Capitol Hill families - If you moved to NW or burbs for school, do you have any regrets?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

There's some poster who is convinced there are >150 properties on the Hill for sale for less than $1m. That doesn't seem right to me, but I'm not going to waste my time checking. She has some crazy notion that there are endless cheap options on the Hill, but nothing at all is affordable in Arlington. (Of course her reference for Arlington is that nothing is listed the last week of July--literally the worst time to look for real estate in the DMV.).

“I don’t believe you and I’m not going to check but you’re wrong for sure.”

truly amazing

I checked. There is exactly 1 (one) 3 bedroom home on Capitol Hill under a million dollars. One. And the reason for the low price has mostly to do with the condition of the home. If you remove the filter for 3 bedrooms and choose 2 bedrooms and up, there are 5 homes for sale, and 4 of them are condos.

So whoever you are, stop being crazy and pretending there are tons of homes on the hill for sale for under a million. I wish there were- I would happily buy one!

Huh? You’re not using Redfin correctly or you have a very restricted definition of Capitol Hill. Try again because you’re wrong.

Signed, someone who will be selling a Maury-zoned house soon for around 900k.

NP. Out of morbid curiosity, I just looked on Redfin for 3 beds 2 bath on the Hill sold for under $1 million in the last 6 months. I came up with 7 properties, four of which sold for over $950k.

Who said we all live in 3br/2ba homes? And you’re probably not searching the entire SH/EH cachement (an extended definition of the Hill).

The reason this line of discussion came up here is to point out that “move to N Arlington where the schools are better” is not financially feasible for many Hill families facing down MS/HS (or upper elementary in the case of some schools). Many of us do not live in $1mil houses. Cashing out our home equity means either a) moving way out to Fairfax to get “good” schools or b) making a trade up to MoCo where it’s arguable whether the DCC HS are that much of an upgrade over waiting to see if something works out in DC.

The DCC HS contingent is very much an upgrade over CH - at least in my opinion. Have you even visited any school open houses there? I’m pretty sure your kid can do a shadow day if you ask for it

[Anonymous]

No denying that this Metro are is expensive for families who are loath to cram into small spaces or live in dodgy neighborhoods. My advice to recent arrivals on the Hill of modest means is that if you don't get lucky at BASIS or one of the Latins, or don't like BASIS or the Latins, you're going to play it fast and loose to stick around. There's no magic bullet to staying. Consider buying a fixer on the Hill with scope for a basement rental--there are still a few properties like that around-- and putting sweat equity into it with help from friends and family you're determined to stay. Many of us have done just that over the years.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

There's some poster who is convinced there are >150 properties on the Hill for sale for less than $1m. That doesn't seem right to me, but I'm not going to waste my time checking. She has some crazy notion that there are endless cheap options on the Hill, but nothing at all is affordable in Arlington. (Of course her reference for Arlington is that nothing is listed the last week of July--literally the worst time to look for real estate in the DMV.).

“I don’t believe you and I’m not going to check but you’re wrong for sure.”

truly amazing

I checked. There is exactly 1 (one) 3 bedroom home on Capitol Hill under a million dollars. One. And the reason for the low price has mostly to do with the condition of the home. If you remove the filter for 3 bedrooms and choose 2 bedrooms and up, there are 5 homes for sale, and 4 of them are condos.

So whoever you are, stop being crazy and pretending there are tons of homes on the hill for sale for under a million. I wish there were- I would happily buy one!

Huh? You’re not using Redfin correctly or you have a very restricted definition of Capitol Hill. Try again because you’re wrong.

Signed, someone who will be selling a Maury-zoned house soon for around 900k.

NP. Out of morbid curiosity, I just looked on Redfin for 3 beds 2 bath on the Hill sold for under $1 million in the last 6 months. I came up with 7 properties, four of which sold for over $950k.

Who said we all live in 3br/2ba homes? And you’re probably not searching the entire SH/EH cachement (an extended definition of the Hill).

The reason this line of discussion came up here is to point out that “move to N Arlington where the schools are better” is not financially feasible for many Hill families facing down MS/HS (or upper elementary in the case of some schools). Many of us do not live in $1mil houses. Cashing out our home equity means either a) moving way out to Fairfax to get “good” schools or b) making a trade up to MoCo where it’s arguable whether the DCC HS are that much of an upgrade over waiting to see if something works out in DC.

The DCC HS contingent is very much an upgrade over CH - at least in my opinion. Have you even visited any school open houses there? I’m pretty sure your kid can do a shadow day if you ask for it

We are headed to MS and I actually looked for but could not find open houses for the DCC feeder MS. At that point we started researching our IB DCPS MS and it seemed to have promise. So intertia is keeping us on the Hill for a while longer.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I'm tired of hearing 4th grade parents we've come up through Brent with expressing shock and dismay (and more shock and dismay) that they're way down on the BASIS and Latins waiting lists.

If you don't like being around CH parents who planned ahead for middle school, who made Plan B, for goodness sakes, move. Find your own kind elsewhere.

Well I guarantee the feeling is mutual. None of your fellow Brent 4th grade parents enjoy listening to you expound upon what a genius you are for having a MS plan that doesn't rely on charters, either. Especially if that genius plan involves "buying a house 15 years ago" or "being rich" or "simply not caring about the quality of my kids' schools."

Maybe you're the one who needs to go "find your own kind" and by that I mean: smug a$$holes.

I went ahead and reported the "go find your own kind" post, because it sounded every type of -ist to me.

Meaning that you're desperately seeking -ists, particularly fantasists who go into the 5th grade charter lottery convinced that they'll win at the Latins or BASIS. You needn't look so hard for them: they abound on CH.

Huh?

NP, here but I've also met numerous CH parents who make the assumption they will get into Basis/Latin/Latin Cooper--even during MS (after the 5th grade entry year). I have NO clue on what they base this assumption, it's completely meritless.

Do they actually assume they'll get in, or do they hope they'll get in and plan to move if they don't, and then when they don't get in, they are disappointed about moving?

It sounds like you and the other PP are just mad about having neighbors or fellow school families ever talk about difficulties with the MS/HS path, because you have sorted it out and know exactly what you are doing. Great for you. But it's quite common for people on the Hill to not have a firm plan for MS, because not everyone plans their life 10 years in advance.

People move to the Hill and like it. They have kids and they like it even more, because CH is a great place to have a baby/toddler/preschooler. Then if they are IB for a good elementary (there are several) or luck into a decent charter (there are several), they stick around. At that point they know the deal with MS, but they figure maybe they'll get lucky with the lottery, or maybe they'll get more comfortable with the MS feed. And they don't just look at BASIS or Latin -- they look at ITS, the might see if they can get into a DCI feeder, they might consider TR's middle school option (until more recently it felt way more viable) or if they love Montessori, CHMS.

And if all that falls through, they move. And they are often sad about this. But apparently if they express this sadness or any frustration about the situation, they invoke your ire and judgment. Even though this is extremely common on CH and pretty much everyone knows multiple families who have been through it.

One day something will not work out the way you plan, and I hope people offer you zero empathy as well because you won't deserve it.

Perhaps it's because I grew up in poverty and trauma, I never expect empathy from others. And I always have Plan B, Plan C, etc. We knew we wanted to stay on the Hill so planned accordingly to ensure we weren't reliant on a nefarious lottery and the woeful other MS and HS options. Given the precarious nature of MS and HS on the Hill, to do otherwise is foolish.

[Anonymous]

I couldn't agree more, PP above. We grew up lower middle-class, went to college on Pell Grants. We started making contingency plans for MS on the Hill in the lower elementary grades, quietly, privately. We haven't moved to the burbs over MS issues, although we struck out in the BASIS and Latins' lotteries last year and this. Our eldest attends a parochial MS in Arlington we like a lot and can afford. Some of our kids' longtime Hill friends are moving to VA this summer. These families seem sad to go.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

There's some poster who is convinced there are >150 properties on the Hill for sale for less than $1m. That doesn't seem right to me, but I'm not going to waste my time checking. She has some crazy notion that there are endless cheap options on the Hill, but nothing at all is affordable in Arlington. (Of course her reference for Arlington is that nothing is listed the last week of July--literally the worst time to look for real estate in the DMV.).

“I don’t believe you and I’m not going to check but you’re wrong for sure.”

truly amazing

I checked. There is exactly 1 (one) 3 bedroom home on Capitol Hill under a million dollars. One. And the reason for the low price has mostly to do with the condition of the home. If you remove the filter for 3 bedrooms and choose 2 bedrooms and up, there are 5 homes for sale, and 4 of them are condos.

So whoever you are, stop being crazy and pretending there are tons of homes on the hill for sale for under a million. I wish there were- I would happily buy one!

Huh? You’re not using Redfin correctly or you have a very restricted definition of Capitol Hill. Try again because you’re wrong.

Signed, someone who will be selling a Maury-zoned house soon for around 900k.

NP. Out of morbid curiosity, I just looked on Redfin for 3 beds 2 bath on the Hill sold for under $1 million in the last 6 months. I came up with 7 properties, four of which sold for over $950k.

Who said we all live in 3br/2ba homes? And you’re probably not searching the entire SH/EH cachement (an extended definition of the Hill).

The reason this line of discussion came up here is to point out that “move to N Arlington where the schools are better” is not financially feasible for many Hill families facing down MS/HS (or upper elementary in the case of some schools). Many of us do not live in $1mil houses. Cashing out our home equity means either a) moving way out to Fairfax to get “good” schools or b) making a trade up to MoCo where it’s arguable whether the DCC HS are that much of an upgrade over waiting to see if something works out in DC.

Parochial schools are terrible.

- graduated from a parochial school and was fortunate enough not to be abused by the priests but can’t say that was true for all my classmates.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm tired of hearing 4th grade parents we've come up through Brent with expressing shock and dismay (and more shock and dismay) that they're way down on the BASIS and Latins waiting lists.

If you don't like being around CH parents who planned ahead for middle school, who made Plan B, for goodness sakes, move. Find your own kind elsewhere.

Well I guarantee the feeling is mutual. None of your fellow Brent 4th grade parents enjoy listening to you expound upon what a genius you are for having a MS plan that doesn't rely on charters, either. Especially if that genius plan involves "buying a house 15 years ago" or "being rich" or "simply not caring about the quality of my kids' schools."

Maybe you're the one who needs to go "find your own kind" and by that I mean: smug a$$holes.

I went ahead and reported the "go find your own kind" post, because it sounded every type of -ist to me.

Meaning that you're desperately seeking -ists, particularly fantasists who go into the 5th grade charter lottery convinced that they'll win at the Latins or BASIS. You needn't look so hard for them: they abound on CH.

Huh?

NP, here but I've also met numerous CH parents who make the assumption they will get into Basis/Latin/Latin Cooper--even during MS (after the 5th grade entry year). I have NO clue on what they base this assumption, it's completely meritless.

Do they actually assume they'll get in, or do they hope they'll get in and plan to move if they don't, and then when they don't get in, they are disappointed about moving?

It sounds like you and the other PP are just mad about having neighbors or fellow school families ever talk about difficulties with the MS/HS path, because you have sorted it out and know exactly what you are doing. Great for you. But it's quite common for people on the Hill to not have a firm plan for MS, because not everyone plans their life 10 years in advance.

People move to the Hill and like it. They have kids and they like it even more, because CH is a great place to have a baby/toddler/preschooler. Then if they are IB for a good elementary (there are several) or luck into a decent charter (there are several), they stick around. At that point they know the deal with MS, but they figure maybe they'll get lucky with the lottery, or maybe they'll get more comfortable with the MS feed. And they don't just look at BASIS or Latin -- they look at ITS, the might see if they can get into a DCI feeder, they might consider TR's middle school option (until more recently it felt way more viable) or if they love Montessori, CHMS.

And if all that falls through, they move. And they are often sad about this. But apparently if they express this sadness or any frustration about the situation, they invoke your ire and judgment. Even though this is extremely common on CH and pretty much everyone knows multiple families who have been through it.

One day something will not work out the way you plan, and I hope people offer you zero empathy as well because you won't deserve it.

Perhaps it's because I grew up in poverty and trauma, I never expect empathy from others. And I always have Plan B, Plan C, etc. We knew we wanted to stay on the Hill so planned accordingly to ensure we weren't reliant on a nefarious lottery and the woeful other MS and HS options. Given the precarious nature of MS and HS on the Hill, to do otherwise is foolish.

Congrats. I grew up with abusive parents and my DH grew up lower middle class. We're both from very rural areas. We didn't know everything about everything when we moved here and experienced steep learning curves regarding pretty much everything. We have made mistakes and wrong turns. We're human. I still manage to be a pretty empathetic person (in fact I think my background makes me extra empathetic because I know what it is for someone to look like they have it all together but to be struggling a lot) and to understand that no one can plan perfectly and sometimes $hit happens. I think walking around smugly believing that you've figured it all out and that everyone who doesn't do it like you is foolish is asking for trouble.

Regardless, you can't control what other people do, and for as long as you live on the Hill, there will be families who hope against hope that MS/HS will work out and who will be disappointed when the lottery doesn't break their way. You can learn to deal with it or keep on complaining about it, but it's not going to change anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm tired of hearing 4th grade parents we've come up through Brent with expressing shock and dismay (and more shock and dismay) that they're way down on the BASIS and Latins waiting lists.

If you don't like being around CH parents who planned ahead for middle school, who made Plan B, for goodness sakes, move. Find your own kind elsewhere.

Well I guarantee the feeling is mutual. None of your fellow Brent 4th grade parents enjoy listening to you expound upon what a genius you are for having a MS plan that doesn't rely on charters, either. Especially if that genius plan involves "buying a house 15 years ago" or "being rich" or "simply not caring about the quality of my kids' schools."

Maybe you're the one who needs to go "find your own kind" and by that I mean: smug a$$holes.

I went ahead and reported the "go find your own kind" post, because it sounded every type of -ist to me.

Meaning that you're desperately seeking -ists, particularly fantasists who go into the 5th grade charter lottery convinced that they'll win at the Latins or BASIS. You needn't look so hard for them: they abound on CH.

Huh?

NP, here but I've also met numerous CH parents who make the assumption they will get into Basis/Latin/Latin Cooper--even during MS (after the 5th grade entry year). I have NO clue on what they base this assumption, it's completely meritless.

Do they actually assume they'll get in, or do they hope they'll get in and plan to move if they don't, and then when they don't get in, they are disappointed about moving?

It sounds like you and the other PP are just mad about having neighbors or fellow school families ever talk about difficulties with the MS/HS path, because you have sorted it out and know exactly what you are doing. Great for you. But it's quite common for people on the Hill to not have a firm plan for MS, because not everyone plans their life 10 years in advance.

People move to the Hill and like it. They have kids and they like it even more, because CH is a great place to have a baby/toddler/preschooler. Then if they are IB for a good elementary (there are several) or luck into a decent charter (there are several), they stick around. At that point they know the deal with MS, but they figure maybe they'll get lucky with the lottery, or maybe they'll get more comfortable with the MS feed. And they don't just look at BASIS or Latin -- they look at ITS, the might see if they can get into a DCI feeder, they might consider TR's middle school option (until more recently it felt way more viable) or if they love Montessori, CHMS.

And if all that falls through, they move. And they are often sad about this. But apparently if they express this sadness or any frustration about the situation, they invoke your ire and judgment. Even though this is extremely common on CH and pretty much everyone knows multiple families who have been through it.

One day something will not work out the way you plan, and I hope people offer you zero empathy as well because you won't deserve it.

Perhaps it's because I grew up in poverty and trauma, I never expect empathy from others. And I always have Plan B, Plan C, etc. We knew we wanted to stay on the Hill so planned accordingly to ensure we weren't reliant on a nefarious lottery and the woeful other MS and HS options. Given the precarious nature of MS and HS on the Hill, to do otherwise is foolish.

The people you are complaining about do have a Plan B, Plan C, etc. It's just that those plans involve more compromise than Plan A, so they complain. Plan A is lottery into BASIS or Latin. But it's not like if that doesn't happen (which they obviously know is an option), they simply lay down. They pursue their other plans, whether that's ITS or making due with their IB or moving to NW or moving the suburbs or going to private. It's just that when their kid is in 4th grade at Brent with your kid, that's when they attempt to execute Plan A, and if it doesn't work out, you might hear about it. Oh no. How terrible for you.

None of the people you are complaining about wind up sending their kids to Eastern, or their kids just don't get an education, or whatever. None of them. They have other options and they pursue them, just like you would, and their only mistake is in thinking you are a normal person who might empathize with a fellow parent on the Hill who is navigating the MS/HS issue. That's the one lesson they need to learn -- you simply do not care.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

What is your basis for arguing this? I live on the Hill while my ex lives in Arlington. We split custody. I like the neighborhood MS my boys attend in Arlington, although it's not one of the several with the "most favorable demographics." My rising 8th grader has earned the grades to enroll in "intensified" (honors) classes across the board for his last year in MS, in science, math (geometry and algebra II), social studies (geography for HS credit), English and band. He's also going into his 3rd year of Chinese at the school. He's taken band as a daily class since 6th grade, learned to play a brass instrument well for free. For the most part, his teachers are strong, experienced, older, been at the school for many years. Admins tell me that intensified classes outside math will be available to younger son starting in 7th grade, a new county initiative.

At the several DCPS middle schools in Ward 6, which my ex and I considered, the only definite honors classes I heard about are for math, and maybe grade-level English at Stuart Hobson. If Arlington middle schools aren't good, where are they good in this area, other than the super duper GT test-in programs in Fairfax and MoCo serving less than 10% of students? Arlington doesn't have test-in GT, DCPS either of course.

A lot of UMC in Ward 6 have kids at BASIS, which starts in 5th. True, you have to get accepted in 5th grade and it gets harder each year (easier with sibling preference).

There are other options in DC as well:

https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/middle-schools/district-of-columbia

Other than maybe Williamsburg or Swanson, it doesn't seem like Arlington has very good options.

This CH mom with kids in a public MS in Arlington, where my ex lives, doesn't agree. My boys aren't at Williamsburg, Swanson or Dorothy Hamm. Every Arlington MS teaches MS math on a par with that at BASIS, offers robust foreign language options (from 6th grade, and not just at the beginning level), serious electives and a full menu of core honors classes in 8th grade (and 7th grade from SY 2024-25). My kids' biggest classes have two dozen kids. Their writing classes (separate from reading classes) have no more than 15 students. They can take like ASL, orchestra, chorus, band, cooking, forensics or science competition prep as electives daily. Their school has giant playing fields/courts, a greenhouse and a large vegetable garden, an indoor track, a student run TV station, a modern theater/stage, and giant gym and library. I've worked as a consultant in the miserable BASIS building and know it well.

That sounds like a lot of unsupported rhetoric. What school and what is the data supporting your claims?

Unsupported rhetoric is silly. Thomas Jefferson, the smallest of the six with around 800 students. The auditorium and indoor track are shared with the county. Jefferson is the only Arlington MS offering the IB Middle Years Curriculum, feeding into the Washington-Liberty IBD program. The school requires languages from 6th grade and teaches more languages than the other schools. All Arlington middle schools permit students to take math up to two years ahead of the curriculum. I get emails from the county announcing the roll-out of 8th grade intensified classes, followed by the roll out of 7th grade intensified classes the following school year. We've signed up for 8th grade intensified classes for sci, math, social studies and English.

Only about 15% of Arlington middle school students currently take Algebra I in 7th grade. We'll see how that changes.

BASIS DC requires that 100% of students take at least Algebra and Geometry I in 7th grade. In fact, some 7th grade students take Algebra and Geometry II, Precalc B, or Precalc AB.

The arrangement isn't nearly as rosy as you make it sound, doesn't give a true picture. My BASIS middle school grad was forced to repeat a lot of algebra and geometry in 9th grade at a top private, although he'd always earned good math grades at BASIS. He was pushed to accelerate in math too fast at BASIS, with no way out. I've heard the same story from many other BASIS parents, particularly those who moved onto Walls or suburban high schools. I know that the percentage of MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax MS students taking Algebra in 7th grade is way down from 10 years ago, for good reason. Those counties took a hard look at what aggressive middle school math acceleration for most had wrought in high school and ratcheted it back. Based on our experience, it would behoove BASIS to follow suit, unless DC were to set up elementary school math GT programs that fed into BASIS!

Or at least BASIS should offer slower tracks. There is some advantages to having accelerated math, but only for the kids that can actually handle that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

What is your basis for arguing this? I live on the Hill while my ex lives in Arlington. We split custody. I like the neighborhood MS my boys attend in Arlington, although it's not one of the several with the "most favorable demographics." My rising 8th grader has earned the grades to enroll in "intensified" (honors) classes across the board for his last year in MS, in science, math (geometry and algebra II), social studies (geography for HS credit), English and band. He's also going into his 3rd year of Chinese at the school. He's taken band as a daily class since 6th grade, learned to play a brass instrument well for free. For the most part, his teachers are strong, experienced, older, been at the school for many years. Admins tell me that intensified classes outside math will be available to younger son starting in 7th grade, a new county initiative.

At the several DCPS middle schools in Ward 6, which my ex and I considered, the only definite honors classes I heard about are for math, and maybe grade-level English at Stuart Hobson. If Arlington middle schools aren't good, where are they good in this area, other than the super duper GT test-in programs in Fairfax and MoCo serving less than 10% of students? Arlington doesn't have test-in GT, DCPS either of course.

A lot of UMC in Ward 6 have kids at BASIS, which starts in 5th. True, you have to get accepted in 5th grade and it gets harder each year (easier with sibling preference).

There are other options in DC as well:

https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/middle-schools/district-of-columbia

Other than maybe Williamsburg or Swanson, it doesn't seem like Arlington has very good options.

This CH mom with kids in a public MS in Arlington, where my ex lives, doesn't agree. My boys aren't at Williamsburg, Swanson or Dorothy Hamm. Every Arlington MS teaches MS math on a par with that at BASIS, offers robust foreign language options (from 6th grade, and not just at the beginning level), serious electives and a full menu of core honors classes in 8th grade (and 7th grade from SY 2024-25). My kids' biggest classes have two dozen kids. Their writing classes (separate from reading classes) have no more than 15 students. They can take like ASL, orchestra, chorus, band, cooking, forensics or science competition prep as electives daily. Their school has giant playing fields/courts, a greenhouse and a large vegetable garden, an indoor track, a student run TV station, a modern theater/stage, and giant gym and library. I've worked as a consultant in the miserable BASIS building and know it well.

That sounds like a lot of unsupported rhetoric. What school and what is the data supporting your claims?

Unsupported rhetoric is silly. Thomas Jefferson, the smallest of the six with around 800 students. The auditorium and indoor track are shared with the county. Jefferson is the only Arlington MS offering the IB Middle Years Curriculum, feeding into the Washington-Liberty IBD program. The school requires languages from 6th grade and teaches more languages than the other schools. All Arlington middle schools permit students to take math up to two years ahead of the curriculum. I get emails from the county announcing the roll-out of 8th grade intensified classes, followed by the roll out of 7th grade intensified classes the following school year. We've signed up for 8th grade intensified classes for sci, math, social studies and English.

Only about 15% of Arlington middle school students currently take Algebra I in 7th grade. We'll see how that changes.

BASIS DC requires that 100% of students take at least Algebra and Geometry I in 7th grade. In fact, some 7th grade students take Algebra and Geometry II, Precalc B, or Precalc AB.

The arrangement isn't nearly as rosy as you make it sound, doesn't give a true picture. My BASIS middle school grad was forced to repeat a lot of algebra and geometry in 9th grade at a top private, although he'd always earned good math grades at BASIS. He was pushed to accelerate in math too fast at BASIS, with no way out. I've heard the same story from many other BASIS parents, particularly those who moved onto Walls or suburban high schools. I know that the percentage of MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax MS students taking Algebra in 7th grade is way down from 10 years ago, for good reason. Those counties took a hard look at what aggressive middle school math acceleration for most had wrought in high school and ratcheted it back. Based on our experience, it would behoove BASIS to follow suit, unless DC were to set up elementary school math GT programs that fed into BASIS!

Or at least BASIS should offer slower tracks. There is some advantages to having accelerated math, but only for the kids that can actually handle that.

The good thing is that BASIS is a DC-wide charter and parents can self-select if their kids will go. If you don't want an accelerated curriculum for your child, choose another school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

What is your basis for arguing this? I live on the Hill while my ex lives in Arlington. We split custody. I like the neighborhood MS my boys attend in Arlington, although it's not one of the several with the "most favorable demographics." My rising 8th grader has earned the grades to enroll in "intensified" (honors) classes across the board for his last year in MS, in science, math (geometry and algebra II), social studies (geography for HS credit), English and band. He's also going into his 3rd year of Chinese at the school. He's taken band as a daily class since 6th grade, learned to play a brass instrument well for free. For the most part, his teachers are strong, experienced, older, been at the school for many years. Admins tell me that intensified classes outside math will be available to younger son starting in 7th grade, a new county initiative.

At the several DCPS middle schools in Ward 6, which my ex and I considered, the only definite honors classes I heard about are for math, and maybe grade-level English at Stuart Hobson. If Arlington middle schools aren't good, where are they good in this area, other than the super duper GT test-in programs in Fairfax and MoCo serving less than 10% of students? Arlington doesn't have test-in GT, DCPS either of course.

A lot of UMC in Ward 6 have kids at BASIS, which starts in 5th. True, you have to get accepted in 5th grade and it gets harder each year (easier with sibling preference).

There are other options in DC as well:

https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/middle-schools/district-of-columbia

Other than maybe Williamsburg or Swanson, it doesn't seem like Arlington has very good options.

This CH mom with kids in a public MS in Arlington, where my ex lives, doesn't agree. My boys aren't at Williamsburg, Swanson or Dorothy Hamm. Every Arlington MS teaches MS math on a par with that at BASIS, offers robust foreign language options (from 6th grade, and not just at the beginning level), serious electives and a full menu of core honors classes in 8th grade (and 7th grade from SY 2024-25). My kids' biggest classes have two dozen kids. Their writing classes (separate from reading classes) have no more than 15 students. They can take like ASL, orchestra, chorus, band, cooking, forensics or science competition prep as electives daily. Their school has giant playing fields/courts, a greenhouse and a large vegetable garden, an indoor track, a student run TV station, a modern theater/stage, and giant gym and library. I've worked as a consultant in the miserable BASIS building and know it well.

That sounds like a lot of unsupported rhetoric. What school and what is the data supporting your claims?

Unsupported rhetoric is silly. Thomas Jefferson, the smallest of the six with around 800 students. The auditorium and indoor track are shared with the county. Jefferson is the only Arlington MS offering the IB Middle Years Curriculum, feeding into the Washington-Liberty IBD program. The school requires languages from 6th grade and teaches more languages than the other schools. All Arlington middle schools permit students to take math up to two years ahead of the curriculum. I get emails from the county announcing the roll-out of 8th grade intensified classes, followed by the roll out of 7th grade intensified classes the following school year. We've signed up for 8th grade intensified classes for sci, math, social studies and English.

Only about 15% of Arlington middle school students currently take Algebra I in 7th grade. We'll see how that changes.

BASIS DC requires that 100% of students take at least Algebra and Geometry I in 7th grade. In fact, some 7th grade students take Algebra and Geometry II, Precalc B, or Precalc AB.

The arrangement isn't nearly as rosy as you make it sound, doesn't give a true picture. My BASIS middle school grad was forced to repeat a lot of algebra and geometry in 9th grade at a top private, although he'd always earned good math grades at BASIS. He was pushed to accelerate in math too fast at BASIS, with no way out. I've heard the same story from many other BASIS parents, particularly those who moved onto Walls or suburban high schools. I know that the percentage of MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax MS students taking Algebra in 7th grade is way down from 10 years ago, for good reason. Those counties took a hard look at what aggressive middle school math acceleration for most had wrought in high school and ratcheted it back. Based on our experience, it would behoove BASIS to follow suit, unless DC were to set up elementary school math GT programs that fed into BASIS!

This. There is no point in acceleration if you have not mastered the content. Too many kids in public schools have a superficial understanding of math and are just accelerated because that is the easy way. Instead you should focus on depth of material and getting a good foundation.

This is why many privates don’t accelerate and focus on depth of material and why many public school kids flounder and struggle when they transition to privates.

Good for Arlington and other school districts to acknowledge it and course correct.

College prof in STEM here. Math abilities of incoming students has had a secular decline for the last decade which turned into a crash following covid. Yet, all the kids claim to have done well in high school math, but struggle to do basic manipulation of exponents and logarithms and often mess up the rules of algebra. Honestly the the only decent check of math ability seems to be those who tested out of college math with a 5 on AP Calc BC. Anything else is just a joke.

[Anonymous]

Homeschooling is one option, throw in some online classes, a team sport and pick whatever form of art kid likes after exploring a few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

What is your basis for arguing this? I live on the Hill while my ex lives in Arlington. We split custody. I like the neighborhood MS my boys attend in Arlington, although it's not one of the several with the "most favorable demographics." My rising 8th grader has earned the grades to enroll in "intensified" (honors) classes across the board for his last year in MS, in science, math (geometry and algebra II), social studies (geography for HS credit), English and band. He's also going into his 3rd year of Chinese at the school. He's taken band as a daily class since 6th grade, learned to play a brass instrument well for free. For the most part, his teachers are strong, experienced, older, been at the school for many years. Admins tell me that intensified classes outside math will be available to younger son starting in 7th grade, a new county initiative.

At the several DCPS middle schools in Ward 6, which my ex and I considered, the only definite honors classes I heard about are for math, and maybe grade-level English at Stuart Hobson. If Arlington middle schools aren't good, where are they good in this area, other than the super duper GT test-in programs in Fairfax and MoCo serving less than 10% of students? Arlington doesn't have test-in GT, DCPS either of course.

A lot of UMC in Ward 6 have kids at BASIS, which starts in 5th. True, you have to get accepted in 5th grade and it gets harder each year (easier with sibling preference).

There are other options in DC as well:

https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/middle-schools/district-of-columbia

Other than maybe Williamsburg or Swanson, it doesn't seem like Arlington has very good options.

This CH mom with kids in a public MS in Arlington, where my ex lives, doesn't agree. My boys aren't at Williamsburg, Swanson or Dorothy Hamm. Every Arlington MS teaches MS math on a par with that at BASIS, offers robust foreign language options (from 6th grade, and not just at the beginning level), serious electives and a full menu of core honors classes in 8th grade (and 7th grade from SY 2024-25). My kids' biggest classes have two dozen kids. Their writing classes (separate from reading classes) have no more than 15 students. They can take like ASL, orchestra, chorus, band, cooking, forensics or science competition prep as electives daily. Their school has giant playing fields/courts, a greenhouse and a large vegetable garden, an indoor track, a student run TV station, a modern theater/stage, and giant gym and library. I've worked as a consultant in the miserable BASIS building and know it well.

That sounds like a lot of unsupported rhetoric. What school and what is the data supporting your claims?

Unsupported rhetoric is silly. Thomas Jefferson, the smallest of the six with around 800 students. The auditorium and indoor track are shared with the county. Jefferson is the only Arlington MS offering the IB Middle Years Curriculum, feeding into the Washington-Liberty IBD program. The school requires languages from 6th grade and teaches more languages than the other schools. All Arlington middle schools permit students to take math up to two years ahead of the curriculum. I get emails from the county announcing the roll-out of 8th grade intensified classes, followed by the roll out of 7th grade intensified classes the following school year. We've signed up for 8th grade intensified classes for sci, math, social studies and English.

Only about 15% of Arlington middle school students currently take Algebra I in 7th grade. We'll see how that changes.

BASIS DC requires that 100% of students take at least Algebra and Geometry I in 7th grade. In fact, some 7th grade students take Algebra and Geometry II, Precalc B, or Precalc AB.

The arrangement isn't nearly as rosy as you make it sound, doesn't give a true picture. My BASIS middle school grad was forced to repeat a lot of algebra and geometry in 9th grade at a top private, although he'd always earned good math grades at BASIS. He was pushed to accelerate in math too fast at BASIS, with no way out. I've heard the same story from many other BASIS parents, particularly those who moved onto Walls or suburban high schools. I know that the percentage of MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax MS students taking Algebra in 7th grade is way down from 10 years ago, for good reason. Those counties took a hard look at what aggressive middle school math acceleration for most had wrought in high school and ratcheted it back. Based on our experience, it would behoove BASIS to follow suit, unless DC were to set up elementary school math GT programs that fed into BASIS!

Or at least BASIS should offer slower tracks. There is some advantages to having accelerated math, but only for the kids that can actually handle that.

The good thing is that BASIS is a DC-wide charter and parents can self-select if their kids will go. If you don't want an accelerated curriculum for your child, choose another school.

I used to work at BASIS so I know how unreasonable the above statement is. What BASIS does is dole out the Kool-Aid on math acceleration. They convince parents that all that's required of their children is hard work, claiming that most 12–13-year-olds can ace 7th grade algebra if they simply put nose to the grindstone. Parents fall for it, the kids diligently log their math homework time, and, for the most part, earn the requisite grades to progress in the BASIS curriculum. Problem is, the required math is a reach for most of these students, cutting into their time for subjects and activities they like more and are better at, chipping away at their self-esteem and, frankly, setting them up for greater math struggles up the chain. Because there is no acceptable alternative DC public middle school for most of these families to choose, parents and kids play along, scraping by with the math without necessarily building a solid foundation to handle more advanced math. Hanging in there on BASIS math is, after all, better than cutting and running to the burbs or stretching the family budget to the breaking point to pay for private school. Fundamentally, it's a poorly thought through arrangement that does a disservice to all involved. I blame DCPS more than BASIS, for continuing to pour crazy resources into snazzy middle and high school buildings that remain undersubscribed for lack of demand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

There's some poster who is convinced there are >150 properties on the Hill for sale for less than $1m. That doesn't seem right to me, but I'm not going to waste my time checking. She has some crazy notion that there are endless cheap options on the Hill, but nothing at all is affordable in Arlington. (Of course her reference for Arlington is that nothing is listed the last week of July--literally the worst time to look for real estate in the DMV.).

“I don’t believe you and I’m not going to check but you’re wrong for sure.”

truly amazing

I checked. There is exactly 1 (one) 3 bedroom home on Capitol Hill under a million dollars. One. And the reason for the low price has mostly to do with the condition of the home. If you remove the filter for 3 bedrooms and choose 2 bedrooms and up, there are 5 homes for sale, and 4 of them are condos.

So whoever you are, stop being crazy and pretending there are tons of homes on the hill for sale for under a million. I wish there were- I would happily buy one!

Huh? You’re not using Redfin correctly or you have a very restricted definition of Capitol Hill. Try again because you’re wrong.

Signed, someone who will be selling a Maury-zoned house soon for around 900k.

NP. Out of morbid curiosity, I just looked on Redfin for 3 beds 2 bath on the Hill sold for under $1 million in the last 6 months. I came up with 7 properties, four of which sold for over $950k.

Who said we all live in 3br/2ba homes? And you’re probably not searching the entire SH/EH cachement (an extended definition of the Hill).

The reason this line of discussion came up here is to point out that “move to N Arlington where the schools are better” is not financially feasible for many Hill families facing down MS/HS (or upper elementary in the case of some schools). Many of us do not live in $1mil houses. Cashing out our home equity means either a) moving way out to Fairfax to get “good” schools or b) making a trade up to MoCo where it’s arguable whether the DCC HS are that much of an upgrade over waiting to see if something works out in DC.

Uhm, the EH boundary includes the entire Maury, Miner & Payne boundaries… That is way beyond even an extended definition of Capitol Hill. All the way out at like 24th & Benning?? No wonder people are saying CH real estate is cheap. CH means the Historic district + maybe out to the Starburst in NE & Congressional Cemetery in SE if we’re going with outer boundaries of neighborhood feel. In no world is 21st & anything “Capitol Hill.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people on CH can’t afford to move or go private, so they are really stuck. However there are more charter high schools than the ones DCUM finds acceptable and many families I know send their kids to these high schools.

Total BS. Whether a family rents or buys on CH, the same money spent on rent and equity/mortgage payments could be spent on housing in the DC burbs. No middle-class family is stuck with mediocre or bad schooling options in Ward 6.

No, housing is relatively cheaper on the Hill. Many of us can’t trade up that easily.

Cheaper as compared to where? North and Central Arlington 3-bedroom houses and Hill houses are priced comparably (we've done lots of searching). Same with 3-bedroom rentals. Almost all of Fairfax and Falls Church and at least half of MoCo are cheaper than the Hill.

Not for schools that are clearly better.

NW DC, Arlington, Falls Church and MoCo zoned for the “good” schools have almosr nothing under $1m. 20002/20003 currently have 150+ 2br+ properties for under $1 mil. Fairfax is better but you start getting really deep into the burbs and trading off time for money.

This leaves families contemplating a move to the DCC or Richard Montgomery HS. At that point many Hill families will stick it out a bit longer to hope that Walls or McKinley or a cheaper Catholic HS will work out.

You keep saying this. But you've been told over and over again that things sell quickly in these areas so you just won't ever see lots of inventory at any price point. (At least not in the 7 years I've lived in Arlington.) There are never ever 150+ properties on the market in a single price range. You have to watch when things come up and pounce. It doesn't mean that there aren't options. It just means that they don't sit around.

This is not even remotely limited to Arlington. Houses in the Dc area sell fast. And i don’t know where you’re finding homes under 1 million on Capitol Hill. They don’t really exist.

As a final note- Arlington middle schools are not good.

There's some poster who is convinced there are >150 properties on the Hill for sale for less than $1m. That doesn't seem right to me, but I'm not going to waste my time checking. She has some crazy notion that there are endless cheap options on the Hill, but nothing at all is affordable in Arlington. (Of course her reference for Arlington is that nothing is listed the last week of July--literally the worst time to look for real estate in the DMV.).

“I don’t believe you and I’m not going to check but you’re wrong for sure.”

truly amazing

I checked. There is exactly 1 (one) 3 bedroom home on Capitol Hill under a million dollars. One. And the reason for the low price has mostly to do with the condition of the home. If you remove the filter for 3 bedrooms and choose 2 bedrooms and up, there are 5 homes for sale, and 4 of them are condos.

So whoever you are, stop being crazy and pretending there are tons of homes on the hill for sale for under a million. I wish there were- I would happily buy one!

Huh? You’re not using Redfin correctly or you have a very restricted definition of Capitol Hill. Try again because you’re wrong.

Signed, someone who will be selling a Maury-zoned house soon for around 900k.

NP. Out of morbid curiosity, I just looked on Redfin for 3 beds 2 bath on the Hill sold for under $1 million in the last 6 months. I came up with 7 properties, four of which sold for over $950k.

Who said we all live in 3br/2ba homes? And you’re probably not searching the entire SH/EH cachement (an extended definition of the Hill).

The reason this line of discussion came up here is to point out that “move to N Arlington where the schools are better” is not financially feasible for many Hill families facing down MS/HS (or upper elementary in the case of some schools). Many of us do not live in $1mil houses. Cashing out our home equity means either a) moving way out to Fairfax to get “good” schools or b) making a trade up to MoCo where it’s arguable whether the DCC HS are that much of an upgrade over waiting to see if something works out in DC.

Uhm, the EH boundary includes the entire Maury, Miner & Payne boundaries… That is way beyond even an extended definition of Capitol Hill. All the way out at like 24th & Benning?? No wonder people are saying CH real estate is cheap. CH means the Historic district + maybe out to the Starburst in NE & Congressional Cemetery in SE if we’re going with outer boundaries of neighborhood feel. In no world is 21st & anything “Capitol Hill.”

Most Payne and Maury families and many Miner consider themselves “Capitol Hill” families. And the situation is the same because we all face the same MS/HS dilemma. But sure, if you want to define away the problem, go ahead ….