thoughts on these two bethesda area properties
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Anonymous
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I know these are two totally different style places... husband and I want to purchase a home - either a home we will be in for 5 - 7 years or a forever home. We currently have one DB that we would want to enroll in public school in 4 years. We will most likely try for #2 in about 3 years. We also have a 20 lb lazy dog. Our budget is under 600k but we want great schools and to be in close in MoCo.
condo #1: way below our budget even with condo fees. one bathroom - major downer. great area, top schools, 2 bedrooms which I think will be fine with for the time being and with 2 kids under 7. We would be able to save $ at this place. http://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5301-Westbard-Cir-20816/unit-419/home/10691381 house #2: does this seem too good to be true? bit farther out but still inside the beltway, under 600k and have 4 beds and 2.5 baths... we could say here for 20+ years in theory. Major price drop so maybe there is something wrong with it... also no basement is that weird? http://www.redfin.com/MD/Cabin-John/7-Carver-Rd-20818/home/10638108 we havent seen either we are just playing around as we begin the process but wanted to get people opinions on our thought process and tell us about things we might be overlooking. Currently renting in downtown DC. |
Anonymous
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I like the second option much better. A backyard is a wonderful thing to have with two children. I also like that since it has four bedrooms, you can dedicate at least one of those rooms for a playroom. I also like that it has more than one bathroom.
The first option will probably feel too crowded once you have a second child. You would also have to minimize child related noise being in such close quarters with your neighbors. |
Anonymous
| I'd stay away from the condo, might be hard to resell. The house is ok, not crazy about it, but the price is good. I'd go for the house. |
Anonymous
| The house. You could live there a long time - and once you go thru a move, you won't want to repeat it for a long time. A basement would be a nice addition, but you could def. do without. |
Anonymous
| Have you gone to see the house? I'm familiar with the area, and my guess would be that it isn't selling b/c the houses around it are dumps. Some of them look like they are in a trailer park. Not being snotty - just saying. But this house is cute, so if you can live surrounded by the others (and know it will affect your ability to sell again someday unless they are all torn down), then go for it. The actual neighbors themselves could be amazing! |
Anonymous
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The Westbard Apartments suck. Cabin John was always known as the crappy area of Bethesda and it has been a slow change over the past 25 years. Look around in downtonw Bethesda more, you can get pretty close to your price.
The apartment choice will be tough on the kids because people will say, oh , you live in those apartments.. WTF is next to the house in Cabin John? |
Anonymous
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Neither I guess. You are past the stage in your life where a condo works for you.
The house....not a fan of the neighborhood and you can do way better in that price range. |
Anonymous
| have you thought about potomac 20854 |
Anonymous
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The condo is right next to the Westbard/Westwood shopping center, an aging retail facility that is the subject of a redevelopment fight. (In short, a developer wants to stack up apartments, stores and a movie theater there, and the neighbors want something a little more mellow.)
Even if you like the developers' vision, the uncertainty is bad for your property from a resale point of view. And if you are still living there by the time they break ground, you're living right next to a construction site for years. |
Anonymous
| The cabin john house is cute, and the neighborhood is "gentrifying". But it does seem to be next door to some kind of bunker. Do the street view on google maps - it is very peculiar. If it's a school or something that's one thing, but if it's a house it would worry me because what kind of people would live in something like that. |
Anonymous
| #2!!! |
Anonymous
| What's your budget? I bet we can suggest some better options for you. |
Anonymous
Oh, sorry - just re-read it. Have you looked at condos in downtown Bethesda? You can get some nice 2 bedroom 2 bath condos, some with nice amenities (pool, tennis courts) for around 550k-600k. When you go to sell your condo, people will want it to be walkable. House suggestions coming separately.... |
Anonymous
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I know the area in Cabin John for house #2. The general location is great. There is a beautiful pool club and park within walking distance and you can walk to Macarthur Blvd where there is a food co-op, restaurant, wine store, basic chinese and sushi place. You also are very close to the canal. The schools are great! Bannockburn/Pyle/Whitman. As previous posters have indicated, the issue is that the house is located in a very funky area of Cabin John and there is a house that looks like a bunker and some very basic bunglalow type houses surrounding the house you are interested in. If you're seriously, interested, have a look, check out the neighbors and see if it will work for for.
Its also in a good location for commuting to D.C., Northern Virgina, and Bethesda. |
Anonymous
Definitely #2, depending on what the houses in the area/neighbors are like 
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