Where would you live for 1M

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not know about schools but the area near Middleburg, VA is gorgeous!! There are some houses that go for around 800-900k but the newly renovated ones can go for much higher. It would be a slower pace of living for sure but around 1 hour outside of DC.

It can be a pretty long commute to the middle and high schools, which are both in the middle of Purcellville. If you like western Loudoun I would recommend Purcellville itself, or you could go for the southern side of Purcellville to be half-way between Purcellville and Middleburg but not as far from the schools. Great area to live and doable at this price point (although of course it can be much more $$ too).

[Anonymous]

OP here -

I'm loving the looks of severna park!

For more context, we live close in, in an expensive house. I'm trying to convince my Husband there is still life further out and we can reduce our cost of living significantly (and therefore I can stay home with the kids for a few years). Living close to DC was important pre-pandemic but not so much now that we aren't commuting in often. We definitely need a sense of community and soul though (I'd love a downtown/access to restaurants/coffee shops), and we don't want neighbors too far away (no horse country) -- it is importantly for us to have a neighborhood where you see kids running around outside together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -

I'm loving the looks of severna park!

For more context, we live close in, in an expensive house. I'm trying to convince my Husband there is still life further out and we can reduce our cost of living significantly (and therefore I can stay home with the kids for a few years). Living close to DC was important pre-pandemic but not so much now that we aren't commuting in often. We definitely need a sense of community and soul though (I'd love a downtown/access to restaurants/coffee shops), and we don't want neighbors too far away (no horse country) -- it is importantly for us to have a neighborhood where you see kids running around outside together.

We did this, OP. Very happy.

I love Severna Park as well and really the whole Annapolis area, but ended up finding more of what we were looking for in Howard County in terms of kids running around and the whole sidewalk/neighborhood vibe. Maple Lawn and Turf Valley offer that in spades, though the restaurants and such within walking distance aren't terribly interesting (though at least not all chains). Downtown Ellicott City is terrific; people often wait at Judge's Bench together (a very old-school bar/craft beer place) for their kids to get off at the bus, ha. Lots going on for families as well as just generally.

But you can't go wrong with Severna Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -

I'm loving the looks of severna park!

For more context, we live close in, in an expensive house. I'm trying to convince my Husband there is still life further out and we can reduce our cost of living significantly (and therefore I can stay home with the kids for a few years). Living close to DC was important pre-pandemic but not so much now that we aren't commuting in often. We definitely need a sense of community and soul though (I'd love a downtown/access to restaurants/coffee shops), and we don't want neighbors too far away (no horse country) -- it is importantly for us to have a neighborhood where you see kids running around outside together.

Middleburg. Your husband won’t feel like you’ve “downgraded” at all. The downtown is perfect for being a SAHM with young kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -

I'm loving the looks of severna park!

For more context, we live close in, in an expensive house. I'm trying to convince my Husband there is still life further out and we can reduce our cost of living significantly (and therefore I can stay home with the kids for a few years). Living close to DC was important pre-pandemic but not so much now that we aren't commuting in often. We definitely need a sense of community and soul though (I'd love a downtown/access to restaurants/coffee shops), and we don't want neighbors too far away (no horse country) -- it is importantly for us to have a neighborhood where you see kids running around outside together.

Middleburg. Your husband won’t feel like you’ve “downgraded” at all. The downtown is perfect for being a SAHM with young kids.

Also maybe Warrenton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -

I'm loving the looks of severna park!

For more context, we live close in, in an expensive house. I'm trying to convince my Husband there is still life further out and we can reduce our cost of living significantly (and therefore I can stay home with the kids for a few years). Living close to DC was important pre-pandemic but not so much now that we aren't commuting in often. We definitely need a sense of community and soul though (I'd love a downtown/access to restaurants/coffee shops), and we don't want neighbors too far away (no horse country) -- it is importantly for us to have a neighborhood where you see kids running around outside together.

Severna Park is overrated. I have experience with living in that area. The schools are actually really good, but there’s not really anything that distinguishes them from schools in the surrounding areas like Arnold, Crownsville, Edgewater, Gambrills, etc. SP schools enroll large fewest low-income students in AA County because the area entirely consists of SFHs. For some people, that’s what they mean when they say Severna Park schools are great, and that’s what draws them to the area. SPHS is >80% white, even whiter than whitest W school in MoCo. Like W schools in MoCo, Severna Park High is also known for being a pressure-cooker, and mental health issues/suicide is a problem that impacts the community. The area is very conservative for DC area standards. It’s technically purple, but during the 2020 election season there were massive crowds of Trump supporters hanging out alongside Ritchie Highway and harassing visibly LGBT people and teens every day leading up
to the 2020 election. Lots of SP residents pushed back against them, but that is still a very very significant part of the crowd that lives there. I’d recommend the Arnold area instead. Broadneck High School is just as good as Severna Park High School, but there’s a lot more racial and socio-economic diversity there and you’ll see a lot less of the social issues in SP there. South River High School is also a really good high school with homes near the water that is a lot more laidback than SPHS. Arundel and Crofton High Schools are a lot more racially diverse than all three and are very good schools, but they don’t have any homes with water access in their attendance areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd buy a $600k SFH in PG County, invest the other $400k, and send my kids to private school.

Cool story -- except for that whole 6500 dollar a month private school bill for 3 kids comes due. Better to invest in real estate within a good school district where you will actually get your investment back....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Close-in Silver Spring, 20910.

+1 and 20912 too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Close-in Silver Spring, 20910.

+1 and 20912 too

I wouldn't call Einstein Good or Great.

[Anonymous]

I'd go for Clarksville, MD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you find anything for $1M in Severna Park or Edgewater? I'd love to be near the bay!

Absolutely. We left DC for a new construction 5BR 3.5BA home in Severna Park with a current value of $1M. Great schools and we now also have a boat...heading out to pick my kids up from sailing camp in a few minutes. Yes, I'd definitely love more liberal neighbors and more diversity but increasingly with freedom to work remotely there are a lot of DC families moving here. C'mon over!

[Anonymous]

I also agree that Crownsville is a nicer area than Severna Park, and it’s also around the water and closer to Downtown Annapolis as well. I’m not sure about the schools the kids there go to though. I think they go to either Arundel High School (great school) or Annapolis High School (not the greatest reputation, but still very good if your kid takes AP classes or does the IB program).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you find anything for $1M in Severna Park or Edgewater? I'd love to be near the bay!

Severna Park is not on the bay, it’s sandwiched between two rivers (Severn & Magothy). There’s also no public water access in Severna Park, and a 4 bed+ house in a waterfront or water access neighborhood in SP will be far more than $1M. Edgewater on the other hand, has plenty of nice homes in South River Landing, which is a gated, water access and waterfront community where you can find colonial style homes for as cheap as $850k and as expensive as $3M. South River Colony is also a really nice neighborhood that’s affordable on a $1M budget.

You can move to a water privileged neighborhood in Severna Park for way, way less than $1M. And even if you are in a non-water privileged neighborhood you can rent a slip at one of the many many private marinas. People are way more down to earth here than in the DC area. Yes, there are some very wealthy people in waterfront homes but the vast majority of people don't live in those homes and go to the excellent public schools.

Here are a few houses showing what you get for way less than $1M in water privileged neighborhoods with excellent schools:

- Berrywood - 2 marinas, neighborhood pools, multiple playgrounds https://www.redfin.com/MD/Severna-Park/354-Hartman-Dr-21146/home/10161477

- Whitehurst - wonderful neighborhood pool, marina, clubhouse, etc. House needs updating but what would $699k get you in Bethesda? https://www.redfin.com/MD/Severna-Park/300-White-Plains-Ct-21146/home/10310310

- Waterfront home for $950k https://www.redfin.com/MD/Severna-Park/394-Magothy-Rd-21146/home/180347113

- Cape Arthur - renovated split level in another water privileged community for $721k https://www.redfin.com/MD/Severna-Park/6-Linda-Ln-21146/home/10176511

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:crofton, severna park, arnold

waiting for the haters lol.

No hate, but I don’t get the love affair with Severna Park at all. It’s essentially just Pasadena but with a pool in the backyard. Outside of the very thin (and very expensive) waterfront line, all the housing is boring and generic, and the area lacks decent shopping or dining. The schools are great, but there’s other very good schools in Anne Arundel County as well. Unless you have $2M+ to afford a 4-bed waterfront house in a “community” where everyone’s isolated by driveways that are longer than the street itself & more than half the kids attend private schools, then you’re paying extra money to live in a very boring and generic area with very awful summer traffic. The arrogance that you encounter in Severna Park is insane and worse than what you’ll see in even Bethesda sometimes. Lots of people act way wealthier than they are. Some of the neighborhoods feel like a cult as well.

At $1M, I’d much rather look in Crofton, Odenton, Davidsonville, and Edgewater. beautiful homes for $1M in these areas in neighborhoods like Two Rivers, South River Colony, South River Landing, Eagles Passage, the Ridings at North Branch, or Wilson’s Grove. You’re much closer to decent shopping & dining—either in Annapolis or at Waugh Chapel, and you’re closer to water that is accessible to the public. The schools are all very good in these areas as well. Crownsville is also a much nicer area than Severna Park, but I’m not too sure about the schools in that area.

"no hate"?? It's just clear you actually haven't lived or spent time in Severna Park. Or Pasadena. There are plenty of affordable homes in Severna Park, Arnold, and Cape St. Claire - we looked at all of these areas. Yes, it's pretty purple rather than typical Maryland blue - but Severna Park voted for Biden. In Pasadena Trump led by 20 or 30 points? People are also far more educated in SP - typical family is a couple both with college and/or grad degrees, very commonly working in federal government (many at the NSA), earning maybe $150-300k per household. Every other house has a boat in the driveway and neighborhood life centers around the swimming pool and the boat dock. Baltimore is 30 min away and DC an hour. Nearly everyone is into fishing, boating, kayaking and everyone is crazy about sports. There's a big community around the environment and protecting the Bay. And yeah, boat guys with Trump flags. The dems don't have flags, but there are actually more of them. Overall people are way less obsessed with their jobs than in the the DC area and way more down to earth and just pretty much into their kids and friends. And always the boats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Close-in Silver Spring, 20910.

+1 and 20912 too

I wouldn't call Einstein Good or Great.

20912 isn’t Einstein zoned. But 20902 is (at least part of it) and it’s awesome!