Looking for real estate sweet spot: Good schools, house under $475k within 30-mins of College Park

[Anonymous]

Forest Glen area (McKenney Hills, Carroll Knolls) feeds to Oakland Terrace and the new elementary school (ES#29) that is scheduled for opening in 2012 (I think, construction has just started) -- boundaries are not yet determined.

[Anonymous]

How about Kensington/Parkwood area? Near the elementary (which is fantastic!) you can still find some cape cods below $500K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about Kensington/Parkwood area? Near the elementary (which is fantastic!) you can still find some cape cods below $500K.

Wonderful area but the traffic can be a SOB! It gets downright grid locked on Connecticut way too often.

[Anonymous]

There are actually good neighborhoods that are much closer to College Park than Columbia and Silver Spring. Especially for the value that your friends are looking to spend on a house, I think the areas closer to the University will provide a good value. There is a wonderful elementary school within University Park (University Park elementary). Parents rave about it. Other close by neighborhoods are Greenbelt (historic area, Greenbelt Elementary only) and historic Hyattsville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Kensington/Parkwood area? Near the elementary (which is fantastic!) you can still find some cape cods below $500K.

Wonderful area but the traffic can be a SOB! It gets downright grid locked on Connecticut way too often.

Commute to College Park on the beltway can still be less than 30 minutes--depends on their flexibility in commute times.

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park is closer than most of the suggestions so far, and has highly rated schools, too.

[Anonymous]

I agree about Indian Spring (Highland View elementary). Nice houses, close to dowtown silver spring, and a nice sense of community.

[Anonymous]

We live in Olney/Brookeville and DH commutes to College Park (all backroads, no beltway). You could get a nice SFH for $475 or less (4 bdrms with a big yard). Check out Greenwood Elementary or Belmont Elementary (or Olney Elementary, Brooke Grove or Sherwood Elem). Ashton might work as well. Olney is essentially Family Town USA (I think it actually won an award with a similar name). FWIW, many of the previous posters' suggestions about Kensington and parts of Silver Spring aren't realistic --- you won't find any decent houses under $475k (if you do, it will be very small and in need of a lot of work).

[Anonymous]

OP again. Very grateful for all the helpful responses. My friends will certainly benefit from them. For the Olney poster, how long is your DH's commute? (in minutes).

[Anonymous]

It's 35-40 minutes from Olney to College Park. FWIW, all the people I know who live in Olney either grew up here or moved here from Silver Spring for a larger home in a better school district that is affordable (yes, we all know that Kensington, Bethesda and Chevy Chase have excellent schools --- but most of us cannot afford nice homes in those areas --- and you will not find a nice home in those zip codes for $475). Olney is a bit further out, but you can't beat the affordability and the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's 35-40 minutes from Olney to College Park. FWIW, all the people I know who live in Olney either grew up here or moved here from Silver Spring for a larger home in a better school district that is affordable (yes, we all know that Kensington, Bethesda and Chevy Chase have excellent schools --- but most of us cannot afford nice homes in those areas --- and you will not find a nice home in those zip codes for $475). Olney is a bit further out, but you can't beat the affordability and the schools.

Agree. Anything < $500,000 will probably go as a tear down.

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids? If they are very young, you might not want to lose time you could spend with them to commuting. University Park is a nice place for kids under 6th grade and use the extra hour-2 hours a day to spend with your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
There are actually good neighborhoods that are much closer to College Park than Columbia and Silver Spring. Especially for the value that your friends are looking to spend on a house, I think the areas closer to the University will provide a good value. There is a wonderful elementary school within University Park (University Park elementary). Parents rave about it. Other close by neighborhoods are Greenbelt (historic area, Greenbelt Elementary only) and historic Hyattsville.

There are definitely great areas and elementary schools. But you start worrying when kids enter middle and high in some areas.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Kensington/Parkwood! We never use Connecticut Avenue during rush hours. No need. As a matter of fact, the closest way to the beltway and major roads/highways from many points in Parkwood is NOT to go to Conn--that's more Chevy Chase View...

[Anonymous]

Rosemary Hills neighborhood in Silver Spring. Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster (Rosemary Hills Primary School, North Chevy Chase Elementary, Westland Middle and BCC High). Very convenient neighborhood close to downtown Silver Spring, Metro, with neighborhood pool (http://www.rockcreekpool.org/). Once the Purple Line is built there will be 2 stops close to the neigborhood to take you to College Park.

There are currently a couple of homes on the market at $475 or less (for example see brick colonial MLS ID:MC7589405).