The thread for the, "buying under $600,000," crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know you are out there, even on DCUM. (Aren't you?)
I read this forum often, but a lot of the discussion is among people of an entirely different strata, home-buying wise, than us.
I thought it'd be useful to have a thread where those of us who are buying at the below-6 amount could compare notes.
We're looking to buy our first SFH. We're bummed by all the brick rectangles and are trying to imagine grooving them up.
Also, anyplace we can afford seems to be not-walkable to anything, and we're going to be using the car a lot. And not near metro.
Even 6 is challenging to us. We can do it, but it's a stretch. Any comrades out there?

The hipness quotient in this post is making me hurl. I'm sure there's a place in Fort Totten or Trinidad waiting for you.

[Anonymous]

Umm, NE DC PP, those links are terrible. The yellow one is literally falling apart!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We bought for $440k in W Springfield last year. Nice 4 bedroom, good schools, walkable. The commute is long, though.

Is it? Ugh, how long is long? We are FT buyers and have fallen in love with W. Springfield (budget is <400k. We would be commuting downtown.

When DH was carpooling with his co-workers, it was 45 minutes door-to-door. Now he drives to the metro and takes that in. Its between 60-90 minutes. Pretty long.

Depends on the part of downtown and the day of the week. You can count on about a 40 minute average. HOT lanes will improve things for sure!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Umm, NE DC PP, those links are terrible. The yellow one is literally falling apart!

Sorry about that, I guess the nicer ones that were on the market last week got snatched up.

[Anonymous]

Silver Spring.

[Anonymous]

Finally - a thread for us 'poor' folks!

Anyways - looking at properties this week and saw some nice ones off of Trinindad Ave, in between Queen and Morse.

Is this a decent area? Or still a lot of crime on corners?

[Anonymous]

Brightwood in DC. Zip code 20011

[Anonymous]

+1 for Silver Spring neighborhoods near downtown

We're under contract for a SFH home there, updated, under $600k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Umm, NE DC PP, those links are terrible. The yellow one is literally falling apart!

Sorry about that, I guess the nicer ones that were on the market last week got snatched up.

Why even bother posting them? Seriously, that one on Monroe is unlivable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finally - a thread for us 'poor' folks!

Anyways - looking at properties this week and saw some nice ones off of Trinindad Ave, in between Queen and Morse.

Is this a decent area? Or still a lot of crime on corners?

Walk around on a Friday or Saturday evening when the weather's nice and look at MPD's crime maps. Then consider North Michigan Park and Lamond-Riggs near Ft. Totten--when we did our weekend evening walk in the summer, we saw people mowing their lawns and kids stopped their squirtgun play to let us walk by unscathed. We're ok with not being as "hip" as Trinidad.

[Anonymous]

We are looking in a walkable part of West Springfield for something around $575,000. Need 4 BR and would like 2.5-3 bathrooms. Don't have time to do much updating so need move-in ready. Prefer Cardinal Forest Elementary or Keene Mill Elementary. Are we dreaming?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WE just bought for 455K in S. Arlington (in Nauck). We can walk to Shirlington and the restaurants on Columbia Pike. There is a lot of bus options to take.

House is 4 bed, 2 bath, 2K square feet, good size yard.

but we had to do work (paint, new floors). And well I live near minorities and poor people which according to this board is not acceptable

.

Give it a few years and you will be sitting on a pretty good investment. We did the same in Claremont in 2008 (hi neighbor!) and our SFH value has increased by 45%.

OP, there are still homes to be had for under 6 in South Arlington. We have a 30 minute drive to downtown DC, a 45 minute drive to Tysons, walk to Shirlington, county rec center and bike trails straight into DC.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the links to properties, even the ones that need work, lots of it!
For those of you who have already bought, what do you like about your neighborhoods?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Umm, NE DC PP, those links are terrible. The yellow one is literally falling apart!

Sorry about that, I guess the nicer ones that were on the market last week got snatched up.

Why even bother posting them? Seriously, that one on Monroe is unlivable.

If I had the cash, I'd snatch it in a minute. HUGE lot, subdivide it, $200,000, sell as two unit at 650 each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WE just bought for 455K in S. Arlington (in Nauck). We can walk to Shirlington and the restaurants on Columbia Pike. There is a lot of bus options to take.

House is 4 bed, 2 bath, 2K square feet, good size yard.

but we had to do work (paint, new floors). And well I live near minorities and poor people which according to this board is not acceptable

.

Give it a few years and you will be sitting on a pretty good investment. We did the same in Claremont in 2008 (hi neighbor!) and our SFH value has increased by 45%.

OP, there are still homes to be had for under 6 in South Arlington. We have a 30 minute drive to downtown DC, a 45 minute drive to Tysons, walk to Shirlington, county rec center and bike trails straight into DC.

There are 30 SFH in Arlington right now for less than $600K, a dozen of which are walkable to the east end of the Pike.