DMV Sticker Shock Advice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont know the routes that people take. But I have a door to door commute of 20 minutes from Upper NW DC (20016). I drive and I am earlyish (7 am) but it is 30 min in rush hour and those times are to both Southwest DC and Chinatown. It would take longer to metro but that is true from anywhere. I think you should be aware of the bridge factor if choosing NOVA. I think Arlington is a great area with great schools but I think the areas where it is a shorter commute to areas of DC are limited.

OP wants to keep her kid in a gifted program, though. Does DCPS have a gifted program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I’m not sure this is the place for you. I mean that in the nicest way possible. It sounds like you have a great life in FL and would be giving it up solely for more money - but why, when you already live totally comfortably?

I don’t think you’re even going to be able to find the kind of budget housing you’re looking for AND be happy with the school options.

I feel a little bad for OP. can you imagine the thrill of thinking your HHI is going to quadruple and you will be able to get the hell out of Jacksonville and then realizing it will mostly get eaten up by HCOL? Depressing AF.

[Anonymous]

For your budget, you should be just fine. I was worried for you, but that rental/mortgage budget will definitely buy you something here.

You could buy in Arlington if you are fine with a not-new, not-huge house on a not-large plot of land. The commute would be great and the schools are good. Same with McLean or City of Falls Church - just a bit farther out.

I've been taking Metro to DC from Fairfax and Arlington for 20+ years and prefer it to driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For your budget, you should be just fine. I was worried for you, but that rental/mortgage budget will definitely buy you something here.

You could buy in Arlington if you are fine with a not-new, not-huge house on a not-large plot of land. The commute would be great and the schools are good. Same with McLean or City of Falls Church - just a bit farther out.

I've been taking Metro to DC from Fairfax and Arlington for 20+ years and prefer it to driving.

N. Arlington would be my suggestion as well, but APS doesn’t have the kind of gifted program I think OP is looking for. Maybe in the West Falls Church area of FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:Only federal taxes currently in Florida. As I understand it, Virginia has state and federal income taxes and Maryland has state, federal, AND local income taxes.

Current dual HHI is mid 100s. I would guess we're at about 30%ish tax rate.

We currently pay around $1000 a month in child care between before/after school for DD and fulltime care (55 hours a week) for DS. I am aware that I'll be looking at $1000 a WEEK moving there.

Whoa..$1000 a month for all that care! Our nanny cost us $40K annually (2 kids)[co-workers in DC pay about $1200 per preschooler in daycare], and then my oldest also had PT preschool and summer camps and other activities (e.g., gymnastics). I think we easily spent $50K in the last year before oldest entered K. Now we pay $25K for montessori that gets out before June but includes before and after care.

How much did you say you would be making by moving here? I know tons of families who make under $300K in this area and not saving much b/c of high cost of housing plus daycare/childcare for 2 kids. if you can pay $900 for housing and less than $1000 a month for child care plus your kid is in a gifted and talented program where you are at, I would seriously reconsider moving.

agree

Cheap housing isn’t everything in life! Jacksonville is inexpensive for a reason. There is a ton of land and people have to use their car multiple times a day. There aren’t as many high paying job opportunities. There are a lot of dumb people. Many people will gladly pay a premium to live in a vibrant city around driven and smart people and not be forced to drive a car to get their fat as$ around.

+1. I'm the upper NW poster w/immediate family members in Jacksonville. I would never consider living there. One of my family members is older so likes the warm weather. The other is under water so can't sell his place. I think the DC area has a lot going for it in terms of culture, art, museums, uber-educated populace with interesting professions, variety of cuisine, etc. relative to JAX.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For your budget, you should be just fine. I was worried for you, but that rental/mortgage budget will definitely buy you something here.

You could buy in Arlington if you are fine with a not-new, not-huge house on a not-large plot of land. The commute would be great and the schools are good. Same with McLean or City of Falls Church - just a bit farther out.

I've been taking Metro to DC from Fairfax and Arlington for 20+ years and prefer it to driving.

N. Arlington would be my suggestion as well, but APS doesn’t have the kind of gifted program I think OP is looking for. Maybe in the West Falls Church area of FCPS.

Not to put too fine a point on it but the elementary population in Arlington, particularly North Arlington is comprised of children of highly-educated and high-achieving parents. I don't think that there is as much of a difference between the general programs in APS and the advanced programs in Jacksonville. At least at the age OP's kids are in. Outcomes will be similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For your budget, you should be just fine. I was worried for you, but that rental/mortgage budget will definitely buy you something here.

You could buy in Arlington if you are fine with a not-new, not-huge house on a not-large plot of land. The commute would be great and the schools are good. Same with McLean or City of Falls Church - just a bit farther out.

I've been taking Metro to DC from Fairfax and Arlington for 20+ years and prefer it to driving.

N. Arlington would be my suggestion as well, but APS doesn’t have the kind of gifted program I think OP is looking for. Maybe in the West Falls Church area of FCPS.

Not to put too fine a point on it but the elementary population in Arlington, particularly North Arlington is comprised of children of highly-educated and high-achieving parents. I don't think that there is as much of a difference between the general programs in APS and the advanced programs in Jacksonville. At least at the age OP's kids are in. Outcomes will be similar.

Agree, and the same will be true for the best elementary schools in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI: my kids are in DCPS at a school that a lot of people like. There’s no TAG/whatever but I’d say nearly all the kids would have been in the GATE program I attended in elementary. These are all bright kids whose parents care about their education. People’s expectations here are just SO different from where I grew up that I think you could send your kids to many schools without an explicit AAP program and expect them to be challenged.

And FWIW, your husband’s commute from here (we are on Capitol Hill) would be a breeze by Metro, car, or bus.

Since you’re willing to live in less that 2000 feet, DC might not be a bad fit at all.

di you have rent range for your school area? Thanks

Op here. Houses like mine rent for 3200-3600 per month. Smaller ones are just under 3000. Really nice, large houses zoned for Brent are 4500 and up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For your budget, you should be just fine. I was worried for you, but that rental/mortgage budget will definitely buy you something here.

You could buy in Arlington if you are fine with a not-new, not-huge house on a not-large plot of land. The commute would be great and the schools are good. Same with McLean or City of Falls Church - just a bit farther out.

I've been taking Metro to DC from Fairfax and Arlington for 20+ years and prefer it to driving.

N. Arlington would be my suggestion as well, but APS doesn’t have the kind of gifted program I think OP is looking for. Maybe in the West Falls Church area of FCPS.

Not to put too fine a point on it but the elementary population in Arlington, particularly North Arlington is comprised of children of highly-educated and high-achieving parents. I don't think that there is as much of a difference between the general programs in APS and the advanced programs in Jacksonville. At least at the age OP's kids are in. Outcomes will be similar.

Ditto for DCPS Wilson feeder schools and a few outside of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about OP's DH's career. He was making around 75k in FL but got headhunted to make 3x that up here..225k-ish? That is a huge salary jump. I think I'm in the wrong field.

Where did you see his salary went from 75k to 225k? That actually makes the move much less attractive. I assumed the numbers were twice that

Though leaving Jax I can see...

https://youtu.be/l59ItK6d-wQ

[ikornika]

Anonymous wrote:
Cheap housing isn’t everything in life! Jacksonville is inexpensive for a reason. There is a ton of land and people have to use their car multiple times a day. There aren’t as many high paying job opportunities. There are a lot of dumb people. Many people will gladly pay a premium to live in a vibrant city around driven and smart people and not be forced to drive a car to get their fat as$ around.

This!

We've been in Jacksonville for just over two years now, having returned to help my father rehab after quadruple bypass.

The cost of living is amazing but we were previously in South Florida and I took a $20k pay cut coming to Jacksonville. It was a lateral move for my husband. Our house was much smaller in South Florida vs Jacksonville but I preferred it to how large our house is now. (It's impossible to keep clean and we only use about half the space we have.)

I'm very much looking forward to DC for the vibrancy and access to public transportation. If I worked and stayed in the same field, a quick Indeed search indicates I'd be back at or exceeding the pay I received in South Florida, though as mentioned earlier, I'd love to leverage my skills into non-profit work.

So ... it appears after spending time on this board, my wants don't align with what's realistic but that just means that a little more research is required and a mental rearrangement of what we're willing to sacrifice/gain.

But, you don't know what you don't know. Now I know!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems kind of crazy to leave a nice house with good schools at $900/mo to move here.

+1 I'm not sure moving here will make your life better. I'd come here, visit, research and really think about it. A giant raise is going to get eaten up by housing, daycare, aftercare etc. costs. IT is a very different lifestyle and not necessarily one I'd want to deal with if I hadn't grown up here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I’m not sure this is the place for you. I mean that in the nicest way possible. It sounds like you have a great life in FL and would be giving it up solely for more money - but why, when you already live totally comfortably?

I don’t think you’re even going to be able to find the kind of budget housing you’re looking for AND be happy with the school options.

I kind of agree. He will make 3x more money, but you are going to spend 4x more on housing, you pay no income taxes. Sounds like you have a school that you like. Why come up here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I’m not sure this is the place for you. I mean that in the nicest way possible. It sounds like you have a great life in FL and would be giving it up solely for more money - but why, when you already live totally comfortably?

I don’t think you’re even going to be able to find the kind of budget housing you’re looking for AND be happy with the school options.

I kind of agree. He will make 3x more money, but you are going to spend 4x more on housing, you pay no income taxes. Sounds like you have a school that you like. Why come up here?

Yeah, I posted that. Between having to pay state/DC income tax and multiplying their budget for housing by 4, there won’t be any sort of net gain. OP should only do this if they are truly interested in the DC area, or else they will quickly become miserable with the reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I’m not sure this is the place for you. I mean that in the nicest way possible. It sounds like you have a great life in FL and would be giving it up solely for more money - but why, when you already live totally comfortably?

I don’t think you’re even going to be able to find the kind of budget housing you’re looking for AND be happy with the school options.

I kind of agree. He will make 3x more money, but you are going to spend 4x more on housing, you pay no income taxes. Sounds like you have a school that you like. Why come up here?

Yeah, I posted that. Between having to pay state/DC income tax and multiplying their budget for housing by 4, there won’t be any sort of net gain. OP should only do this if they are truly interested in the DC area, or else they will quickly become miserable with the reality.

Different poster and I am sort of confused by OP's posts about how much their income will increase. If, as another poster stated, they are going from 75k to 225k, I actually would not move. Yes, that seems like a lot of money, but it's actually not. And I say that as someone whose family makes around 200k in this area.