Can anyone provide a breakdown on areas of Mclean?
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Anonymous
THis sounds about right. We bought in Langley pyramid for $1.35m about 6 months ago, and are now doing about $150k worth of reno to the house. To the PP who mentioned airplane noise along Chain Bridge--we came from that area, and it's not really an issue--once every now and then during the summer months you can hear the planes coming into National, but it's not that loud since they're not that low yet that far out. |
Anonymous
Most new construction in McLean is over $1.5 million. There are scores of builders in McLean offering to build "dream homes" for $2.5 million and up. Many of those homes will never get built, and certainly not at those prices. New homes between $1.5 and 2.5 million seem to do the best in McLean these days. |
Anonymous
| Grew up in Franklin Park. It's great because it's very close to the Arlington/East Falls Church areas. Good schools, beautiful wooded large lots. I'm biased, but it's much nicer than the Langley/Georgetown Pike area of McLean, although not necessarily more convenient. |
Anonymous
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Haycock has a GT center. Although it is a bit crowded, most FCPS schools are, and Haycock is slated for renovation over the next 2-3 years.
My DC is there now--it is a great school. look at fcps.edu for more info on school boundaries, "ratings", etc. Really it'd be hard to find a "bad" school in the area you're looking. |
Anonymous
That's weird. I love that neighborhood, but I don't think it's nicer than the neighborhoods off Georgetown Pike and I do think it's more convenient! |
Anonymous
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OP, if you use the word mcmansion, don't bother looking in Mclean. They don't care to hear your crap. Its not old folks any more, and the young couples are not having it. To where do you wish to walk? Mclean is not all that walkable. People buy in Mclean to be "close in" to the city, not to have an attitude. You sound hell bent on wanting an attitude, which tells me Arlington is more for you, really. "I'm earthy crunchy and you are not, so you suck"....."just look at my facial expression - look! look! look!...."
How much are you looking to spend? Can you afford Mclean or are you looking for the smallest house in the best neighborhood? If that is the case, I guarantee your "house" is already being rented out by some 85 year old looking to leave the house to her grandchildren. Widow was onto you long ago. If you do end up in Mclean, there are some gorgeous new homes that are not that awful word you insist on using, as do those who can not afford them do not generally wish to announce it. Is that really what you want? For the world to know how bitter you are? I have friends in gorgeous new Mclean houses that were nicely done, not some piecemeal ass ugly add on that has been added onto (rather horribly) again and again. At that point, put a match to it and get it over with, really. Anyone will tell you in the D.C. area that their school is the best, apples and apples. But really, showing your envy? Not cool. Not cool at all. |
Anonymous
| Does anyone here actually know what they are talking about? OP, you would be much better off talking to a realtor that actually knows Mclean. Not some random bitter moms that claim to. |
Anonymous
McLean is not a rocket science. We also found an experienced local realtor in the beginning of our search. She subscribed us for the listings' updates and was willing to show all the houses. She didn't do anything else, since it's up to the buyers to decide what they need. We ended up looking through the database ourselves, touring 4-5 open houses every weekend. Once we figured out what exactly we want, we involved an agency that offers 2% cash back. Their agent showed us a few houses that we selected and we bought one with his help. Cash back fully covered our closing costs and we even received a couple thousand in addition to that. |
Anonymous
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Until recently, we lived near the west falls church metro. I loved, loved it. Close to 66, walk to the metro, walk to falls church farmers market, walk to stores/ restaurants. McLean schools. If we had a yard and bigger bedrooms, we would be still living there today. Our budget for a new house was about $850-$900. I looked all over McLean but since we weren't driving into dc, there wasn't alotof pressure to buy close in. My husband and I decided that if we were going to spend that kind of money on our "forever house" it was not going to be a split level or rambler that needed updated. We moved farther west to Vienna area.
So, if you don't mind an older house, you can find houses in your price range. It seems like you may be a little hung up on status (the best neighborhood kind of thing). If that's not the case, I would recommend the falls church area of McLean. Ellison Heights is where i lived. It seems to have everything that you are looking for. But, its more down to earth in my opinion than other parts of McLean. Good luck! |
Anonymous
I don't understand the anger here. Mcmansion is not anything I have invented, it is widely used by many posters on this thread, why direct your anger at me? Personally, I have nothing against them and to be honest, I don't really know another term to call new construction homes that are somewhat large for the lots they are built on. Will you be happy if I call them Mansions? sorry, I cannot, unless it is something located on 2 acres of land with the housekeeper's quarters onsite and a dramatic driveway. I am sorry that you apparently live in one and for some reason feel bitter and offended when someone calls similar homes Mcmansions. All that matters is that you are happy living there, why care what other people think? Also, please don't attribute my searches for a home with the good value - good deal to some sort of envy. Yes, we cannot afford the entry level Mcmansion for over a mil, but I do feel very blessed that at least we can afford a home for 800K. A LOT of people cannot afford homes in such a price range and we, who can, should be thanking God every day that we have the means to do so instead of being resentful and bitter about what other people think of our homes and how they compare to the Mansions - homes for the elite. I have worked with RE agent and have looked at a few homes and have found areas that mainly consist of homes in my price range and yes, they are uglier older homes, they are mainly split levels or ramblers, but this proves that not everyone living there cares about building a brand new home and these are new families with little kids, not old folks on their way out. I am looking to purchase our first home and I am looking for a good deal of value so that I don't have to be upside down on my mortgage should the recession get a stronger grip of this area. I don't see why my questions offended you and why on earth you think I am some crunchy granola type, I am definitely not, not that I have anything against them. I also don't understand why wanting to be able to walk to a few places from you home somehow is considered attitude. Seriously? There are people in Mclean that walk to downtown and I've seen pedestrians on the sidewalks. One of the sellers told us she walks to the grocery store on regular basis and also takes walks in the nearby parks on daily basis. Why, is this weird to you? Is this some sort of violation of the "code of life in Mclean"?? Why should you care if I want to walk, I certainly don't care and don't judge you if you want to get into your car to drive 0.5 miles to get a cup of coffee. Honestly, if you just wanted to make a point that all Mclean areas are equally good and the schools are equally spectacular then just say it without all the unnecessary BS. I will get the point. |
Anonymous
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OP - I found the 19:24 post really strange, too. Just seemed incredibly over-the-top.
Use McMansion if you want to use the term, but understand that, on DCUM and other forums, it's viewed as the term of choice for people who live in DC and places like Arlington with older homes to put down just about any new home. Can be a cheap new home on a large lot, or an expensive new home on a small lot; can be a house by Toll Brothers or an expensive custom builder; doesn't matter to these folks because the point of the exercise is to suggest they have superior taste by living in an older or smaller house. I don't think you meant it pejoratively, but you kind of stepped into it, and the other poster then went off the rails. Anyway, good look with your search. I do think that, in your price range, you'll have a lot of competition for less expensive homes in the parts of McLean that walkable to the commercial area, since builders and other buyers are snapping them up to build, what do you call them, McMansions. Not really any different than Arlington in this regard, since the area's further from the Metro but has what are often considered better schools. |
Anonymous
? This post is a little weird. At the risk of sounding like I'm reaching too quickly for the "this post sounds off" denunciation, this post actually does sound off. |
Anonymous
Nicer, as in friendlier and less cookie cutter sterility, yes. |
Anonymous
Ugh. People in McLean complaining about "cookie cutter sterility" is almost a form of cannibalism. Langley Forest isn't cookie-cutter. Neither is Old Dominion Gardens. Every bit as much variation among the homes as in Franklin Park, just more expensive (Langley Forest) or about the same (Old Dominion Gardens). Can't say whether the people there are more or less friendly. Franklin Park is a great neigborhood for a stroll. |
Anonymous
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PP here. I see so many criticisms, cynicism and negativity from a new home buyer. Why start your search this way?
If you are approaching Mclean with "really, I'm too good for this and I insist on calling any new house a mcmansion" idea of your own reality world, then yes, you will be disappointed. You are looking for status and can not buy it. You are looking for value. Good for you. So is everyone else. Do you want a pat on the back? No you are not close to guessing "what we own", nor am I willing to divulge. You do however, sound like you have an enormous chip on your shoulder, compensating for what, I ask? You seem rather overly eager to pigeonhole. I need not apologize if I do not meet YOUR standard. |