$330k income - house buying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are also two GS-15s with two kids and we spent $500k. I would be very uncomfortable spending $1.4m.

Where the heck do you live? Manassas??

Lorton. We bought almost 6 years ago and have done some updating since then. I'll caveat, that if we were to sell today, our house would sell for in the mid $700s.

Okay, listen if homes go for $700k in BFE Lorton (which is a lovely neighborhood but REALLY FAR AWAY), what options do dual-GS15 have with a closer commute and good schools? I think they are spending st least a $1M, one way or the other (spend less close in but needs tons of work right away)

Close in Silver Spring. Close in Tacoma Park.

For example, https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/520-Ashford-Rd_Silver-Spring_MD_20910_M54127-61743?view=qv

Again that is $800 entry price and all these old homes have $$$$ repairs and maintenance even when freshly painted.

Plus, GS 4 for Northwood would be good schools??

Not for nothing, but that house is really nice for a colonial. That master bathroom with the marble vanity and the subway tile in the shower is really nice for that price point. The light fixture in the dining room is a nice touch and the blue paint in the kitchen is a risky choice that paid off well. You don't see colonials with tasteful renovations like these all the time (see most colonials in Arlington).

Agree, and it is very well-located for walking to downtown Silver Spring and Metro, getting to the Beltway in minutes, and commuting to downtown DC. It's also a quick trip to Bethesda and Takoma Park from that location.

I can't imagine choosing Lorton, VA over this location, if I had a commute to downtown DC. No way.

Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are also two GS-15s with two kids and we spent $500k. I would be very uncomfortable spending $1.4m.

Where the heck do you live? Manassas??

Lorton. We bought almost 6 years ago and have done some updating since then. I'll caveat, that if we were to sell today, our house would sell for in the mid $700s.

Okay, listen if homes go for $700k in BFE Lorton (which is a lovely neighborhood but REALLY FAR AWAY), what options do dual-GS15 have with a closer commute and good schools? I think they are spending st least a $1M, one way or the other (spend less close in but needs tons of work right away)

Close in Silver Spring. Close in Tacoma Park.

For example, https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/520-Ashford-Rd_Silver-Spring_MD_20910_M54127-61743?view=qv

Again that is $800 entry price and all these old homes have $$$$ repairs and maintenance even when freshly painted.

Plus, GS 4 for Northwood would be good schools??

Not for nothing, but that house is really nice for a colonial. That master bathroom with the marble vanity and the subway tile in the shower is really nice for that price point. The light fixture in the dining room is a nice touch and the blue paint in the kitchen is a risky choice that paid off well. You don't see colonials with tasteful renovations like these all the time (see most colonials in Arlington).

Agree, and it is very well-located for walking to downtown Silver Spring and Metro, getting to the Beltway in minutes, and commuting to downtown DC. It's also a quick trip to Bethesda and Takoma Park from that location.

I can't imagine choosing Lorton, VA over this location, if I had a commute to downtown DC. No way.

Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

We are on the same boat. We built in Lorton because of

1. Good Schools
2. Accessibility to major through-ways
3. Wife commutes to DC via VRE
4. I commute to Reston via 123/FFX PKWY
5. 1 Acre Lot
6. Nice size house and great community

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

Different strokes I guess, but I don't know why you'd pick hitchhiking over being on the Metro. That's a pretty damning indictment of the Metro lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

Different strokes I guess, but I don't know why you'd pick hitchhiking over being on the Metro. That's a pretty damning indictment of the Metro lol.

+1, LOL

I don't want a bigger yard, I don't want a new house, I certainly don't want to hitchhike, LOL. And I couldn't handle not being able to walk to anything. I would lose my freaking mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

Different strokes I guess, but I don't know why you'd pick hitchhiking over being on the Metro. That's a pretty damning indictment of the Metro lol.

+1, LOL

I don't want a bigger yard, I don't want a new house, I certainly don't want to hitchhike, LOL. And I couldn't handle not being able to walk to anything. I would lose my freaking mind.

+2. I live in DC, love my neighborhood school zoned for Deal, and my old SFH and small yard are just fine (don't want the maintenance that comes with a larger yard). I am fine taking metro to work and like walking there for exercise, or driving in on Fridays. I'd actually never heard of "slugs" until a young coworker recently told me she does this to get to work from VA--I was horrified, lol.

[Anonymous]

Caveat: I did not read the whole thread.

We have a similar HHI, maybe a little higher. I tend to be less conservative then the "I wouldn't feel comfortable with more than $4000 in PITI" posters. That said, we have PITI of $6700 and it feels comfortable to high. I don't think I would go to $7000-$8000. We were paying $7500 for a year because of an escrow issue at the beginning (new construction) and it was tight - we had to dig into savings a few months. I wouldn't want to commit to that year after year - $6700 is much more comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like many others in the DMV, we are two GS-15s with two kids. We have $400k cash, no debt, kids college savings and maxed-out retirement funds. I think $1.4m is doable (that's $7-8k PITI).

What do you think?

Should be fine. Don’t listen to the wimps here. We are about the same and bought 1.6 million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are also two GS-15s with two kids and we spent $500k. I would be very uncomfortable spending $1.4m.

Where the heck do you live? Manassas??

Lorton. We bought almost 6 years ago and have done some updating since then. I'll caveat, that if we were to sell today, our house would sell for in the mid $700s.

Okay, listen if homes go for $700k in BFE Lorton (which is a lovely neighborhood but REALLY FAR AWAY), what options do dual-GS15 have with a closer commute and good schools? I think they are spending st least a $1M, one way or the other (spend less close in but needs tons of work right away)

Close in Silver Spring. Close in Tacoma Park.

For example, https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/520-Ashford-Rd_Silver-Spring_MD_20910_M54127-61743?view=qv

Again that is $800 entry price and all these old homes have $$$$ repairs and maintenance even when freshly painted.

Plus, GS 4 for Northwood would be good schools??

I don't know what you mean by "entry price" in looking at a house that has modern bathrooms, a very functional kitchen, a roomy foyer and living spaces, a nice yard, and is walkable to downtown Silver Spring and Metro. I don't see any $$$ repairs based on the photos, either. Can you clarify what you mean by that?

I don't use Great Schools as a proxy for school quality, so "GS 4" means nothing to me. I do, however, know a lot of highly successful Northwood HS graduates and professional parents who are happy sending their kids there.

Out of curiousity, what DO you use as a proxy for school quality? Right now your answer is a couple of anecdotes...

NP, but I look at how kids do that are in MY SES group. In many of these schools, it is the FARMS families bringing the rankings down, but if you drill into the stats, the kids who are not farms are doing great. If those kids are doing well, not sure why mine wouldn't either? I think it is safe to assume that if someone has a 330K income and are buying a home with a GS rating of 4, but the kids who are high SES are doing just as well as other high SES kids in a GS ranking school of 8, will thrive despite the drag on the stats.

I'd only be worried if my kid was recieving FARMS and wonder if my kid would also not be able to hit the basic academic bar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

Different strokes I guess, but I don't know why you'd pick hitchhiking over being on the Metro. That's a pretty damning indictment of the Metro lol.

Nobody has died carpooling in these slug lines. On Metro, one cannot say the same. I'm surprised you don't understand why someone would take a cheaper, safer, quicker route to work each day, LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are also two GS-15s with two kids and we spent $500k. I would be very uncomfortable spending $1.4m.

Where the heck do you live? Manassas??

Lorton. We bought almost 6 years ago and have done some updating since then. I'll caveat, that if we were to sell today, our house would sell for in the mid $700s.

Okay, listen if homes go for $700k in BFE Lorton (which is a lovely neighborhood but REALLY FAR AWAY), what options do dual-GS15 have with a closer commute and good schools? I think they are spending st least a $1M, one way or the other (spend less close in but needs tons of work right away)

Close in Silver Spring. Close in Tacoma Park.

For example, https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/520-Ashford-Rd_Silver-Spring_MD_20910_M54127-61743?view=qv

Again that is $800 entry price and all these old homes have $$$$ repairs and maintenance even when freshly painted.

Plus, GS 4 for Northwood would be good schools??

I don't know what you mean by "entry price" in looking at a house that has modern bathrooms, a very functional kitchen, a roomy foyer and living spaces, a nice yard, and is walkable to downtown Silver Spring and Metro. I don't see any $$$ repairs based on the photos, either. Can you clarify what you mean by that?

I don't use Great Schools as a proxy for school quality, so "GS 4" means nothing to me. I do, however, know a lot of highly successful Northwood HS graduates and professional parents who are happy sending their kids there.

Out of curiousity, what DO you use as a proxy for school quality? Right now your answer is a couple of anecdotes...

NP, but I look at how kids do that are in MY SES group. In many of these schools, it is the FARMS families bringing the rankings down, but if you drill into the stats, the kids who are not farms are doing great. If those kids are doing well, not sure why mine wouldn't either? I think it is safe to assume that if someone has a 330K income and are buying a home with a GS rating of 4, but the kids who are high SES are doing just as well as other high SES kids in a GS ranking school of 8, will thrive despite the drag on the stats.

I'd only be worried if my kid was recieving FARMS and wonder if my kid would also not be able to hit the basic academic bar.

I am UMC but attended a low ranked high FARMS school as a kid.

Trust me your kid will be impacted. From the benign, where class time is wasted EVERY day with repeated discipline and remedial lessons, to bullying, to the worst where your kids get sucked into a group not destined for college (like a contender for class Valedictorian who got side tracked into a slacker drug group from an art class, and never even went to college).

Peer effects are real; and I want the majority of my DS classmates to be aiming for college. Many FARMS families are in fact academic minded, and hope for college, and that’s why we now attend a school with superb test scores and a 40% FARMS rate — they do exist, but generally housing won’t be cheap there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have to say theee are very impressive down payments!

This is exactly why Fed workers have NO CLUE how the rest of the people live

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

Different strokes I guess, but I don't know why you'd pick hitchhiking over being on the Metro. That's a pretty damning indictment of the Metro lol.

+1, LOL

I don't want a bigger yard, I don't want a new house, I certainly don't want to hitchhike, LOL. And I couldn't handle not being able to walk to anything. I would lose my freaking mind.

Yes. Walkability and one-acre yards don’t mix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

Different strokes I guess, but I don't know why you'd pick hitchhiking over being on the Metro. That's a pretty damning indictment of the Metro lol.

Nobody has died carpooling in these slug lines. On Metro, one cannot say the same. I'm surprised you don't understand why someone would take a cheaper, safer, quicker route to work each day, LOL!

Sorry, but the chances of dying on the highway are much higher than the chances of dying on metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well I'm the poster who lives in Lorton, and I chose it because:
A.) Better schools
B.) Bigger yard
C.) Less overall local congestion because it's a newer area and roads are better planned.
D.) I hate metro and Lorton allows DH and I to commute via VRE or Express Bus, slugging, etc.
E.) Jobs in DC are both close to 14th Street bridge, so close to VA side of the the city.

Different strokes I guess, but I don't know why you'd pick hitchhiking over being on the Metro. That's a pretty damning indictment of the Metro lol.

Nobody has died carpooling in these slug lines. On Metro, one cannot say the same. I'm surprised you don't understand why someone would take a cheaper, safer, quicker route to work each day, LOL!

People have died hitchhiking. Just because someone found a more user-friendly term for hitchhiking doesn't mean it's not the same thing.

I wasn't even talking about the safety issue, I just think that it's bizarre that people justify it as something normal - and don't take it as a clue that maybe they're living too far away from their work - if standing at the side of a road until some random person picks them up and having to deal with an unwritten "slug code" of not talking until you're talked to while you're riding in said stranger's car is part of their everyday life. If you can't at least understand why someone would think that I don't know what to tell you...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are also two GS-15s with two kids and we spent $500k. I would be very uncomfortable spending $1.4m.

Where the heck do you live? Manassas??

Lorton. We bought almost 6 years ago and have done some updating since then. I'll caveat, that if we were to sell today, our house would sell for in the mid $700s.

Okay, listen if homes go for $700k in BFE Lorton (which is a lovely neighborhood but REALLY FAR AWAY), what options do dual-GS15 have with a closer commute and good schools? I think they are spending st least a $1M, one way or the other (spend less close in but needs tons of work right away)

Close in Silver Spring. Close in Tacoma Park.

For example, https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/520-Ashford-Rd_Silver-Spring_MD_20910_M54127-61743?view=qv

Again that is $800 entry price and all these old homes have $$$$ repairs and maintenance even when freshly painted.

Plus, GS 4 for Northwood would be good schools??

I don't know what you mean by "entry price" in looking at a house that has modern bathrooms, a very functional kitchen, a roomy foyer and living spaces, a nice yard, and is walkable to downtown Silver Spring and Metro. I don't see any $$$ repairs based on the photos, either. Can you clarify what you mean by that?

I don't use Great Schools as a proxy for school quality, so "GS 4" means nothing to me. I do, however, know a lot of highly successful Northwood HS graduates and professional parents who are happy sending their kids there.

Out of curiousity, what DO you use as a proxy for school quality? Right now your answer is a couple of anecdotes...

NP, but I look at how kids do that are in MY SES group. In many of these schools, it is the FARMS families bringing the rankings down, but if you drill into the stats, the kids who are not farms are doing great. If those kids are doing well, not sure why mine wouldn't either? I think it is safe to assume that if someone has a 330K income and are buying a home with a GS rating of 4, but the kids who are high SES are doing just as well as other high SES kids in a GS ranking school of 8, will thrive despite the drag on the stats.

I'd only be worried if my kid was recieving FARMS and wonder if my kid would also not be able to hit the basic academic bar.

I am UMC but attended a low ranked high FARMS school as a kid.

Trust me your kid will be impacted. From the benign, where class time is wasted EVERY day with repeated discipline and remedial lessons, to bullying, to the worst where your kids get sucked into a group not destined for college (like a contender for class Valedictorian who got side tracked into a slacker drug group from an art class, and never even went to college).

Peer effects are real; and I want the majority of my DS classmates to be aiming for college. Many FARMS families are in fact academic minded, and hope for college, and that’s why we now attend a school with superb test scores and a 40% FARMS rate — they do exist, but generally housing won’t be cheap there.

These are the very schools that people on this board deride.