Lake Barcroft - Annandale Next big thing?

[Anonymous]

9:49 poster here. I am not a troll. We paid 150,000 for a ranch slab house in Parklawn. It is in excellent condition. True, it has doubled in value. However, our friends bought a similar sized house in the Falls Church/McClean area at the same time for about the same price, which is now assessed near $700,000. That's why I don't think it was a good investment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9:49 poster here. I am not a troll. We paid 150,000 for a ranch slab house in Parklawn. It is in excellent condition. True, it has doubled in value. However, our friends bought a similar sized house in the Falls Church/McClean area at the same time for about the same price, which is now assessed near $700,000. That's why I don't think it was a good investment.

Ranch SLAB house, ftmfl.

Did your friend buy a ranch SLAB house as well?
Basement would make a difference in terms of your quest of a ROI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9:49 poster here. I am not a troll. We paid 150,000 for a ranch slab house in Parklawn. It is in excellent condition. True, it has doubled in value. However, our friends bought a similar sized house in the Falls Church/McClean area at the same time for about the same price, which is now assessed near $700,000. That's why I don't think it was a good investment.

Just because someone lucked out by buying in one of the top areas in NoVa doesn't mean you made a bad investment, nor does it mean the past is necessarily indicative of the future. Timing is everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:49 poster here. I am not a troll. We paid 150,000 for a ranch slab house in Parklawn. It is in excellent condition. True, it has doubled in value. However, our friends bought a similar sized house in the Falls Church/McClean area at the same time for about the same price, which is now assessed near $700,000. That's why I don't think it was a good investment.

Just because someone lucked out by buying in one of the top areas in NoVa doesn't mean you made a bad investment, nor does it mean the past is necessarily indicative of the future. Timing is everything.

Luck? Do you think it's lucky to invest in bad vs good stocks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you are mistaken, that area has always struggled.

Which area? Annandale? Not always .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:49 poster here. I am not a troll. We paid 150,000 for a ranch slab house in Parklawn. It is in excellent condition. True, it has doubled in value. However, our friends bought a similar sized house in the Falls Church/McClean area at the same time for about the same price, which is now assessed near $700,000. That's why I don't think it was a good investment.

Just because someone lucked out by buying in one of the top areas in NoVa doesn't mean you made a bad investment, nor does it mean the past is necessarily indicative of the future. Timing is everything.

Luck? Do you think it's lucky to invest in bad vs good stocks?

It basically comes down to luck. Ever heard of "a random walk"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know DCUM generally thinks Annandale is the festering sore of Fairfax county and wish it would just secede--terrible schools, poor brown people, etc. But, it has to be a matter of time before it comes up, right? It's inside the beltway and has some great housing stock, including the MCM heaven that is Lake Barcroft. It seems like it has to be an investor's dream. Why is it not the next South Arlington?

We just sold our starter house here, and are looking for something bigger in the "better" FCPS school districts (Burke, West Springfield, etc) but I kinda love it here and would really prefer to spend our $740 on this beauty:

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6348-Crosswoods-Dr-22044/home/9644614

rather than some boring Mcmansion that's going to add 30+ minutes to my SO's commute.

But it's hard to get past a GS score of 2, even if you don't buy into the reductive self fulfilling prophecy of Great Schools.
Can someone give me hope? Any reason to think Annandale schools will are going to get better?

South Arlington is much more convenient to DC, by car, by transit, even by bike. Annandale is more convenient to Tysons, but there are are better choices for convenience to Tysons. And S Arlington is more walkable.

That is what holds Annandale back, but the locals will always focus on immigration instead - that obsession does not help either.

Annandale, Falls Church and Stuart all have higher SAT scores and better traditions than Wakefield. South Arlington is full of old apartment buildings, crappy duplexes and small houses. You'd really have to level entire blocks and build new to make it attractive.

Where have you been for the last decade? This is already happening. There are cranes on multiple blocks, and the less attractive SFH housing stock is getting torn down, too.

Better traditions than Wakefield? That has to be one of the stupidest things I've read here in a while. Sorry you picked the wrong area. Better luck next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know DCUM generally thinks Annandale is the festering sore of Fairfax county and wish it would just secede--terrible schools, poor brown people, etc. But, it has to be a matter of time before it comes up, right? It's inside the beltway and has some great housing stock, including the MCM heaven that is Lake Barcroft. It seems like it has to be an investor's dream. Why is it not the next South Arlington?

We just sold our starter house here, and are looking for something bigger in the "better" FCPS school districts (Burke, West Springfield, etc) but I kinda love it here and would really prefer to spend our $740 on this beauty:

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6348-Crosswoods-Dr-22044/home/9644614

rather than some boring Mcmansion that's going to add 30+ minutes to my SO's commute.

But it's hard to get past a GS score of 2, even if you don't buy into the reductive self fulfilling prophecy of Great Schools.
Can someone give me hope? Any reason to think Annandale schools will are going to get better?

South Arlington is much more convenient to DC, by car, by transit, even by bike. Annandale is more convenient to Tysons, but there are are better choices for convenience to Tysons. And S Arlington is more walkable.

That is what holds Annandale back, but the locals will always focus on immigration instead - that obsession does not help either.

Annandale, Falls Church and Stuart all have higher SAT scores and better traditions than Wakefield. South Arlington is full of old apartment buildings, crappy duplexes and small houses. You'd really have to level entire blocks and build new to make it attractive.

Where have you been for the last decade? This is already happening. There are cranes on multiple blocks, and the less attractive SFH housing stock is getting torn down, too.

Better traditions than Wakefield? That has to be one of the stupidest things I've read here in a while. Sorry you picked the wrong area. Better luck next time.

I am confused are there different traditions in Annandale, Falls Church and Stuart vs Wakefield. Are there like a different mix of immigrants like more mexican, salvadoirans etc... do they prefer different types of food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know DCUM generally thinks Annandale is the festering sore of Fairfax county and wish it would just secede--terrible schools, poor brown people, etc. But, it has to be a matter of time before it comes up, right? It's inside the beltway and has some great housing stock, including the MCM heaven that is Lake Barcroft. It seems like it has to be an investor's dream. Why is it not the next South Arlington?

We just sold our starter house here, and are looking for something bigger in the "better" FCPS school districts (Burke, West Springfield, etc) but I kinda love it here and would really prefer to spend our $740 on this beauty:

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6348-Crosswoods-Dr-22044/home/9644614

rather than some boring Mcmansion that's going to add 30+ minutes to my SO's commute.

But it's hard to get past a GS score of 2, even if you don't buy into the reductive self fulfilling prophecy of Great Schools.
Can someone give me hope? Any reason to think Annandale schools will are going to get better?

South Arlington is much more convenient to DC, by car, by transit, even by bike. Annandale is more convenient to Tysons, but there are are better choices for convenience to Tysons. And S Arlington is more walkable.

That is what holds Annandale back, but the locals will always focus on immigration instead - that obsession does not help either.

Annandale, Falls Church and Stuart all have higher SAT scores and better traditions than Wakefield. South Arlington is full of old apartment buildings, crappy duplexes and small houses. You'd really have to level entire blocks and build new to make it attractive.

Where have you been for the last decade? This is already happening. There are cranes on multiple blocks, and the less attractive SFH housing stock is getting torn down, too.

Better traditions than Wakefield? That has to be one of the stupidest things I've read here in a while. Sorry you picked the wrong area. Better luck next time.

I am confused are there different traditions in Annandale, Falls Church and Stuart vs Wakefield. Are there like a different mix of immigrants like more mexican, salvadoirans etc... do they prefer different types of food?

There are some people on this forum that can't accept how much nova has changed since the 80's/ 90's. Traditions? This is one of the most transient areas in the entire country. The only tradition that holds true, is that things change. Important to keep that in mind regarding nova real estate.

[Anonymous]

How the heck did a question about Lake Bancroft (zoned for Stuart) turn into a pissing match between Wakefield and TC Williams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How the heck did a question about Lake Bancroft (zoned for Stuart) turn into a pissing match between Wakefield and TC Williams?

Yeh crazy fight if the worst of the worst. Who beats which potato brain better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know DCUM generally thinks Annandale is the festering sore of Fairfax county and wish it would just secede--terrible schools, poor brown people, etc. But, it has to be a matter of time before it comes up, right? It's inside the beltway and has some great housing stock, including the MCM heaven that is Lake Barcroft. It seems like it has to be an investor's dream. Why is it not the next South Arlington?

We just sold our starter house here, and are looking for something bigger in the "better" FCPS school districts (Burke, West Springfield, etc) but I kinda love it here and would really prefer to spend our $740 on this beauty:

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6348-Crosswoods-Dr-22044/home/9644614

rather than some boring Mcmansion that's going to add 30+ minutes to my SO's commute.

But it's hard to get past a GS score of 2, even if you don't buy into the reductive self fulfilling prophecy of Great Schools.
Can someone give me hope? Any reason to think Annandale schools will are going to get better?

South Arlington is much more convenient to DC, by car, by transit, even by bike. Annandale is more convenient to Tysons, but there are are better choices for convenience to Tysons. And S Arlington is more walkable.

That is what holds Annandale back, but the locals will always focus on immigration instead - that obsession does not help either.

Annandale, Falls Church and Stuart all have higher SAT scores and better traditions than Wakefield. South Arlington is full of old apartment buildings, crappy duplexes and small houses. You'd really have to level entire blocks and build new to make it attractive.

Where have you been for the last decade? This is already happening. There are cranes on multiple blocks, and the less attractive SFH housing stock is getting torn down, too.

Better traditions than Wakefield? That has to be one of the stupidest things I've read here in a while. Sorry you picked the wrong area. Better luck next time.

Yep. Wakefield has always been the neglected stepchild of APS and that will never change. Yorktown and W-L are big rivals and Wakefield is like the "oh, you're still here" tag along. It's been around over 60 years and has almost no alumni of note besides Patch Adams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know DCUM generally thinks Annandale is the festering sore of Fairfax county and wish it would just secede--terrible schools, poor brown people, etc. But, it has to be a matter of time before it comes up, right? It's inside the beltway and has some great housing stock, including the MCM heaven that is Lake Barcroft. It seems like it has to be an investor's dream. Why is it not the next South Arlington?

We just sold our starter house here, and are looking for something bigger in the "better" FCPS school districts (Burke, West Springfield, etc) but I kinda love it here and would really prefer to spend our $740 on this beauty:

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6348-Crosswoods-Dr-22044/home/9644614

rather than some boring Mcmansion that's going to add 30+ minutes to my SO's commute.

But it's hard to get past a GS score of 2, even if you don't buy into the reductive self fulfilling prophecy of Great Schools.
Can someone give me hope? Any reason to think Annandale schools will are going to get better?

South Arlington is much more convenient to DC, by car, by transit, even by bike. Annandale is more convenient to Tysons, but there are are better choices for convenience to Tysons. And S Arlington is more walkable.

That is what holds Annandale back, but the locals will always focus on immigration instead - that obsession does not help either.

Annandale, Falls Church and Stuart all have higher SAT scores and better traditions than Wakefield. South Arlington is full of old apartment buildings, crappy duplexes and small houses. You'd really have to level entire blocks and build new to make it attractive.

Where have you been for the last decade? This is already happening. There are cranes on multiple blocks, and the less attractive SFH housing stock is getting torn down, too.

Better traditions than Wakefield? That has to be one of the stupidest things I've read here in a while. Sorry you picked the wrong area. Better luck next time.

Yep. Wakefield has always been the neglected stepchild of APS and that will never change. Yorktown and W-L are big rivals and Wakefield is like the "oh, you're still here" tag along. It's been around over 60 years and has almost no alumni of note besides Patch Adams.

And yet- best bet for real estate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How the heck did a question about Lake Bancroft (zoned for Stuart) turn into a pissing match between Wakefield and TC Williams?

Someone here is obsessed with Alexandria Public Schools.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't worry too much about the public schools if you love the house and it works for your budget and commute. I bought in a "bad" pyramid and my kids are doing great. Plus, there's a lot less pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

Kids will be in school for a few years. If they're smart, they will do well wherever they go. I plan to be in my house until I'm very old.