I am the PP that suggested the other side of Conn Ave.

Look.....people have made some subtle comments - let me be a bit more blunt.

The mall is not the dreamland that you think it is. I do not generally take my children there to hang out. If I have to go to Target - I go to Rockville Pike. We go in and out of Costco hop skip. We have literally seen stealing, kids setting off firecrackers in the mall, fights, etc. In the last year there were a rash of "unfortunate" incidents (aka stabbings and shootings). I always knew before it was on WTOP because we would hear the "thump thump thump" of the helicopter circling. It is a mall that literally, has murder at it. Unlike many other places I go, I always am wide-eyed when I go there. When we see someone in handcuffs on the side of the road, I say to my children, "Well there is something you don't see in Bethesda!".

While Wheaton and the mall has improved in the last decade or two, it still isn't all it could be. That nice Hugo place back in the day used to be a massage parlor that was a front for a brothel. On one of the streets behind the McDonalds was a girl being kept by a gang forced into prostitution - that was just in the past year - not 10 years ago.

Why for a million dollars you would CHOOSE that is quite beyond me. It isn't about being a snob - it is about the basic safety of small children and a stay at home Mom.

That people on here were a bit stunned that you were excited should tell you something. We all know the issues and housing prices and schools. Any decent realtor would tell you to talk to neighbors before buying. You essentially have and don't care to hear any of it.

Search the news for information about the mall. Go to that mall at DIFFERENT times of the day and hang and see how you feel. (My fav - try shopping for toys at Target - they don't even bother to try to keep that section nice.)

And..... when you are living that dream..... when you have the first day that you are at home and a bit freaked out about the "thump thump thump" of the helicopter - remember we tried to ask you if you were going to be comfortable with that.

If I didn't think you were very doe-eyed, I might think you were the developer trolling the site trying to actually get those places sold. I don't think you are that troll - rather you need to do a bit more thoughtful research.

Anonymous wrote:PP here with the 3 kids. We are purchasing one of the SFH new builds! So excited. Immersion here we come. And we have found the Montessori bilingual preschool on Plyers Mill. Feel so blessed. Immersion, big house, easy commute for DH, Costco for me. We have already met 2 other families buying (townhouses) in the same development. Husbands in the other families also work downtown so DH will have company walking to metro One of the moms is stay at home like me,-- we can take the kids to the mall together, i hope.

So glad everything is falling into place after so much moving the past 5 years.

You are living the dream!

PP here with the 3 kids. We are purchasing one of the SFH new builds! So excited. Immersion here we come. And we have found the Montessori bilingual preschool on Plyers Mill. Feel so blessed. Immersion, big house, easy commute for DH, Costco for me. We have already met 2 other families buying (townhouses) in the same development. Husbands in the other families also work downtown so DH will have company walking to metro One of the moms is stay at home like me,-- we can take the kids to the mall together, i hope.

So glad everything is falling into place after so much moving the past 5 years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are *many* teacher parents whose kids go to OTES. They are onto something.

They don’t make a lot of money and their options are limited in this very expensive metro area. That is what it is saying

Those parent value and know a good education. Former colleague (with PhD Justin and spouse we/masters) were very happy with OTES. Children were prepared for MCPS magnet programs and are excelling.

And the local lower cohort will help your middle class kids stand out and justify magnet slots. If you went to better schools they might only be average and most of those parents have both advanced degrees and incomes compared to only the later. I would do the same if I were you and that was my best option.

I am pp. My kid is in a W school, but thank you for your patronizing comment above thinking somehow you are “above” anyone at all in this thread who you are addresinc from your perch. I surely hope we don’t know each other in real life.

Anonymous wrote:I wish I never put my kid in that school. Otherwise, be prepared to supplement, especially with spelling and math facts.

“Put” your kid in there? Don’t you live in area = that’s your school?

OP—FWIW, close friend’s kids very happy there, thrived and excelled. Went on to magnet.

For that kind of money I would go to the flip side of conn ave but still kensington to catch better middle and high school. Slightly longer walk to grosvenor. 15 min drive to costco.

Now watch people come out hating on that suggestion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at those new SFH and town-homes (the white ones) in Kensington for about 800-900K. Getting nearer to committing. Easy walk (10 mins) for DH to metro to biglaw downtown, and I am home for a few years while kids (4, 2, infant) are small. Definitely want my kids in immersion program.

Also considering buying older home and rehabbing / expanding it, but with 3 young ones that may be too disruptive to our lives.

I hate to admit it but being 5 minutes from Costco is as exciting to me as having my kids in immersion!

You are much better off buying and expanding vs. getting a flip house. If you are big law, why would you go to Homewood/Silver Spring for that price and just go into the Town of Kensington.

She is talking about the new builds over by the Mall, not a flip.

It is actually Kensington. We didn't find any other neighborhoods so nice and convenient (DH can go straight down the Red line to Farragut North) and so much house for the money anywhere else. I can walk the kids to school without crossing any busy roads. Something is telling me you are a bit of a snob? Because we certainly are not.

Its on the very edge of Kensington. Wheaton Mall is extremely busy during the day. Conn. Ave is very busy. They are very expensive townhouses. They have been trying to sell them for a year or two. There is a reason no one buys them when you can buy a house in Kensington for that price. Your husband is big law (we all noted the brag but lots of folks make money around here and no one cares about big law). You can afford a car to get to the mall. Your husband can take uber to the metro or park at Forest Glen and metro in or just pay for parking.

No one knows if the language immersion will transfer to middle school or not. Its a brand new program and it only was in K. last year.

We are happy for ours to go to Einstein but there is no way I'd pay $1 million for Oakland Terrace. You are far better off sending your kids to private given how wealthy you are (or like to brag).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at those new SFH and town-homes (the white ones) in Kensington for about 800-900K. Getting nearer to committing. Easy walk (10 mins) for DH to metro to biglaw downtown, and I am home for a few years while kids (4, 2, infant) are small. Definitely want my kids in immersion program.

Also considering buying older home and rehabbing / expanding it, but with 3 young ones that may be too disruptive to our lives.

I hate to admit it but being 5 minutes from Costco is as exciting to me as having my kids in immersion!

You are much better off buying and expanding vs. getting a flip house. If you are big law, why would you go to Homewood/Silver Spring for that price and just go into the Town of Kensington.

She is talking about the new builds over by the Mall, not a flip.

That’s what I thought but why would you want to live there for that price. No way.

Its a fine neighborhood but I agree that the appreciation prospects may be grim. If your husband makes partner years from now or you return to the workforce to a high paying job then it won't really matter whether your house depreciates over time. If you end up liking the area and are OK with the schools by MS or HS you can stay. If you are not OK with the MS/HS by then you can always move.

If your husband doesn't make partner and you decide to stay out of the workforce longer then I don't know that I would be comfortable buying here. You would be stuck there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at those new SFH and town-homes (the white ones) in Kensington for about 800-900K. Getting nearer to committing. Easy walk (10 mins) for DH to metro to biglaw downtown, and I am home for a few years while kids (4, 2, infant) are small. Definitely want my kids in immersion program.

Also considering buying older home and rehabbing / expanding it, but with 3 young ones that may be too disruptive to our lives.

I hate to admit it but being 5 minutes from Costco is as exciting to me as having my kids in immersion!

You are much better off buying and expanding vs. getting a flip house. If you are big law, why would you go to Homewood/Silver Spring for that price and just go into the Town of Kensington.

She is talking about the new builds over by the Mall, not a flip.

It is actually Kensington. We didn't find any other neighborhoods so nice and convenient (DH can go straight down the Red line to Farragut North) and so much house for the money anywhere else. I can walk the kids to school without crossing any busy roads. Something is telling me you are a bit of a snob? Because we certainly are not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at those new SFH and town-homes (the white ones) in Kensington for about 800-900K. Getting nearer to committing. Easy walk (10 mins) for DH to metro to biglaw downtown, and I am home for a few years while kids (4, 2, infant) are small. Definitely want my kids in immersion program.

Also considering buying older home and rehabbing / expanding it, but with 3 young ones that may be too disruptive to our lives.

I hate to admit it but being 5 minutes from Costco is as exciting to me as having my kids in immersion!

You are much better off buying and expanding vs. getting a flip house. If you are big law, why would you go to Homewood/Silver Spring for that price and just go into the Town of Kensington.

She is talking about the new builds over by the Mall, not a flip.

Anonymous wrote:Why not? And yes, we are "settling in" for the long haul. I cannot imagine moving again -- we moved 2x in the last 5 years to accommodate our growing family.

House big enough for 5 of us, walk to mall and metro. Safeway a few minutes away. Tics all our boxes. I need convenience like this with 3 kids under 5. Apparently kids can continue immersion in middle or just go to IB at Einstein.

We met lots of other families also looking at the new houses. All seemed very similar in lifestyle.

Are you sure that they would be allowed to continue with the immersion program in MS? Currently they only have spanish immersion programs at Westland MS and Silver Spring International MS. OTES is zoned to Newport Mill MS. I wouldn't believe anything they tell you at Oakland Terrace. I'd call central office and see what they say. This two way langauge immersion is a pilot program, and, I would not buy the house counting on even having the program the entire time your kids are in ES. There is lots in flux with the curriculum, special programs, etc.

If you like the house and the area buy it. Parents are happy with Oakland Terrace and Einstein. Maybe there will be a better MS curriculum by the time your kids are at Newport Mill (and a new principal!). I just wouldn't count on the immersion thing.

Anonymous wrote:We looked at those new SFH and town-homes (the white ones) in Kensington for about 800-900K. Getting nearer to committing. Easy walk (10 mins) for DH to metro to biglaw downtown, and I am home for a few years while kids (4, 2, infant) are small. Definitely want my kids in immersion program.

Also considering buying older home and rehabbing / expanding it, but with 3 young ones that may be too disruptive to our lives.

I hate to admit it but being 5 minutes from Costco is as exciting to me as having my kids in immersion!

You are much better off buying and expanding vs. getting a flip house. If you are big law, why would you go to Homewood/Silver Spring for that price and just go into the Town of Kensington.

Why not? And yes, we are "settling in" for the long haul. I cannot imagine moving again -- we moved 2x in the last 5 years to accommodate our growing family.

House big enough for 5 of us, walk to mall and metro. Safeway a few minutes away. Tics all our boxes. I need convenience like this with 3 kids under 5. Apparently kids can continue immersion in middle or just go to IB at Einstein.

We met lots of other families also looking at the new houses. All seemed very similar in lifestyle.

Anonymous wrote:We looked at those new SFH and town-homes (the white ones) in Kensington for about 800-900K. Getting nearer to committing. Easy walk (10 mins) for DH to metro to biglaw downtown, and I am home for a few years while kids (4, 2, infant) are small. Definitely want my kids in immersion program.

Also considering buying older home and rehabbing / expanding it, but with 3 young ones that may be too disruptive to our lives.

I hate to admit it but being 5 minutes from Costco is as exciting to me as having my kids in immersion!

I don't think it's a great real estate investment unless you are planning to be there for 10+ years.