Buying a house on a buy street?

[Anonymous]

Glebe/Columbia Pike is a pretty busy part of Glebe, OP. We looked at a couple of places down there. I definitely noticed that a lot of these houses are super-improved, probably in order to sell them. (or because the sellers had money to spend on renovations when they bought a cheaper house.) If you're looking in South Arlington, you can definitely find a nicer, more-improved house for a lower price than in north Arlington. That fact made it harder for me to buy in North! I bet you could find something in Douglas Park or Columbia Forest or maybe Barcroft/Alcova Heights/Carlin Springs that isn't on a busy road. (the Quaker lane house is gorgeous, OP!) good luck with your search.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glebe/Columbia Pike is a pretty busy part of Glebe, OP. We looked at a couple of places down there. I definitely noticed that a lot of these houses are super-improved, probably in order to sell them. (or because the sellers had money to spend on renovations when they bought a cheaper house.) If you're looking in South Arlington, you can definitely find a nicer, more-improved house for a lower price than in north Arlington. That fact made it harder for me to buy in North! I bet you could find something in Douglas Park or Columbia Forest or maybe Barcroft/Alcova Heights/Carlin Springs that isn't on a busy road. (the Quaker lane house is gorgeous, OP!) good luck with your search.

OP here. Thanks! We actually looked at a house in Columbia Forest this weekend, it was lovely. Only problem was the 3rd bedroom couldn't fit a bed! House shopping in NOVA certainly is an adventure.

[Anonymous]

OP - I saw a bunch of houses like that. One day I saw 3 identical colonials with a miniature 3rd bedroom. I've also seen a few houses where the 3rd bedroom was actually more like a den on the first floor. I ended up buying a 4BR that has 2 bedrooms upstairs and 2 on the main floor. I only have one child, so it's no biggie - our bedrooms are on the same level. For others, it might be a problem.

I had to see 63 houses (North/South Arlington and Falls church) to find the right one, or as close to it as I could get, and I ended up going about $10K over my preferred max price. Good luck!