How did you pick between MD and VA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you moved to the DMV from somewhere else, how did you decide which state was the right place to buy? Are taxes that different? The commute? There are excellent schools in both VA and MD. Not asking about DC proper because budget/yard/parking struggles.

We moved here last year and it looks like our jobs are staying local remote, so that takes our commute concerns off the table. We’re primarily looking to buy in Montgomery County because that’s where we’ve been renting, but we’ve never lived in an area with so many jurisdictions so we’re not sure what to look for.

For some people there is no difference. For others it is night and day. We visited both a lot. My view after that was that Maryland was crap. Everywhere. While VA was crap lots of places there were places that were not. Everything about Maryland was awful. I don't even like to drive through there. But here is the thing, lots of people from Maryland have the exact same view of VA. It is really the feel you get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is good info on taxes:

https://www.arlnow.com/2019/02/19/ask-eli-does-virginia-washington-dc-or-maryland-have-the-most-favorable-taxes/

People often reflexively say that VA taxes are lower, and that's true for income tax, but the money has to come from somewhere, and VA is higher on property tax. Plus VA is unique in taxing your vehicle at the rate of approximately 5% every year.

If you or your family makes more than $120K then it doesn't make sense to live in MD. Numbers wise(including all kinds of taxes and fees), MD comes out to be way more expensive. Been there, done that and moved to VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in both. I just didn't like the people at all in Maryland. Silver Spring was trashy and Chevy Chase was stuffy. Lots of entitled boomers. Vienna has better diversity in terms of asian community and as others have said, lower taxes. Saving 3% on 500k HHI is nothing to sneeze at.

Silver spring is pretty bad, yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ MoCo defector PP again. Tell us your housing budget and how important school ratings are, and we will tell you where we think you should live.

OP here… Looking for a 4 bedroom house under $800K with a little yard. Safety is big… I’ve lived in other cities where I’ve actually caught intruders inside my house mid-break in. We’ll get an alarm system and have dogs now but it was still pretty traumatic. Schools are important, and bilingual/immersion would be our preference. We like going out to restaurants/happy hour. We need parking for 2 cars, but would love to be able to have metro as an option, especially when people come to town to visit.

if crime is on your radar, then pick VA, no doubt. You will get shot at in MD and don't even go close to Baltimore. People are leaving from there for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ MoCo defector PP again. Tell us your housing budget and how important school ratings are, and we will tell you where we think you should live.

OP here… Looking for a 4 bedroom house under $800K with a little yard. Safety is big… I’ve lived in other cities where I’ve actually caught intruders inside my house mid-break in. We’ll get an alarm system and have dogs now but it was still pretty traumatic. Schools are important, and bilingual/immersion would be our preference. We like going out to restaurants/happy hour. We need parking for 2 cars, but would love to be able to have metro as an option, especially when people come to town to visit.

I would choose Rockville if you want MoCo. Rustin ES has Chinese immersion and Maryvale ES has French immersion. You can get a two car garage sfh home in a nice area. Rockville metro station is near Rockville Town Center.

I'm sure NoVa has a reasonable area where you can get all that, too.

But, ITA with the PP who wrote about the toll lanes and concrete jungle in NoVa. That area is super confusing, and just awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ MoCo defector PP again. Tell us your housing budget and how important school ratings are, and we will tell you where we think you should live.

OP here… Looking for a 4 bedroom house under $800K with a little yard. Safety is big… I’ve lived in other cities where I’ve actually caught intruders inside my house mid-break in. We’ll get an alarm system and have dogs now but it was still pretty traumatic. Schools are important, and bilingual/immersion would be our preference. We like going out to restaurants/happy hour. We need parking for 2 cars, but would love to be able to have metro as an option, especially when people come to town to visit.

if crime is on your radar, then pick VA, no doubt. You will get shot at in MD and don't even go close to Baltimore. People are leaving from there for a reason.

lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is good info on taxes:

https://www.arlnow.com/2019/02/19/ask-eli-does-virginia-washington-dc-or-maryland-have-the-most-favorable-taxes/

People often reflexively say that VA taxes are lower, and that's true for income tax, but the money has to come from somewhere, and VA is higher on property tax. Plus VA is unique in taxing your vehicle at the rate of approximately 5% every year.

If you or your family makes more than $120K then it doesn't make sense to live in MD. Numbers wise(including all kinds of taxes and fees), MD comes out to be way more expensive. Been there, done that and moved to VA.

Virginia with its guns brought you Tysons last Sunday. I lived on VA/MD border. I go north 95 percent of time, I noticed a lot of neighbors originally PA,NJ, NY, CT near me. So going further south is a turn off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is good info on taxes:

https://www.arlnow.com/2019/02/19/ask-eli-does-virginia-washington-dc-or-maryland-have-the-most-favorable-taxes/

People often reflexively say that VA taxes are lower, and that's true for income tax, but the money has to come from somewhere, and VA is higher on property tax. Plus VA is unique in taxing your vehicle at the rate of approximately 5% every year.

If you or your family makes more than $120K then it doesn't make sense to live in MD. Numbers wise(including all kinds of taxes and fees), MD comes out to be way more expensive. Been there, done that and moved to VA.

Virginia with its guns brought you Tysons last Sunday. I lived on VA/MD border. I go north 95 percent of time, I noticed a lot of neighbors originally PA,NJ, NY, CT near me. So going further south is a turn off.

Virginia has half the gun crime of MD and DC. Also that was a DC rapper lmao

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you moved to the DMV from somewhere else, how did you decide which state was the right place to buy? Are taxes that different? The commute? There are excellent schools in both VA and MD. Not asking about DC proper because budget/yard/parking struggles.

We moved here last year and it looks like our jobs are staying local remote, so that takes our commute concerns off the table. We’re primarily looking to buy in Montgomery County because that’s where we’ve been renting, but we’ve never lived in an area with so many jurisdictions so we’re not sure what to look for.

For some people there is no difference. For others it is night and day. We visited both a lot. My view after that was that Maryland was crap. Everywhere. While VA was crap lots of places there were places that were not. Everything about Maryland was awful. I don't even like to drive through there. But here is the thing, lots of people from Maryland have the exact same view of VA. It is really the feel you get.

MoCo is crap.

MD is not.

Drive up 270. Go past Clarksburg, after it goes down to 2 lanes, and it is absolutely beautiful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you moved to the DMV from somewhere else, how did you decide which state was the right place to buy? Are taxes that different? The commute? There are excellent schools in both VA and MD. Not asking about DC proper because budget/yard/parking struggles.

We moved here last year and it looks like our jobs are staying local remote, so that takes our commute concerns off the table. We’re primarily looking to buy in Montgomery County because that’s where we’ve been renting, but we’ve never lived in an area with so many jurisdictions so we’re not sure what to look for.

For some people there is no difference. For others it is night and day. We visited both a lot. My view after that was that Maryland was crap. Everywhere. While VA was crap lots of places there were places that were not. Everything about Maryland was awful. I don't even like to drive through there. But here is the thing, lots of people from Maryland have the exact same view of VA. It is really the feel you get.

MoCo is crap.

MD is not.

Drive up 270. Go past Clarksburg, after it goes down to 2 lanes, and it is absolutely beautiful

Lol. It's true. Most of MD would gladly cede MoCo to the District or to VA.

Honestly, MoCo/Fairfax/Arlington. They are the same. Horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in both. I just didn't like the people at all in Maryland. Silver Spring was trashy and Chevy Chase was stuffy. Lots of entitled boomers. Vienna has better diversity in terms of asian community and as others have said, lower taxes. Saving 3% on 500k HHI is nothing to sneeze at.

Silver spring is pretty bad, yikes.

Glad you are not my neighbor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dislike using turn signals, so we chose Maryland.

+1. I enjoy reckless driving and speeding, so I too chose Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't want a Maryland tag on my car lol.

That’s why we went with the Chesapeake plate lol

[Anonymous]

I am a slowpoke so I moved to VA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you moved to the DMV from somewhere else, how did you decide which state was the right place to buy? Are taxes that different? The commute? There are excellent schools in both VA and MD. Not asking about DC proper because budget/yard/parking struggles.

We moved here last year and it looks like our jobs are staying local remote, so that takes our commute concerns off the table. We’re primarily looking to buy in Montgomery County because that’s where we’ve been renting, but we’ve never lived in an area with so many jurisdictions so we’re not sure what to look for.

For some people there is no difference. For others it is night and day. We visited both a lot. My view after that was that Maryland was crap. Everywhere. While VA was crap lots of places there were places that were not. Everything about Maryland was awful. I don't even like to drive through there. But here is the thing, lots of people from Maryland have the exact same view of VA. It is really the feel you get.

MoCo is crap.

MD is not.

Drive up 270. Go past Clarksburg, after it goes down to 2 lanes, and it is absolutely beautiful

Lol. It's true. Most of MD would gladly cede MoCo to the District or to VA.

Honestly, MoCo/Fairfax/Arlington. They are the same. Horrible.

A year later they'd be begging Moco to come back once they realized they gave away their entire tax base and opened the door for Republicans even worse than Hogan.