Moving to DC, will there be anything on the Market to buy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

On a side note. I think that people here put too much importance on what the school does and not enough on the parents. Every meaningful study of schools shows that as incomes of the students rise, so does performance, no matter what else is done. Most of the neighborhoods are rapidly gentrifying. I just think it's funny that people don't think that as the demographics change, the schools want. From what I've read about some schools in east MoCo, a good school can certainly turn into a mediocre one in that period of time.

This is so wonderfully naive--especially as it relates to DCPS particularly--that I don't know where to begin. I'll just say that I wish you the best with this line of thinking and that you might contemplate doing a little more research.

I really just came here to ask about inventory. But all I'm saying is that no one knows where these schools will be in 5-10 years, especially in a city whose demographics are changing rapidly. I've done a lot of research. The things I stated about parental income and school performance are incontrovertible. They are fact that has been proven over decades of study in numerous locations. Why would something that happens everywhere else in this country not happen here?
Maybe I'm naive, but I think a lot of things accepted as dogma, are not necessarily true.

I'm not trying to be mean or rude. I really appreciate the advice that everyone has taken the time to give. But that last post was insulting. I'm going into this with my eyes open. My job has included working with kids in a school system worse than DCPS.
I'm saying I don't know what will happen and am willing to accept some uncertainty. People on here who say they do know what will happen probably don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We already have a realtor and a lender. We've been lurking for a while and did a recon visit back in April,,but haven't been able to commit until now.
I definitely don't need something West of the Park, it's better for our commutes to be East. We also have will child care already worked out through work.
When I said I didn't know what would happen in 5 years, I meant with the school system, not my situation. I'm a big believer in the idea that schools are not good or bad, and the big determinant of a schools quality is the income of the parents. I think if you bussed the entire student population from Bethesda into a poor performing school in SE and vice versa, the performance of the students would likely not change. In fact I suspect that given an influx of motivated students with wealthy families to the school in SE would probably do better.
It's fairly obvious that the demographics of the District are changing at a rapid clip and in 5 years the distribution of wealth in the area will look very different. The schools will likely improve and the calculus will change. So buying now planning on what schools will be like in 5 years seems silly to me.
And I'm a little sad to be leaving my college town, but the opportunity for me is very promising. That's the thing about the city. More opportunities.
I actually liked Brookland, especially the yards. Takoma is nice as well. Brightwood, not as much. The only thing I worry about Brookland is that it is very hot and the potential to overpay is high. I've actually done a fair bit of research and there are probably 5-6 neighborhoods that are acceptable to us where we probably would be very happy, especially given my school philosophy..

Thanks for the advice.

What do you mean west of "the park?"

Schools in DC are horrible unless you get into a charter school, and I think there is a whole thread on that. You are in la-la land with regard to the schools. But based on your ideologue, hypothetical rhetoric, I think you would fit in SE or NE PERFECTLY. The ideologue transplant. Perfecto - BINGO!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We already have a realtor and a lender. We've been lurking for a while and did a recon visit back in April,,but haven't been able to commit until now.
I definitely don't need something West of the Park, it's better for our commutes to be East. We also have will child care already worked out through work.
When I said I didn't know what would happen in 5 years, I meant with the school system, not my situation. I'm a big believer in the idea that schools are not good or bad, and the big determinant of a schools quality is the income of the parents. I think if you bussed the entire student population from Bethesda into a poor performing school in SE and vice versa, the performance of the students would likely not change. In fact I suspect that given an influx of motivated students with wealthy families to the school in SE would probably do better.
It's fairly obvious that the demographics of the District are changing at a rapid clip and in 5 years the distribution of wealth in the area will look very different. The schools will likely improve and the calculus will change. So buying now planning on what schools will be like in 5 years seems silly to me.
And I'm a little sad to be leaving my college town, but the opportunity for me is very promising. That's the thing about the city. More opportunities.
I actually liked Brookland, especially the yards. Takoma is nice as well. Brightwood, not as much. The only thing I worry about Brookland is that it is very hot and the potential to overpay is high. I've actually done a fair bit of research and there are probably 5-6 neighborhoods that are acceptable to us where we probably would be very happy, especially given my school philosophy..

Thanks for the advice.

What do you mean west of "the park?"

Schools in DC are horrible unless you get into a charter school, and I think there is a whole thread on that. You are in la-la land with regard to the schools. But based on your ideologue, hypothetical rhetoric, I think you would fit in SE or NE PERFECTLY. The ideologue transplant. Perfecto - BINGO!

I'm not the OP, but you sound awful and not very bright.

[Anonymous]

Where is the job in MD? Because there are neighborhoods in Arlington that are a quick hop over the Chain Bridge to get to Bethesda/Chevy Chase area, and your money would buy more in Arlington.

Otherwise, I bet you could find something cute on the Hill, or something pretty small in Georgetown. Georgetown would be an easy commute to Arlington or close-in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We already have a realtor and a lender. We've been lurking for a while and did a recon visit back in April,,but haven't been able to commit until now.
I definitely don't need something West of the Park, it's better for our commutes to be East. We also have will child care already worked out through work.
When I said I didn't know what would happen in 5 years, I meant with the school system, not my situation. I'm a big believer in the idea that schools are not good or bad, and the big determinant of a schools quality is the income of the parents. I think if you bussed the entire student population from Bethesda into a poor performing school in SE and vice versa, the performance of the students would likely not change. In fact I suspect that given an influx of motivated students with wealthy families to the school in SE would probably do better.
It's fairly obvious that the demographics of the District are changing at a rapid clip and in 5 years the distribution of wealth in the area will look very different. The schools will likely improve and the calculus will change. So buying now planning on what schools will be like in 5 years seems silly to me.
And I'm a little sad to be leaving my college town, but the opportunity for me is very promising. That's the thing about the city. More opportunities.
I actually liked Brookland, especially the yards. Takoma is nice as well. Brightwood, not as much. The only thing I worry about Brookland is that it is very hot and the potential to overpay is high. I've actually done a fair bit of research and there are probably 5-6 neighborhoods that are acceptable to us where we probably would be very happy, especially given my school philosophy..

Thanks for the advice.

What do you mean west of "the park?"

Schools in DC are horrible unless you get into a charter school, and I think there is a whole thread on that. You are in la-la land with regard to the schools. But based on your ideologue, hypothetical rhetoric, I think you would fit in SE or NE PERFECTLY. The ideologue transplant. Perfecto - BINGO!

NP here. I think this poster is spot-on.

OP sounds like he has some ridiculous ideas, and nearly every PP has warned him he is wrong about schools magically becoming better in 5 years, but he is SURE HE IS RIGHT.

Good luck, OP. In five years you will be regretting your inability to listen to natives when you asked for advice.

There's zero inventory, and you'll either have to overpay, get VERY lucky, pay in all cash, or move here and rent for a while.

I'd tell you to move to MoCo or Arlington instead (seriously, the district isn't going to save you any commute time, it's just going to make both of you miserable), but hey, you don't need any real advice, you just need someone to tell you you're super right and already have the perfect idea for where to live.

P.S. Love that you are considering where to live more based on your two big dogs than your kids' educations. AWESOME.

[Anonymous]

Where is the job in MD and where is the job in VA? I think its better to live close to one job and have the other spouse commute than have both spouses doing a bad commute.

What is your wife's comfort level with the neighborhoods you seem to prefer? I am from here and would not live in any of those areas you mentioned, because of the school situation.

[Anonymous]

^^I also want to mention that you don't know what the school needs of your child will be. The "best" school districts do a great job with almost all kids (special needs, gifted etc). You are really rolling the dice moving into a neighborhood with bad public schools and blithely assuming it will all work out. I hope you aren't on here in 5 years posting about fighting DCPS on classroom placement and services or your child with autism or CP.

[Anonymous]

OP - I would take a look at the Harrison Square neighborhood off U Street. 3 bedroom townhouses with community outdoor space around $900k. It's extremely sought after, so you would need a realtor who can tell you when houses will be coming on the market (they usually sell quickly), but it's a good spot for urban living in a nice neighborhood close to the metro and to commute routes to VA and MD.

[Anonymous]

OP--If you give us the specific commute locations, there might be suggestions based on those knowledgeable about commutes. Close-in MD and close-in VA has a lot variation within it.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. Thanks for all the advice. I'm done. I'll go rent in Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

On a side note. I think that people here put too much importance on what the school does and not enough on the parents. Every meaningful study of schools shows that as incomes of the students rise, so does performance, no matter what else is done. Most of the neighborhoods are rapidly gentrifying. I just think it's funny that people don't think that as the demographics change, the schools want. From what I've read about some schools in east MoCo, a good school can certainly turn into a mediocre one in that period of time.

This is so wonderfully naive--especially as it relates to DCPS particularly--that I don't know where to begin. I'll just say that I wish you the best with this line of thinking and that you might contemplate doing a little more research.

I really just came here to ask about inventory. But all I'm saying is that no one knows where these schools will be in 5-10 years, especially in a city whose demographics are changing rapidly. I've done a lot of research. The things I stated about parental income and school performance are incontrovertible. They are fact that has been proven over decades of study in numerous locations. Why would something that happens everywhere else in this country not happen here?
Maybe I'm naive, but I think a lot of things accepted as dogma, are not necessarily true.

I'm not trying to be mean or rude. I really appreciate the advice that everyone has taken the time to give. But that last post was insulting. I'm going into this with my eyes open. My job has included working with kids in a school system worse than DCPS.
I'm saying I don't know what will happen and am willing to accept some uncertainty. People on here who say they do know what will happen probably don't.

Not here.

The rich parents in DC just send their kids to privates.

They don't join in the journey of turning around the failing schools in their neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. Thanks for all the advice. I'm done. I'll go rent in Potomac.

HUH? That is the weirdest conclusion I have ever heard.

[Anonymous]

I would rent for a year just to get used to the market, and then start looking early spring next year. That's when the market is usually hot. Try to find in a good school district, since people kept getting burned by charters, and since you are having a child, you know that will be something to consider in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

On a side note. I think that people here put too much importance on what the school does and not enough on the parents. Every meaningful study of schools shows that as incomes of the students rise, so does performance, no matter what else is done. Most of the neighborhoods are rapidly gentrifying. I just think it's funny that people don't think that as the demographics change, the schools want. From what I've read about some schools in east MoCo, a good school can certainly turn into a mediocre one in that period of time.

This is so wonderfully naive--especially as it relates to DCPS particularly--that I don't know where to begin. I'll just say that I wish you the best with this line of thinking and that you might contemplate doing a little more research.

+1

It would be SO NICE if we were just five years away from the transformation of these schools, after decades and decades of complicated, multifaceted, structural and institutional problems. To be fair though, it's easy to be theoretical and delusional about schools when you don't have an actual child yet.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. Thanks for all the advice. I'm done. I'll go rent in Potomac.

OP, you have been given lots of advice here, some of it unvarnished, but since you've done a ton of research already, you should have known what to expect from DCUM. Many folks have given you suggestions about neighborhoods in DC. We, who live here and have been in the trenches for years, have also pointed out that you don't want to overlook close-in MD and VA since you will have a child who will eventually go to school, and the school districts you mentioned are unlikely to change significantly over the next five years. But, you have that figured out, so what's the use belaboring that point?

If the post about being naive is the one you found the most insulting, then I suggest a little spine stiffening is in order before you move to the East Coast.