thoughts on these two bethesda area properties

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know these are two totally different style places... husband and I want to purchase a home - either a home we will be in for 5 - 7 years or a forever home. We currently have one DB that we would want to enroll in public school in 4 years. We will most likely try for #2 in about 3 years. We also have a 20 lb lazy dog. Our budget is under 600k but we want great schools and to be in close in MoCo.

condo #1: way below our budget even with condo fees. one bathroom - major downer. great area, top schools, 2 bedrooms which I think will be fine with for the time being and with 2 kids under 7. We would be able to save $ at this place.
http://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5301-Westbard-Cir-20816/unit-419/home/10691381

house #2: does this seem too good to be true? bit farther out but still inside the beltway, under 600k and have 4 beds and 2.5 baths... we could say here for 20+ years in theory. Major price drop so maybe there is something wrong with it... also no basement is that weird?
http://www.redfin.com/MD/Cabin-John/7-Carver-Rd-20818/home/10638108

we havent seen either we are just playing around as we begin the process but wanted to get people opinions on our thought process and tell us about things we might be overlooking. Currently renting in downtown DC.

I like this one:
http://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5807-Ryland-Dr-20817/home/10660089

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know these are two totally different style places... husband and I want to purchase a home - either a home we will be in for 5 - 7 years or a forever home. We currently have one DB that we would want to enroll in public school in 4 years. We will most likely try for #2 in about 3 years. We also have a 20 lb lazy dog. Our budget is under 600k but we want great schools and to be in close in MoCo.

condo #1: way below our budget even with condo fees. one bathroom - major downer. great area, top schools, 2 bedrooms which I think will be fine with for the time being and with 2 kids under 7. We would be able to save $ at this place.
http://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5301-Westbard-Cir-20816/unit-419/home/10691381

house #2: does this seem too good to be true? bit farther out but still inside the beltway, under 600k and have 4 beds and 2.5 baths... we could say here for 20+ years in theory. Major price drop so maybe there is something wrong with it... also no basement is that weird?
http://www.redfin.com/MD/Cabin-John/7-Carver-Rd-20818/home/10638108

we havent seen either we are just playing around as we begin the process but wanted to get people opinions on our thought process and tell us about things we might be overlooking. Currently renting in downtown DC.

I like this one:
http://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5807-Ryland-Dr-20817/home/10660089

Agreed! This looks like a better bet in location than the one in Cabin John. Priced pretty well too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cabin john house is cute, and the neighborhood is "gentrifying". But it does seem to be next door to some kind of bunker. Do the street view on google maps - it is very peculiar. If it's a school or something that's one thing, but if it's a house it would worry me because what kind of people would live in something like that.

^^^this.

Pull up google earth street view.

You will have the answer as to why the house has been on market forever---look to each side of the house---quite a bit different from the listing house.

Agree with a pp. You do not want to live adjacent to the redevelopment site in what will then be the really really old condos.
A friend livear with DH near Grovesnor in a 2 bedroom 1 bath with 1 child. Place got real small real quickly.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP -- the Ryland house looks like a much better option than the condo or the Cabin John house.