What's wrong with this house in McLean?

[Anonymous]

Location, location, location...

[Anonymous]

Over the past three years a dozen homes on Falstaff have sold between $790K and $890K. This one should sell for over $800K.

[Anonymous]

My aunt and uncle live in the McLean Hamlet. It's a great neighborhood, great schools.

[Anonymous]

The house is now under contract.

[Anonymous]

Is Mclean hamlet a better area than let's say Chesterbrook around Kirby rd and areas around downtown Mclean? Is Mclean hamlet going to have better family amenities and better commutes because of being close to highways? People have been raving about the location, I am not familiar with it, we are house hunting in Mclean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Mclean hamlet a better area than let's say Chesterbrook around Kirby rd and areas around downtown Mclean? Is Mclean hamlet going to have better family amenities and better commutes because of being close to highways? People have been raving about the location, I am not familiar with it, we are house hunting in Mclean.

It's the best location if you need to go to Maryland or out towards Dulles frequently. The other locations are closer to DC.

The areas also have a different feel. McLean Hamlet is a more traditional subdivision, with its own community pool. The neighborhoods near central McLean tend to have more teardowns and there is a lot of new construction there that is more expensive than the houses in McLean Hamlet. The area near Chesterbrook and Kirby has many older homes and feels more like North Arlington. The schools and community amenities in each location are very good. Obviously, the closer you live to central McLean, the more shopping options you have within a short drive.

[Anonymous]

So this place is back on the market now for 925 after selling last April.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Mc-Lean/7923-Falstaff-Rd-22102/home/9375681

[Anonymous]

Sorry, selling for 870 in April. Listed at 925 now. We are looking in the area. Is metro causing problems over there? The quick move seems odd, and this is obviously not a flip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Mclean hamlet a better area than let's say Chesterbrook around Kirby rd and areas around downtown Mclean? Is Mclean hamlet going to have better family amenities and better commutes because of being close to highways? People have been raving about the location, I am not familiar with it, we are house hunting in Mclean.

The Hamlet is a great starter neighborhood of McLean. Its not overly dumpy. The location is nice for most people. The schools are good. Everyone I know who lives there likes it. It is outside the beltway and kind of considered "outer McLean" to those who live in closer in McLean (that is, those who live closer to D.C. and downtown McLean).

In the Hamlet, you do have to be aware that you will hit traffic, traveling most hours of the day. It is not as convenient as most areas of McLean, and there are a handful of Hamlet houses on the market now. If you are selling in the Hamlet, you are better off waiting until there are not as many Hamlet houses for sale.

The houses are old (60's), and while some kitchens and baths have been redone, most Hamlet houses do not have huge additions that price them out of the neighborhood; wisely so, since people (when buying) either want new or knock down (not someone else's idea of making their house "bigger").

Most houses are 700-900. Not much over that (see above). I looks like this house has had at least one price decrease.

As far as traffic noise, the traffic noise is much worse on roads that do not have the barrier walls. For example, people that live off of Old Dominion hear everything - sirens at all hours. Who wants that?

[Anonymous]

If the house keeps selling in a short window, something is wrong.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Maybe they have a crazy neighbor that refuses to MYOB next door?

[Anonymous]

Can you actually "knock down" in the Hamlet? I thought this was something that the HOA actually disallows, but I could be wrong.

I was surprised that there were a number of homes in this area that had been on the market for a while. I like the mix of homes in the area, and I would certainly not consider the neighborhood dumpy. I also wouldn't necessarily agree with your claim that everyone is looking to buy new homes over older homes. Most of the newer homes in our price range (1.2-1.5m) are hideous, and having looked at a number of them, my general impression is that they are not well constructed.

I have been wondering about the traffic in that area, though. We would prefer to live closer in, but we have not really seen much of anything on the market in our price range that we were interested in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Mclean hamlet a better area than let's say Chesterbrook around Kirby rd and areas around downtown Mclean? Is Mclean hamlet going to have better family amenities and better commutes because of being close to highways? People have been raving about the location, I am not familiar with it, we are house hunting in Mclean.

The Hamlet is a great starter neighborhood of McLean. Its not overly dumpy. The location is nice for most people. The schools are good. Everyone I know who lives there likes it. It is outside the beltway and kind of considered "outer McLean" to those who live in closer in McLean (that is, those who live closer to D.C. and downtown McLean).

In the Hamlet, you do have to be aware that you will hit traffic, traveling most hours of the day. It is not as convenient as most areas of McLean, and there are a handful of Hamlet houses on the market now. If you are selling in the Hamlet, you are better off waiting until there are not as many Hamlet houses for sale.

The houses are old (60's), and while some kitchens and baths have been redone, most Hamlet houses do not have huge additions that price them out of the neighborhood; wisely so, since people (when buying) either want new or knock down (not someone else's idea of making their house "bigger").

Most houses are 700-900. Not much over that (see above). I looks like this house has had at least one price decrease.

As far as traffic noise, the traffic noise is much worse on roads that do not have the barrier walls. For example, people that live off of Old Dominion hear everything - sirens at all hours. Who wants that?