Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re not married to a SFH, there are 3br condos in great school districts like this one that are less than $500k. You can get cheaper 3br condos in this school district, but they won’t be as nice.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/North-Bethesda/5812-Inman-Park-Cir-20852/unit-100/home/167005069

OP, I am the pp who moved from Arlington and urged you not to do so. If you are set on moving, these condos look like a really great deal. I did not know these existed; I think they are pretty under the radar still, although the one listed is already under contract. I think this is as good as you will do in MoCo for your budget. The schools you are zoned for are good and “North Bethesda” has more cachet and opportunity for appreciation than the other areas mentioned. It is frequently listed in articles about the best places to live in MD and the US. You are not far from metro there, close to great shopping and good schools. It will not be the “walk everywhere” vibe you wanted, but that would be twice the price at least. Good luck!

PP again. I know you want a house, but with these condos priced below your budget, you could save the remaining money and invest and hopefully move to a house in a few years. It looks like a nice, family-friendly neighborhood with the pool and park (no driving the kids to the pool in the summer, no additional pool fees) and the schools are better than the ones connected to that Silver Spring house.

I would be mindful of having your kid being the one living in the cheaper condos going to the wealthy Bethesda school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put it this way, silver spring is like Woodbridge but closer to the city though the cool parts. Sure there are lots of people who raise their families there and even a few pleasant neighborhoods. But there is a reason it’s the cheapest inner suburb not in PG. It’s up to you to decide the space Vs environment question.

Or it’s like South Arlington, but not close to places like North Arlington, Georgetown and Downtown DC, Del Ray and Old Town. Instead of having Downtown DC to the east, Del Ray to the south, and the Orange Line corridor to the north, in Silver Spring you have Wheaton to the north, PG County to the east, and some pretty dicey places in DC to the south.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you didn’t give your budget, but this is a great house, zoned for Flora Singer ES and Blair HS, not in a “high crime” part of SS, and within an easy drive to anything you will need.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1000-Dennis-Ave-Silver-Spring-MD-20901/37292079_zpid/

OP, I’m the pp who moved from a nice condo in Arlington, and I actually moved into an old house about this size. No. Just no, you do not want this house nor the location.

What’s the downside?

That's a fairly busy road and neighborhood is steadily creeping towards multi family living ie vans out fronts of it, not well maintained yards, etc

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you didn’t give your budget, but this is a great house, zoned for Flora Singer ES and Blair HS, not in a “high crime” part of SS, and within an easy drive to anything you will need.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1000-Dennis-Ave-Silver-Spring-MD-20901/37292079_zpid/

OP, I’m the pp who moved from a nice condo in Arlington, and I actually moved into an old house about this size. No. Just no, you do not want this house nor the location.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put it this way, silver spring is like Woodbridge but closer to the city though the cool parts. Sure there are lots of people who raise their families there and even a few pleasant neighborhoods. But there is a reason it’s the cheapest inner suburb not in PG. It’s up to you to decide the space Vs environment question.

Casually leaving out Bethesda/CC, TP, Kensington, Rockville which is not too far north, Rock Creek park, Sligo Creek, red line, and future people line. But yea, ok, I see your point.

Or it’s like South Arlington, but not close to places like North Arlington, Georgetown and Downtown DC, Del Ray and Old Town. Instead of having Downtown DC to the east, Del Ray to the south, and the Orange Line corridor to the north, in Silver Spring you have Wheaton to the north, PG County to the east, and some pretty dicey places in DC to the south.

Anonymous wrote:OP, you didn’t give your budget, but this is a great house, zoned for Flora Singer ES and Blair HS, not in a “high crime” part of SS, and within an easy drive to anything you will need.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1000-Dennis-Ave-Silver-Spring-MD-20901/37292079_zpid/

Anonymous wrote:Put it this way, silver spring is like Woodbridge but closer to the city though the cool parts. Sure there are lots of people who raise their families there and even a few pleasant neighborhoods. But there is a reason it’s the cheapest inner suburb not in PG. It’s up to you to decide the space Vs environment question.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again. The houses in Kensington look nice! One of my co-workers said that if we move there, a lot of our neighbors would go to Catholic school rather than the neighborhood schools, which he finds to be a negative (as far as making friends). Is that generally true?

Yes, Kensington is very Catholic.

🙄 one particular neighborhood in Kensington is very Catholic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re not married to a SFH, there are 3br condos in great school districts like this one that are less than $500k. You can get cheaper 3br condos in this school district, but they won’t be as nice.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/North-Bethesda/5812-Inman-Park-Cir-20852/unit-100/home/167005069

OP, I am the pp who moved from Arlington and urged you not to do so. If you are set on moving, these condos look like a really great deal. I did not know these existed; I think they are pretty under the radar still, although the one listed is already under contract. I think this is as good as you will do in MoCo for your budget. The schools you are zoned for are good and “North Bethesda” has more cachet and opportunity for appreciation than the other areas mentioned. It is frequently listed in articles about the best places to live in MD and the US. You are not far from metro there, close to great shopping and good schools. It will not be the “walk everywhere” vibe you wanted, but that would be twice the price at least. Good luck!

PP again. I know you want a house, but with these condos priced below your budget, you could save the remaining money and invest and hopefully move to a house in a few years. It looks like a nice, family-friendly neighborhood with the pool and park (no driving the kids to the pool in the summer, no additional pool fees) and the schools are better than the ones connected to that Silver Spring house.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again. The houses in Kensington look nice! One of my co-workers said that if we move there, a lot of our neighbors would go to Catholic school rather than the neighborhood schools, which he finds to be a negative (as far as making friends). Is that generally true?

Yes, Kensington is very Catholic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re not married to a SFH, there are 3br condos in great school districts like this one that are less than $500k. You can get cheaper 3br condos in this school district, but they won’t be as nice.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/North-Bethesda/5812-Inman-Park-Cir-20852/unit-100/home/167005069

OP, I am the pp who moved from Arlington and urged you not to do so. If you are set on moving, these condos look like a really great deal. I did not know these existed; I think they are pretty under the radar still, although the one listed is already under contract. I think this is as good as you will do in MoCo for your budget. The schools you are zoned for are good and “North Bethesda” has more cachet and opportunity for appreciation than the other areas mentioned. It is frequently listed in articles about the best places to live in MD and the US. You are not far from metro there, close to great shopping and good schools. It will not be the “walk everywhere” vibe you wanted, but that would be twice the price at least. Good luck!