moving to Rockville??? (Germantown, Gaithersburg, Potomac: crimes, loans, townhomes)

[bluepenguin7]

We are moving to the Rockville area very soon. Looking at houses has been so stressful. Not being from the area it looks to an outsider like a very nice area. However research and our realtor have shown that some areas are actually "bad". I guess my question is it an issues of schools with low test scores or are they unsafe schools? I think test scores deserve some consideration, but they aren't the whole picture. But if a school is unsafe than that is a huge issue for me. Also, what about the nieghborhoods? Are most of them petty type crimes, or are we talking major issues with personal safety.

My husband just got a great job but we are still paying off college and grad school loans and we are pretty young so our price range limits us to $425,000. Sounds like a lot on paper, but apparently not for this area! We don't mind some townhomes, but we are really hoping for single family. We have one child and one on the way and I really want to have space and some yard. Any and all suggestions, advice, and opinons on the areas of Rockville, Gathersburg, N. Potomac, ect are welcome. Oh, Germantown is too far for us so we haven't looked there.

Thanks!

[firefightermom]

Rockville is known to have better schools, here is the county website if you haven't checked it out already Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD. You can type in an address to see what cluster you're in, but remember that doesn't guarantee your cluster will remain the same forever. North Potomac is really just a part of Gaithersburg...but also has the better schools in GBurg, too.
Make sure you go back and read all the threads about these places...there are a ton of them, but it will give you a good idea of what to expect. Feel free to pm me if you want more info.
Good luck! Moving certainly is stressful!

[TrippingJay]

I would start in the following zip codes: 20850, 20852, 20851, & 20878. These zips make up Rockville and West Gaithersburg, a.k.a North Potomac. All of these areas offer some of the better schools in MoCo and for the most part are fairly safe. Each school is different, so I can't comment about safety, but I would strongly recommend visiting the schools in the community you plan on purchasing in.

Also, if you find properties in the 20853, stick to those that are north of Norbeck Rd or west of Artic Avenue, which feeds into Rockville High School.

Good Luck!

[tonyc]

First rent, get to know the area, then buy.........