DC Expensive Real Estate causing Millennials to leave for the suburbs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you get married and have kids, the 800K gentrifying row house with the crackhead or stabbing out front doesn't seem that great.

I'm married with two kids and a row house in a "gentrifying" neighborhood, and it is a great life. I sometimes wish for another bathroom, but I think the trade-off is worth it.

mmmm...I keep hearing about amenities, but what I really want to know is: what about the schools?

Charter then hope.

[Anonymous]

Are the Myopic Little Twits (C. Milloy's phrase) Millenials or are they younger?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're millennials (on the older end, 29-31) and we can't afford anything in DC other than a 1-bedroom and that's a total non-starter for us so off to the suburbs it is.

Agreed. We can afford more than that, but not much. We have a $200K ish HHI. The real estate in DC is the only thing I really hate about it- I have a solid group of friends that don't fall into the DCUM- like foibles of hyper competition, etc- just normal, happy people. But the real estate is priced as if this were a much bigger, more exciting city than it is. DC isn't all that urban, yet prices start approaching cost-of-living in places around the world that are!

DC is the capital of the US.
Lots of activities, international and national happen here.
Everybody knows it but tends to forgot. It is not your average American city.

No, and I know that. I am not a DC basher- I actually love it here. I also know that population doesn't dictate what a city has to offer or how "urban" a city is or is not, but its a factor- and DC is the 20-something largest US city. Capitol or not. Its got a very suburban feel and I actually like that blend! I lived in Adams-Morgan for quite some time.

But its priced in the same ilk as places with land scarcity or much higher population density, etc. Both here and abroad, I've been an expat in some of those places that are outrageous too. It just is annoying that it feels like this market is artificially inflated, like its snowballed and people cling to it because once you buy in, you have a vested interest in keeping that those prices climbing.

There is something painful about average, suburban American homes ( 3br 2 ba) here being priced out of reach of people who make more than 1/4 million a year.

[Anonymous]

Also have known plenty who have sent their kids to DC public schools and they did not turn out poorly

As well as folks who sent their kids to BCC HS and they turned out no better than DCPS kids.

Parenting also has a lot to do with it! Some prefer the schools to parent while they do other things.

[Anonymous]

Every time I hear someone talking about how they "can't afford anything" in DC it makes me wonder if they've only looked on U Street, in Tenleytown, Cleveland Park, etc. Sure there are lots of houses for sale in DC in that range, but there are houses in nice parts of NE (not talking about H Street) for under $300k, and friends have bought in Shaw for under $450k. It's not nothing, and yeah, you're still taking the charter school gamble but houses in the burbs aren't going for much less. If you really want to live in the city, you probably can. If you just want to live in the super hip area, then good luck.

[Anonymous]

One issue is that when you move in to a gentrifying area in DC there are a lot of hold outs and they are never on the same ground in terms of goals, education etc.. for your community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every time I hear someone talking about how they "can't afford anything" in DC it makes me wonder if they've only looked on U Street, in Tenleytown, Cleveland Park, etc. Sure there are lots of houses for sale in DC in that range, but there are houses in nice parts of NE (not talking about H Street) for under $300k, and friends have bought in Shaw for under $450k. It's not nothing, and yeah, you're still taking the charter school gamble but houses in the burbs aren't going for much less. If you really want to live in the city, you probably can. If you just want to live in the super hip area, then good luck.

What nice parts of NE?

I own a condo near H St and wouldn't dream of raising my son there.

What property did your friends buy in Shaw for 450K?

I don't think anyone argues that if you really want to live in the city, you can; it's just that the way you will live without a huge budget (cramped place, marginal neighborhood, school anxiety) is not appealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time I hear someone talking about how they "can't afford anything" in DC it makes me wonder if they've only looked on U Street, in Tenleytown, Cleveland Park, etc. Sure there are lots of houses for sale in DC in that range, but there are houses in nice parts of NE (not talking about H Street) for under $300k, and friends have bought in Shaw for under $450k. It's not nothing, and yeah, you're still taking the charter school gamble but houses in the burbs aren't going for much less. If you really want to live in the city, you probably can. If you just want to live in the super hip area, then good luck.

What nice parts of NE?

I own a condo near H St and wouldn't dream of raising my son there.

What property did your friends buy in Shaw for 450K?

I don't think anyone argues that if you really want to live in the city, you can; it's just that the way you will live without a huge budget (cramped place, marginal neighborhood, school anxiety) is not appealing.

Again, not H street. Brookland, Riggs Park, parts of Michigan Park, Takoma (DC, not Takoma Park, MD). All of which have nice houses at reasonable prices close to the metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time I hear someone talking about how they "can't afford anything" in DC it makes me wonder if they've only looked on U Street, in Tenleytown, Cleveland Park, etc. Sure there are lots of houses for sale in DC in that range, but there are houses in nice parts of NE (not talking about H Street) for under $300k, and friends have bought in Shaw for under $450k. It's not nothing, and yeah, you're still taking the charter school gamble but houses in the burbs aren't going for much less. If you really want to live in the city, you probably can. If you just want to live in the super hip area, then good luck.

What nice parts of NE?

I own a condo near H St and wouldn't dream of raising my son there.

What property did your friends buy in Shaw for 450K?

I don't think anyone argues that if you really want to live in the city, you can; it's just that the way you will live without a huge budget (cramped place, marginal neighborhood, school anxiety) is not appealing.

Again, not H street. Brookland, Riggs Park, parts of Michigan Park, Takoma (DC, not Takoma Park, MD). All of which have nice houses at reasonable prices close to the metro.

Don't forget Brightwood. We just purchaded a nice home for $390k. Needs a little work, but we are satisfied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you get married and have kids, the 800K gentrifying row house with the crackhead or stabbing out front doesn't seem that great.

Not always the case. People saying this probably have never lived in DC! I have lived in DC 20 years and most of those years in a row house: we have never had that happen in our neighborhood.

To be fair I think that 20 years a go a gentrifying neighborhood would be in NW which is great now but millions of dollars.

Even 40 years ago NW was an elite neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

In NE, Michigan Park is a nice, quiet neighborhood and the prices are not too bad either. Most of the homes are SFD.

[Anonymous]

Is that different than prior years?

Lots of people with families are getting priced out and/or not getting into the charters they want. What else is new?

Not sure what accounts for the under-25 set taking off, however.

I do think there is a shift in DC. Back when my parents were in their early '30s, the reason they lived right across the border from Maryland in CCDC was because that was what they could afford, rather than Chevy Chase or Bethesda. The city of DC itself was for middle class people. Lafayette was a great school, but Deal and Wilson had issues. People on our block worked as federal lawyers, judges, journalists, at non-profits, etc. These days all the nice upper middle class areas of NW DC have houses that are 1 million+. When my parents sold their house in the late '90s, it sold for less than 400K--less than 600K in today's dollars. Now it's valued over a million. The phenomenon of the city being extremely desirable, I think has really happened in the last 20 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bye, guys! Enjoy South Arlington!

Oh don't worry----we already are. Welcome to those coming to join us--the community, ammenities and schools are great.

But how are the amenities?

And you are Exhibit A of why many people leave. A complete and total jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you get married and have kids, the 800K gentrifying row house with the crackhead or stabbing out front doesn't seem that great.

Not always the case. People saying this probably have never lived in DC! I have lived in DC 20 years and most of those years in a row house: we have never had that happen in our neighborhood.

To be fair I think that 20 years a go a gentrifying neighborhood would be in NW which is great now but millions of dollars.

Even 40 years ago NW was an elite neighborhood.[/quote]

Not true, people forget that a lot of NW east of 16th St was affordable. My brother purchased a 3 level row house at 12 and O NW for about $188K 18 years ago! It needed work but it shows you how things change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bye, guys! Enjoy South Arlington!

Oh don't worry----we already are. Welcome to those coming to join us--the community, ammenities and schools are great.

But how are the amenities?

And you are Exhibit A of why many people leave. A complete and total jerk.

LOL! I moved from DC to Arlington, but it wasn't because people corrected my spelling. It was because I got more house, more amenities, and a better commute for less in rent and taxes.