All this talk of Loudoun County - is it really cheaper??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can buy a real house in loudoun for the price of teardown closer in.

And you can think of it fondly while you're commuting, because unless you also work in Loudoun, you'll spend very little time in it.

That's exactly what I think about the far out MD suburbs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never lived IN DC so I have no idea if it's cheaper but it's not cheap. We pay $2300 a month in rent for a nice townhouse near good schools. Property taxes are high- we don't own here so we don't pay taxes on a home, but for our two vehicles we pay about $850/year in property taxes for our car decals. Gas is right now about $3.35/gallon out here (or was last time I filled up a couple days ago).

If you still have to work in DC, I honestly imagine most of your expenses would stay about the same out here and anything you saved would probably be eaten by your commute. It's probably not in reality much cheaper, it's just that you might get a little more for your money... e.g., a 4 bedroom townhouse for $2300/month vs. a 1 bedroom apartment for the same.

You think that's not cheap? Seriously? That's peanuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also think it depends on where you are buying. Housing compared from McLean to Sterling is going to be cheaper. But I wouldn't call places like Ashburn, Brambleton, Lansdowne, etc "affordable".

What makes Loudoun wealthier than Fairfax is Loudoun doesn't have the same wealth disparity as Fairfax does of ultra rich and ultra poor. There are several areas in Fairfax county that one probably wouldn't consider living in. Other than maybe 1 or 2 pockets (like Sterling Park), there aren't those kinds of areas in Loudoun.

Change is coming!

[Anonymous]

The housing stock is nice in loudon with planned neighborhoods vs the eyesores closer in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never lived IN DC so I have no idea if it's cheaper but it's not cheap. We pay $2300 a month in rent for a nice townhouse near good schools. Property taxes are high- we don't own here so we don't pay taxes on a home, but for our two vehicles we pay about $850/year in property taxes for our car decals. Gas is right now about $3.35/gallon out here (or was last time I filled up a couple days ago).

If you still have to work in DC, I honestly imagine most of your expenses would stay about the same out here and anything you saved would probably be eaten by your commute. It's probably not in reality much cheaper, it's just that you might get a little more for your money... e.g., a 4 bedroom townhouse for $2300/month vs. a 1 bedroom apartment for the same.

That's the definition of cheaper.

"Yeah, it's the same. I mean, you get a 4 BR townhouse for what you would pay for a 1 BR apartment, but it's not like it's CHEAPER out here."

<headdesk>

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can buy a real house in loudoun for the price of teardown closer in.

And you can think of it fondly while you're commuting, because unless you also work in Loudoun, you'll spend very little time in it.

That's exactly what I think about the far out MD suburbs!

Well, yes. The far-out anywheres. That's one reason why "drive until you qualify" is a bad idea.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/housing/2012/02/how-more-expensive-housing-can-actually-cost-you-less/1347/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never lived IN DC so I have no idea if it's cheaper but it's not cheap. We pay $2300 a month in rent for a nice townhouse near good schools. Property taxes are high- we don't own here so we don't pay taxes on a home, but for our two vehicles we pay about $850/year in property taxes for our car decals. Gas is right now about $3.35/gallon out here (or was last time I filled up a couple days ago).

If you still have to work in DC, I honestly imagine most of your expenses would stay about the same out here and anything you saved would probably be eaten by your commute. It's probably not in reality much cheaper, it's just that you might get a little more for your money... e.g., a 4 bedroom townhouse for $2300/month vs. a 1 bedroom apartment for the same.

You think that's not cheap? Seriously? That's peanuts.

No it's not cheap. It's cheaper than DC but it's not cheap. We own a house in another state and the mortgage is $700 including insurance and property taxes. THAT is cheap.

[Anonymous]

We live in Loudoun. It is less expensive but there are areas that are less expensive than Loudoun. If you want "cheap" "regular" sized new homes, go to Snowden Bridge in Stephenson. Saw this not too long ago: http://www.newhomesource.com/communitydetail/builder-7519/community-56705

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The housing stock is nice in loudon with planned neighborhoods vs the eyesores closer in.

If you want to continue the insults for areas that cost more than you can afford, there are several threads in Real Estate.

[Anonymous]

You can get a 5 bed 4 bath in Ashburn for $650,000. In my Arlington neighborhood, you can't even get a tear down for $650,000. So, housing is cheaper.
As far as incomes, lots of families probably make $150,000 a year, and not many make $25,000. So, the average is higher. I'd be willing to bet that there are many more high earning $400,000 and up in Fairfax, Montgomery and Arlington Countirs. They also have more poor people.

[Anonymous]

Loudon will get you more house for your money and other things like daycare and services (landscaping, for example) are less expensive, too. But tere are trade offs. You're living farther out and it feels like suburbia. Not Arlington-style suburbia, but real suburbia. You will drive everywhere and there will not be the diversity or variation you can enjoy closer in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loudon will get you more house for your money and other things like daycare and services (landscaping, for example) are less expensive, too. But tere are trade offs. You're living farther out and it feels like suburbia. Not Arlington-style suburbia, but real suburbia. You will drive everywhere and there will not be the diversity or variation you can enjoy closer in.

You're wrong on the diversity. Lots of it out here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudon will get you more house for your money and other things like daycare and services (landscaping, for example) are less expensive, too. But tere are trade offs. You're living farther out and it feels like suburbia. Not Arlington-style suburbia, but real suburbia. You will drive everywhere and there will not be the diversity or variation you can enjoy closer in.

You're wrong on the diversity. Lots of it out here.

Exurbs are generally more diverse

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-09-06/local/35494566_1_small-towns-metropolitan-areas-ethnic-diversity

[Anonymous]

Friend in ashburn only pays 100 to have her 7000 sf house cleaned where as we pay double for 5000sf. Maybe we need a guest worker program to get the prices lower here in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loudon will get you more house for your money and other things like daycare and services (landscaping, for example) are less expensive, too. But tere are trade offs. You're living farther out and it feels like suburbia. Not Arlington-style suburbia, but real suburbia. You will drive everywhere and there will not be the diversity or variation you can enjoy closer in.

I think back to when I lived in north arlington, I drove everywhere then too. I drove to work, to the store, to go out with friends. Traffic is still nuts today in that area. Don't fool yourself that everyone is walking everywhere in arlington either.