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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The poster about Annapolis is not entirely wrong...although he/she comes across a bit rough. However, I'm sure he/she is fed up with people arguing with him/her about their choices.

WFH is real, it's here, now, and it's not gonna go away. We're seeing a seismic shift in the American culture. I'm not saying cities/dense urban areas are gonna die, but their value proposition is diminishing. I suspect a few years from now, these so called urban areas will be a lot more "cheaper" in many different ways than they had been until 2019.

And yes, I think the big house, with a big lot, a bit (or more) further out, is gonna be back in vogue. It has to be. It makes sense. Technology has outpaced the need to be near your job, for a lot of jobs. We'll be seeing the real world effects of that in the next few years.[/quote]

WFH is not the panacea you think. Companies can’t work with all work remotes just IC work that requires little collaboration or innovation.  We have coasted this year off a) prior dynamics established in person and b) working more hours b/c we have nothing better to do.

Jobs like the accountant who just tabulates data, sure they may stay WFH unless there are security breaches and all of a sudden financial data is air gapped at the HQ. [/quote]

Of course DCUM folks are in denial about the changing nature of jobs. They don’t want potential house hunters lurking the forum to be steered away to other areas by the reality. Irl, everyone, real estate agents included, are acknowledging that the increase in WFH are going to drastically flip property values in the next few years. My wife has been job searching, and about 70% of the jobs she came across are permanently 100% WFH or partially  permanently WFH. WFH has been increasing in DC BEFORE the pandemic even started, and it has been increasing specifically because of rising house costs and commutes getting more lengthy. This NPR article from 2019 highlights that 35% of DC commuters were already teleworking occasionally or frequently in 2019, which is 16% higher than what it was in 2007. I wouldn’t be surprised if the pandemic alone hikes that number up to 55% over the next year, and with the augmentation of increased commutes/housing costs, I could easily see it topping off at 60%. I also think that this forum distorts the reality regarding how long the average DC worker is willing to commute to work. Those commuting 31-60+ minutes make up 60% of DC commuters, with 15% of that being in the 60+ minute category. Those with a commute of 30 minutes or less are in the minority. So while yes, while longer commutes are associated with a lot of negatives, more and more employers are working to combat those negatives, especially with increased remote working. I don’t know why people on DCUM deny this reality. The whole point of working hard and earning money is to be able to fund an enjoyable and laidback lifestyle, not to be so glued to your job that you feel the need to overpay for a house so you can be near it. Of course people will choose waterfront communities, bigger homes, and newer subdivisions when they have the choice. https://www.npr.org/local/305/2020/01/24/799292338/d-c-has-some-of-the-longest-commutes-in-the-country-what-help-is-available

The whole point of people returning from outer suburbs to the city was that it was cheaper and close to jobs. People started becoming attracted to living modestly and having modest prices. The modest prices don’t exist anymore, and they’re pushing more and more people out. Even people with high incomes are going, because the amount of people willing to pay $1M for a house like that is small, despite what the DCUM bubble thinks. It’s not “modest living” and “humble” to pay $1M for a $200k quality home. That’s called “stupid living.” That’s why you guys are always having panic attacks about school redistricting and jobs moving virtually every single day, because one little change can cause your property values to plummet. You chose to buy an overvalued home, which is very unwise. I don’t have to ever worry about that, because 70% of my property’s value comes from my house itself and the land it’s on. I have water access and I’m near Annapolis, which is sought after  for its prestigious water culture that isn’t going anywhere. The universities and hospitals in Baltimore are not going anywhere either. The Fort Meade base is it not going anywhere.. We have some of the best school pyramids in the region. Howard County schools are desirable, even their worst schools would be considered okay/average schools in Montgomery County. Anne Arundel has many high-achieving school pyramids: Severna Park, Broadneck, Arundel, and South River. The new Crofton High School should be up in the high ranks as well, and it was already a sellers market for the schools before the high school even opened. The incomes in these central regions have increased at higher rates over the last 3 years than the incomes in the inner burbs have. The incomes in Frederick County have shot up at higher rates over the last 3 years than inner burb incomes as well.

It must take a lot of brain-power to convince yourself that the average person would actually choose living in a $1M shitshack for some goddamn public schools and a somewhat shorter commute over a nice house, possibly with water access, and just as good (if not better) schools. I’m impressed. It has nothing to do with wanting to show off, and everything to do with paying for actual quality living and a laidback lifestyle. Reading the personal finances subsection of this forum, it seems that whatever negative mental affects are spared from having a shorter commute by living an in inner burn are significantly outweighed by the “keeping up with the jonses” mentality. You guys seemingly have very depressed lifestyles and are way too focused about what your neighbors are doing and how much money they make, and constantly complain about feeling poor while having a $450k income. It’s pathetic and miserable sounding, I’ll pass. [/quote]

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