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House Hunting Sucks When...
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Anonymous
ditto. Isn't it bizarre to feel "poor" when your income far exceeds the average family income in this country? Not everyone makes 6 figure salaries in this area. I don't think I ever will, honestly. Oh, well - guess we are just losers in the DC area. |
Anonymous
I'm poor myself compared to many around here, but I've gotta' say that "the average family income in this country" is largely irrelevant because it's skewed by the realities of some very different local economies. |
Anonymous
| It's called trade-offs people. You CAN find a nice, large, SFH in a great school district for $500-600ish --- but it won't be close-in. Look at Olney and Brookeville (20832 and 20833). |
Anonymous
We all know this. Average American income is just that - the average of ALL areas of the US. However, I even feel poor when you look at the local numbers. The median family income in FFX county is about where we are - and it STILL makes me "poor" in this area. |
Anonymous
| to 20:00, we are not even looking for a large, "nice SFH. We're totally willing to go for a tiny (smaller than1,500 sq ft) house that is much closer in than somewhere like Olney, doesn't have to be renovated, but you still can't find that for less than $500 close in! |
Anonymous
That's because $500k is not enough money. It's all about your frame of reference, and frames from less costly areas are irrelevant. |
Anonymous
Umm, try looking in Silver Spring. Tons on the market for less than $500k, especially small and unrenovated. Hell, you can find that in NW DC east of the park. |
Anonymous
| Would you send you kid to school east of the park? We are hoping for public school, which is why we are looking outside of the city. I am thinking we are going to have to look in Silver Spring which will be an ok commute for husband (he works downtown) but terrible for me (office based in Tysons). |
Anonymous
NP here. Silver Spring to Tyson's? No way! Try it, it will be awful. |
Anonymous
| A couple with a DC and a Tysons commute need to be in VA or DC. Look at townhouses in Reston. |
Anonymous
| I know it will be terrible. We do NOT want to buy in Virginia. We're both originally from Maryland, living in Arlington now and chomping at the bit to get back to MD. We are so NOT Virginia people. I was thinking that I could maybe do Kensington to Tysons...but I don't know if that would be at all bearable either. |
Anonymous
| Ugh. DC is preferable to Virginia to me. The thought of living in Reston makes me want to die. I know, that sounds so dramatic. But, I really, really hate Virginia. I am just so worried about schools since we can't afford anywhere in DC with decent schools and I am not willing to gamble with the charter lottery. It is so dicey. |
Anonymous
I'm the pp. First question: Maybe - depends on the school. I live in Silver Spring, and my DH used to work in Tysons. It wasn't a great commute, but doable. Helped that he went in early. He now works in Reston and that really sucks. There are a ton of houses in Silver Spring for >$500k. |
Anonymous
| Of course you could send your kids to school in DC--you could get a house easily west of rock creek park in your budget. Take a look at all the charter schools or out of boundary lotteries. It is doable and many people need to catch up on the school scene in DC before making that decision that you are facing. |
Anonymous
that should be <$500k. And I think the pp above means "east" of rock creek park - nothing west of the park under $500k |