Looking for real estate sweet spot: Good schools, house under $475k within 30-mins of College Park

[Anonymous]

Trying to help out a friend. Friend and friend's wife and children are moving from Western Pennsylvania to Maryland and will be working jobs in College Park. They know very little about neighborhoods and particularly schools. Their eldest child is still a year away from kindergarten, but they'd like to buy a house somewhere where the kids can eventually go to the public schools. They would prefer to keep their commute to less than 30 minutes (wouldn't we all!). House budget is on the low side, about $450k to $475 k max. Can anyone suggest neighborhoods and schools that might fit the bill? I' m thinking parts of Columbia and Ellicott City in Howard County, although that might be outside their desired 30-minute commute window. Parts of Silver Spring and Takoma Park would probably work, too, yes? But which parts and which schools?

TIA!

[Anonymous]

Northern Silver Spring is nice and I have heard great things about Cloverly Elementary. Its near the intersection of 650 and Briggs Chaney.

[Anonymous]

Woodmore/Four Corners is a wonderful area with great schools. It's about 10minutes from College Park in Silver Spring. There are two homes for sale on Pinewood ave which is in a lovely area with a ton of families with little ones.

[Anonymous]

They could do Columbia and EC in that range but not sure on what type of house they want for 450 -475. Depending on what time you have to commute you could make it in 25 - 45 minutes.

All of the schools in Howard County teach from the same materials so in theory every child in the county gets the same education so the difference in the schools performance mainly has to do with the children.

Columbia - Thunder Hill, Clemens Crossing,
EC- Dorsey Search, Font Hill, Centennial, St. Johns/Chatam Rd


Try Laurel and Fulton as well. Fulton is expensive but they have a lot of new homes that came online when the market was crashing, so you might be able to get a good deal.

[Anonymous]

They've got to define "good schools". Too much variation in that definition around here.

[Anonymous]

University Park is very good through 6th grade. If you are willing to move when you eldest hits 7th, you could be very happy there. (0 minutes to College Park)

[Anonymous]

Don't have them live in College Park. There is a lot of crime there. I don't know about the surrounding areas.

[Anonymous]

Four Corners is a good suggestion. Also, the Forest Glen area (east & west side of GA avenue between the beltway and Wheaton), or the Kensington/Kensington Heights area. There have been recent suggestions for Cheverly, MD in PG County, as well. All of these areas are much closer to College Park than Columbia or Ellicott City.

[Anonymous]

HC will be a 45 min. drive on most days.

[Anonymous]

Forest Glen or Forest Estates in SS.

[Anonymous]

Indian Spring and Seven Oaks in Silver Spring have good schools and probably have some houses in that price range.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks much, everyone, for the suggestions. If you could throw in specific elementary school names (as some have) that would be much appreciated. Again, many thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Indian Spring and Seven Oaks in Silver Spring have good schools and probably have some houses in that price range.

The elementary school is Highland View. Be careful to avoid the next neighborhood over which is a lovely neighborhood, but feed into New Hampshire Estates.

Forest Knolls ES is also good. Woodlin elementary school in Woodside is wonderful, but the middle and high schools are not always reviewed favorably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks much, everyone, for the suggestions. If you could throw in specific elementary school names (as some have) that would be much appreciated. Again, many thanks.

I was the one the recommended Four Corners in Silver Spring. Our elementary is Forest Knolls which is wonderful! Pinecrest elementary is right down the street too which has the Highly Gifted Ctr in the event your friend's child is a smarty pants.

It feeds to Silver Spring International Middle School which has the International Baccalaureate program. We are also a few blocks away from Montgomery Blair HS which hosts the MoCo math & science magnet program and communication arts magnet program.

We have grocery stores, restaurants, and even a neighborhood theater within walking distance and are just a few blocks from the entrance to the beltway.

[Anonymous]

Forest Estates feeds in to Oakland Terrace.