Budget <500k, have to buy in DC proper

[Anonymous]

We have been house hunting for TWO YEARS and have not yet been able to find the right place. We have had a few close calls but nothing has panned out. We have to move in the next six months.

We require:
-At least two bedrooms
-A reasonable amount of safety. We have a small child.
-Price less than 500k, though of course less is better
-Turnkey ready. No fixer uppers. We are not at all handy.
->900 square feet
-Close to some sort of public transport, but can be bus
-If a condo, then condo fees less than $300/month
-If a condo, no shared laundry

We would like:
-At least three bedrooms
-At least 1100 square feet
-A house vs a condo
-Walking distance to metro (1 mile or less)

In an ideal world:
-A small yard
-A finished basement with kitchenette
-A friendly community with lots of kids
-Amenities in walking distance, like playground, grocery store, library etc

Not a factor:
-Schools
-Parking, as long as abundant street parking is available

Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

This sounds like a unicorn. I mean, it's great you know what you want, but clearly you're not going to find it at your price.

You'll either need to downgrade your living situation now and save up & so you can increase your budget, or you'll need to borrow more, or you'll need to live further out.

[Anonymous]

If you need to live near transportation, what's forcing you to live in DC? Why not commute in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like a unicorn. I mean, it's great you know what you want, but clearly you're not going to find it at your price.

You'll either need to downgrade your living situation now and save up & so you can increase your budget, or you'll need to borrow more, or you'll need to live further out.

No, clearly we will have to do something like the following:

-Buy east of the river. In this case, I would love any suggestions about which neighborhoods to check out.
-Buy a condo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you need to live near transportation, what's forcing you to live in DC? Why not commute in?

Schools!

[Anonymous]

How about this?

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/3719-12th-St-NE-20017/unit-202/home/10090318

It meets everything on your list except I think it has shared laundry. Presumably you could fix that, since it's far less than $500K. 2BR condo in the heart of Brookland for $289K. I guess the condo fees are more than you desire but since the price is so much less than your budget, maybe it would work? Also I think that includes most utilities.

1/2 mile to Metro, lots of amenities (and ever more). Street parking is easy. It's a block from Yes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you need to live near transportation, what's forcing you to live in DC? Why not commute in?

Schools!

Is your child already in a school?

[Anonymous]

PG county

[Anonymous]

Look close to Fort Totten Metro- Riggs Park, Manor Park, or North Michigan Park. Lots of SFH around or under that price point.

[Anonymous]

It has to be DC. That is the one thing that is 100% non-negotiable. The plan is for my child to attend the school where I work. But we need to live inside DC city limits for that to happen. We currently live just outside the city limits.

[Anonymous]

I bet you can find a 2 BR condo in Glover Park for less than $500K. Good schools, near the bus line, and a great neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like a unicorn. I mean, it's great you know what you want, but clearly you're not going to find it at your price.

You'll either need to downgrade your living situation now and save up & so you can increase your budget, or you'll need to borrow more, or you'll need to live further out.

No, clearly we will have to do something like the following:

-Buy east of the river. In this case, I would love any suggestions about which neighborhoods to check out.
-Buy a condo.

Congratulations! You answered your own question. So why did you post, again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like a unicorn. I mean, it's great you know what you want, but clearly you're not going to find it at your price.

You'll either need to downgrade your living situation now and save up & so you can increase your budget, or you'll need to borrow more, or you'll need to live further out.

No, clearly we will have to do something like the following:

-Buy east of the river. In this case, I would love any suggestions about which neighborhoods to check out.
-Buy a condo.

Congratulations! You answered your own question. So why did you post, again?

[Anonymous]

What about that one for $179K IB for Janney that was such a weird post here this morning? Is it still up somewhere?

(Of course, it's tiny and sold AS IS so who knows what surprise comes with it.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about that one for $179K IB for Janney that was such a weird post here this morning? Is it still up somewhere?

(Of course, it's tiny and sold AS IS so who knows what surprise comes with it.)

That's a screwup. It's on Hayes St. NE, not Harrison St. NW. And it needs too much work for OP.