Reply to Bethesda or McLean?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Depends. Are you a country club type? If so, Bethesda. 
Do you make over $500k? If so, McLean. 
Does paying taxes on your car bother you? If so, Bethesda
Does paying 50% more in state income tax bother you? If so, McLean
Do you want to send your kids to private school? If so, Bethesda
Do you want to drive through miserable traffic and stop at a red right every block? If not, then McLean.

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Hi in response to these questions:
Are you a country club type? Not really [b]Plenty of so-called country club and non-country club people in both locations.[/b]
Do you make over $500k? Yes (combined HHI) [b]Both locations have plenty of people with higher and lower HHI levels than yours.[/b]
Does paying 50% more in state income tax bother you? Depends how much difference between the two states? [b]I’ve lived in both states. MD has a very high income tax burden along with high property taxes. [u]Both[/u] the state and Montgomery County (where Bethesda is located) have income taxes levied on residents. VA has high property taxes and a larger number of consumption taxes (e.g., food, car), but the overall burden is less than Maryland. I also think there is a growing difference between both states. Virginia is more business-friendly and continues to see more job growth and development in multiple business sectors. The state is also investing heavily in its transportation infrastructure. Maryland’s job growth is not nearly as robust.[/b]
Do you want to send your kids to private school? If the privates are significantly better, then would consider. [b]Privates are not significantly better. Both Fairfax and Montgomery County schools aren’t perfect, but your kids will get an excellent education in the schools that serve McLean and Bethesda respectively.[/b]
Do you want to drive through miserable traffic and stop at a red right every block? I heard this is the case everywhere in the DC suburbs? [b]Actually, stopping at a red light every block is a problem more in DC than in either VA or MD. Traffic is bad in the region but it’s not gridlocked 24-7. You learn what times are better than others and most destinations have multiple routes to get there. [/b]

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[b]On balance, both McLean and Bethesda are good locations with plenty to offer. With that said, I think Virginia provides better overall value than Maryland. If you can, visiting both locations and pick whatever one works best for you. Don’t let DCUM decide for you![/b][/quote]

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