Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Southern Fairfax Co. including Lorton, Newington, parts of Springfield

This would be great for us! We own a TH in 22153, and I'm trying to convince DW we should buy another. Can you expound upon why you think this area is poised for appreciation?

It’s still relatively inexpensive compared to other parts of the county, but is very conveniently located near 95/495/395, Metro and VRE. Proximity to Fort Belvoir, National Geospatial Agency, government contractors, etc. The proposed indoor ski center in Lorton will be a unique attraction and the only one of it’s kind on the East Coast.

The schools in that area aren’t rated as highly, but if distance learning continues for many students, why pay a premium for a house in a “better” school zone? School rating really won’t matter as much. The school situation has been holding this area back, but with kids doing online school or homeschool, the school district becomes less of an issue. Right now, public school stinks for everyone - rich areas and poorer areas alike.

I also agree with this. Lorton is a 20 minute VRE ride to Crystal City. The public schools are not terrible in this area either. South County is a middle of the pack school in FFX County and Hayfield isn't far behind. They're both better than Mount Vernon, Lewis, West Potomac, Falls Church, Justice, etc...

That area is also a short drive to the Franconia Springfield metro. I’ve lived in 22153 for the past 20 years and have thought about moving for “better” schools, but my neighborhood just has too much to offer in terms of short commute, value of housing, and proximity to shops and restaurants. My kids have been happy with their schools and have found good friends. Would they be better off in a higher-rated school? Who really knows? Maybe. Maybe not. I do know that my commute would be a lot worse if we had moved and we probably wouldn’t be living in a house as nice as the one we have.

Anonymous wrote:8 years in. Paid 1.9. Did work in many fronts but not anything major and a realtor just asked if we would sell at 3.65. NW DC! That is a nice run up.

Think it will continue? We just bought in NW DC. We sold in NE DC, and not banking on appreciation here in NW TBH.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Southern Fairfax Co. including Lorton, Newington, parts of Springfield

This would be great for us! We own a TH in 22153, and I'm trying to convince DW we should buy another. Can you expound upon why you think this area is poised for appreciation?

It’s still relatively inexpensive compared to other parts of the county, but is very conveniently located near 95/495/395, Metro and VRE. Proximity to Fort Belvoir, National Geospatial Agency, government contractors, etc. The proposed indoor ski center in Lorton will be a unique attraction and the only one of it’s kind on the East Coast.

The schools in that area aren’t rated as highly, but if distance learning continues for many students, why pay a premium for a house in a “better” school zone? School rating really won’t matter as much. The school situation has been holding this area back, but with kids doing online school or homeschool, the school district becomes less of an issue. Right now, public school stinks for everyone - rich areas and poorer areas alike.

I also agree with this. Lorton is a 20 minute VRE ride to Crystal City. The public schools are not terrible in this area either. South County is a middle of the pack school in FFX County and Hayfield isn't far behind. They're both better than Mount Vernon, Lewis, West Potomac, Falls Church, Justice, etc...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Southern Fairfax Co. including Lorton, Newington, parts of Springfield

This would be great for us! We own a TH in 22153, and I'm trying to convince DW we should buy another. Can you expound upon why you think this area is poised for appreciation?

It’s still relatively inexpensive compared to other parts of the county, but is very conveniently located near 95/495/395, Metro and VRE. Proximity to Fort Belvoir, National Geospatial Agency, government contractors, etc. The proposed indoor ski center in Lorton will be a unique attraction and the only one of it’s kind on the East Coast.

The schools in that area aren’t rated as highly, but if distance learning continues for many students, why pay a premium for a house in a “better” school zone? School rating really won’t matter as much. The school situation has been holding this area back, but with kids doing online school or homeschool, the school district becomes less of an issue. Right now, public school stinks for everyone - rich areas and poorer areas alike.

Thanks for the insight!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Southern Fairfax Co. including Lorton, Newington, parts of Springfield

This would be great for us! We own a TH in 22153, and I'm trying to convince DW we should buy another. Can you expound upon why you think this area is poised for appreciation?

It’s still relatively inexpensive compared to other parts of the county, but is very conveniently located near 95/495/395, Metro and VRE. Proximity to Fort Belvoir, National Geospatial Agency, government contractors, etc. The proposed indoor ski center in Lorton will be a unique attraction and the only one of it’s kind on the East Coast.

The schools in that area aren’t rated as highly, but if distance learning continues for many students, why pay a premium for a house in a “better” school zone? School rating really won’t matter as much. The school situation has been holding this area back, but with kids doing online school or homeschool, the school district becomes less of an issue. Right now, public school stinks for everyone - rich areas and poorer areas alike.

Anonymous wrote:Southern Fairfax Co. including Lorton, Newington, parts of Springfield

This would be great for us! We own a TH in 22153, and I'm trying to convince DW we should buy another. Can you expound upon why you think this area is poised for appreciation?

Southern Fairfax Co. including Lorton, Newington, parts of Springfield

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that is ... not how the economy works. sorry.

No, that’s just not how selfish people work. Keep your grinch fingers off of PG and South Arlington. They are not “investments,” they are places where people go to live when they need somewhere to live, many of those people being DC natives who are poor POC that were pushed out of their neighborhoods with you modern-day de-facto colonizers. If you want to live there, that’s fine, but it’s not an “investment.” It’s an existing community with people who already live there and have interests in staying there.

If you can’t afford “appreciation” in the areas that already appreciated and are continuing to do so, that’s your fault for not working hard enough in life, I guess.

I know it's frustrating when the world doesn't work as you wish it did, but these changes are coming.

We don’t live in the day and age where these other suburbs got gentrified. The younger generations are a lot more involved in politics, and there’s already lots of conversations among PG residents about pushing back against gentrification, and many new politicians are directly targeting against this. If you NIMBYs protest against workforce housing in Bethesda, people living in PG have a right to protest against selfish assholes pricing them out of their neighborhoods as well. You can live there if you want to live there, but it’s not a place to go because you want to gentrify it and price current residents out. You’re gross.

huh, so in your version of reality, it's a GOOD thing that the people who own real estate in PG County right now won't be able to enjoy the fruits of appreciation? Who do you think gets all of that appreciation when neighborhoods gentrify? And why do you assume that gentrification means displacement? And of course, gentrification and affordable housing are two separate topics.

Yeah that poster is strange as if people don't sell their PG home that appreciated to move to .....another neighborhood in PGC. I know many families who have done that.

My wife and I plan on doing that. We were both raised here and don’t plan on going anywhere for awhile.

Anonymous wrote:I love how people want to keep south Arlington cheaper and poor. Lots of POC own homes and condos in south Arlington. A lot. By keeping schools poor and stacking up affordable housing, you are denying those families the level of appreciation white people in North Arlington enjoy. You deny them the opportunity to acquire generational wealth. That is how it is done.

Thanks,

Black barcroft homeowner whose home sold for a lot less then it would have sold in north Arlington. That impacted our retirement and how much money I was able to give my son to help him buy his first home by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I posted something similar above. All these arguments and concerns about gentrification are really about keeping poorer people poor.

I love how people want to keep south Arlington cheaper and poor. Lots of POC own homes and condos in south Arlington. A lot. By keeping schools poor and stacking up affordable housing, you are denying those families the level of appreciation white people in North Arlington enjoy. You deny them the opportunity to acquire generational wealth. That is how it is done.

Thanks,

Black barcroft homeowner whose home sold for a lot less then it would have sold in north Arlington. That impacted our retirement and how much money I was able to give my son to help him buy his first home by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lmao, a lot of the places mentioned in this thread are the same places that studies are identifying as being at risk for gentrification. Closer-in PG County, South Arlington, etc. “Appreciation” is code word for “push the last of the poor remaining inside of the beltway outside of it,” aka gentrification. Please stop repeating this goddamn cycle. It’s good that more people with money are moving into these areas and integrating them more, but if South Arlington becomes another North Arlington, then that’s a problem. If Clinton, Bladensburg, and District Heights become the next Bethesda, then that’s a problem.

In the case of Arlington, the County is developing hundreds of new affordable housing units along Columbia Pike. They will have to import people to fill the units just as they had to import people from DC to put in its homeless shelter.

Haha, those of you who think any part of columbia pike will gentrify have your head in the sand. South Arlington will appreciate a little, but nothing like north Arlington. Ever. Ever. Ever. The affordable housing restrictions are for decades. The west end of the pike is soon going to blow up with THOUSANDS of new cafs. The planning is not in public view.

As long as the triangle of poor elementary schools (barcroft, Randolph and Carlin springs (and therefor the 2 middle schools ans high school) is maintained, south Arlington will never become north Arlington. Just get over it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that is ... not how the economy works. sorry.

No, that’s just not how selfish people work. Keep your grinch fingers off of PG and South Arlington. They are not “investments,” they are places where people go to live when they need somewhere to live, many of those people being DC natives who are poor POC that were pushed out of their neighborhoods with you modern-day de-facto colonizers. If you want to live there, that’s fine, but it’s not an “investment.” It’s an existing community with people who already live there and have interests in staying there.

If you can’t afford “appreciation” in the areas that already appreciated and are continuing to do so, that’s your fault for not working hard enough in life, I guess.

I know it's frustrating when the world doesn't work as you wish it did, but these changes are coming.

We don’t live in the day and age where these other suburbs got gentrified. The younger generations are a lot more involved in politics, and there’s already lots of conversations among PG residents about pushing back against gentrification, and many new politicians are directly targeting against this. If you NIMBYs protest against workforce housing in Bethesda, people living in PG have a right to protest against selfish assholes pricing them out of their neighborhoods as well. You can live there if you want to live there, but it’s not a place to go because you want to gentrify it and price current residents out. You’re gross.

huh, so in your version of reality, it's a GOOD thing that the people who own real estate in PG County right now won't be able to enjoy the fruits of appreciation? Who do you think gets all of that appreciation when neighborhoods gentrify? And why do you assume that gentrification means displacement? And of course, gentrification and affordable housing are two separate topics.

Yeah that poster is strange as if people don't sell their PG home that appreciated to move to .....another neighborhood in PGC. I know many families who have done that.

Anonymous wrote:Lmao, a lot of the places mentioned in this thread are the same places that studies are identifying as being at risk for gentrification. Closer-in PG County, South Arlington, etc. “Appreciation” is code word for “push the last of the poor remaining inside of the beltway outside of it,” aka gentrification. Please stop repeating this goddamn cycle. It’s good that more people with money are moving into these areas and integrating them more, but if South Arlington becomes another North Arlington, then that’s a problem. If Clinton, Bladensburg, and District Heights become the next Bethesda, then that’s a problem.

Well you can stop by trying to differentiate between North and South Arlington.

Anonymous wrote:

greenpanda wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria city is likely to see appreciation with the new mall if construction starts on all the other west end projects too

You think a new mall will bring appreciation? I thought retail was dead.

Demolishing Landmark Mall, building a hospital and mixed use residential/commercial. Might be akin to Mosaic.

Agree, the area hasn't really seen any investments in decades. Relative to other areas, particularly the eastern side of Alexandria, it is much cheaper but still very convenient. Bringing amenities could help reduce the gap and have the west end see comparable appreciation. The hospital will employ enough people at the site to help keep some of the retail alive and if you haven't been to that area you'll realize there isn't much retail that doesn't target the immigrant communities, which has made it fly over for the rest of us.

I'm all for redeveloping the Landmark parcel into a new hospital with adjacent retail and housing, but I'm not sure how much that project alone will contribute to price appreciation in the West End (and in adjacent Lincolnia). Price appreciation is lower in that area because of a proliferation of condos in older buildings (many of which were apartment conversions), lower performing schools, higher rates of poverty and crime (although still low by regional standards), multi-lane roadways that are congested with cars, and a persistent lack of walkability. I don't see this changing in the future without billions and billons of private investment that investors are likely to put elsewhere.

That is a good point. Unless OP is thinking that the full Van-Dorn to Landmark plan will be realized within the next decade, it will likely see some limitations. Although, if Amazon results in more tech companies setting up shop in Arlington or even Alexandria instead of the exurbs (Reston + Dulles corridor), the area will likely go up if the Rapid Bus Transit Lines actually come online as it would make a very easy commute to Crystal City and have proximity to single family homes.

Agree that those condos area unlikely to appreciate much. Would be nice to see them torn down and replaced. The townhouses and detached homes may go up more than we expect I think. Single family homes in the center of the City often go for 1M+ already

I really wish there was more job growth in MoCo. Have no ties but its crazy to see the region diverging so quickly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frederick.

Better schools than northern moco, bigger houses, 270 toll roads coming soon, people working from home more, & the downtown is vibrant and no longer sleepy.

Except that Frederick is rapidly turning into what folks fled from in MoCo, only it's 30 miles further away and primarily accessible by a four-lane demolition-derby of a freeway that's not included in the widening plans further south.

Maybe Urbana HS but the other ones- I'd rather stick with MoCo.