Maryland or Virginia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The close-in nice areas of MoCo (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomoac, etc) seem nicer than close-in Virginia counterparts. And they feel more connected to Upper NW DC. It's just a nicer setting and schools, etc are really good (public and private). Northern Virginia seems like the more transient area. Maryland seems more established, has a stronger sense of pride/place.

Virginia does have the better public college options and the horse country areas are beautiful.

I'd rather live in Maryland overall.

+1

[Anonymous]

Spent many years in the MD suburbs, now live in Arlington. My advice is to live in a place that will minimize your time commuting and is closest to your job/kid's school/activities. The QOL differences between MD/VA will be dwarfed by the improvement in QOL you will have just be being close to where you need to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spent many years in the MD suburbs, now live in Arlington. My advice is to live in a place that will minimize your time commuting and is closest to your job/kid's school/activities. The QOL differences between MD/VA will be dwarfed by the improvement in QOL you will have just be being close to where you need to be.

This 100%. The less time you spend on the road / metro here, the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The close-in nice areas of MoCo (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomoac, etc) seem nicer than close-in Virginia counterparts. And they feel more connected to Upper NW DC. It's just a nicer setting and schools, etc are really good (public and private). Northern Virginia seems like the more transient area. Maryland seems more established, has a stronger sense of pride/place.

Virginia does have the better public college options and the horse country areas are beautiful.

I'd rather live in Maryland overall.

+1

Agree with the above, but some of the neighborhoods mentioned, such as Potomac, really aren't that close to the city. No one considers Great Falls close in, but it's just as close-in as Potomac. Parts of North Arlington, McLean and Vienna are very nice communities also, and are similar to parts of Bethesda. Fairfax Co.'s top schools are just as good if not better than MoCo's "W" schools. MD doesn't have the fine college network that VA has, with three schools in the top 20 of all public colleges.

Chevy Chase is gorgeous and has no equivalent in VA, but very few can afford it.

For younger people and families, VA is much more affordable, has equally lovely neighborhoods, more jobs, and has the college network. It's hard to beat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those freaking out about Va taxes, are simply catastrophizing. Unless you make more than 600,000 per year when the first new marginal tax rate begins or more than 1 million per year where the second new marginal rate kicks in, you will be largely unaffected by this.

Not true. New taxes on services will affect everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We love Arlington. It’s closer to our jobs than the MD suburbs (or our previous home in DC) we are generally happy with the schools and like the fact that it is a smaller school system. Plus if $$$$ is an issue at all, you have access to better in state options for college than in MD (UMD is great but VA has more strong options). Going over a bridge is really a non issue for me and I live a short walk to the orange line.

There seem to be some people freaking out about Spanberger but my taxes are currently lower in VA than they would be in MD. If you have multiple expensive cars, I guess that might not be true.

This is a huge reason to live in VA IMHO. VA has more decent state schools than MD. Unless you have a hefty college fund you need to spend on private colleges, it's a big plus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those freaking out about Va taxes, are simply catastrophizing. Unless you make more than 600,000 per year when the first new marginal tax rate begins or more than 1 million per year where the second new marginal rate kicks in, you will be largely unaffected by this.

Not true. New taxes on services will affect everyone.

I am already seeing this, I just noticed extra Fairfax meal tax on my order picking up acai bowl. I looked through my history and this only appeared on my last 2 orders suddenly and quietly. There is a standard sales tax, and a new "fairfax county meal tax". Will there be more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As others have alluded, for the longest time VA's advantage was that it was a centrist state compared to deep blue MD. It's gone from a centrist lean red to a centrist lean blue, but the recent election has revealed a sharp blue turn, with a state government that is going to behave a lot more like Annapolis, with lots of higher taxes and fees and inefficient / bloated spending and having to pay for it. I am not thrilled as I liked VA being centrist. Is it temporary or an indicator for the future? Who knows.

But will say VA has the superior state university system. Well worth having it as your default option. I'd still pick VA for this reason alone.

It's a huge reason for many people. Also VA can swing politically again if this administration keeps spending like bandits without people noticing any improvements but with the addition of very noticeable taxes. Governors get re-elected. If she intends to do away with the car tax in favor of these consumption service taxes then it may be ok

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As others have alluded, for the longest time VA's advantage was that it was a centrist state compared to deep blue MD. It's gone from a centrist lean red to a centrist lean blue, but the recent election has revealed a sharp blue turn, with a state government that is going to behave a lot more like Annapolis, with lots of higher taxes and fees and inefficient / bloated spending and having to pay for it. I am not thrilled as I liked VA being centrist. Is it temporary or an indicator for the future? Who knows.

But will say VA has the superior state university system. Well worth having it as your default option. I'd still pick VA for this reason alone.

It's a huge reason for many people. Also VA can swing politically again if this administration keeps spending like bandits without people noticing any improvements but with the addition of very noticeable taxes. Governors get re-elected. If she intends to do away with the car tax in favor of these consumption service taxes then it may be ok

Troll. Governors do NOT get re-elected in VA.

These aren't her proposed taxes. They are being proposed by the GA and are still in committee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where would you recommend young professionals looking to raise a family live in the DMV? Looking for single family community with good/great schools. Hoping to spend less than $1.2M. Raised in Montgomery County but concerned with changes/ direction in the county. Not as familiar with Virginia communities. Commute to DC several days a week. Appreciate your thoughts and any insights.

Virginia all the way. closer to Tysons, closer to downtown, lower taxes, halfway between both airports, and you have Virginia colleges.

Inner beltway suburbs zoned for Mclean/Langley (your location description) are $$$. OP is likely looking for a nice TH in her price range or a fixer upper older home. This is a price of a tear down lot in some areas in this location you described.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spent many years in the MD suburbs, now live in Arlington. My advice is to live in a place that will minimize your time commuting and is closest to your job/kid's school/activities. The QOL differences between MD/VA will be dwarfed by the improvement in QOL you will have just be being close to where you need to be.

+1

Time is precious so most people minimize their commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those freaking out about Va taxes, are simply catastrophizing. Unless you make more than 600,000 per year when the first new marginal tax rate begins or more than 1 million per year where the second new marginal rate kicks in, you will be largely unaffected by this.

Not true. New taxes on services will affect everyone.

I am already seeing this, I just noticed extra Fairfax meal tax on my order picking up acai bowl. I looked through my history and this only appeared on my last 2 orders suddenly and quietly. There is a standard sales tax, and a new "fairfax county meal tax". Will there be more?

I’m a moderate who’s voted Republican recently and there’s so much bad info here on the tax stuff. Not sure how I’m the one correcting it but here we are.

The Fairfax meal tax has NOTHING to do with the new state legislature and/or Spanberger. It’s Fairfax saying we need more tax revenue because of (insert excuse — Trump if you’re a Dem, irresponsible fiscal spending if you’re an R).

The new taxes the state legislature DID want to pass - on income, investments, and services (Uber eats, dry cleaning, fitness, dog grooming, etc) - all died in committee and aren’t being pushed forward.

[Anonymous]

Ask the people in North Bethesda and Rockville, which have houses in OP's price range, how they feel about the proposal in MCPS to reassign them to a new school that has a substantially higher percentage of low-income kids who aren't fluent in English than their current school.

They don't seem too happy about it. Virginia politicians seem more cautious when it comes to major changes that would drive upper middle class families away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't commute across a bridge.

Commuting along all these congested streets with lights isn't this much fun either, except maybe scenic purposes. VA has several highways that aren't horrible beltway that can get you places faster and aren't as heavily utilized. And residential roads that don't have many lights. I think if you are a heavy car user you would like VA more. VA also has tolls and express lanes are very fast if you need to be somewhere in a hurry, ditch terrible traffic, and don't mind paying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those freaking out about Va taxes, are simply catastrophizing. Unless you make more than 600,000 per year when the first new marginal tax rate begins or more than 1 million per year where the second new marginal rate kicks in, you will be largely unaffected by this.

Not true. New taxes on services will affect everyone.

I am already seeing this, I just noticed extra Fairfax meal tax on my order picking up acai bowl. I looked through my history and this only appeared on my last 2 orders suddenly and quietly. There is a standard sales tax, and a new "fairfax county meal tax". Will there be more?

I’m a moderate who’s voted Republican recently and there’s so much bad info here on the tax stuff. Not sure how I’m the one correcting it but here we are.

The Fairfax meal tax has NOTHING to do with the new state legislature and/or Spanberger. It’s Fairfax saying we need more tax revenue because of (insert excuse — Trump if you’re a Dem, irresponsible fiscal spending if you’re an R).

The new taxes the state legislature DID want to pass - on income, investments, and services (Uber eats, dry cleaning, fitness, dog grooming, etc) - all died in committee and aren’t being pushed forward.

who cares, it's still a new tax, and it's in VA