Mosaic District townhomes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand why some people feel the need to post disparaging comments every time there's a new post that's mentions the Mosaic District in any way shape or form. If you don't like it and think the area has nothing to offer, don't go there. Why all the bashing?

I think there's one person who has a bug up his ass because another poster posted so frequently about Mosaic and its spiritual cousin, Pimmit Hills. The other bashers just feel threatened by anything that might be an alternative to where they live. If someone buys an EYA townhouse at Mosaic, it may keep the prices down in Bethesda or Clarendon.

There are at least two posters who don't care for the MD/PH booster(s). MD/PH are perfectly fine - it's great that some people like to live/eat/shop there. It's the booster with the nasty language that grates. Although sometimes he's quite amusing - thinking that what happens in MD/PH will somehow affect what is happening elsewhere in the area. Snicker.

I wouldn't start gratuitous threads about MD or PH, knowing that people are ready to pounce. And I found some of the PH boosterism grating as well.

Even so, what happens in MD and PH does affect what is happening elsewhere in the area, or at least the prices that are paid to lease space or purchase properties elsewhere. "Snicker" is just code language for "these places aren't as cool as where I live yet, so please don't do anything that might reduce the demand for my apartment/condo/house." It's not rocket science.

It's not a matter of cool or not. Just different markets/different buyers & renters. I can see how the MD THs might affect the TH community closer to the Metro there (the Marshall one) based on proximity/comps, but I can't see how they affect anything in Arlington/Bethesda. How many units are out there? Can't be all that many squeezed into the old movie theater lot. It's a nice option for people who want to be there, but it's certainly not a game changer for the area.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't buy at the current prices.

This is an area that will be hit during the next downturn in the real estate market. And there will be another downturn.

[Anonymous]

850K for 2100 sq.ft townhouse in deep suburbia and not the top school district? LOL, this is nuts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand why some people feel the need to post disparaging comments every time there's a new post that's mentions the Mosaic District in any way shape or form. If you don't like it and think the area has nothing to offer, don't go there. Why all the bashing?

I think there's one person who has a bug up his ass because another poster posted so frequently about Mosaic and its spiritual cousin, Pimmit Hills. The other bashers just feel threatened by anything that might be an alternative to where they live. If someone buys an EYA townhouse at Mosaic, it may keep the prices down in Bethesda or Clarendon.

Given that this thread has nothing to do with boosterism, I can only assume the latter point must be true.

You know what they say about making assumptions.

By all means, please feel free to offer an alternative explanation. Not a response to boosterism, not people feeling threatened, so it must be......just your average, run-of-the-mill, DCUM bitchiness??

I think it's just typical knocking of strivers. No one likes strivers.

But if you think anyone in Arlington is "threatened" by the MD or PH, that's just too funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It's not a matter of cool or not. Just different markets/different buyers & renters. I can see how the MD THs might affect the TH community closer to the Metro there (the Marshall one) based on proximity/comps, but I can't see how they affect anything in Arlington/Bethesda. How many units are out there? Can't be all that many squeezed into the old movie theater lot. It's a nice option for people who want to be there, but it's certainly not a game changer for the area.

Few things are a "game changer for the area." What MD offers are some modern, well-appointed townhouses near a Metro station and a "town center" that provides some measure of walkability, and some interesting amenities, to those who live in or near that area.

It's not cheap, and in fact it may be over-priced, but the fact that a fair number of these townhouses have sold at healthy prices (well above the selling price for EYA townhouses in the Arts District Hyattsville development) suggests tells you that they are, indeed, competing with properties in other places, including Arlington and Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:850K for 2100 sq.ft townhouse in deep suburbia and not the top school district? LOL, this is nuts

Dunn Loring/Merrifield is hardly "deep suburbia." That might describe Centreville or South Riding. And the most urban areas in Arlington feed into W-L, which is not the top school district in Arlington and would be considered average in Loudoun and slightly below-average in Fairfax County.

Which is not to knock South Riding or W-L, but only to point out that your analysis is wanting. If you think $850K is too much, point to something else that is both better and less expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand why some people feel the need to post disparaging comments every time there's a new post that's mentions the Mosaic District in any way shape or form. If you don't like it and think the area has nothing to offer, don't go there. Why all the bashing?

I think there's one person who has a bug up his ass because another poster posted so frequently about Mosaic and its spiritual cousin, Pimmit Hills. The other bashers just feel threatened by anything that might be an alternative to where they live. If someone buys an EYA townhouse at Mosaic, it may keep the prices down in Bethesda or Clarendon.

Given that this thread has nothing to do with boosterism, I can only assume the latter point must be true.

You know what they say about making assumptions.

By all means, please feel free to offer an alternative explanation. Not a response to boosterism, not people feeling threatened, so it must be......just your average, run-of-the-mill, DCUM bitchiness??

I think it's just typical knocking of strivers. No one likes strivers.

But if you think anyone in Arlington is "threatened" by the MD or PH, that's just too funny.

Threatened in the sense of intimidated? Not really.

Threatened in the sense of irritated enough by the prospect of other places that market themselves as offering similar amenities to where one lives to go way out of one's way to criticize the place as "striver" territory? Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't buy at the current prices.

This is an area that will be hit during the next downturn in the real estate market. And there will be another downturn.

That would be Arlington mostly south because nothing new is being developed.

[Anonymous]

There are a couple under construction TH developments in the N Arlington urban corridor (mostly around Ballston)...interestingly, they price around the same, which seems to indicate these Mosaic THs are over-priced (it is not as optimal or close-in a location and really should priced less):

Next to Ballston, less per square foot, at 2300 sq feet:
http://www.redfin.com/homes-for-sale#!market=dc®ion_id=8801®ion_type=2&v=8

Next to Ballston, about the same per square foot at ~2300:
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/807-N-Woodrow-St-22203/unit-13/home/45450049

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's not a matter of cool or not. Just different markets/different buyers & renters. I can see how the MD THs might affect the TH community closer to the Metro there (the Marshall one) based on proximity/comps, but I can't see how they affect anything in Arlington/Bethesda. How many units are out there? Can't be all that many squeezed into the old movie theater lot. It's a nice option for people who want to be there, but it's certainly not a game changer for the area.

Few things are a "game changer for the area." What MD offers are some modern, well-appointed townhouses near a Metro station and a "town center" that provides some measure of walkability, and some interesting amenities, to those who live in or near that area.

It's not cheap, and in fact it may be over-priced, but the fact that a fair number of these townhouses have sold at healthy prices (well above the selling price for EYA townhouses in the Arts District Hyattsville development) suggests tells you that they are, indeed, competing with properties in other places, including Arlington and Bethesda.

You are welcome to keep telling yourself that if it makes you sleep better at night.

How long have those MD THs been sitting on the market? How many units left?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a couple under construction TH developments in the N Arlington urban corridor (mostly around Ballston)...interestingly, they price around the same, which seems to indicate these Mosaic THs are over-priced (it is not as optimal or close-in a location and really should priced less):

Next to Ballston, less per square foot, at 2300 sq feet:
http://www.redfin.com/homes-for-sale#!market=dc®ion_id=8801®ion_type=2&v=8

Next to Ballston, about the same per square foot at ~2300:
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/807-N-Woodrow-St-22203/unit-13/home/45450049

Yeah cause the ballston mall is awesome!!!!! Actually it's really just a metro parkin lot with a bunch of crappy stores. You know a mall is bad when there are eastern fabric stores and boarded up spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's not a matter of cool or not. Just different markets/different buyers & renters. I can see how the MD THs might affect the TH community closer to the Metro there (the Marshall one) based on proximity/comps, but I can't see how they affect anything in Arlington/Bethesda. How many units are out there? Can't be all that many squeezed into the old movie theater lot. It's a nice option for people who want to be there, but it's certainly not a game changer for the area.

Few things are a "game changer for the area." What MD offers are some modern, well-appointed townhouses near a Metro station and a "town center" that provides some measure of walkability, and some interesting amenities, to those who live in or near that area.

It's not cheap, and in fact it may be over-priced, but the fact that a fair number of these townhouses have sold at healthy prices (well above the selling price for EYA townhouses in the Arts District Hyattsville development) suggests tells you that they are, indeed, competing with properties in other places, including Arlington and Bethesda.

You are welcome to keep telling yourself that if it makes you sleep better at night.

How long have those MD THs been sitting on the market? How many units left?

It doesn't affect my sleep one way or the other. Additional Metro-accessible townhouses, however, do affect the markets for similar properties in Arlington and Bethesda.

I believe there are three EYA models and that one of them has sold out already. Given how recent the construction is, that doesn't seem bad to me.

You sound awfully, awfully insecure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a couple under construction TH developments in the N Arlington urban corridor (mostly around Ballston)...interestingly, they price around the same, which seems to indicate these Mosaic THs are over-priced (it is not as optimal or close-in a location and really should priced less):

Next to Ballston, less per square foot, at 2300 sq feet:
http://www.redfin.com/homes-for-sale#!market=dc®ion_id=8801®ion_type=2&v=8

Next to Ballston, about the same per square foot at ~2300:
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/807-N-Woodrow-St-22203/unit-13/home/45450049

Yeah cause the ballston mall is awesome!!!!! Actually it's really just a metro parkin lot with a bunch of crappy stores. You know a mall is bad when there are eastern fabric stores and boarded up spots.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ballston-common-mall-arlington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a couple under construction TH developments in the N Arlington urban corridor (mostly around Ballston)...interestingly, they price around the same, which seems to indicate these Mosaic THs are over-priced (it is not as optimal or close-in a location and really should priced less):

Next to Ballston, less per square foot, at 2300 sq feet:
http://www.redfin.com/homes-for-sale#!market=dc®ion_id=8801®ion_type=2&v=8

Next to Ballston, about the same per square foot at ~2300:
http://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/807-N-Woodrow-St-22203/unit-13/home/45450049

Yeah cause the ballston mall is awesome!!!!! Actually it's really just a metro parkin lot with a bunch of crappy stores. You know a mall is bad when there are eastern fabric stores and boarded up spots.

No one is promoting Ballston Mall, but Ballston is major metro hub in the Washington area, and the area also is within a mile of clarendon/courthouse as well (Rosslyn to Ballston is a pretty continuous urban strip now). That said, the Ballston area has plenty of high quality stores and restaurants, not in the mall, ranging from fine-dining, to independent coffee shops, burgers, fro-yo, bakeries etc. etc. Much more on offer than Mosaic has right now....Most importantly, this is about 3.5 miles from the city versus 13 miles- that's a big difference in a commuting nightmare city like DC.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the MD townhouses will come down. Who knows. But, then, EYA has unsold townhouses in Bethesda that it's trying to sell for $1.4 million, so the MD townhouses look good price-wise compared to them.

I'm not a fan of Ballston, but I would expect similar properties there to cost more than they would in Dunn Loring/Merrifield.