When Did MoCo Fall Off the Map

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can buy much more house for your money in Howard than you can in Montgomery County. The county ranks higher in wealth because it does not have high densities of subsidized housing, lower income, or even just mid priced denser apartments, condos, and townhomes. It has nothing to do with the schools just the residential developments.

Residential development follows good schools.

[Anonymous]

"You couldn't pay me to live in Howard County. It can't compare to the quality of life you find in Bethesda, with all of DC just a short metro ride away. "

If you have enough money or the good fortune to have bought a good while ago to let you live in Bethesda then you are not the type of family that would be house hunting in Howard (assuming you work in or near DC). Howard is a nice place for those that don't have the luxury of choosing the closet in and nicest suburbs to live in. (I don't live there but have many friends who do and I heard wonderful thigns about the schools as well as crime rates - this is compared to where I live in the eastern part of MoCo.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You couldn't pay me to live in Howard County. It can't compare to the quality of life you find in Bethesda, with all of DC just a short metro ride away.

No one from Ho Co is actually crying over your statement. Your definition of quality is quite different from those who prefer a more family-oriented atmosphere.

Parts west are zoned for an acre or more, which means there will be little over-development. So if you're looking at Glenwood/Glenelg, parts of Clarksville, Highlant, and West Friendship, it will never become densely populated. Parts east and south, like Columbia, Fulton, and Elkridge, attract more people b/c of proximity to major roads and cities.

Columbia is very diverse. Maple Lawn in Fulton, while somewhat diverse as far as ethnicity is concerned, definitely draws in those in the upper income brackets.

So Ho Co is mixed.

Mo Co is definitely a sinking ship, and sadly, people are leaving Mo Co and heading over to Ho Co b/c of the school system.

So unless you do your research, don't knock Ho Co. In a few years, I doubt you'll be so thrilled with where you live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:.

Mo Co is definitely a sinking ship, and sadly, people are leaving Mo Co and heading over to Ho Co b/c of the school system.

So unless you do your research, don't knock Ho Co. In a few years, I doubt you'll be so thrilled with where you live.

I can't work out who all these people are knocking MoCo, or what their agenda is. They seem to be arguing that it is both too expensive and too cheap at the same time.
Sounds like sour grapes to me.

[Anonymous]

You can buy more for your money because it is farther out from DC than MC and has much less access to public transportation...it is a market system. Housing prices are lower in HC because the demand is higher in MC. Maybe MC will become one big low income housing community and the values will sink. But for now that is not the case..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You can buy much more house for your money in Howard than you can in Montgomery County. The county ranks higher in wealth because it does not have high densities of subsidized housing, lower income, or even just mid priced denser apartments, condos, and townhomes. It has nothing to do with the schools just the residential developments.

Residential development follows good schools.

The Howard county schools are not very good. Seriously, if you want public school you are better off with Montgomery County not Howard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can buy more for your money because it is farther out from DC than MC and has much less access to public transportation...it is a market system. Housing prices are lower in HC because the demand is higher in MC. Maybe MC will become one big low income housing community and the values will sink. But for now that is not the case..

Isn't Howard wealthier on average than MoCo now? From what I understand, there's a higher percentage of people there with high incomes than in MoCo. It's probably only someone who lives in Bethesda or Potomac who can make the case that MoCo's appeal has not declined.

[Anonymous]

Housing Values and wealth are not synonomous...MC housing prices are not lower than HC. HC does not have a Potomac, a Chevy Chase, a Potomac..

[Anonymous]

can't work out who all these people are knocking MoCo, or what their agenda is. They seem to be arguing that it is both too expensive and too cheap at the same time.

The problem is that there isn't much middle ground. You have really expensive houses w/ great schools and low populations of the students most likely to put the greatest demands on teachers' time (e.g. Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac) and then you have cheaper housing that's more readily available in the Eastern and northern parts of the county. In th eEastern section at least, the "too cheap" is both a benefit but also a problem becuase there are very very large populations of FARMS and ESOL kids concentrated into those areas for schools to have to tackle.

[Anonymous]

"In th eEastern section at least, the "too cheap" is both a benefit but also a problem becuase there are very very large populations of FARMS and ESOL kids concentrated into those areas for schools to have to tackle. '

Those schools with higher FARMs and ESOL populations are resourced accordingly. Guessing you don't live in the downcounty area if you are making such a blanket statement about "the problem." Really, your advantaged child will do just fine wherever they land in moco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You can buy much more house for your money in Howard than you can in Montgomery County. The county ranks higher in wealth because it does not have high densities of subsidized housing, lower income, or even just mid priced denser apartments, condos, and townhomes. It has nothing to do with the schools just the residential developments.

Residential development follows good schools.

The Howard county schools are not very good. Seriously, if you want public school you are better off with Montgomery County not Howard.

LOL! Are you kidding? Howard County schools rank better than MoCo in most categories. These are the two that have topped state rankings for at least the past 25 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"In th eEastern section at least, the "too cheap" is both a benefit but also a problem becuase there are very very large populations of FARMS and ESOL kids concentrated into those areas for schools to have to tackle. '

Those schools with higher FARMs and ESOL populations are resourced accordingly. Guessing you don't live in the downcounty area if you are making such a blanket statement about "the problem." Really, your advantaged child will do just fine wherever they land in moco.

Actually I disagree completely with this statement. If you child is GT or you child has an IEP you kid will do great in MoCo but if you kid is average he will most likely fall through the cracks unless you have time to be a overinvolved parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You can buy much more house for your money in Howard than you can in Montgomery County. The county ranks higher in wealth because it does not have high densities of subsidized housing, lower income, or even just mid priced denser apartments, condos, and townhomes. It has nothing to do with the schools just the residential developments.

Residential development follows good schools.

The Howard county schools are not very good. Seriously, if you want public school you are better off with Montgomery County not Howard.

[Anonymous]

http://www.publicschoolreview.com/high_schools/stateid/MD

Montgomery 88 % (graduation rate)
Howard 95 %

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You can buy much more house for your money in Howard than you can in Montgomery County. The county ranks higher in wealth because it does not have high densities of subsidized housing, lower income, or even just mid priced denser apartments, condos, and townhomes. It has nothing to do with the schools just the residential developments.

Residential development follows good schools.

The Howard county schools are not very good. Seriously, if you want public school you are better off with Montgomery County not Howard.

[Anonymous]

I am sorry but wealthy walkable communities like parts of MoCo are always going to be more in demand than sprawling Mcmansions like those in much of Howard County where you are completely car dependent.