Buying a House/Raising Kids/Education in DC vs. MD vs. VA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Virginia has other schools than UVA and UVA. UMD doesn't compare to UVA. I say this as a parent in MD who would be thrilled if my kids could get in UVA.

Both are fine schools, but there's a whole lot of private universities out there that many would hope their kids can attend.

Not with privates heading towards $85K a year in after-tax dollars. The real press now is on the public university systems to meet the demand of its constituents. Almost all of the Virginia universities have been overenrolled for this fall so triples and quads are being forced at UVA, Virginia Tech, GMU, etc. The State of California has reacted to this press from Californian parents for more seats in its public school system to the point where now OOS will be limited to only 20% of student body including international. When parents realize there is a delta of anywhere from $45 to $60K a year in after-tax dollars between UVA and privates, they begin to see the need for sending children to Virginia's great public universities and saving the delta for grad school - which in many cases is now $100K per year.

[Anonymous]

VA - MD is too liberal and naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VA - MD is too liberal and naive.

MD. Too many people like the PP in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leaving DC for MD. Did not even consider VA.

1. Commute crosses water. Bottlenecks inevitable. The end.
2. All the fine VA institutions mentioned here (or even pointed to from a distance) are residential party campuses. No thanks.

Oh the ignorance on this forum! Let's see, any good real estate agent will tell you the commute from McLean to D.C. or Arlington to D.C. is preferable over anything in Maryland because VA has the George Washington Parkway which has no lights. You get on, speed into town )yes I see you Marylanders breaking the speed limit there daily because you figured it out) - the rest is a mess dowtown but that isn't due to Virginia. There is no "crossing of water" unless you consider that blip on the Roosevelt bridge to be a problem, which it rarely is. On the Maryland side you have to do a mess of a commute involving Conn. Ave., Wisconsin, the Clara Barton - all huge messes in the mornings with lights. You couldn't pay me to commute from Potomac or Bethesda into D.C.

Which Va institutions are "residential party campuses"? What a weird phrase! Do you even know how many public colleges and universities there are in Virginia? Did you know that UVA routinely now ranks 1, 2, or 3 against Berkeley and UCLA for best public university in the United States? (always above Michigan now) Did you know Virginia and California have the two best university systems in the United States and serve students from all walks of life? (no you don't because you are an elitist snob). Did you know that the median top 25% students at UVA and William and Mary have 4.44 GPAs? That it is becoming almost impossible to get in even if you are Ivy material (and especially from Nova). Do you even know about the terrific guarantee of admission to the top Virginia universities if you attend a community college, maintain a certain GPA and fulfill all the requirements? How many states offer that? Maryland certainly doesn't. And I'm dying to know which Virginia public universities are "residential party campuses" because I've taught on several of them and have had children attend. Maybe the private Wash. & Lee but I wouldn't pay to send my kid there anyhow.

To OP - you don't know how long you will be settled in your new home before you have to move again for whatever reason. One of the most important factors in resale value is public school system. Even if you go private, you will reap the benefits of being in the "Langley pyramid" or "McLean Pyramid" or any of the other xlnt public school systems in Virginia. Do your homework and find out where they are when you purchase because that WILL be a big issue when you go to sell.

Wow, you really really really want OP to move to VA.

[Anonymous]

I know several people in the same situation as you who enrolled their kids in Catholic schools ( all non-Catholics). One lucked out for Washington Latin so they are staying. The others are moving to VA for High school.

[Anonymous]

I am the parent of a 15 and 12 yo and live in DC where they attend upper nw schools. Now that college is 3 years away (it comes fast!) I regret not moving to VA when they were younger. VA has several good schools and the difference between in/out of state tuition is significant. Yes, there is TAG but it does not make up the difference. My 2 cents. Good luck however you decide.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda and Chevy Chase are nicer, more established neighborhoods than anything in Va, except for Old Town which has issues with schools.

No one, especially people with money, wanted to live in Arlington until recently. That's also why the houses are much nicer in Bethesda and CC and you aren't forced into a boxy $900k colonial that sold for $75,000 in the 1980s, like you are in Arlington. You can also notice the disparity in old growth trees; there aren't big trees in most neighborhoods in Arlington like there are in most parts of Bethesda and CC, especially the areas near Rock Creek Park. That seems like a minor distinction, but it adds to the character of a neighborhood.

You can also find good deals in CC relative to Arlington. This is a Tudor house on a quiet tree lined street, about a half mile from the DC line:

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Chevy-Chase/6812-Georgia-St-20815/home/10641693

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leaving DC for MD. Did not even consider VA.

1. Commute crosses water. Bottlenecks inevitable. The end.
2. All the fine VA institutions mentioned here (or even pointed to from a distance) are residential party campuses. No thanks.

Oh the ignorance on this forum! Let's see, any good real estate agent will tell you the commute from McLean to D.C. or Arlington to D.C. is preferable over anything in Maryland because VA has the George Washington Parkway which has no lights. You get on, speed into town )yes I see you Marylanders breaking the speed limit there daily because you figured it out) - the rest is a mess dowtown but that isn't due to Virginia. There is no "crossing of water" unless you consider that blip on the Roosevelt bridge to be a problem, which it rarely is. On the Maryland side you have to do a mess of a commute involving Conn. Ave., Wisconsin, the Clara Barton - all huge messes in the mornings with lights. You couldn't pay me to commute from Potomac or Bethesda into D.C.

Which Va institutions are "residential party campuses"? What a weird phrase! Do you even know how many public colleges and universities there are in Virginia? Did you know that UVA routinely now ranks 1, 2, or 3 against Berkeley and UCLA for best public university in the United States? (always above Michigan now) Did you know Virginia and California have the two best university systems in the United States and serve students from all walks of life? (no you don't because you are an elitist snob). Did you know that the median top 25% students at UVA and William and Mary have 4.44 GPAs? That it is becoming almost impossible to get in even if you are Ivy material (and especially from Nova). Do you even know about the terrific guarantee of admission to the top Virginia universities if you attend a community college, maintain a certain GPA and fulfill all the requirements? How many states offer that? Maryland certainly doesn't. And I'm dying to know which Virginia public universities are "residential party campuses" because I've taught on several of them and have had children attend. Maybe the private Wash. & Lee but I wouldn't pay to send my kid there anyhow.

To OP - you don't know how long you will be settled in your new home before you have to move again for whatever reason. One of the most important factors in resale value is public school system. Even if you go private, you will reap the benefits of being in the "Langley pyramid" or "McLean Pyramid" or any of the other xlnt public school systems in Virginia. Do your homework and find out where they are when you purchase because that WILL be a big issue when you go to sell.

Really? I live and work in DC, but am attending a conference in VA this week. I saw tons of traffic heading towards what I believe is the Key Bridge into DC. And it’s August—I’m sure it’d be a lot worse in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leaving DC for MD. Did not even consider VA.

1. Commute crosses water. Bottlenecks inevitable. The end.
2. All the fine VA institutions mentioned here (or even pointed to from a distance) are residential party campuses. No thanks.

Oh the ignorance on this forum! Let's see, any good real estate agent will tell you the commute from McLean to D.C. or Arlington to D.C. is preferable over anything in Maryland because VA has the George Washington Parkway which has no lights. You get on, speed into town )yes I see you Marylanders breaking the speed limit there daily because you figured it out) - the rest is a mess dowtown but that isn't due to Virginia. There is no "crossing of water" unless you consider that blip on the Roosevelt bridge to be a problem, which it rarely is. On the Maryland side you have to do a mess of a commute involving Conn. Ave., Wisconsin, the Clara Barton - all huge messes in the mornings with lights. You couldn't pay me to commute from Potomac or Bethesda into D.C.

Which Va institutions are "residential party campuses"? What a weird phrase! Do you even know how many public colleges and universities there are in Virginia? Did you know that UVA routinely now ranks 1, 2, or 3 against Berkeley and UCLA for best public university in the United States? (always above Michigan now) Did you know Virginia and California have the two best university systems in the United States and serve students from all walks of life? (no you don't because you are an elitist snob). Did you know that the median top 25% students at UVA and William and Mary have 4.44 GPAs? That it is becoming almost impossible to get in even if you are Ivy material (and especially from Nova). Do you even know about the terrific guarantee of admission to the top Virginia universities if you attend a community college, maintain a certain GPA and fulfill all the requirements? How many states offer that? Maryland certainly doesn't. And I'm dying to know which Virginia public universities are "residential party campuses" because I've taught on several of them and have had children attend. Maybe the private Wash. & Lee but I wouldn't pay to send my kid there anyhow.

To OP - you don't know how long you will be settled in your new home before you have to move again for whatever reason. One of the most important factors in resale value is public school system. Even if you go private, you will reap the benefits of being in the "Langley pyramid" or "McLean Pyramid" or any of the other xlnt public school systems in Virginia. Do your homework and find out where they are when you purchase because that WILL be a big issue when you go to sell.

Really? I live and work in DC, but am attending a conference in VA this week. I saw tons of traffic heading towards what I believe is the Key Bridge into DC. And it’s August—I’m sure it’d be a lot worse in the fall.

Traffic sucks in downtown DC period. I've commuted from both MoCo and Arlington. The bridges don't matter. All that matters is where in DC you are going versus where you are coming from. If you work in Georgetown, SW, anywhere close to the Potomac, Virginia is way better. If you work downtown like 14th and K Street, then Maryland is better. The problem isn't getting in and out of the city. The problem is getting across town.

Yes, there is tons of traffic on the bridges at rush hour. That's obvious. But it doesn't hold you up more than a few minutes, it moves. The problem is when you get dumped out, say, near GW and need to get to 14th and K. (Actually the problem is much worse in the other direction... PM far worse than AM). Likewise, getting from, say, Independence Avenue to Dupont would be a killer at PM rush hour if you're trying to commute from there to Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We stayed in DC. We valued the shorter commute and were happy with our IB school. Who knows what higher education is going to look like in 15-20 years, so it didn't seem to make sense to make housing decisions based on that. As we get closer to college, we can re-evaluate if necessary, but in the meantime, we like the short commute (walking to school and taking Metro to work) and our neighborhood.

Enjoy UDC, assuming the qualify after DC high School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Which Va institutions are "residential party campuses"? What a weird phrase! Do you even know how many public colleges and universities there are in Virginia? Did you know that UVA routinely now ranks 1, 2, or 3 against Berkeley and UCLA for best public university in the United States? (always above Michigan now) Did you know Virginia and California have the two best university systems in the United States and serve students from all walks of life? (no you don't because you are an elitist snob). Did you know that the median top 25% students at UVA and William and Mary have 4.44 GPAs? That it is becoming almost impossible to get in even if you are Ivy material (and especially from Nova). Do you even know about the terrific guarantee of admission to the top Virginia universities if you attend a community college, maintain a certain GPA and fulfill all the requirements? How many states offer that? Maryland certainly doesn't. And I'm dying to know which Virginia public universities are "residential party campuses" because I've taught on several of them and have had children attend. Maybe the private Wash. & Lee but I wouldn't pay to send my kid there anyhow.

You could have spared yourself this rant; I'm not sure where you get the idea that I am holding out for some more academically elite setup. Calling the VA publics "residential party campuses" is not saying they are of low academic quality. They're fantastic institutions...assuming the 18 year old in question makes it to class regularly.

I personally am unwilling to invest in the culture of collegiate binge drinking. It's predominant at UVA, W&M, and VT, and it makes the state of Virginia unattractive to me on the grounds that are being discussed here. That's all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We picked Maryland because you get better value for money for a home purchase and you get to live in pretty leafy historic neighborhoods

UMD is better than UVA if your kid wants to study STEM instead of becoming a lawyer or something

Sorry, but Va Tech is better.

[Anonymous]

I personally am unwilling to invest in the culture of collegiate binge drinking. It's predominant at UVA, W&M, and VT, and it makes the state of Virginia unattractive to me on the grounds that are being discussed here. That's all.

Show me any large public institution that does NOT have a culture of collegiate binge drinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I personally am unwilling to invest in the culture of collegiate binge drinking. It's predominant at UVA, W&M, and VT, and it makes the state of Virginia unattractive to me on the grounds that are being discussed here. That's all.

Show me any large public institution that does NOT have a culture of collegiate binge drinking.

I don't know why anyone would limit the universe of possibilities to large public residential college campuses. Smaller publics and community colleges are also great options.

Anyway, I'm not paying for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I personally am unwilling to invest in the culture of collegiate binge drinking. It's predominant at UVA, W&M, and VT, and it makes the state of Virginia unattractive to me on the grounds that are being discussed here. That's all.

Show me any large public institution that does NOT have a culture of collegiate binge drinking.

UMD

Just kidding