Good grief. We bought in Takoma Park for $315k.

Va is much more right wing and conservative than Md.

Hagerstown/Frederick MD

350k loftridge in franconia. Clermont is a great school

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/140-Southwood-Ave_Silver-Spring_MD_20901_M60278-36124

Northwood Four Corners is a safe area with good schools. I think you will find that a lot of people on this board would never live anywhere besides Bethesda or Potomac, but there is more to life than Bethesda or Potomac.

Check out the zip codes of 20901, 20902 and 20910 and then check out the schools in the neighborhoods.
Silver Spring, and Wheaton.

Some people like Olney or further out in Silver Spring, 20904, 20906

You don't have to live in Woodbridge or Manasses or Prince William County or really far out for 300K. The selection is less, but it is not nothing.

Anonymous wrote:OP, if your business is entirely internet based, why the move to DC?

I second this. Why not move to a place with a lower cost of living?

University Park, MD

Safe, family-friendly, walkable beautiful neighborhood with a great elementary school. (Schools get worse through Middle and high school though.)

http://franklymls.com/default.aspx?m=R&l=250K&h=350K&s="University+Park"&addy1=

We are in 22306 off Route 1 in NOVA and love it. Where do you live now? That might help locals to answer the MD or NOVA question. I'd also look at income/business tax rates as well.

Crofton, MD

If you plan to be in the area for 18 years (?) so to-be-in-K child will need to consider colleges, VA has better public higher education options than MD does.

OP, if your business is entirely internet based, why the move to DC?

MD is GENERALLY more liberal/Democrat. NOVA has more miltary/defense/intelligence types. Not that there aren't plenty of liberals in NOVA, of course.

It's basically personal preference, but there seem to be a lot of people in MD who don't understand why anyone would live in VA and vice-versa. If you have family in the area, you may want to be close to them (or far from them, if they're crazy). Traffic is really bad in the area, so what looks like it should take 15 minutes to drive to will take much longer, particularly in the evenings during rush hour.

I'm glad that there are safe neighborhoods in my price range. We have an internet business, obviously not one dealing with high finance or anything. We're going to make a few visits between now and next summer, which is the latest we're hoping to move. Is there a difference in lifestyle between MD and VA or is it just personal preference?

OP you have a lot of options since commute is not a factor. What would narrow it down is personal preferences. But you're the only one that can know those. For instance I prefer to not live in MD so I would recommend NOVA. Check Burke. I love that area and the schools are great.