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With a limited housing budget, which is better - Fairfax or MoCo schools?
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Anonymous
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If you're working w/ a limited housing budget (read: at MOST $450K and preferably more like high 300's or low 400s), is it better to be in Montgomery County (Rockville/Olney are too far north by way of reference) or Fairfax (Fairfax city being about as far west as is tolerable)? I recognize those commuting borders restrict the options quite a bit, but we're not willing to spend our lives in the car. (DH works in Columbia and I work in Arlington so finding somewhere tolerable for both is very tough.)
right now we live in the Kennedy cluster in MoCo but are trying to find a MS/HS zone we would feel OK with down the road (not to mention wanting a nice ES of course). |
Anonymous
| Could you rent instead? Honestly, I think either is great. they are somewhat different but they are both good options. I'd look in both and buy based on other factors (commuting, housing stock, etc). |
Anonymous
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Fairfax and montco are huge counties and each is one school district. Boundary changes can occur so if you buy for a specific school beware.
Fairfax City is a separate district but is administered by FCPS. The City of Falls Church is the only 1 high school district. Arlington has a few and if you buy far north I doubt they will have a change. or buy in Mclean along the North Arlington border. Those locations could save you a lot of aggravation. |
Anonymous
Anonymous
| You can get a nice small house in a friendly Silver Spring neighborhood for that. We love Silver Spring. If you pick your ES carefully you should be fine. |
Anonymous
| OP, I don't know anything about MoCo, but I think you would be fine in Fairfax City with Fairfax City schools. They're not the best in the county, but they're not the worst and I would be fine sending my children there. When we moved in 2008, we looked at homes in Fairfax City and met many people who lived there and loved it. |
Anonymous
| What is your DH's tolerance for commuting? Because Columbia is a major haul from Fairfax. |
Anonymous
this was my thought |
Anonymous
This was my reaction, too, bc OP states that they're "not willing to spend our lives in the car." OP, if you pick Fairfax County and DH drives to/from Columbia every day, he will be living his life in the car. With your budget, I would look at Kensington Parkwood to get the good schools K-12 and not the commute from hell, in a moderately priced house. That's the only place I can think of that meets all 3. Silver Spring MS / HS will be the iffy piece for you, but SS meets the commute and cost parameters you set. |
Anonymous
I respectfully disagree. If you pick a $350/400K home in silver spring ... what is the high school for that home? OP is looking at high schools and I'm guessing she would not embrace Einstein if she's leaving Kennedy, where she's now assigned. |
Anonymous
I live in the Woodmore/Northwood Park area of Silver Spring. This is one of the best areas in Silver Spring. The houses go from about $350K to $500K so you can definitely get into this neighborhood (although the $350K end will likely need a kitchen remodel, etc.). The high school is either Northwood or Blair which are both great schools. The area is part of the down county consortium as well so highschool students can choose different magnets depending on their interests and attend any number of programs in the local highschools. I think most are by lottery except for the Blair Magnet. |
Anonymous
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What about North Besthesa/Walter Johnson? Your budget could get you a spacious 3 BR condo - not sure if that works for you.
The commutes should be ok to both places. |
Anonymous
| You could also look into townhouses in the Churchill district off Seven Locks Rd in Potomac. There are a few different neighborhoods and many of them go in the low 400s. |
Anonymous
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Fairfax is better.
I live in MoCo and it's a mess IMO, and getting worse. |
Anonymous
| Mock is Pepco! Run away as far as u can or get ready for days with no power. Bur yes, fairfax commute will be tough for dh |