Reply to Why are homes in the DMV not nice?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Even higher end/more expensive homes in McLean, Potomac etc. have poor finishings, bad landscaping, mediocre appliances etc.

Compared to nicer suburbs around LA, NYC, Miami or other metro areas (even Charleston homes tend to be nicer) it appears as if people in this area either have no clue how to make a place "nice" or don't care to?

Is it because it's transient so they don't want to put in a La Cornue range when a Wolf would do?

They don't want to spend $$$ on proper high end landscaping which may take years to come in?

Interested in any other thoughts![/quote]

I completely agree.  Except for a few subdivisions, the homes in Potomac are grotesque.  I grew up in an upper class suburb in the Midwest and the houses and neighborhoods are way more beautiful than anything around here.  Maybe because the suburbs around here developed later than the early 20th century?  Except for a few.[/quote]

Agreed. Places like Grosse Pointe are far nicer than any DC suburb. Georgetown and Old Town are incredibly nice though as is Spring Valley. The suburbs are by and large the problem because once you get out into The Plains and Middleburg it’s far classier than any gouche Miami exurb.[/quote]

I agree with what many have said on this thread -- that the suburbs in DC were hastily built after WWII to accommodate government workers.  We live in such a house in Bethesda.  It's nothing special at all, and yet it's worth more than a much larger and more beautiful house in Grosse Point, Michigan, such as these two nice homes (selling for under $2 million, which would be double that if located in Bethesda or Arlington).

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/355-Lincoln-Rd_Grosse-Pointe_MI_48230_M46951-99604
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4-Cameron-Pl_Grosse-Pointe_MI_48230_M41316-38649

I'm only singling out Grosse Point because PP mentioned it above.  I have friends who are moving from Minnesota to Michigan for a career advancement, and they are shocked at what a nice house you can get in Grosse Pointe, MI, for the money.  Chicago also seems pretty affordable to live in a nice suburb like Hinsdale, IL.

So I agree that the houses around the DMV are not particularly charming or nice.  But they are expensive.  For us, we would love to have nicer furniture and a nicer home.  But this is what we can afford.

As others have stated above, this area has a solid middle class and upper middle class thanks to the stability that federal employment (at least used to) provide(s).  And there are a lot of educated people here.  But we do not have the kind of wealthy industries that other cities may have, like NY and Boston.

Also, I once read that the DMV has the highest price of housing relative to the average salary.  So in summary, the housing prices are relatively high compared to the salaries that people are earning.  I don't understand why this is, but it sounds accurate to me.  And that would explain why the houses do not look as nice.
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