Tempted to move to great falls from McLean as prices seem to be falling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not so much panicked as thinking that real estate agents decided they needed a 'cheaper' area of Great Falls to sell, and created 'factors' that allowed them to lower the price of homes in certain parts. All they needed was a few desperate homeowners willing to sell at a lower price and you have comps.

Just wait till they slice off the area west of Utterback to go to Herdon HS. That'll take 10% off those houses with the stroke of a pen.

That would not happen any time soon, as Herndon is overcrowded, Langley is under-enrolled, and the new HS in western Fairfax is just a line on a planning document.

Garza wants to get rid of the islands of excellence or whatever she calls it. Now that the board election and budget fights are over, expect this to come up soon. Relative enrollments will not matter. Forestville used to be Herndon HS - it will go back. Forestville is 5 miles from Herndon HS, Langley is 10 miles. This will happen.

I cannot think of anything that would damage Garza's credibility more than pulling kids out of Langley right when the renovation and expansion of the school ends. And there is nowhere else to send those kids in Great Falls right now. There is no room at Herndon or any other nearby school for them.

For conspiracy theories to catch on, they need to be at least modestly plausible. Yours fails that basic test.

System-wide redistricting. Ppl thought half day Monday's would never end, people thought that the budget battle was a pipe dream. She's good at getting what she wants. She wants to break up the 2% FARMS schools.

There are only two such high schools in FCPS: TJ and Langley. TJ is a sacred cow, and the way to increase the FARMS rate at Langley is to redistrict Tysons apartments out of Marshall and McLean to Langley. Neither involves moving part of Great Falls out of Langley.

Yes, and Herndon is 40% FARMS. They want those <1% FARMS kids from Forestville in there.

When they have another high school in western Fairfax, they can move some other Herndon kids to it and move Forestville back to Herndon. Until then, there is no room at Herndon to move Langley kids there. Which part of that don't you understand?

Which part of comprehensive redistricting do you not understand? That's what's coming. In that case, the relative under/over capacity of any individual school does not matter.

There is nothing to suggest comprehensive redistricting is on the horizon and, even if it were, there is still finite capacity at Herndon and students to fill it up who live closer to HHS than the Forestville area. Whether you fear or wish with all your heart for those kids to get kicked out of Langley, it is not going to happen any time soon.

Wouldn't it make more sense to funnel the far western parts of McLean high into langley and then funnel in all the new Tysons into McLean/Marshall? From What I see there aren't any public housing or poor units slated to be built.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not so much panicked as thinking that real estate agents decided they needed a 'cheaper' area of Great Falls to sell, and created 'factors' that allowed them to lower the price of homes in certain parts. All they needed was a few desperate homeowners willing to sell at a lower price and you have comps.

Just wait till they slice off the area west of Utterback to go to Herdon HS. That'll take 10% off those houses with the stroke of a pen.

That would not happen any time soon, as Herndon is overcrowded, Langley is under-enrolled, and the new HS in western Fairfax is just a line on a planning document.

Garza wants to get rid of the islands of excellence or whatever she calls it. Now that the board election and budget fights are over, expect this to come up soon. Relative enrollments will not matter. Forestville used to be Herndon HS - it will go back. Forestville is 5 miles from Herndon HS, Langley is 10 miles. This will happen.

I cannot think of anything that would damage Garza's credibility more than pulling kids out of Langley right when the renovation and expansion of the school ends. And there is nowhere else to send those kids in Great Falls right now. There is no room at Herndon or any other nearby school for them.

For conspiracy theories to catch on, they need to be at least modestly plausible. Yours fails that basic test.

System-wide redistricting. Ppl thought half day Monday's would never end, people thought that the budget battle was a pipe dream. She's good at getting what she wants. She wants to break up the 2% FARMS schools.

There are only two such high schools in FCPS: TJ and Langley. TJ is a sacred cow, and the way to increase the FARMS rate at Langley is to redistrict Tysons apartments out of Marshall and McLean to Langley. Neither involves moving part of Great Falls out of Langley.

Yes, and Herndon is 40% FARMS. They want those <1% FARMS kids from Forestville in there.

When they have another high school in western Fairfax, they can move some other Herndon kids to it and move Forestville back to Herndon. Until then, there is no room at Herndon to move Langley kids there. Which part of that don't you understand?

Which part of comprehensive redistricting do you not understand? That's what's coming. In that case, the relative under/over capacity of any individual school does not matter.

There is nothing to suggest comprehensive redistricting is on the horizon and, even if it were, there is still finite capacity at Herndon and students to fill it up who live closer to HHS than the Forestville area. Whether you fear or wish with all your heart for those kids to get kicked out of Langley, it is not going to happen any time soon.

Wouldn't it make more sense to funnel the far western parts of McLean high into langley and then funnel in all the new Tysons into McLean/Marshall? From What I see there aren't any public housing or poor units slated to be built.

Those SFH areas in Vienna are closer to McLean than to Langley. The apartments in Tysons are closer to Langley than the area you described and the new ones are planned to include some AHU set-asides. If Garza wants to balance the demographics, she moves at least some of them to Langley. It leaves McLean with other apartments off Lee Highway and Marshall with apartments both off Lee Highway and off Pimmit and Idylwood behind GCM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the one interested in Great Falls. One take away, Stay int he Colvin Run / Great Falls Area because Forestville may be going to herndon

That helps eliminate a large area. thanks!

West of Springvale and north of Georgetown Pike with the developments just south of the Pike near the Village Center. All that territory is Great falls ES. But those boundaries had changed and parts of Forestville far up Seneca Rd now go to GFES plus there are odd placements at Colvin Run. Some stuff off Springvale south of Georgetown Pike and down Walker Rd and on the south side og Georgetown Pike.

The big black line on the right is towlston rd which passes the back of the school - to get to the front of it you drive on 7 and turn onto Trap. That bright green Nike Park on the map is where Forestville ES is located. Many people in Forestville boundaries are far closer than 5 miles to Herndon HS.

[Anonymous]

Who/what/when on the decision to build any additions at Langley? Based on where people live the additions were needed at Herndon HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who/what/when on the decision to build any additions at Langley? Based on where people live the additions were needed at Herndon HS.

PUUULEESE. Langley gets the crumbs of everything else, yet pays for the rest of Fairfax County. Langley HS had to be pretty decrepit for them to get any renovations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy in Great Falls. When the Metro ruins McLean the Great Falls home prices will soar.

The metro is already ruining the experiences at Tysons Corner 1. My GOD it's getting seedy at certain times of the day!

Only south of the toll road though. I don't notice any difference to the east because it was already pretty colorful before as 7 stretch towards Falls Church.

I vote for 22102 as combination of not being too far out, and availability of good sized lots.

Yay!

I was referring to the mall itself But you are correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not so much panicked as thinking that real estate agents decided they needed a 'cheaper' area of Great Falls to sell, and created 'factors' that allowed them to lower the price of homes in certain parts. All they needed was a few desperate homeowners willing to sell at a lower price and you have comps.

Just wait till they slice off the area west of Utterback to go to Herdon HS. That'll take 10% off those houses with the stroke of a pen.

That would not happen any time soon, as Herndon is overcrowded, Langley is under-enrolled, and the new HS in western Fairfax is just a line on a planning document.

Garza wants to get rid of the islands of excellence or whatever she calls it. Now that the board election and budget fights are over, expect this to come up soon. Relative enrollments will not matter. Forestville used to be Herndon HS - it will go back. Forestville is 5 miles from Herndon HS, Langley is 10 miles. This will happen.

And she will have the wrath of hell to pay. Garza is a liberal piece of trash and needs to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who/what/when on the decision to build any additions at Langley? Based on where people live the additions were needed at Herndon HS.

PUUULEESE. Langley gets the crumbs of everything else, yet pays for the rest of Fairfax County. Langley HS had to be pretty decrepit for them to get any renovations.

How arrogant. PP didn't say anything to suggest Langley shouldn't be renovated. She questioned why it was getting expanded when the enrollment growth is elsewhere. An excellent question, by the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great Falls is a very nice area, but I think it's time has come and gone. It and Potomac MD are one of the few places you can live on 2+ acres in the DC area, but the commute is insane into Tysons. You will pay dearly for the trees and quiet of the area with a lot of windshield time.

I bought in GF two years ago and commute to tysons daily. I would not characterize it as "insane". It's fine, like 25 mins. Bad accident in 7 or the like, like 40. I live west of the village

Same. It's not nearly as bad as the beltway mavens want you to think.

Or the real estate agents who stand to profit on the rumor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to GF recently and live it. Love the community activities. There are plenty of restaurants. See friends and neighbors everywhere we go. Wonderful trails. There is a cycling studio, yoga. Love it. Reston is easy to get to.

Saying reston is the featured nearby location is a bit depressing

Only thing worse is "Dulles Town Center"

I remember my wife walking into the Nordstroms there and saying "there's something not right here". And she asked why they did not have the same kind of stock as in Tysons, and was told that the Dulles Town Center Nordstroms was designed/stocked for a lower end market vs Tysons.

What a bunch of snobs you all are.

It's not about snobbery. It's about the fact that stores buy for the tastes of the area around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like GF is good if you work in Reston or Tysons.

I do expect prices to continue to slide, however, as places need to capture a decent share of high-paid DC workers to maintain price levels as high as GF's historical levels. It doesn't matter if a handful of GF residents live close enough to catch a bus on Route 7 to a Metro station. For the most part, GF is the epitome of a car-dependent suburb with limited access to public transportation.

The distance to the middle and high schools is a negative, too. Imagine how much more convenient it would be if Langley were near 193 and River Bend Road, rather than near the Arlington County border. Unfortunately, there is only one high school in FCPS west of the Beltway and north of the Toll Road - Herndon.

HAHAHAHAHHAAA!!! Have you not heard about all the high tech west of the beltway????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the one interested in Great Falls. One take away, Stay int he Colvin Run / Great Falls Area because Forestville may be going to herndon

That helps eliminate a large area. thanks!

The western part of Great Falls was originally zoned for Herndon. It will not be going back - the county, especially the school district, needs the tax dollars of those individuals too much to piss them off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like GF is good if you work in Reston or Tysons.

I do expect prices to continue to slide, however, as places need to capture a decent share of high-paid DC workers to maintain price levels as high as GF's historical levels. It doesn't matter if a handful of GF residents live close enough to catch a bus on Route 7 to a Metro station. For the most part, GF is the epitome of a car-dependent suburb with limited access to public transportation.

The distance to the middle and high schools is a negative, too. Imagine how much more convenient it would be if Langley were near 193 and River Bend Road, rather than near the Arlington County border. Unfortunately, there is only one high school in FCPS west of the Beltway and north of the Toll Road - Herndon.

HAHAHAHAHHAAA!!! Have you not heard about all the high tech west of the beltway????

AOL? UUNET? Please, tell me about all the high tech employment centers in Reston and Dulles? Acres of raised floor devoid of humans do not count.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like GF is good if you work in Reston or Tysons.

I do expect prices to continue to slide, however, as places need to capture a decent share of high-paid DC workers to maintain price levels as high as GF's historical levels. It doesn't matter if a handful of GF residents live close enough to catch a bus on Route 7 to a Metro station. For the most part, GF is the epitome of a car-dependent suburb with limited access to public transportation.

The distance to the middle and high schools is a negative, too. Imagine how much more convenient it would be if Langley were near 193 and River Bend Road, rather than near the Arlington County border. Unfortunately, there is only one high school in FCPS west of the Beltway and north of the Toll Road - Herndon.

HAHAHAHAHHAAA!!! Have you not heard about all the high tech west of the beltway????

It's less like Silicon Valley and more like the back-office operations you find in Jersey City or Schaumburg. Good jobs that typically pay salaries that make Ashburn and Chantilly affordable, not Great Falls at its current prices. That's why there is so much inventory there and why, insofar Great Falls is being repositioned as a residential area for those who work in Tysons or points west, prices are coming down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like GF is good if you work in Reston or Tysons.

I do expect prices to continue to slide, however, as places need to capture a decent share of high-paid DC workers to maintain price levels as high as GF's historical levels. It doesn't matter if a handful of GF residents live close enough to catch a bus on Route 7 to a Metro station. For the most part, GF is the epitome of a car-dependent suburb with limited access to public transportation.

The distance to the middle and high schools is a negative, too. Imagine how much more convenient it would be if Langley were near 193 and River Bend Road, rather than near the Arlington County border. Unfortunately, there is only one high school in FCPS west of the Beltway and north of the Toll Road - Herndon.

But GF also works for those of us who cannot afford the $1 million + homes in Arlington/Falls Church/McLean/Vienna. I looked in all those areas last year and could afford hardly any of them; the few homes that were in my budget were old, old teardowns or homes that needed major renovations -- and these were still at the top of my budget. Great Falls was the only place relatively close that offered homes with the features I wanted, good schools, and under $800k. Personally, I don't really care what the market is doing right now; we have the home we want, and do not regret it in the least.