Anyone know where in DC area to buy a house?

[momophile]

Somewhere where the metro reaches? And isn't terribly expensive? For a 3 bedroom house?

Or am I just dreaming?

[texanwitch]

1. I would bet that you are dreaming.

D.C. is expensive, I know people who live there.

They live 4 people to an apartment.

[momophile]

4. I know it would have to be outside the city for sure

:hi:

[seemunkee]

2. what do you consider affordable?

Is a short ride to the metro an option?
Townhouse an option? Do you need good schools?

[momophile]

3. oh my... so much to think about...

good schools. short ride to metro is acceptable as long as there is parking. no townhouse. under $400,000.

Is that too much to ask? I just picked the end of the blue line east - Largo - and searched that zipcode. A few nice things came up. But I really don't know anything about the towns around DC. Any ideas where I should begin?

[MassLiberal]

5. Takoma Park, Maryland

A reputation for being a nice, liberal town, but I don't know how much the housing goes for nor what the schools are like. I lived in the DC area in the late '80s, before I had kids or could afford a house.
http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/

Good luck finding a place! :thumbsup:

[seemunkee]

6. heading to bed, i'll respond tomorrow

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Prince Georges County is the cheapest...

Some of the nicer Metro-accessible towns are College Park, Greenbelt, Riverdale Park, and the downtown Hyattsville areas.

Takoma Park is nice; but in a more expensive county.

Feel free to send me a private message if you want more info...

[seemunkee]

8. My opinions

Take them for what its worth.
PG county is definately more affordable but I would look very closely at HS test scores. The county has some areas that are well worth considering and others that are not very good. Shopping is not that great and has been a major bone of contention with the black professionals there, despite having high disposable income major retailers are afraid to put the upscale stores in the county.
Montgomery has better schools but is falling a bit while Howard county is doing very well. Howard is probably too far out for you to consider though. Godess of Guiness mentioned a few good areas to look at

In Montgomery county, Takoma Park is a very liberal activist community but prices are fairly high. Around the Forest Glen, Wheaton, and Glenmont Metros you could find could probably find some good housing bargains but consider what HS the kids would go to. Montgomery has a few areas with HS consortiums where you can choose which HS you want with each one having a specialty. I know they have instituted that with some of the middle schools too. I would avoid Wheaton and Kennedy HS, high transient populations and some of the worst test scores in the county. Out where I am in Olney is not far from the Glenmont metro and we have try to still have a small town feel but at 400K you would only find some small houses but some very nice townhomes.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It's occupied by bums. Perhaps the rightful owners

will kick them out shortly.

[Wcross]

10. Depends on what "terribly expensive" is to you.

http://realtor.com/Default.asp?poe=realtor