Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was so close to buying in 2020 and 2021 and now those properties I could afford at 1.2 and 3% are at 1.7 and 6.8% and I am locked out of the UMC for the rest of my life. No equity here.

I've been having difficulty following the numbers in this thread so went back to the original post. I thought OP was being hyperbolic about the rate of price increases since 2021 (I am no longer in this area) but then I took a look at a current home listed in Arlington at $1.65M and was shocked to see that it sold for $870,000 in 2021. It's just one data point that may ultimately sell for less, and it looks as though the sellers did a fair amount of remodeling, but it's certainly an aggressive increase.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/18-N-Garfield-St-22201/home/11256002

As a previous poster pointed out, a $1.2M budget at 3% interest translates with 20% down translates to about 5K/month PITI. At 6.8% interest, if OP still put $240K down (her 20% payment on the $1.2M house), she can afford up to a $900,000 home to maintain that $5K/month PITI.

So yeah, that's a massive swing in a short time, and a 4,000-square foot home in Arlington is now out of OP's reach. Frustrating of course, but timing is everything and sometimes we miss the boat. OP I hope you take a look at some of the less expensive options that have been presented to you, because $900K can still buy you a lovely home.

Anonymous wrote:NP. OP, omg please ignore all these people being SO mean to you because they’ve set their hair on fire with envy at what you’re able to afford, saying you’re a “brat” or a “kindergartner” for wanting something nice to show after a lifetime of hustling and scraping and saving! Oh, and while raising TWO kids, ALONE! Not only do I have sympathy for you in spades, I think you are amazing and have so much respect for what you have achieved.

DCUM is well-known for being a gathering place of higher net-worth people. I feel like usually people on here are talking about how a HHI in the low six figures is actually pretty low, or comparing private schools in a way that you know they’re never going to have worry about tuition costs. So you came to this board to vent, and maybe get a little advice or encouragement. Instead, it seems like everyone (mostly partnered and double-income, so what’s their excuse?) who lives really far out who can’t imagine being able to afford $1M came out of the woodwork to call you names and kick you while you’re down. Or suggest that you’re an awful person for not being soo happy that you’re not one of those people having this struggle at $300k instead. Like what smug, condescending schadenfreude garbage is that? They can all seriously eff off.

I really think the meanest of the PPs live in Bumblefck and not the DMV. The past two years were AWFUL times to be a buyer - we (and a bunch of people we know) were right there with you. There was so much competition. Waiving all contingencies became the new normal, houses were regularly going for $200k over list and getting snapped up so quickly, you would go to an open house and be turned away at the door because the buyer had just accepted an offer.

I think things are slightly better these days, at least for SFHs in parts of N Va. There are fewer buyers right now so competition isn’t as stiff. Contingencies are a thing again (the appraisal contingency is a big deal, especially if you are coming from a non-equity position—you will have to cough up any difference in cash), prices seem to be stabilizing, and things aren’t going for an unpredictable amount over list. You can breathe and think for two seconds before launching headfirst into one of the biggest financial commitments you’ll ever have.

I do agree with the majority of the responses that you should stop renting and buy something though. You pinpointed yourself several times that the fact that you do not already have equity is a problem. That is not going to change if you rent forever. Sure, it can feel risky buying something that you’re not sure will appreciate, but renting is thousands of dollars out the window, every month, guaranteed. And you never know when your landlord is going to decide to sell, in which case you’ll be scrambling to find new housing anyway, without the benefit of being current on your research.

You have no idea whether life in that hypothetical $1.2M house would really be that great right now. You may have ended up going way over-budget in a bidding war, you may have had to take out a loan to cover an appraisal deficit, you may have been contending with all sorts of unforeseen issues like dangerous branches, roof, foundation, or electrical issues that you’re just now discovering while stretched beyond the max, because you waived everything in order to have a competitive offer.

In terms of your class-consciousness and feeling like a failure…you are NOT a failure. Most people will understand that it might take extra time for a single mom to buy herself a starter house. And I bet that like me, they’ll admire your ability to single-hand your own ship. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can upgrade, and you won’t be able to upgrade without it. If you never upgrade, then—shrug—you are a Homeowner with equity in some real estate. You currently feel crappy about yourself that you don’t have equity in a house, so I think deep down you feel that home ownership, even if not perfect for what you can afford, is in and of itself a class marker. So get on the property ladder! Even if your starter house is not your dream house.

Don’t stretch too much, buy comfortably and be proud of yourself! I think you and your kids have so much more to gain from their having a confident mom who works hard and doesn’t apologize for the happy home she’s created for them. Wishing you the best in your house hunting!

Anonymous wrote:Omg, I am sorry that was so long. I guess I had some feelings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

OP is a troll. The world she describes doesn’t exist. If OP were real she’d buy a house she can afford like every other homebuyer.

DP. I think everyone responding to OP like this a troll and a sociopath. So many posters on DCUM want houses of the same cost as what OP wants. They are desperate for them. They complain they are having a "freak out" over low inventory..OP is a person who saved for a long time for something she wants, and now can't have it. So many of us have been there. It's a horrible feeling. For us it was a house in a neighborhood where you could get a livable SFH for $500k in 2019. Same model house in worse condition worse lot, went for over $600k in 2021. We felt awful. We did end up compromising and getting a townhouse. We're very happy with our home now.

When close friends with more money had rough experiences 2022 to find their $900k and $2 million homes, did I say "stop complaining, you are so privileged, you can't possibly be real"? No, because I'm not a sociopath and am capable of empathy.

OP, just ignore these fools. They cannot possibly be real people.

OP is a single mom who says she could have afforded a $1.7M home by herself with 3% interest rates. The monthly payment for a house that expensive, even back then, was probably around $8,000-$10,000 a month. So OP is probably making around $300,000 or more to even think of that purchase.

So, to you, people are sociopaths because they’re a little taken aback that a rich lady, by any standard, is complaining that she can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore. Are you trolling as well? You don’t see the hubris it takes to fish for empathy from strangers when you’re such an incredibly privileged person because you can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore BY YOURSELF?!

Here’s a charming colonial in Bethesda for less than $900,000 with what appears to be a Wolf range. Maybe OP can “settle” and get a house like this, which is a nicer home than an overwhelming majority of people in this area can even think of affording with a partner, let alone by themselves, in an outstanding school district.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5906-Roosevelt-St-20817/home/10662235


I

Wow, that’s a great house! And affordable for OP!

Ummm. It is in MD..not VA.

Did OP say she had to be in VA? She never told us where she was looking. Or her actual budget. Hard to give useful recommendations.

I would assume the person you're replying to is OP, given I don't believe VA was mentioned until now.

I think many of these OP defenders are actually OP..

No. OP is not the only frustrated buyer. And some of you are suck jerks that you need to be addressed.

+1 amen

agree - I posted in support of OP because we are also trying to buy and it sucks.

I don't think anyone on this thread was arguing that it doesn't suck to buy right now.

Someone said that all the people being supportive to OP were in fact OP. I was just saying that I posted and I wasn't OP.

Anonymous wrote:Omg, I am sorry that was so long. I guess I had some feelings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, OP, but you don't need a million dollar house. Move further out like the rest of us. We're seeing nice houses in the $800-900K range.

Where

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

OP is a troll. The world she describes doesn’t exist. If OP were real she’d buy a house she can afford like every other homebuyer.

DP. I think everyone responding to OP like this a troll and a sociopath. So many posters on DCUM want houses of the same cost as what OP wants. They are desperate for them. They complain they are having a "freak out" over low inventory..OP is a person who saved for a long time for something she wants, and now can't have it. So many of us have been there. It's a horrible feeling. For us it was a house in a neighborhood where you could get a livable SFH for $500k in 2019. Same model house in worse condition worse lot, went for over $600k in 2021. We felt awful. We did end up compromising and getting a townhouse. We're very happy with our home now.

When close friends with more money had rough experiences 2022 to find their $900k and $2 million homes, did I say "stop complaining, you are so privileged, you can't possibly be real"? No, because I'm not a sociopath and am capable of empathy.

OP, just ignore these fools. They cannot possibly be real people.

OP is a single mom who says she could have afforded a $1.7M home by herself with 3% interest rates. The monthly payment for a house that expensive, even back then, was probably around $8,000-$10,000 a month. So OP is probably making around $300,000 or more to even think of that purchase.

So, to you, people are sociopaths because they’re a little taken aback that a rich lady, by any standard, is complaining that she can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore. Are you trolling as well? You don’t see the hubris it takes to fish for empathy from strangers when you’re such an incredibly privileged person because you can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore BY YOURSELF?!

Here’s a charming colonial in Bethesda for less than $900,000 with what appears to be a Wolf range. Maybe OP can “settle” and get a house like this, which is a nicer home than an overwhelming majority of people in this area can even think of affording with a partner, let alone by themselves, in an outstanding school district.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5906-Roosevelt-St-20817/home/10662235


I

Wow, that’s a great house! And affordable for OP!

Ummm. It is in MD..not VA.

Did OP say she had to be in VA? She never told us where she was looking. Or her actual budget. Hard to give useful recommendations.

I would assume the person you're replying to is OP, given I don't believe VA was mentioned until now.

I think many of these OP defenders are actually OP..

No. OP is not the only frustrated buyer. And some of you are suck jerks that you need to be addressed.

+1 amen

agree - I posted in support of OP because we are also trying to buy and it sucks.

I don't think anyone on this thread was arguing that it doesn't suck to buy right now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

OP is a troll. The world she describes doesn’t exist. If OP were real she’d buy a house she can afford like every other homebuyer.

DP. I think everyone responding to OP like this a troll and a sociopath. So many posters on DCUM want houses of the same cost as what OP wants. They are desperate for them. They complain they are having a "freak out" over low inventory..OP is a person who saved for a long time for something she wants, and now can't have it. So many of us have been there. It's a horrible feeling. For us it was a house in a neighborhood where you could get a livable SFH for $500k in 2019. Same model house in worse condition worse lot, went for over $600k in 2021. We felt awful. We did end up compromising and getting a townhouse. We're very happy with our home now.

When close friends with more money had rough experiences 2022 to find their $900k and $2 million homes, did I say "stop complaining, you are so privileged, you can't possibly be real"? No, because I'm not a sociopath and am capable of empathy.

OP, just ignore these fools. They cannot possibly be real people.

OP is a single mom who says she could have afforded a $1.7M home by herself with 3% interest rates. The monthly payment for a house that expensive, even back then, was probably around $8,000-$10,000 a month. So OP is probably making around $300,000 or more to even think of that purchase.

So, to you, people are sociopaths because they’re a little taken aback that a rich lady, by any standard, is complaining that she can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore. Are you trolling as well? You don’t see the hubris it takes to fish for empathy from strangers when you’re such an incredibly privileged person because you can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore BY YOURSELF?!

Here’s a charming colonial in Bethesda for less than $900,000 with what appears to be a Wolf range. Maybe OP can “settle” and get a house like this, which is a nicer home than an overwhelming majority of people in this area can even think of affording with a partner, let alone by themselves, in an outstanding school district.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5906-Roosevelt-St-20817/home/10662235


I

Wow, that’s a great house! And affordable for OP!

Ummm. It is in MD..not VA.

Did OP say she had to be in VA? She never told us where she was looking. Or her actual budget. Hard to give useful recommendations.

I would assume the person you're replying to is OP, given I don't believe VA was mentioned until now.

I think many of these OP defenders are actually OP..

No. OP is not the only frustrated buyer. And some of you are suck jerks that you need to be addressed.

+1 amen

agree - I posted in support of OP because we are also trying to buy and it sucks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

OP is a troll. The world she describes doesn’t exist. If OP were real she’d buy a house she can afford like every other homebuyer.

DP. I think everyone responding to OP like this a troll and a sociopath. So many posters on DCUM want houses of the same cost as what OP wants. They are desperate for them. They complain they are having a "freak out" over low inventory..OP is a person who saved for a long time for something she wants, and now can't have it. So many of us have been there. It's a horrible feeling. For us it was a house in a neighborhood where you could get a livable SFH for $500k in 2019. Same model house in worse condition worse lot, went for over $600k in 2021. We felt awful. We did end up compromising and getting a townhouse. We're very happy with our home now.

When close friends with more money had rough experiences 2022 to find their $900k and $2 million homes, did I say "stop complaining, you are so privileged, you can't possibly be real"? No, because I'm not a sociopath and am capable of empathy.

OP, just ignore these fools. They cannot possibly be real people.

OP is a single mom who says she could have afforded a $1.7M home by herself with 3% interest rates. The monthly payment for a house that expensive, even back then, was probably around $8,000-$10,000 a month. So OP is probably making around $300,000 or more to even think of that purchase.

So, to you, people are sociopaths because they’re a little taken aback that a rich lady, by any standard, is complaining that she can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore. Are you trolling as well? You don’t see the hubris it takes to fish for empathy from strangers when you’re such an incredibly privileged person because you can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore BY YOURSELF?!

Here’s a charming colonial in Bethesda for less than $900,000 with what appears to be a Wolf range. Maybe OP can “settle” and get a house like this, which is a nicer home than an overwhelming majority of people in this area can even think of affording with a partner, let alone by themselves, in an outstanding school district.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5906-Roosevelt-St-20817/home/10662235


I

Wow, that’s a great house! And affordable for OP!

Ummm. It is in MD..not VA.

Did OP say she had to be in VA? She never told us where she was looking. Or her actual budget. Hard to give useful recommendations.

I would assume the person you're replying to is OP, given I don't believe VA was mentioned until now.

I think many of these OP defenders are actually OP..

No. OP is not the only frustrated buyer. And some of you are suck jerks that you need to be addressed.

+1 amen

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

OP is a troll. The world she describes doesn’t exist. If OP were real she’d buy a house she can afford like every other homebuyer.

DP. I think everyone responding to OP like this a troll and a sociopath. So many posters on DCUM want houses of the same cost as what OP wants. They are desperate for them. They complain they are having a "freak out" over low inventory..OP is a person who saved for a long time for something she wants, and now can't have it. So many of us have been there. It's a horrible feeling. For us it was a house in a neighborhood where you could get a livable SFH for $500k in 2019. Same model house in worse condition worse lot, went for over $600k in 2021. We felt awful. We did end up compromising and getting a townhouse. We're very happy with our home now.

When close friends with more money had rough experiences 2022 to find their $900k and $2 million homes, did I say "stop complaining, you are so privileged, you can't possibly be real"? No, because I'm not a sociopath and am capable of empathy.

OP, just ignore these fools. They cannot possibly be real people.

OP is a single mom who says she could have afforded a $1.7M home by herself with 3% interest rates. The monthly payment for a house that expensive, even back then, was probably around $8,000-$10,000 a month. So OP is probably making around $300,000 or more to even think of that purchase.

So, to you, people are sociopaths because they’re a little taken aback that a rich lady, by any standard, is complaining that she can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore. Are you trolling as well? You don’t see the hubris it takes to fish for empathy from strangers when you’re such an incredibly privileged person because you can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore BY YOURSELF?!

Here’s a charming colonial in Bethesda for less than $900,000 with what appears to be a Wolf range. Maybe OP can “settle” and get a house like this, which is a nicer home than an overwhelming majority of people in this area can even think of affording with a partner, let alone by themselves, in an outstanding school district.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5906-Roosevelt-St-20817/home/10662235


I

Wow, that’s a great house! And affordable for OP!

Ummm. It is in MD..not VA.

Did OP say she had to be in VA? She never told us where she was looking. Or her actual budget. Hard to give useful recommendations.

I would assume the person you're replying to is OP, given I don't believe VA was mentioned until now.

I think many of these OP defenders are actually OP..

No. OP is not the only frustrated buyer. And some of you are suck jerks that you need to be addressed.

+1 amen

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

OP is a troll. The world she describes doesn’t exist. If OP were real she’d buy a house she can afford like every other homebuyer.

DP. I think everyone responding to OP like this a troll and a sociopath. So many posters on DCUM want houses of the same cost as what OP wants. They are desperate for them. They complain they are having a "freak out" over low inventory..OP is a person who saved for a long time for something she wants, and now can't have it. So many of us have been there. It's a horrible feeling. For us it was a house in a neighborhood where you could get a livable SFH for $500k in 2019. Same model house in worse condition worse lot, went for over $600k in 2021. We felt awful. We did end up compromising and getting a townhouse. We're very happy with our home now.

When close friends with more money had rough experiences 2022 to find their $900k and $2 million homes, did I say "stop complaining, you are so privileged, you can't possibly be real"? No, because I'm not a sociopath and am capable of empathy.

OP, just ignore these fools. They cannot possibly be real people.

OP is a single mom who says she could have afforded a $1.7M home by herself with 3% interest rates. The monthly payment for a house that expensive, even back then, was probably around $8,000-$10,000 a month. So OP is probably making around $300,000 or more to even think of that purchase.

So, to you, people are sociopaths because they’re a little taken aback that a rich lady, by any standard, is complaining that she can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore. Are you trolling as well? You don’t see the hubris it takes to fish for empathy from strangers when you’re such an incredibly privileged person because you can’t afford a $1.7M house anymore BY YOURSELF?!

Here’s a charming colonial in Bethesda for less than $900,000 with what appears to be a Wolf range. Maybe OP can “settle” and get a house like this, which is a nicer home than an overwhelming majority of people in this area can even think of affording with a partner, let alone by themselves, in an outstanding school district.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/5906-Roosevelt-St-20817/home/10662235


I

Wow, that’s a great house! And affordable for OP!

Ummm. It is in MD..not VA.

Did OP say she had to be in VA? She never told us where she was looking. Or her actual budget. Hard to give useful recommendations.

I would assume the person you're replying to is OP, given I don't believe VA was mentioned until now.

I think many of these OP defenders are actually OP..

No. OP is not the only frustrated buyer. And some of you are suck jerks that you need to be addressed.