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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We moved from CC MD to Potomac last year.   For a 20% bump in price (from ~950 to ~1.15) we tripled our space (1900 to 5400 sq ft) and went from a 1/4 acre to three-acre lot.

Architecturally, we went from a dull upgraded 50's rambler in CC MD to a striking 70s modern house in the woods in Potomac.   No contest.

The other big plus is that we now don't waste our time pondering the expense and time commitment of a country house -- we wake up in the country every day.  And driving around the rolling hills and landscaped lots of Potomac is restful in a way the congestion of CC and Bethesda streets never was.

In practical terms, Potomac's not significantly further out - my new drive commute to Metro Center/DC is only 5-10 minutes longer (highways vs traffic lights).

As for 'walkability,' our experience was the "walkability" of CC MD and Bethesda was mostly a myth except for a handful of streets near Wisc Ave (i've actually never seen anyone but schoolchildren walk across Connecticut Ave).   We walked nowhere.   And driving two miles into Potomac Village for shopping and services now is a lot easier than driving the same distance into (and parking in) congested Bethesda was.

Why the good values in Potomac?  A lot of original Potomac owners from the 1970s and 1980s became empty nesters -- and put their houses on the market -- simultaneously over the past decade, so that probably capped appreciation somewhat.   As did the buzz around supposedly 'walkable' neighborhoods and the trendy disparagement on sites like these about so-called McMansions (because somehow 4500 sq ft Potomac colonials on two acre lots are aesthetically objectionable and nouveau riche in ways that grotesque 5500 sq ft Bethesda McBungalows on a fourth of an acre aren't...).   I'm assuming that gap may right itself in the future, but even if it doesn't, we're happy to have the market's failure be our gain.  At essentially the same price point, living in Potomac is a lot better for us than living in CC MD was.

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I did the opposite - moved from Potomac to CC MD.  Paid A LOT more to maintain sq ft and lost a huge yard... but you're kidding yourself if you think your commute is only a few minutes longer.  That is pandemic traffic.  It used to take me 30 minutes MINIMUM just to get to River and Bradley from just north of Potomac center.  There are wonderful, wonderful things about living in Potomac, but you give up community and commutability.[/quote]

I live in a beautiful Potomac neighborhood with homes that were built in the 70’s.  We have 2+acre lots and an amazing community.  Our neighbors are all very kind and we all look out for each other.  I am able to hop on my bike and be on the canal in under 5 minutes.  My husband works in downtown Silver Spring and is usually home in about 40 minutes.[/quote]

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