DMV Sticker Shock Advice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In DC, check zip code 20003 and 20002 zoned for Brent or Maury ES. You could find a 3 bed rental for $3,000-$4,000.

Walkable communities, easy downtown commute via Metro, tons of kids.

+1 Agree on the zip code, and want to mention also, don't rule out a home in this area zoned for Ludlow-Taylor ES. I've lived in the neighborhood for 19 years. It's fabulous. And, the elementary school has improved so much, I pulled my kid out of a public charter school (Two Rivers, 4th St) to attend. Far more academically rigorous than the PCS and the principal/parent support is fantastic.

[Anonymous]

should have led with 350K HHI

You are just being cheap AF with your rental budget.

[Anonymous]

If you want cheap with good schools right next to Bethesda Metro and across from HS try the Topaz house rentals. Utilities are included building has gym, pool and parking.

Tons of kids with HS across street and elementary bus pulls into circular driveway in lobby so parents sit in lobby. Building is a little dated which is why cheaper but units are big. Get to know area that is good base

[Anonymous]

No, just no. Do not do DC schools if you need to provide your child with gifted education. We fought our “well regarded “ school for years trying to eek out basic supports. But DCPS doesn’t believe in needing to provide students with above grade level opportunities.

Now I’m sure someone is going to chime in with an annectidote about her child’s school providing some extra worksheets or a pullout once a week. And, sure, maybe in second grade that works. But in the end, DCPS has no interest in or knowledge about educating gifted kids. Which is actually really sad for all the less privileged kids that aren’t going to be identified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:We're relocating to somewhere in the DMV in June.

Currently in Jacksonville with mortgage of just under $900/month PITI for 3100 square feet 4bd/3.5ba SFH built in 2005 on 0.25 acres with a 2 car garage in decent school district.

So, looking at our options in DMV has been quite eye opening.

We're wanting, at minimum, a 3/2, 1100 sq ft, <1 hour commute to N Street area DC, good school districts with AAP/TAG/whatever y'all call it here, and W/D in unit.

No preference on house vs condo vs whatever. Would like at least one car garage, but not mandatory. Prefer some sort of yard; if not, access to outdoor play space.

We have a 6.5 DD and 2.5 DS. No pets.

Budget is flexible, but, in my head, I thought 3k/month would suffice to meet our desires. However, on a different board, I was told it probably isn't. So now I'm thinking my searches on realtor.com and apartments.com have been misleading me.

We'd more than likely rent for the first year, possibly two. Absolute max budget for rent would be 4500. We'd like to rent where we'd eventually buy as to avoid switching school districts. Once we're ready to buy, forecasted budget is max 1.5m, preferably in the 600-800k range, though.

Where can we afford to live? Where should I be looking? We wanted to avoid Maryland because of local income taxes, but can be convinced.

There is no rush on our move as husband will precede me to DMV to start working and will Airbnb until school is over for our DD and we'll be renting out our current home once we've relocated.

We moved from Miami Beach to the DC area. I feel your pain. HHI is 300K and we rent in 22046 City of Falls Church. 3K (including parking and utilities 1700 sq feet 2.5 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms). We decided to rent here while shopping for a home. Our preference is DC, since DH works in Dupont Circle. I've been posting on several threads trying to find out what I can really afford (real life experience vs. what mortgage broker said I should target). I'm not charmed by a lot of DC. I'm the person who wrote about all the garbage cans in front of people's townhouses and row houses. It looks like the low-income neighborhoods in FL to me. City of Falls Church is affordable and a reasonable 30 minute commute (non rush hour), but it's ugly. The schools are good. The taxes for real estate are stupidly high. Again, it looks like one of the run down neighborhoods you'd find in Florida. I don't know where to live. I was hoping to find a charming DC neighborhood that would suit our needs (Georgetown? Burleith?). In that thread I mentioned with my HHI (will will be similar to yours), people told me not to over-exend myself and stay around $2500-$3000 PITI. That's not even possible. I'm looking at spending at least 5K month for anything livable, and more like $6500 for something I actually *want* to live in. I understand your struggle.

I've lived in FL and what you're forgetting is the fact that you need to get in a car and drive a few miles to get to your grocery store....and to your Starbucks...and to your schools...and to your doctors appointments, that's if the only emergency care center isn't a 2-3 hour drive away. I don't miss it. Yes, it took getting used to the half-million to million price tags attached to what most people would only live in if they were drug addicts 'back home' but then again I also don't have to deal with the traffic, bad attitudes, pretty insular communities, and crazy insurance prices.

I don't miss it. But then again I wasn't living on the coastline in Coral Gables either but in the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:We're relocating to somewhere in the DMV in June.

Currently in Jacksonville with mortgage of just under $900/month PITI for 3100 square feet 4bd/3.5ba SFH built in 2005 on 0.25 acres with a 2 car garage in decent school district.

So, looking at our options in DMV has been quite eye opening.

We're wanting, at minimum, a 3/2, 1100 sq ft, <1 hour commute to N Street area DC, good school districts with AAP/TAG/whatever y'all call it here, and W/D in unit.

No preference on house vs condo vs whatever. Would like at least one car garage, but not mandatory. Prefer some sort of yard; if not, access to outdoor play space.

We have a 6.5 DD and 2.5 DS. No pets.

Budget is flexible, but, in my head, I thought 3k/month would suffice to meet our desires. However, on a different board, I was told it probably isn't. So now I'm thinking my searches on realtor.com and apartments.com have been misleading me.

We'd more than likely rent for the first year, possibly two. Absolute max budget for rent would be 4500. We'd like to rent where we'd eventually buy as to avoid switching school districts. Once we're ready to buy, forecasted budget is max 1.5m, preferably in the 600-800k range, though.

Where can we afford to live? Where should I be looking? We wanted to avoid Maryland because of local income taxes, but can be convinced.

There is no rush on our move as husband will precede me to DMV to start working and will Airbnb until school is over for our DD and we'll be renting out our current home once we've relocated.

We moved from Miami Beach to the DC area. I feel your pain. HHI is 300K and we rent in 22046 City of Falls Church. 3K (including parking and utilities 1700 sq feet 2.5 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms). We decided to rent here while shopping for a home. Our preference is DC, since DH works in Dupont Circle. I've been posting on several threads trying to find out what I can really afford (real life experience vs. what mortgage broker said I should target). I'm not charmed by a lot of DC. I'm the person who wrote about all the garbage cans in front of people's townhouses and row houses. It looks like the low-income neighborhoods in FL to me. City of Falls Church is affordable and a reasonable 30 minute commute (non rush hour), but it's ugly. The schools are good. The taxes for real estate are stupidly high. Again, it looks like one of the run down neighborhoods you'd find in Florida. I don't know where to live. I was hoping to find a charming DC neighborhood that would suit our needs (Georgetown? Burleith?). In that thread I mentioned with my HHI (will will be similar to yours), people told me not to over-exend myself and stay around $2500-$3000 PITI. That's not even possible. I'm looking at spending at least 5K month for anything livable, and more like $6500 for something I actually *want* to live in. I understand your struggle.

Not compared to other parts of the country. There are some attractive neighborhoods in Miami Beach but I think that the historic row houses in DC are more charming. YMMV. And DC real estate taxes are low. I think your obsession with the garbage cans is really weird and nothing will satisfy you. I can't imagine that you can't find anything at $3000k PITI that is suitable. There are plenty of attractive homes in that range.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:We're relocating to somewhere in the DMV in June.

Currently in Jacksonville with mortgage of just under $900/month PITI for 3100 square feet 4bd/3.5ba SFH built in 2005 on 0.25 acres with a 2 car garage in decent school district.

So, looking at our options in DMV has been quite eye opening.

We're wanting, at minimum, a 3/2, 1100 sq ft, <1 hour commute to N Street area DC, good school districts with AAP/TAG/whatever y'all call it here, and W/D in unit.

No preference on house vs condo vs whatever. Would like at least one car garage, but not mandatory. Prefer some sort of yard; if not, access to outdoor play space.

We have a 6.5 DD and 2.5 DS. No pets.

Budget is flexible, but, in my head, I thought 3k/month would suffice to meet our desires. However, on a different board, I was told it probably isn't. So now I'm thinking my searches on realtor.com and apartments.com have been misleading me.

We'd more than likely rent for the first year, possibly two. Absolute max budget for rent would be 4500. We'd like to rent where we'd eventually buy as to avoid switching school districts. Once we're ready to buy, forecasted budget is max 1.5m, preferably in the 600-800k range, though.

Where can we afford to live? Where should I be looking? We wanted to avoid Maryland because of local income taxes, but can be convinced.

There is no rush on our move as husband will precede me to DMV to start working and will Airbnb until school is over for our DD and we'll be renting out our current home once we've relocated.

We moved from Miami Beach to the DC area. I feel your pain. HHI is 300K and we rent in 22046 City of Falls Church. 3K (including parking and utilities 1700 sq feet 2.5 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms). We decided to rent here while shopping for a home. Our preference is DC, since DH works in Dupont Circle. I've been posting on several threads trying to find out what I can really afford (real life experience vs. what mortgage broker said I should target). I'm not charmed by a lot of DC. I'm the person who wrote about all the garbage cans in front of people's townhouses and row houses. It looks like the low-income neighborhoods in FL to me. City of Falls Church is affordable and a reasonable 30 minute commute (non rush hour), but it's ugly. The schools are good. The taxes for real estate are stupidly high. Again, it looks like one of the run down neighborhoods you'd find in Florida. I don't know where to live. I was hoping to find a charming DC neighborhood that would suit our needs (Georgetown? Burleith?). In that thread I mentioned with my HHI (will will be similar to yours), people told me not to over-exend myself and stay around $2500-$3000 PITI. That's not even possible. I'm looking at spending at least 5K month for anything livable, and more like $6500 for something I actually *want* to live in. I understand your struggle.

Not compared to other parts of the country. There are some attractive neighborhoods in Miami Beach but I think that the historic row houses in DC are more charming. YMMV. And DC real estate taxes are low. I think your obsession with the garbage cans is really weird and nothing will satisfy you. I can't imagine that you can't find anything at $3000k PITI that is suitable. There are plenty of attractive homes in that range.

Not to be that person but have you seen what $3,000 PITI gets you in DC or VA versus in FL? This is why transplants aren't impressed and I say this as someone who lives in the center of DC and loves it.

$3,000 PITI is about a $500,000 mortgage. That gets you a complete gut job in the furthest corner of NW DC.
https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/802-Rittenhouse-St-NW-20011/home/10038784






In Falls Church, VA and the 'great' school districts that gets you a livable mini-house.
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6604-Barrett-Rd-22042/home/9635758





In Florida, that gets you brand-new everything, 2,000 - 3,000 sqft of space, and the best communities within BLOCKS of the beach.

https://www.redfin.com/FL/TAMPA/16362-HYDE-MANOR-DR-33647/home/114063946


https://www.redfin.com/FL/Miami/9855-NW-10th-St-33172/home/50121573

Those are just the top wealthiest areas - the coasts. Can you imagine how cheap the FL interior is? I'll give you a hint.
6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms $475,000 to live in Kissimmee, FL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:We're relocating to somewhere in the DMV in June.

Currently in Jacksonville with mortgage of just under $900/month PITI for 3100 square feet 4bd/3.5ba SFH built in 2005 on 0.25 acres with a 2 car garage in decent school district.

So, looking at our options in DMV has been quite eye opening.

We're wanting, at minimum, a 3/2, 1100 sq ft, <1 hour commute to N Street area DC, good school districts with AAP/TAG/whatever y'all call it here, and W/D in unit.

No preference on house vs condo vs whatever. Would like at least one car garage, but not mandatory. Prefer some sort of yard; if not, access to outdoor play space.

We have a 6.5 DD and 2.5 DS. No pets.

Budget is flexible, but, in my head, I thought 3k/month would suffice to meet our desires. However, on a different board, I was told it probably isn't. So now I'm thinking my searches on realtor.com and apartments.com have been misleading me.

We'd more than likely rent for the first year, possibly two. Absolute max budget for rent would be 4500. We'd like to rent where we'd eventually buy as to avoid switching school districts. Once we're ready to buy, forecasted budget is max 1.5m, preferably in the 600-800k range, though.

Where can we afford to live? Where should I be looking? We wanted to avoid Maryland because of local income taxes, but can be convinced.

There is no rush on our move as husband will precede me to DMV to start working and will Airbnb until school is over for our DD and we'll be renting out our current home once we've relocated.

We moved from Miami Beach to the DC area. I feel your pain. HHI is 300K and we rent in 22046 City of Falls Church. 3K (including parking and utilities 1700 sq feet 2.5 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms). We decided to rent here while shopping for a home. Our preference is DC, since DH works in Dupont Circle. I've been posting on several threads trying to find out what I can really afford (real life experience vs. what mortgage broker said I should target). I'm not charmed by a lot of DC. I'm the person who wrote about all the garbage cans in front of people's townhouses and row houses. It looks like the low-income neighborhoods in FL to me. City of Falls Church is affordable and a reasonable 30 minute commute (non rush hour), but it's ugly. The schools are good. The taxes for real estate are stupidly high. Again, it looks like one of the run down neighborhoods you'd find in Florida. I don't know where to live. I was hoping to find a charming DC neighborhood that would suit our needs (Georgetown? Burleith?). In that thread I mentioned with my HHI (will will be similar to yours), people told me not to over-exend myself and stay around $2500-$3000 PITI. That's not even possible. I'm looking at spending at least 5K month for anything livable, and more like $6500 for something I actually *want* to live in. I understand your struggle.

Not compared to other parts of the country. There are some attractive neighborhoods in Miami Beach but I think that the historic row houses in DC are more charming. YMMV. And DC real estate taxes are low. I think your obsession with the garbage cans is really weird and nothing will satisfy you. I can't imagine that you can't find anything at $3000k PITI that is suitable. There are plenty of attractive homes in that range.

Not to be that person but have you seen what $3,000 PITI gets you in DC or VA versus in FL? This is why transplants aren't impressed and I say this as someone who lives in the center of DC and loves it.

$3,000 PITI is about a $500,000 mortgage. That gets you a complete gut job in the furthest corner of NW DC.
https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/802-Rittenhouse-St-NW-20011/home/10038784






In Falls Church, VA and the 'great' school districts that gets you a livable mini-house.
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6604-Barrett-Rd-22042/home/9635758





In Florida, that gets you brand-new everything, 2,000 - 3,000 sqft of space, and the best communities within BLOCKS of the beach.

https://www.redfin.com/FL/TAMPA/16362-HYDE-MANOR-DR-33647/home/114063946


https://www.redfin.com/FL/Miami/9855-NW-10th-St-33172/home/50121573

Those are just the top wealthiest areas - the coasts. Can you imagine how cheap the FL interior is? I'll give you a hint.
6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms $475,000 to live in Kissimmee, FL

THIS. Sticker shock. We're used to the above, while DCers are used to garbage cans lined up in their front tiny yards, dirty streets, and having to dodge dog shit every few feet. I mean, that's what it is and we've got to adapt. So we will, but still ... the f***** garbage cans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:We're relocating to somewhere in the DMV in June.

Currently in Jacksonville with mortgage of just under $900/month PITI for 3100 square feet 4bd/3.5ba SFH built in 2005 on 0.25 acres with a 2 car garage in decent school district.

So, looking at our options in DMV has been quite eye opening.

We're wanting, at minimum, a 3/2, 1100 sq ft, <1 hour commute to N Street area DC, good school districts with AAP/TAG/whatever y'all call it here, and W/D in unit.

No preference on house vs condo vs whatever. Would like at least one car garage, but not mandatory. Prefer some sort of yard; if not, access to outdoor play space.

We have a 6.5 DD and 2.5 DS. No pets.

Budget is flexible, but, in my head, I thought 3k/month would suffice to meet our desires. However, on a different board, I was told it probably isn't. So now I'm thinking my searches on realtor.com and apartments.com have been misleading me.

We'd more than likely rent for the first year, possibly two. Absolute max budget for rent would be 4500. We'd like to rent where we'd eventually buy as to avoid switching school districts. Once we're ready to buy, forecasted budget is max 1.5m, preferably in the 600-800k range, though.

Where can we afford to live? Where should I be looking? We wanted to avoid Maryland because of local income taxes, but can be convinced.

There is no rush on our move as husband will precede me to DMV to start working and will Airbnb until school is over for our DD and we'll be renting out our current home once we've relocated.

We moved from Miami Beach to the DC area. I feel your pain. HHI is 300K and we rent in 22046 City of Falls Church. 3K (including parking and utilities 1700 sq feet 2.5 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms). We decided to rent here while shopping for a home. Our preference is DC, since DH works in Dupont Circle. I've been posting on several threads trying to find out what I can really afford (real life experience vs. what mortgage broker said I should target). I'm not charmed by a lot of DC. I'm the person who wrote about all the garbage cans in front of people's townhouses and row houses. It looks like the low-income neighborhoods in FL to me. City of Falls Church is affordable and a reasonable 30 minute commute (non rush hour), but it's ugly. The schools are good. The taxes for real estate are stupidly high. Again, it looks like one of the run down neighborhoods you'd find in Florida. I don't know where to live. I was hoping to find a charming DC neighborhood that would suit our needs (Georgetown? Burleith?). In that thread I mentioned with my HHI (will will be similar to yours), people told me not to over-exend myself and stay around $2500-$3000 PITI. That's not even possible. I'm looking at spending at least 5K month for anything livable, and more like $6500 for something I actually *want* to live in. I understand your struggle.

Not compared to other parts of the country. There are some attractive neighborhoods in Miami Beach but I think that the historic row houses in DC are more charming. YMMV. And DC real estate taxes are low. I think your obsession with the garbage cans is really weird and nothing will satisfy you. I can't imagine that you can't find anything at $3000k PITI that is suitable. There are plenty of attractive homes in that range.

Not to be that person but have you seen what $3,000 PITI gets you in DC or VA versus in FL? This is why transplants aren't impressed and I say this as someone who lives in the center of DC and loves it.

$3,000 PITI is about a $500,000 mortgage. That gets you a complete gut job in the furthest corner of NW DC.
https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/802-Rittenhouse-St-NW-20011/home/10038784






In Falls Church, VA and the 'great' school districts that gets you a livable mini-house.
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/6604-Barrett-Rd-22042/home/9635758





In Florida, that gets you brand-new everything, 2,000 - 3,000 sqft of space, and the best communities within BLOCKS of the beach.

https://www.redfin.com/FL/TAMPA/16362-HYDE-MANOR-DR-33647/home/114063946


https://www.redfin.com/FL/Miami/9855-NW-10th-St-33172/home/50121573

Those are just the top wealthiest areas - the coasts. Can you imagine how cheap the FL interior is? I'll give you a hint.
6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms $475,000 to live in Kissimmee, FL

THIS. Sticker shock. We're used to the above, while DCers are used to garbage cans lined up in their front tiny yards, dirty streets, and having to dodge dog shit every few feet. I mean, that's what it is and we've got to adapt. So we will, but still ... the f***** garbage cans.

$18,000 in taxes? Is that a typo on the listing?!

[Anonymous]

If you want a nice rental plan on spending 3200-4000 a month. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

ikornika wrote:Why move? One word: opportunity.

I've reached my ceiling unless I move into management which I have no desire to do. DH is in corporate banking and transitioning to corporate finance with base salary AND phenomal commission structure.

HHI will be above 350k with dual income.

I loathe Jacksonville. Hub's dislike isn't as great as mine, but he's not a fan either.

We're both 35 and subscribe to the idea that you miss 100% of the shots you don't take and this shot is definitely one we're taking; might be a long three, but we're banking on the nothing but net.

Not to pile on with the negativity but please don’t use hub/hubs/hub’s once you move up here.

[ikornika]

Anonymous wrote:

Not to pile on with the negativity but please don’t use hub/hubs/hub’s once you move up here.

Hahaha! Duly noted.

Can I still say, "Y'all?"

[Anonymous]

No. No ya'll. It sounds so cheesy and fake.

[ikornika]

Anonymous wrote:No. No ya'll. It sounds so cheesy and fake.

You haven't heard me say it! It's so truly genuine excitement ... usually.

[Anonymous]

ikornika wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI: my kids are in DCPS at a school that a lot of people like. There’s no TAG/whatever but I’d say nearly all the kids would have been in the GATE program I attended in elementary. These are all bright kids whose parents care about their education. People’s expectations here are just SO different from where I grew up that I think you could send your kids to many schools without an explicit AAP program and expect them to be challenged.

And FWIW, your husband’s commute from here (we are on Capitol Hill) would be a breeze by Metro, car, or bus.

Since you’re willing to live in less that 2000 feet, DC might not be a bad fit at all.

I honestly haven't even looked in DC as we simply did not believe we could afford to. I just automatically defaulted to elsewhere, but now I'll look in DC.

Are there areas in DC to avoid? To aim for?

Clearly, I don't even know what I don't know so asking good questions is/has been difficult.

Do not live in DC. You could not pay me any amount of money to send my kids to quite possibly one of the worst school districts in the country.