Around 400k budget. Commute to Foggy Bottom and Gaithersburg. 1 child on the way. Where?

[Anonymous]

If your DH commutes by Metro, I'd say live in Gaithersburg, because starting at Shady Grove gives you more parking options and more chance of getting a seat. There are several communities along 355 just over the Rockville line that should have houses in your price range.

I'd also suggest checking out 20853 in Rockville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Commuting from the red line to Foggy Bottom will presumably get easier once the tunnel btwn Farraguts West and North is in use. So, somewhere close to metro on the red line.

I think the proposal is a "virtual tunnel", not an actual tunnel. I'm not sure this saves time or is any more convenient than switching at metro center.

[Anonymous]

I live in Gaithersburg and commute to downtown. (And have a spouse who works in Gburg...)

My commute blows, and I would not recommend it, BUT you can get way more house for your money here than closer in. We really like our neighborhood. Older homes, which probably wouldn't interest you, but there are tons of newer developments.

[Anonymous]

Tanterra in Brookeville or Olney Mill. Both feed into truly excellent schools. Tanterra is the best kept secret in MoCo. Feeds into Greenwood elementary, great swim club, cool families. If you can get past the Brady bunch exterior, most families renovate the interiors nicely. Super affordable homes on large lots. Kids everywhere. Nice mix of SAHMs and working moms. Olney Mill is comparable, but with more traditional homes. Be smart and buy a house in a neighborhood with excellent schools just in case you can't afford to trade up down the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Rockville and Gaithersburg are your best options for solid schools and not having to change trains with the former being the best commute compromise. Moving inwards, you might keep an eye on Kensington, if you can do the MARC train thing, which is very charming, although the highschool used to not be so well regarded. (Though, take it with a grain of salt - "not so well regarded" in the context of MoCo.) If you can make MARC work, you could also have a gander at further out in Howard and Anne Arundel counties. If you have to do a driving commute into town, ever, 295 to rte 50 stinks but isn't as awful at 270/495.

Kensington real estate spans three school clusters - WJ, BCC and Einstein. The area around the MARC train and Kensington Parkwood is part of the WJ cluster. Rock Creek Hills is part of the BCC cluster. The area north of the Safeway on CT Ave is part of the Einstein cluster. Not sure you'd be able to find anything for 400k in the BCC or WJ cluster. The part of Rock Creek Hills east of the Mormon temple is the cheapest. The part of the WJ cluster that's probably cheapest is the area around Kensington Parkwood elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Not true. Kensington north of Safeway is WJ -- all the way up the Perry Ave roughly. If it's in town limits, it's WJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not true. Kensington north of Safeway is WJ -- all the way up the Perry Ave roughly. If it's in town limits, it's WJ.

Sorry, guess I'm off by 4 blocks. Some of those houses are really nice. Are they around 400k?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rockville 20850. You can get a 4bedroom TH or 3 bedroom rambler near downtown. Great Schools, good commute.

This is 20851 instead of 20850, but this looks like a good deal if you can handle 1.5 BA instead of 2 full. The house looks like its been renovated you have close to 2400 sf and you have room to add another bath, possibly in the huge basement.

http://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/1301-Clagett-Dr-20851/home/10522869

It's 1.25 miles (walking distance) to Rockville Metro Station and 2 miles to Twinbrook Metro station.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Title says it all. My wife and I are looking to purchase our first home. Need at least 3/2 with 1500+ sq ft. Limited budget due to student loans. Don't want to go above 36% monthly debt outlay. I will be commuting daily to Foggy Bottom. Wife commutes 3 days a week to Gaithersburg.

Where would you live? Would love listing recommendations if feeling generous. . Challenge for me....wife would really prefer something less than 15 years old or something that has been renovated.

Thanks!

Select whatever works along I-270 between Urbana and Rockville.

You get the new in Urbana, and if you can make MARC work and your wife can put up with the Urbana-Gaithersburg commute, you're golden.

Sample: http://franklymls.com/FR7980340

But hell, if you're going to be out in Urbana, why not consider Frederick proper

Sample: http://franklymls.com/FR7989926

WARNING: Do not do that unless you -- and your wife -- are committed to the commute. It is doable but you have to be prepared.

Rockville, hopefully they've put in central A/C since the house was built in the 1950s, like this.

Sample: http://franklymls.com/MC7981111

The schools in Gaithersburg and Germantown aren't quite as high scoring. However this is just the trend not the absolute rule. But to me -- Frederick you have the walkability, history, and charm; Urbana has great schools and new stuff, and Rockville has the Metro. Gaitherburg/Germantown don't offer any of that.

Just in your shoes, I'd exhaust those three areas -- you may well rule out Frederick and Urbana 100% due to the commute -- before poking around Gaithersburg/Germantown.

I use franklymls.com for my real estate looks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true. Kensington north of Safeway is WJ -- all the way up the Perry Ave roughly. If it's in town limits, it's WJ.

Sorry, guess I'm off by 4 blocks. Some of those houses are really nice. Are they around 400k?

Nope -- maybe some odd tiny house but generally, no, you're paying for WJ and Town Of Kensington.

[Anonymous]

Don't let folks lump Einstein in with Wheaton, Kennedy, etc. Blair is a good school too.

[Anonymous]

have you thought about renting? It sounds like you have a bunch of changes happening and you are not quire sure of where you want to end up.

I have 2 brothers who have recently said if they were making the purchase decision agin, they would have rented. They did not realize exactly what the commutes would be, what it meant to live in a cul-de-sac community, that the school district they were in did not have the best program for their child with special needs .....

[Anonymous]

Bethesda or Rockville (in that order!).

Gaithersburg =yuck! IMO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda or Rockville (in that order!).

Gaithersburg =yuck! IMO

OP would get a 1970s condo in Bethesda for $400k and who knows what'll happen to the condo fees.

[Anonymous]

Rockville and Silver Spring as good commutes to Foggy Bottom? Really? By my calculation it'd take over an hour.