shack in South Arlington has appreciated?

The insecurity is rather astonishing. But on top of the insecurity, they also make up totally random facts -- just for the record, McLean was not the same price as Aspen Hill in the 1980s. That's like comparing Bethesda to Hoodbridge -- it's apples to oranges. It's really silly season on this board.

Not the 80s, but if you say that Aspen Hill was not once as expensive as McLean you are lying to yourself. The appreciation in Aspen Hill is horrific. The Aspen Hill house is beautiful and new insidr and has gone from $390,000 in 2010 to $650,000 today. That is peanuts compared to what you would get for a similar house in NoVa during a 15 year period.

McLean School District
1973 for $64,000 - Today for $1.4M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Mc-Lean/7100-Tyndale-St-22101/home/9398185

1979 for $78,000 - Today for $1.1M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6731-Crest-Pl-22046/home/9482227

Aspen Hill
1978 for $93,000 - Today for $650,000
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/3109-Birchtree-Ln-20906/home/11084607

I'm not going to scour redfin, but you're cherry picking by picking the most desirable, wealthy part of NoVa and comparing it to a part of Maryland that people are saying is nice but working class. You need to compare apples-to-apples, so look up the numbers for Hoodbridge or Dale City or Sterling. This was a thread about Aspen Hill, remember that?

There was nothing luxurious about the McLean split level and rancher that sold in the 70s. They were probably sold and bought by entry and mid-level government workers, or people with similar incomes, who bought them for families that subsisted on mostly one income. I’d imagine the same types of people bought and sold that house in Aspen Hill in 1978.

The decisions made by politicians after that, and by business owners and home owners as a reaction to those decisions, influenced what McLean and Aspen Hill became today. McLean prosperity was shaped by wise decisions by politicians at a county and state level, specifically around job and business growth, infrastructure development, and a centrist approach to crime and other issues relative to Montgomery County. Aspen Hill is in a different place now because of different political decisions and different actions taken as a result of those decisions.

It is what it is, but don’t pretend that that McLean-zoned 2,016 sq ft rancher that sold in 1979 for $15,000 less than the 2,190 sq ft Aspen Hill colonial in 1978 was in a neighborhood that looked even remotely like the McLean of today. These homes aren’t cherry picked. Go and find similar homes in both places that sold in the late 70s and early 80s. You’ll find the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird. SFH from the 70s in my Aspen Hill adjacent neighborhood just sold for 700k.

It's fine, yes sometimes things are stolen from cars but that's been about it.

The downside is retail but I tend to drive to Olney / Rockville / Wheaton to shop anyhow. The Safeway in Aspen Hill is fine, I just don't go when all the kids from the local schools are wandering around, but that goes for anywhere in the entire DC metro.

There is never a time that I need to avoid the Safeway in Great Falls or the one on Harrison Street in North Arlington. There’s a reason why SFHs are only $700,000. That price tag comes with having to avoid grocery stores when the local kids are around, which is a crazy thing to have to do.

God you're exhausting. OP asked for YOUR experiences with Aspen Hill, specifically the Barnsley or Flower Valley cluster, not your opinion on why areas that cost two or three times more are better. Nobody that lives in Aspen Hill cares what you're doing over in Great Falls or Tysons or wherever else you're determined befits your social status.

You still don’t get it. Ask yourself why Aspen Hill cost as much as McLean in the early 1980s and is now seen as so undesirable that renovated SFHs are only selling for $600,000 even though it’s less than 5-10 miles from Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

The reason is because it has been sliding downhill for 40 years. Why would anyone in there right mind advise OP to make a $100,000+ down payment to live in a neighborhood with no prospects for the future?

Because there are brown and Black people hard. It’s not the gotcha you think it is.

Nice try, but this South Arlington house sold for $161,000 in 1988 and is going for $940,000 today. The elementary school it’s zoned for is 77% Hispanic and 6% white. This house would go for $700,000 tops in Aspen Hill and Aspen Hill was more desirable and more expensive than South Arlington in the 80s.

The difference is that Arlington actually cares about attracting businesses so it can raise revenue with corporate taxes and doesn’t rely exclusively on raising property taxes. It’s also in a state with a budget surplus, not a budget deficit, despite having less taxes than MD.

Aspen Hill is a dying, depressing place to live with literally no economic development or hope in the horizon. Please name anything Aspen Hill is developing in the next 5-10 years. There’s nothing.

Fascinating story, but I hate to break it to you -- South Arlington's price appreciation is due almost exclusively to Amazon and that bubble is about to burst. The Post had an article on this just today: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/04/25/amazon-hq2-jobs-federal-cuts-trump/. And if you look at the houses on the market, there is beginning to be a serious glut in South Arlington. You might believe that Arlington is uniquely good at attracting businesses, but the fact is that there is a 25% office vacancy rate, and Amazon has not lived up to its promises. Also, Arlington has raised property tax rates for the past two years. Most parts of South Arlington are streets full of dilapidated houses with chain link fences; a few McMansions here and there won't change that. Most buyers looking to live in Arlington look exclusively at North Arlington for a reason.

And despite all that, young educated professionals still flock to South Arlington and would have to go on a 50mg Paxil regimen if you told them they’d have to live in Aspen Hill. There are good restaurants in South Arlington. There’s Crystal City, Pentagon City and Shirlington. It’s next door to Downtown DC, The Wharf, Del Ray, and Old Town.

Aspen Hill has the Giant strip mall, a depressing Kohls, and a Home Depot and is next door to…Glenmont and Rockville.

I respect your hometown spirit, but come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a Nova troll who always comes out in full force on any thread about Maryland. Hey dude, how's it going? You checking zillow daily to see if your shack in South Arlington has appreciated?

The insecurity is rather astonishing. But on top of the insecurity, they also make up totally random facts -- just for the record, McLean was not the same price as Aspen Hill in the 1980s. That's like comparing Bethesda to Hoodbridge -- it's apples to oranges. It's really silly season on this board.

Not the 80s, but if you say that Aspen Hill was not once as expensive as McLean you are lying to yourself. The appreciation in Aspen Hill is horrific. The Aspen Hill house is beautiful and new insidr and has gone from $390,000 in 2010 to $650,000 today. That is peanuts compared to what you would get for a similar house in NoVa during a 15 year period.

McLean School District
1973 for $64,000 - Today for $1.4M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Mc-Lean/7100-Tyndale-St-22101/home/9398185

1979 for $78,000 - Today for $1.1M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6731-Crest-Pl-22046/home/9482227

Aspen Hill
1978 for $93,000 - Today for $650,000
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/3109-Birchtree-Ln-20906/home/11084607

I'm not going to scour redfin, but you're cherry picking by picking the most desirable, wealthy part of NoVa and comparing it to a part of Maryland that people are saying is nice but working class. You need to compare apples-to-apples, so look up the numbers for Hoodbridge or Dale City or Sterling. This was a thread about Aspen Hill, remember that?

There was nothing luxurious about the McLean split level and rancher that sold in the 70s. They were probably sold and bought by entry and mid-level government workers, or people with similar incomes, who bought them for families that subsisted on mostly one income. I’d imagine the same types of people bought and sold that house in Aspen Hill in 1978.

The decisions made by politicians after that, and by business owners and home owners as a reaction to those decisions, influenced what McLean and Aspen Hill became today. McLean prosperity was shaped by wise decisions by politicians at a county and state level, specifically around job and business growth, infrastructure development, and a centrist approach to crime and other issues relative to Montgomery County. Aspen Hill is in a different place now because of different political decisions and different actions taken as a result of those decisions.

It is what it is, but don’t pretend that that McLean-zoned 2,016 sq ft rancher that sold in 1979 for $15,000 less than the 2,190 sq ft Aspen Hill colonial in 1978 was in a neighborhood that looked even remotely like the McLean of today. These homes aren’t cherry picked. Go and find similar homes in both places that sold in the late 70s and early 80s. You’ll find the same thing.

Again, this is really dishonest. You're cherry picking by looking at an area in NoVa that became very prosperous, and comparing it with an area in MD that did not. How about choosing apples-to-apples? So if you're caught up on focusing on McLean, then you're comparison should be to Bethesda. What you're going to find is that price appreciation from 1980 to today between Bethesda and McLean are the same, so your rant about politicians is stupid.

I wouldn't compare Bethesda to Dale City or Woodbridge when trying to compare appreciation from the 1980 to today, but you're doing something that is equally dishonest. Just compare two places that are similar today, and then look up prices from 1980 for those two places.

Your inability to debate honestly is stunning. I mean, comparing Aspen Hill to McLean. And you totally derailed an otherwise productive thread about Aspen Hill with this BS.

[Anonymous]

Why are we talking about McLean in this thread? I missed the part where OP asked for opinions on McLean, can someone direct me to that post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a Nova troll who always comes out in full force on any thread about Maryland. Hey dude, how's it going? You checking zillow daily to see if your shack in South Arlington has appreciated?

The insecurity is rather astonishing. But on top of the insecurity, they also make up totally random facts -- just for the record, McLean was not the same price as Aspen Hill in the 1980s. That's like comparing Bethesda to Hoodbridge -- it's apples to oranges. It's really silly season on this board.

Not the 80s, but if you say that Aspen Hill was not once as expensive as McLean you are lying to yourself. The appreciation in Aspen Hill is horrific. The Aspen Hill house is beautiful and new insidr and has gone from $390,000 in 2010 to $650,000 today. That is peanuts compared to what you would get for a similar house in NoVa during a 15 year period.

McLean School District
1973 for $64,000 - Today for $1.4M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Mc-Lean/7100-Tyndale-St-22101/home/9398185

1979 for $78,000 - Today for $1.1M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6731-Crest-Pl-22046/home/9482227

Aspen Hill
1978 for $93,000 - Today for $650,000
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/3109-Birchtree-Ln-20906/home/11084607

I'm not going to scour redfin, but you're cherry picking by picking the most desirable, wealthy part of NoVa and comparing it to a part of Maryland that people are saying is nice but working class. You need to compare apples-to-apples, so look up the numbers for Hoodbridge or Dale City or Sterling. This was a thread about Aspen Hill, remember that?

There was nothing luxurious about the McLean split level and rancher that sold in the 70s. They were probably sold and bought by entry and mid-level government workers, or people with similar incomes, who bought them for families that subsisted on mostly one income. I’d imagine the same types of people bought and sold that house in Aspen Hill in 1978.

The decisions made by politicians after that, and by business owners and home owners as a reaction to those decisions, influenced what McLean and Aspen Hill became today. McLean prosperity was shaped by wise decisions by politicians at a county and state level, specifically around job and business growth, infrastructure development, and a centrist approach to crime and other issues relative to Montgomery County. Aspen Hill is in a different place now because of different political decisions and different actions taken as a result of those decisions.

It is what it is, but don’t pretend that that McLean-zoned 2,016 sq ft rancher that sold in 1979 for $15,000 less than the 2,190 sq ft Aspen Hill colonial in 1978 was in a neighborhood that looked even remotely like the McLean of today. These homes aren’t cherry picked. Go and find similar homes in both places that sold in the late 70s and early 80s. You’ll find the same thing.

Again, this is really dishonest. You're cherry picking by looking at an area in NoVa that became very prosperous, and comparing it with an area in MD that did not. How about choosing apples-to-apples? So if you're caught up on focusing on McLean, then you're comparison should be to Bethesda. What you're going to find is that price appreciation from 1980 to today between Bethesda and McLean are the same, so your rant about politicians is stupid.

I wouldn't compare Bethesda to Dale City or Woodbridge when trying to compare appreciation from the 1980 to today, but you're doing something that is equally dishonest. Just compare two places that are similar today, and then look up prices from 1980 for those two places.

Your inability to debate honestly is stunning. I mean, comparing Aspen Hill to McLean. And you totally derailed an otherwise productive thread about Aspen Hill with this BS.

How about we compare Aspen Hill with Hyattsville, Riverdale, and College Park? Places in Maryland run by politicians who have this novel concept that you can’t have a future without building infrastructure and creating business growth? These places were much less desirable than Aspen Hill in the 70s and 80s and now the Route 1 corridor from 495 to Hyattsville has way more energy and growth than a place like Aspen Hill, which has literally zero momentum and no development on the horizon.

People like you are misleading OP who is looking for advice on where to live, and presumably to invest in real estate there. Aspen Hill, along with places like Montgomery Village and Glenmont, are some of the worst places to invest in real estate in the entire DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird. SFH from the 70s in my Aspen Hill adjacent neighborhood just sold for 700k.

It's fine, yes sometimes things are stolen from cars but that's been about it.

The downside is retail but I tend to drive to Olney / Rockville / Wheaton to shop anyhow. The Safeway in Aspen Hill is fine, I just don't go when all the kids from the local schools are wandering around, but that goes for anywhere in the entire DC metro.

There is never a time that I need to avoid the Safeway in Great Falls or the one on Harrison Street in North Arlington. There’s a reason why SFHs are only $700,000. That price tag comes with having to avoid grocery stores when the local kids are around, which is a crazy thing to have to do.

God you're exhausting. OP asked for YOUR experiences with Aspen Hill, specifically the Barnsley or Flower Valley cluster, not your opinion on why areas that cost two or three times more are better. Nobody that lives in Aspen Hill cares what you're doing over in Great Falls or Tysons or wherever else you're determined befits your social status.

You still don’t get it. Ask yourself why Aspen Hill cost as much as McLean in the early 1980s and is now seen as so undesirable that renovated SFHs are only selling for $600,000 even though it’s less than 5-10 miles from Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

The reason is because it has been sliding downhill for 40 years. Why would anyone in there right mind advise OP to make a $100,000+ down payment to live in a neighborhood with no prospects for the future?

Because there are brown and Black people hard. It’s not the gotcha you think it is.

Nice try, but this South Arlington house sold for $161,000 in 1988 and is going for $940,000 today. The elementary school it’s zoned for is 77% Hispanic and 6% white. This house would go for $700,000 tops in Aspen Hill and Aspen Hill was more desirable and more expensive than South Arlington in the 80s.

The difference is that Arlington actually cares about attracting businesses so it can raise revenue with corporate taxes and doesn’t rely exclusively on raising property taxes. It’s also in a state with a budget surplus, not a budget deficit, despite having less taxes than MD.

Aspen Hill is a dying, depressing place to live with literally no economic development or hope in the horizon. Please name anything Aspen Hill is developing in the next 5-10 years. There’s nothing.

Fascinating story, but I hate to break it to you -- South Arlington's price appreciation is due almost exclusively to Amazon and that bubble is about to burst. The Post had an article on this just today: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/04/25/amazon-hq2-jobs-federal-cuts-trump/. And if you look at the houses on the market, there is beginning to be a serious glut in South Arlington. You might believe that Arlington is uniquely good at attracting businesses, but the fact is that there is a 25% office vacancy rate, and Amazon has not lived up to its promises. Also, Arlington has raised property tax rates for the past two years. Most parts of South Arlington are streets full of dilapidated houses with chain link fences; a few McMansions here and there won't change that. Most buyers looking to live in Arlington look exclusively at North Arlington for a reason.

And despite all that, young educated professionals still flock to South Arlington and would have to go on a 50mg Paxil regimen if you told them they’d have to live in Aspen Hill. There are good restaurants in South Arlington. There’s Crystal City, Pentagon City and Shirlington. It’s next door to Downtown DC, The Wharf, Del Ray, and Old Town.

Aspen Hill has the Giant strip mall, a depressing Kohls, and a Home Depot and is next door to…Glenmont and Rockville.

I respect your hometown spirit, but come on.

I'm glad you have experience with Paxil to share with us. I'm not sure what it is, but I go to Aspen Hill all the time and it has great restaurants. It sounds like you go there often as well. I have never been to the Kohls but I appreciate that you've gone there enough to form opinions about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a Nova troll who always comes out in full force on any thread about Maryland. Hey dude, how's it going? You checking zillow daily to see if your shack in South Arlington has appreciated?

The insecurity is rather astonishing. But on top of the insecurity, they also make up totally random facts -- just for the record, McLean was not the same price as Aspen Hill in the 1980s. That's like comparing Bethesda to Hoodbridge -- it's apples to oranges. It's really silly season on this board.

Not the 80s, but if you say that Aspen Hill was not once as expensive as McLean you are lying to yourself. The appreciation in Aspen Hill is horrific. The Aspen Hill house is beautiful and new insidr and has gone from $390,000 in 2010 to $650,000 today. That is peanuts compared to what you would get for a similar house in NoVa during a 15 year period.

McLean School District
1973 for $64,000 - Today for $1.4M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Mc-Lean/7100-Tyndale-St-22101/home/9398185

1979 for $78,000 - Today for $1.1M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6731-Crest-Pl-22046/home/9482227

Aspen Hill
1978 for $93,000 - Today for $650,000
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/3109-Birchtree-Ln-20906/home/11084607

I'm not going to scour redfin, but you're cherry picking by picking the most desirable, wealthy part of NoVa and comparing it to a part of Maryland that people are saying is nice but working class. You need to compare apples-to-apples, so look up the numbers for Hoodbridge or Dale City or Sterling. This was a thread about Aspen Hill, remember that?

There was nothing luxurious about the McLean split level and rancher that sold in the 70s. They were probably sold and bought by entry and mid-level government workers, or people with similar incomes, who bought them for families that subsisted on mostly one income. I’d imagine the same types of people bought and sold that house in Aspen Hill in 1978.

The decisions made by politicians after that, and by business owners and home owners as a reaction to those decisions, influenced what McLean and Aspen Hill became today. McLean prosperity was shaped by wise decisions by politicians at a county and state level, specifically around job and business growth, infrastructure development, and a centrist approach to crime and other issues relative to Montgomery County. Aspen Hill is in a different place now because of different political decisions and different actions taken as a result of those decisions.

It is what it is, but don’t pretend that that McLean-zoned 2,016 sq ft rancher that sold in 1979 for $15,000 less than the 2,190 sq ft Aspen Hill colonial in 1978 was in a neighborhood that looked even remotely like the McLean of today. These homes aren’t cherry picked. Go and find similar homes in both places that sold in the late 70s and early 80s. You’ll find the same thing.

Again, this is really dishonest. You're cherry picking by looking at an area in NoVa that became very prosperous, and comparing it with an area in MD that did not. How about choosing apples-to-apples? So if you're caught up on focusing on McLean, then you're comparison should be to Bethesda. What you're going to find is that price appreciation from 1980 to today between Bethesda and McLean are the same, so your rant about politicians is stupid.

I wouldn't compare Bethesda to Dale City or Woodbridge when trying to compare appreciation from the 1980 to today, but you're doing something that is equally dishonest. Just compare two places that are similar today, and then look up prices from 1980 for those two places.

Your inability to debate honestly is stunning. I mean, comparing Aspen Hill to McLean. And you totally derailed an otherwise productive thread about Aspen Hill with this BS.

How about we compare Aspen Hill with Hyattsville, Riverdale, and College Park? Places in Maryland run by politicians who have this novel concept that you can’t have a future without building infrastructure and creating business growth? These places were much less desirable than Aspen Hill in the 70s and 80s and now the Route 1 corridor from 495 to Hyattsville has way more energy and growth than a place like Aspen Hill, which has literally zero momentum and no development on the horizon.

People like you are misleading OP who is looking for advice on where to live, and presumably to invest in real estate there. Aspen Hill, along with places like Montgomery Village and Glenmont, are some of the worst places to invest in real estate in the entire DMV.

You're all over the place, buddy. I thought you wanted a debate on MD vs VA, but I guess you realized that wasn't going to be productive once I called you out on your BS. I can't keep up with your nonsense, but sure if you actually want to help OP by suggesting places that TODAY are in the same price range as Aspen Hill that you think are better, then by all means go for it. I'm supportive of that. But I'm not supportive of trying to tell people who bought in Aspen Hill in 1980 that they should have instead bought in Bethesda or McLean -- I just don't get how that Monday-morning quarterbacking is useful to anyone.

[Anonymous]

DP. Aspen Hill’s equivalent in terms of the age of the homes, the distance from the beltway, and the suburban look and feel of the place is probably Kings Park West in Fairfax County, in and around Robinson Secondary School. For another parallel, Aspen Hill is a stone’s throw from historic Rockville, or what’s left of it. Kings Park West is adjacent to charming Old Towne Fairfax. Both unincorporated areas have nearby access to commuter rail and Metro rail. The public school pyramids (Robinson vs Rockville HS) are strong and probably equivalent.

However, that part of Fairfax County is probably more attractive to buyers today (over Aspen Hill) simply due to proximity to George Mason University, and job centers in Reston and the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a Nova troll who always comes out in full force on any thread about Maryland. Hey dude, how's it going? You checking zillow daily to see if your shack in South Arlington has appreciated?

The insecurity is rather astonishing. But on top of the insecurity, they also make up totally random facts -- just for the record, McLean was not the same price as Aspen Hill in the 1980s. That's like comparing Bethesda to Hoodbridge -- it's apples to oranges. It's really silly season on this board.

Not the 80s, but if you say that Aspen Hill was not once as expensive as McLean you are lying to yourself. The appreciation in Aspen Hill is horrific. The Aspen Hill house is beautiful and new insidr and has gone from $390,000 in 2010 to $650,000 today. That is peanuts compared to what you would get for a similar house in NoVa during a 15 year period.

McLean School District
1973 for $64,000 - Today for $1.4M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Mc-Lean/7100-Tyndale-St-22101/home/9398185

1979 for $78,000 - Today for $1.1M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6731-Crest-Pl-22046/home/9482227

Aspen Hill
1978 for $93,000 - Today for $650,000
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/3109-Birchtree-Ln-20906/home/11084607

I'm not going to scour redfin, but you're cherry picking by picking the most desirable, wealthy part of NoVa and comparing it to a part of Maryland that people are saying is nice but working class. You need to compare apples-to-apples, so look up the numbers for Hoodbridge or Dale City or Sterling. This was a thread about Aspen Hill, remember that?

There was nothing luxurious about the McLean split level and rancher that sold in the 70s. They were probably sold and bought by entry and mid-level government workers, or people with similar incomes, who bought them for families that subsisted on mostly one income. I’d imagine the same types of people bought and sold that house in Aspen Hill in 1978.

The decisions made by politicians after that, and by business owners and home owners as a reaction to those decisions, influenced what McLean and Aspen Hill became today. McLean prosperity was shaped by wise decisions by politicians at a county and state level, specifically around job and business growth, infrastructure development, and a centrist approach to crime and other issues relative to Montgomery County. Aspen Hill is in a different place now because of different political decisions and different actions taken as a result of those decisions.

It is what it is, but don’t pretend that that McLean-zoned 2,016 sq ft rancher that sold in 1979 for $15,000 less than the 2,190 sq ft Aspen Hill colonial in 1978 was in a neighborhood that looked even remotely like the McLean of today. These homes aren’t cherry picked. Go and find similar homes in both places that sold in the late 70s and early 80s. You’ll find the same thing.

Again, this is really dishonest. You're cherry picking by looking at an area in NoVa that became very prosperous, and comparing it with an area in MD that did not. How about choosing apples-to-apples? So if you're caught up on focusing on McLean, then you're comparison should be to Bethesda. What you're going to find is that price appreciation from 1980 to today between Bethesda and McLean are the same, so your rant about politicians is stupid.

I wouldn't compare Bethesda to Dale City or Woodbridge when trying to compare appreciation from the 1980 to today, but you're doing something that is equally dishonest. Just compare two places that are similar today, and then look up prices from 1980 for those two places.

Your inability to debate honestly is stunning. I mean, comparing Aspen Hill to McLean. And you totally derailed an otherwise productive thread about Aspen Hill with this BS.

How about we compare Aspen Hill with Hyattsville, Riverdale, and College Park? Places in Maryland run by politicians who have this novel concept that you can’t have a future without building infrastructure and creating business growth? These places were much less desirable than Aspen Hill in the 70s and 80s and now the Route 1 corridor from 495 to Hyattsville has way more energy and growth than a place like Aspen Hill, which has literally zero momentum and no development on the horizon.

People like you are misleading OP who is looking for advice on where to live, and presumably to invest in real estate there. Aspen Hill, along with places like Montgomery Village and Glenmont, are some of the worst places to invest in real estate in the entire DMV.

You're all over the place, buddy. I thought you wanted a debate on MD vs VA, but I guess you realized that wasn't going to be productive once I called you out on your BS. I can't keep up with your nonsense, but sure if you actually want to help OP by suggesting places that TODAY are in the same price range as Aspen Hill that you think are better, then by all means go for it. I'm supportive of that. But I'm not supportive of trying to tell people who bought in Aspen Hill in 1980 that they should have instead bought in Bethesda or McLean -- I just don't get how that Monday-morning quarterbacking is useful to anyone.

No, it’s MoCo. Politicians in PG County and even Baltimore have helped their cities grow more economically in the past 20-40 years than MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a Nova troll who always comes out in full force on any thread about Maryland. Hey dude, how's it going? You checking zillow daily to see if your shack in South Arlington has appreciated?

The insecurity is rather astonishing. But on top of the insecurity, they also make up totally random facts -- just for the record, McLean was not the same price as Aspen Hill in the 1980s. That's like comparing Bethesda to Hoodbridge -- it's apples to oranges. It's really silly season on this board.

Not the 80s, but if you say that Aspen Hill was not once as expensive as McLean you are lying to yourself. The appreciation in Aspen Hill is horrific. The Aspen Hill house is beautiful and new insidr and has gone from $390,000 in 2010 to $650,000 today. That is peanuts compared to what you would get for a similar house in NoVa during a 15 year period.

McLean School District
1973 for $64,000 - Today for $1.4M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Mc-Lean/7100-Tyndale-St-22101/home/9398185

1979 for $78,000 - Today for $1.1M
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6731-Crest-Pl-22046/home/9482227

Aspen Hill
1978 for $93,000 - Today for $650,000
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/3109-Birchtree-Ln-20906/home/11084607

My parents bought in Bethesda in 1981 for $80k. Their new assessment is $1.35 million. They’ve done basically no renovations to the house except for finishing the basement a couple of decades ago — same kitchen, bathrooms, etc.

[Anonymous]

What’s hilarious about the deranged McLean poster is that if Aspen Hill had become upper MoCo’s McLean, OP likely could not afford it and would not be looking for a home there. So how about you show yourself the proverbial door and let the rest of us provide actual responses to OP’s question instead of whatever weird vendetta you seem to have against a neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTF is up with all the racists on this thread?

What racism are you referring to? Aspen Hill doesn’t seem racist in real life anyway.

Many of the hispanics in West Aspen Hill have many illegal south americans than central americans. I have never encountered any Salvadoran or Honduran around that area and most of the crime is more done so by a Peruvian adult who immigrated here 25-30 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTF is up with all the racists on this thread?

What racism are you referring to? Aspen Hill doesn’t seem racist in real life anyway.

Many of the hispanics in West Aspen Hill have many illegal south americans than central americans. I have never encountered any Salvadoran or Honduran around that area and most of the crime is more done so by a Peruvian adult who immigrated here 25-30 years ago.

+ or any other Andean