Buying and razing a home in Pimmit Hills

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, let's not make it sound as if it's the quality of construction that makes N. Arlington desirable. You can put a tent up your lawn, and it would still be desirable. Arlington's appeal has nothing to do with its quality of construction.

Which is exactly why Pimmit Hills will never stand a chance in comparison to places closer-in. Sure, it's better than Loudon County but it's still a heck of commute to the city.

Bullshit - my commute is 35 minutes to 45 minutes, door-to-door, and I work all the way across town almost in Northeast. You cannot tell me that you could get to judiciary square from Arlington in much less time - BULLSHITTTTTTT! It maybe takes you what - 10 minutes less than me? 15 minutes less on an AMAZING day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You say this yet new homes that come up for sale in PH get bought pretty quickly, even at $900K.

As for crap McMansions, do you think they design them specially for PH? NoVa is full of them. PH certainly holds no monopoly.

I say this without reference to North Arlington, as I think the comparison between it and PH is just silly. Two completely different places. But I think PH has its attractions that make this comparison unnecessary.

There are only a handful of homes in Pimmit Hills that have ever sold for over $900K, and few sold quickly.

PH does not have a monopoly on McMansions. It has a monopoly on local neighborhoods full of 1950s shacks and McMansions that its residents ridiculously tout as if it's somehow the next North Arlington.

The PH booster made the initial comparison to North Arlington, and it is indeed ridiculous. The all-brick 1930s colonials and 1940s Cape Cod in Arlington are much nicer than the 1950s houses in PH. So is most of the new construction in Arlington compared to what's thrown up in PH. It's absolutely ridiculous to suggest that people who could afford North Arlington would voluntarily choose to live in PH instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You say this yet new homes that come up for sale in PH get bought pretty quickly, even at $900K.

As for crap McMansions, do you think they design them specially for PH? NoVa is full of them. PH certainly holds no monopoly.

I say this without reference to North Arlington, as I think the comparison between it and PH is just silly. Two completely different places. But I think PH has its attractions that make this comparison unnecessary.

There are only a handful of homes in Pimmit Hills that have ever sold for over $900K, and few sold quickly.

PH does not have a monopoly on McMansions. It has a monopoly on local neighborhoods full of 1950s shacks and McMansions that its residents ridiculously tout as if it's somehow the next North Arlington.

The PH booster made the initial comparison to North Arlington, and it is indeed ridiculous. The all-brick 1930s colonials and 1940s Cape Cod in Arlington are much nicer than the 1950s houses in PH. So is most of the new construction in Arlington compared to what's thrown up in PH. It's absolutely ridiculous to suggest that people who could afford North Arlington would voluntarily choose to live in PH instead.

Why are you obsessed with $900k number? Many have sold less then that up until this year.

Of course the original PH homes are not as nice as Arlington and small but that is an advantage because you can tear it down easily and put in new houses.

I wouldn't be surprised if in the future PH would be mostly new homes.

One can make the arguement that PH being near the metro and tysons would be positioned to develop into something similar to North Arlington.

People forget how terrible N Arlington was before the metro came in during the late 70s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Why are you obsessed with $900k number? Many have sold less then that up until this year.

Of course the original PH homes are not as nice as Arlington and small but that is an advantage because you can tear it down easily and put in new houses.

I wouldn't be surprised if in the future PH would be mostly new homes.

One can make the arguement that PH being near the metro and tysons would be positioned to develop into something similar to North Arlington.

People forget how terrible N Arlington was before the metro came in during the late 70s.

I only picked $900 because the ugly house on Lunceford that hasn't sold yet is listed for over $900K. PH may be mostly new homes at some point, but that's decades away and the new construction is largely garbage, so that would be a mixed blessing. The better custom builders in Arlington have never set foot in Pimmit Hills.

People can't forget something that never happened. North Arlington was not "terrible" before Metro arrived. You're trying to sell that line so that people who see how crappy most of Pimmit Hills looks today will somehow decide it's the next Westover or Lyon Village. Nice try, but fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why are you obsessed with $900k number? Many have sold less then that up until this year.

Of course the original PH homes are not as nice as Arlington and small but that is an advantage because you can tear it down easily and put in new houses.

I wouldn't be surprised if in the future PH would be mostly new homes.

One can make the arguement that PH being near the metro and tysons would be positioned to develop into something similar to North Arlington.

People forget how terrible N Arlington was before the metro came in during the late 70s.

I only picked $900 because the ugly house on Lunceford that hasn't sold yet is listed for over $900K. PH may be mostly new homes at some point, but that's decades away and the new construction is largely garbage, so that would be a mixed blessing. The better custom builders in Arlington have never set foot in Pimmit Hills.

People can't forget something that never happened. North Arlington was not "terrible" before Metro arrived. You're trying to sell that line so that people who see how crappy most of Pimmit Hills looks today will somehow decide it's the next Westover or Lyon Village. Nice try, but fail.

North Arlington was terrible metro saved it, look at the historical presentations on the arlington website.

You can also note that the house on Lunceford is not built yet and in progress.

Oh look a house in arlington that's soo pretty
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2607-3rd-St-N-22201/home/40949393

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, let's not make it sound as if it's the quality of construction that makes N. Arlington desirable. You can put a tent up your lawn, and it would still be desirable. Arlington's appeal has nothing to do with its quality of construction.

Which is exactly why Pimmit Hills will never stand a chance in comparison to places closer-in. Sure, it's better than Loudon County but it's still a heck of commute to the city.

Bullshit - my commute is 35 minutes to 45 minutes, door-to-door, and I work all the way across town almost in Northeast. You cannot tell me that you could get to judiciary square from Arlington in much less time - BULLSHITTTTTTT! It maybe takes you what - 10 minutes less than me? 15 minutes less on an AMAZING day?

I would agree with this. I live in N. Arlington (about 1 mile from Ballston) and it takes my DH about 25-30 minutes to get into DC on an average day (14th and K). I commute the opposite direction to Tysons (work right on Rte. 7), and can make it there in 10-15 minutes from my house, depending on how I hit the lights. So, without figuring in traffic, I would agree that Pimmit Hills is about 10-15 minutes added commute than N. Arlington. And depending on where you live in N. Arlington (i.e. close to the McLean border), it might even be fairly comparable in distance.

[Anonymous]

Here's another similar home in north arlington that area all vinyl siding that recently sold. I don't get why all the hate for the home in PH.


http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/1213-N-Vernon-St-22201/home/11244117



Also don't you think that some of these N Arlington homes are bit over top odd?


http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2608-12th-St-N-22201/home/11254841

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
North Arlington was terrible metro saved it, look at the historical presentations on the arlington website.

You can also note that the house on Lunceford is not built yet and in progress.

Oh look a house in arlington that's soo pretty
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2607-3rd-St-N-22201/home/40949393

Nope. North Arlington was far nicer than Pimmit Hills then, and it's far nicer now. The commercial strips were run-down until Metro was completed, but then Pimmit Hills doesn't even have commercial areas to be redeveloped. It will just be a neighborhood of shacks and ugly McMansions for decades near something else planned in Tysons.

The house on Lunceford is in progress, but the pictures already posted make clear it's a cheap McMansion typical of PH construction over the past five years. The ugly house in Arlington is the exception there, but it's typical in PH.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you are not flipping, why not?

Many of the PH remodels/rebuilds are nicer than some other McLean ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
North Arlington was terrible metro saved it, look at the historical presentations on the arlington website.

You can also note that the house on Lunceford is not built yet and in progress.

Oh look a house in arlington that's soo pretty
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2607-3rd-St-N-22201/home/40949393

Nope. North Arlington was far nicer than Pimmit Hills then, and it's far nicer now. The commercial strips were run-down until Metro was completed, but then Pimmit Hills doesn't even have commercial areas to be redeveloped. It will just be a neighborhood of shacks and ugly McMansions for decades near something else planned in Tysons.

The house on Lunceford is in progress, but the pictures already posted make clear it's a cheap McMansion typical of PH construction over the past five years. The ugly house in Arlington is the exception there, but it's typical in PH.

more north arlington beauties

[Anonymous]

Stop with the comparisons already. Don't argue with idiots.

PH is not even nearly the same thing as North Arlington, nor will it ever be. That's not a bad thing. Arlington is a county with lots and lots of all kinds of things. PH is a little neighborhood of 1,600 homes. How can they even conceivably be compared?

PH doesn't have commercial strips. Amen to that. Residents consistently opposed anything other than SFH in the neighborhood, not even a church, and that's a good thing. It was never meant to be anything other than a SFH area. I like it that way.

The quality of construction argument is ridiculous. PH doesn't have a monopoly on McMansions, cheap construction or ugly houses. Take a brick box out of Arlington, put it anywhere else, and people won't hesitate to call it ugly. Pick any new house built in PH, look in Arlington, and you'll find dozens of its identical twin brothers and sisters. Again, they don't make them special for PH. And they look less annoying on larger lots in PH vs. staring into the windows of their neighboring properties in denser areas.

I don't know why people have to present neighborhoods as either all the things or none of the things. PH is a neat little neighborhood with affordable but ugly old houses, growing number of new houses, a great location, great schools, great parks and great commuting options. It's not the best thing there is. It's not an urban village. It's not cosmopolitan. It works for some people. It doesn't for some people - not because it's vile or evil but because we all like different thing and we all operate with different budgets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP, if you are not flipping, why not?

Many of the PH remodels/rebuilds are nicer than some other McLean ones.

"Many" would be a vast overstatement, but the silly PH boosters don't have a firm grip on reality.

As in Arlington, most new construction in McLean is quite nice, with some dogs. In Pimmit Hills, it's the opposite. So even if you build a nice house in Pimmit Hills, most of the surrounding homes will be ugly. The very top of the market in Pimmit Hills would be at best mid-market in North Arlington or McLean. That's not just a consideration for flippers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop with the comparisons already. Don't argue with idiots.

PH is not even nearly the same thing as North Arlington, nor will it ever be. That's not a bad thing. Arlington is a county with lots and lots of all kinds of things. PH is a little neighborhood of 1,600 homes. How can they even conceivably be compared?

PH doesn't have commercial strips. Amen to that. Residents consistently opposed anything other than SFH in the neighborhood, not even a church, and that's a good thing. It was never meant to be anything other than a SFH area. I like it that way.

The quality of construction argument is ridiculous. PH doesn't have a monopoly on McMansions, cheap construction or ugly houses. Take a brick box out of Arlington, put it anywhere else, and people won't hesitate to call it ugly. Pick any new house built in PH, look in Arlington, and you'll find dozens of its identical twin brothers and sisters. Again, they don't make them special for PH. And they look less annoying on larger lots in PH vs. staring into the windows of their neighboring properties in denser areas.

I don't know why people have to present neighborhoods as either all the things or none of the things. PH is a neat little neighborhood with affordable but ugly old houses, growing number of new houses, a great location, great schools, great parks and great commuting options. It's not the best thing there is. It's not an urban village. It's not cosmopolitan. It works for some people. It doesn't for some people - not because it's vile or evil but because we all like different thing and we all operate with different budgets.

You seem to be forgetting that it's the Pimmit booster who keeps arguing Pimmit Hills will be the next North Arlington.

The quality of new construction in North Arlington is far superior to that in Pimmit Hills, on average. The better builders in North Arlington have never built a house in Pimmit Hills. It's a different, higher-end market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop with the comparisons already. Don't argue with idiots.

PH is not even nearly the same thing as North Arlington, nor will it ever be. That's not a bad thing. Arlington is a county with lots and lots of all kinds of things. PH is a little neighborhood of 1,600 homes. How can they even conceivably be compared?

PH doesn't have commercial strips. Amen to that. Residents consistently opposed anything other than SFH in the neighborhood, not even a church, and that's a good thing. It was never meant to be anything other than a SFH area. I like it that way.

The quality of construction argument is ridiculous. PH doesn't have a monopoly on McMansions, cheap construction or ugly houses. Take a brick box out of Arlington, put it anywhere else, and people won't hesitate to call it ugly. Pick any new house built in PH, look in Arlington, and you'll find dozens of its identical twin brothers and sisters. Again, they don't make them special for PH. And they look less annoying on larger lots in PH vs. staring into the windows of their neighboring properties in denser areas.

I don't know why people have to present neighborhoods as either all the things or none of the things. PH is a neat little neighborhood with affordable but ugly old houses, growing number of new houses, a great location, great schools, great parks and great commuting options. It's not the best thing there is. It's not an urban village. It's not cosmopolitan. It works for some people. It doesn't for some people - not because it's vile or evil but because we all like different thing and we all operate with different budgets.

You seem to be forgetting that it's the Pimmit booster who keeps arguing Pimmit Hills will be the next North Arlington.

The quality of new construction in North Arlington is far superior to that in Pimmit Hills, on average. The better builders in North Arlington have never built a house in Pimmit Hills. It's a different, higher-end market.

Well, aren't we all out of first grade? Does it have to be about who started it? It's not OK to play a ridiculous game because someone else started it.

Of course the quality of construction in some North Arlington is superior to PH. The PH market will not support a $2M house; it's not a million-plus neighborhood, and N. Arlington is. Of course you can build a better house with a million an a half vs. $800K.

But it's not right to say that anything less expensive than top of the market is crap. Come on. You can build a perfectly good house with less than a million. It won't be as great as a 2-million house, but it won't be crap.

And again, PH has no monopoly on McMansions. Anything you see in PH you can find elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, aren't we all out of first grade? Does it have to be about who started it? It's not OK to play a ridiculous game because someone else started it.

Of course the quality of construction in some North Arlington is superior to PH. The PH market will not support a $2M house; it's not a million-plus neighborhood, and N. Arlington is. Of course you can build a better house with a million an a half vs. $800K.

But it's not right to say that anything less expensive than top of the market is crap. Come on. You can build a perfectly good house with less than a million. It won't be as great as a 2-million house, but it won't be crap.

And again, PH has no monopoly on McMansions. Anything you see in PH you can find elsewhere.

The usual pattern here is for a PH booster to start claiming PH is the next North Arlington, McLean or whatever. And then when someone points out that this is nuts, some other PH poster comes along and claims everyone is picking on PH, a modest neighborhood full of truly humble people just looking for a nice house with a reasonable commute. It's a very familiar tag-team effort.

So, yeah, the history here is quite relevant.

And again, PH has no monopoly on McMansions, but the comparisons to nicer areas like North Arlington are preposterous.