Tempted to move to great falls from McLean as prices seem to be falling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in McLean and I have always wanted to move out to Great Falls to live in one of the really large houses out on a large plot of land.

Right now I have noticed prices have fallen and it is becoming more affordable.

I am concerned that prices will keep falling, is there a trend to people leaving great falls and it's no longer as coveted? I notice most of the sellers are really old. How does the Langley pyramid keep getting kids? What area are the younger kids and families?

Am I delusional?

Question 1: Yes.

Question 2: Great Falls neighborhoods will turn over, just at lower prices; FCPS is sending AAP students back to Cooper MS; and if necessary FCPS will redistrict Marshall and/or McLean neighborhoods to Langley.

Question 3: DC, North Arlington, McLean, Falls Church, Vienna

Question 4: No. If living on a "really large house out on a large plot of land" is your dream, go for it. Life is short. By now, you know the primary risks (long commutes, potential loss of home equity).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.com boom nouveau rich 90s era, gf time has passed, only down hill from here

I'd prefer McLean, particularly Langley school district which gives you a better commute but still decent lot sizes. That being said, this is a bit of an overstatement. GF still has its place in the luxury market.

I think Mclean holds it value no matter what - Tysons, DC, Reston all easy commutes.

Read slowly, maybe a few times: It depends where you work. Not everyone works where you want them to work. Great Falls is an easy commute for most people. If you don't like other people's choices, you don't have to move there. Problem solved.

You are being overly defensive. For some people, great falls is a great commute. Many, many people work in places like DC, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tyson's, etc. There are other residential locations far more accessible to those jobs centers, and given traffic in this area that definitely impacts pricing.

Same thing is happening in MD with a runup in prices in Brookmont, Glen Echo, Kensington, downtown Silver Spring at the expense of areas farther out, such as Potomac, that were formerly thought of as nicer / better.

Who knows if the trend will continue, but it is a real, obvious trend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.com boom nouveau rich 90s era, gf time has passed, only down hill from here

I'd prefer McLean, particularly Langley school district which gives you a better commute but still decent lot sizes. That being said, this is a bit of an overstatement. GF still has its place in the luxury market.

I think Mclean holds it value no matter what - Tysons, DC, Reston all easy commutes.

Read slowly, maybe a few times: It depends where you work. Not everyone works where you want them to work. Great Falls is an easy commute for most people. If you don't like other people's choices, you don't have to move there. Problem solved.

You are being overly defensive. For some people, great falls is a great commute. Many, many people work in places like DC, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tyson's, etc. There are other residential locations far more accessible to those jobs centers, and given traffic in this area that definitely impacts pricing.

Same thing is happening in MD with a runup in prices in Brookmont, Glen Echo, Kensington, downtown Silver Spring at the expense of areas farther out, such as Potomac, that were formerly thought of as nicer / better.

Who knows if the trend will continue, but it is a real, obvious trend.

Great Falls does tend to fluctuate very slightly, in comparison to other (comparable) areas. But what you get for the money can't be beat, and this is important to many people. The slight fluctuations are negligible, in context.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.com boom nouveau rich 90s era, gf time has passed, only down hill from here

I'd prefer McLean, particularly Langley school district which gives you a better commute but still decent lot sizes. That being said, this is a bit of an overstatement. GF still has its place in the luxury market.

I think Mclean holds it value no matter what - Tysons, DC, Reston all easy commutes.

Read slowly, maybe a few times: It depends where you work. Not everyone works where you want them to work. Great Falls is an easy commute for most people. If you don't like other people's choices, you don't have to move there. Problem solved.

You are being overly defensive. For some people, great falls is a great commute. Many, many people work in places like DC, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tyson's, etc. There are other residential locations far more accessible to those jobs centers, and given traffic in this area that definitely impacts pricing.

Same thing is happening in MD with a runup in prices in Brookmont, Glen Echo, Kensington, downtown Silver Spring at the expense of areas farther out, such as Potomac, that were formerly thought of as nicer / better.

Who knows if the trend will continue, but it is a real, obvious trend.

Great Falls does tend to fluctuate very slightly, in comparison to other (comparable) areas. But what you get for the money can't be beat, and this is important to many people. The slight fluctuations are negligible, in context.

What you can get in Great Falls for 1.2M versus inside the Beltway is amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.com boom nouveau rich 90s era, gf time has passed, only down hill from here

I'd prefer McLean, particularly Langley school district which gives you a better commute but still decent lot sizes. That being said, this is a bit of an overstatement. GF still has its place in the luxury market.

I think Mclean holds it value no matter what - Tysons, DC, Reston all easy commutes.

Read slowly, maybe a few times: It depends where you work. Not everyone works where you want them to work. Great Falls is an easy commute for most people. If you don't like other people's choices, you don't have to move there. Problem solved.

You are being overly defensive. For some people, great falls is a great commute. Many, many people work in places like DC, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tyson's, etc. There are other residential locations far more accessible to those jobs centers, and given traffic in this area that definitely impacts pricing.

Same thing is happening in MD with a runup in prices in Brookmont, Glen Echo, Kensington, downtown Silver Spring at the expense of areas farther out, such as Potomac, that were formerly thought of as nicer / better.

Who knows if the trend will continue, but it is a real, obvious trend.

Great Falls does tend to fluctuate very slightly, in comparison to other (comparable) areas. But what you get for the money can't be beat, and this is important to many people. The slight fluctuations are negligible, in context.[i]

The market is sending a message that what you get for the money there can be beat. Otherwise, you don't get price declines of 4-5% in a single year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.com boom nouveau rich 90s era, gf time has passed, only down hill from here

I'd prefer McLean, particularly Langley school district which gives you a better commute but still decent lot sizes. That being said, this is a bit of an overstatement. GF still has its place in the luxury market.

I think Mclean holds it value no matter what - Tysons, DC, Reston all easy commutes.

Read slowly, maybe a few times: It depends where you work. Not everyone works where you want them to work. Great Falls is an easy commute for most people. If you don't like other people's choices, you don't have to move there. Problem solved.

You are being overly defensive. For some people, great falls is a great commute. Many, many people work in places like DC, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tyson's, etc. There are other residential locations far more accessible to those jobs centers, and given traffic in this area that definitely impacts pricing.

Same thing is happening in MD with a runup in prices in Brookmont, Glen Echo, Kensington, downtown Silver Spring at the expense of areas farther out, such as Potomac, that were formerly thought of as nicer / better.

Who knows if the trend will continue, but it is a real, obvious trend.

Great Falls does tend to fluctuate very slightly, in comparison to other (comparable) areas. But what you get for the money can't be beat, and this is important to many people. The slight fluctuations are negligible, in context.

What you can get in Great Falls for 1.2M versus inside the Beltway is amazing.

Five acres is nothing. Go to The Plains and you can get 50 acres for the same price.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if you are still reading, OP, but we had this same dilemma on the other side of the River. Ultimately moved to Potomac for a big house and huge yard with lots of privacy and serenity. I have not regretted it for a second - love it. Yeah the commute sucks, and it's less convenient to get to the store, but we have a school bus so there's no dragging kids to school. And life is much better when we are home.

[Anonymous]

Big difference between GF's near Mclean and the village center v far out GF's. This thread has some odd posts-same buyers looking in kensington, silver spring, and potomac?

more accurate would be same buyers on potomac, cc, bethesda, spring valley, etc. People not from DC are amazed that places like Potomac, GF's, west Mclean even exist close to employment centers.

[Anonymous]

We sold in early 2015 in Great Falls, and I've watched our old neighborhood's sales since. Prices peaked last year, and nothing has even come close to what we got last year, even on very comparable houses. I think -5% may even be a little light. Just averaging prices out in our old neighborhood, it might be closer to 8 or 9%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We sold in early 2015 in Great Falls, and I've watched our old neighborhood's sales since. Prices peaked last year, and nothing has even come close to what we got last year, even on very comparable houses. I think -5% may even be a little light. Just averaging prices out in our old neighborhood, it might be closer to 8 or 9%.

So many places in the region have done better over the last decade than Great Falls. It's not just losing out to the close-in suburbs in NoVa, but also to the further-out suburbs in Maryland.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/wonk/housing/overview/?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_housing-divide%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[Anonymous]

I have lived in both. Great falls for me. Commute is not that bad, at all. Do most people sell their house after two years? I dont think so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.com boom nouveau rich 90s era, gf time has passed, only down hill from here

I'd prefer McLean, particularly Langley school district which gives you a better commute but still decent lot sizes. That being said, this is a bit of an overstatement. GF still has its place in the luxury market.

I think Mclean holds it value no matter what - Tysons, DC, Reston all easy commutes.

Read slowly, maybe a few times: It depends where you work. Not everyone works where you want them to work. Great Falls is an easy commute for most people. If you don't like other people's choices, you don't have to move there. Problem solved.

You are being overly defensive. For some people, great falls is a great commute. Many, many people work in places like DC, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tyson's, etc. There are other residential locations far more accessible to those jobs centers, and given traffic in this area that definitely impacts pricing.

Same thing is happening in MD with a runup in prices in Brookmont, Glen Echo, Kensington, downtown Silver Spring at the expense of areas farther out, such as Potomac, that were formerly thought of as nicer / better.

Who knows if the trend will continue, but it is a real, obvious trend.

Great Falls does tend to fluctuate very slightly, in comparison to other (comparable) areas. But what you get for the money can't be beat, and this is important to many people. The slight fluctuations are negligible, in context.

What you can get in Great Falls for 1.2M versus inside the Beltway is amazing.

True, but what you get in McLean inside the Beltway for 1.2M versus outside the Beltway in McLean is amazing. Those McLean neighborhoods north of 123 but before Great Falls are ridiculously expensive. Very nice, but very expensive. Great Falls is a good less expensive alternative with a similarly sized house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We sold in early 2015 in Great Falls, and I've watched our old neighborhood's sales since. Prices peaked last year, and nothing has even come close to what we got last year, even on very comparable houses. I think -5% may even be a little light. Just averaging prices out in our old neighborhood, it might be closer to 8 or 9%.

There are so few big developments in Great Falls where the actual houses do not have much variation. Any besides Riva Ridge, Pensive/Challedon area, and Holly Knoll? Others "neighborhoods" might have been done by a developer but there is more variation and the homes are semi-custom or custom. Maybe 20 or fewer houses and all are different. A developer might have bought 20 acres and put on 4-12 houses but none match. Some stuff pending not closed is off the mls that feeds zillow, redfin etc.

Addresses of these pending now show as off the market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.com boom nouveau rich 90s era, gf time has passed, only down hill from here

I'd prefer McLean, particularly Langley school district which gives you a better commute but still decent lot sizes. That being said, this is a bit of an overstatement. GF still has its place in the luxury market.

I think Mclean holds it value no matter what - Tysons, DC, Reston all easy commutes.

Read slowly, maybe a few times: It depends where you work. Not everyone works where you want them to work. Great Falls is an easy commute for most people. If you don't like other people's choices, you don't have to move there. Problem solved.

You are being overly defensive. For some people, great falls is a great commute. Many, many people work in places like DC, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tyson's, etc. There are other residential locations far more accessible to those jobs centers, and given traffic in this area that definitely impacts pricing.

Same thing is happening in MD with a runup in prices in Brookmont, Glen Echo, Kensington, downtown Silver Spring at the expense of areas farther out, such as Potomac, that were formerly thought of as nicer / better.

Who knows if the trend will continue, but it is a real, obvious trend.

Great Falls does tend to fluctuate very slightly, in comparison to other (comparable) areas. But what you get for the money can't be beat, and this is important to many people. The slight fluctuations are negligible, in context.

What you can get in Great Falls for 1.2M versus inside the Beltway is amazing.

True, but what you get in McLean inside the Beltway for 1.2M versus outside the Beltway in McLean is amazing. Those McLean neighborhoods north of 123 but before Great Falls are ridiculously expensive. Very nice, but very expensive. Great Falls is a good less expensive alternative with a similarly sized house.

I've lived there - up Seneca Rd. The problem we had, and why we eventually moved, it that it's close to nothing. The village is servicable for day to day stuff, but if you have an interest in shopping for more than the basics or eating something more than pizza or pub fare, it's 6 or 8 miles to just about anything else on state roads filled with lights. That does not sound like much, but when it's every trip, it gets old. If your kids are in public school, Cooper and Langley are inside the Beltway, down 193.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.com boom nouveau rich 90s era, gf time has passed, only down hill from here

I'd prefer McLean, particularly Langley school district which gives you a better commute but still decent lot sizes. That being said, this is a bit of an overstatement. GF still has its place in the luxury market.

I think Mclean holds it value no matter what - Tysons, DC, Reston all easy commutes.

Read slowly, maybe a few times: It depends where you work. Not everyone works where you want them to work. Great Falls is an easy commute for most people. If you don't like other people's choices, you don't have to move there. Problem solved.

You are being overly defensive. For some people, great falls is a great commute. Many, many people work in places like DC, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tyson's, etc. There are other residential locations far more accessible to those jobs centers, and given traffic in this area that definitely impacts pricing.

Same thing is happening in MD with a runup in prices in Brookmont, Glen Echo, Kensington, downtown Silver Spring at the expense of areas farther out, such as Potomac, that were formerly thought of as nicer / better.

Who knows if the trend will continue, but it is a real, obvious trend.

Great Falls does tend to fluctuate very slightly, in comparison to other (comparable) areas. But what you get for the money can't be beat, and this is important to many people. The slight fluctuations are negligible, in context.

What you can get in Great Falls for 1.2M versus inside the Beltway is amazing.

True, but what you get in McLean inside the Beltway for 1.2M versus outside the Beltway in McLean is amazing. Those McLean neighborhoods north of 123 but before Great Falls are ridiculously expensive. Very nice, but very expensive. Great Falls is a good less expensive alternative with a similarly sized house.

I've lived there - up Seneca Rd. The problem we had, and why we eventually moved, it that it's close to nothing. The village is servicable for day to day stuff, but if you have an interest in shopping for more than the basics or eating something more than pizza or pub fare, it's 6 or 8 miles to just about anything else on state roads filled with lights. That does not sound like much, but when it's every trip, it gets old. If your kids are in public school, Cooper and Langley are inside the Beltway, down 193.

Seneca Rd in Great Falls is a bit far out. Nice area though. I'd prefer Mclean, particularly love the parts along Spring Hill / Swinks Mill.