Hampshire Hamlet, Colesville/Silver Spring (new house, transfer, established neighborhood)

[KiahJane]

Hi....

My husband and I will be relocating to the Washington, DC metro area and came across some new construction homes in the Colesville area of Silver Spring that seem to have come down significantly in price and are on the high end of our price range.

Does anyone have any experience with this development or have any info?

Any thoughts about the ICC and it's proximity?

Thanks for any info... we are really excited for our move!

[trying2moveup]

I grew up about 3 miles from Hampshire Hamlet -- over 30 years ago there used to be a mini-golf/putt putt where the DOT station is across Cape May Road.

My husband and I looked at those homes. They have been sitting there for a LONG time. It could be because they are overpriced still, and that would be my bet, or because the ICC is going to be about 700 yards from the corner of Cape May (which will be closed off - a good thing for that development - once the ICC construction starts or is completed). The ICC is going to run UNDER New Hampshire Avenue.

it can be good or bad - depending on your perspective - to be so close to a major toll road. it WILL be noisy - no matter what. And I don't think sound walls are part of the plan in that area either.

Personally, with the glut on the market - I think you can find an existing that is well constructed, updated, in an established neighborhood right around there, for much less than what they are trying to sell those new homes for. I know, there is nothing like a new house that no one has lived in before but they are ALWAYS more expensive then resales for the mere fact that someone has to provide the profit for the developer.

[KiahJane]

Thank you for your response. How in the world is the ICC going to go UNDER New Hampshire Avenue? I can't even picture it.

When you say that the corner of Cape May Road will be closed off - do you mean that there will no longer be an entrance off of NH Ave to Cape May Road?

We have found a couple of great houses in our pricerange but they were all about 15-20 years old and we are worried about them needing a new roof, windows, furnace, etc. With these new homes having come down significantly, we can get brand new for about $60K more. Seems like a deal for the peace of mind, and for resale when we are transferred out in about 10 years.... There is one that will be ready for June delivery as a contract fell through and that is about the time that we will need to head down.

Thanks again for the great info!

[trying2moveup]

Originally Posted by KiahJane

Thank you for your response. How in the world is the ICC going to go UNDER New Hampshire Avenue? I can't even picture it.

When you say that the corner of Cape May Road will be closed off - do you mean that there will no longer be an entrance off of NH Ave to Cape May Road?

We have found a couple of great houses in our pricerange but they were all about 15-20 years old and we are worried about them needing a new roof, windows, furnace, etc. With these new homes having come down significantly, we can get brand new for about $60K more. Seems like a deal for the peace of mind, and for resale when we are transferred out in about 10 years.... There is one that will be ready for June delivery as a contract fell through and that is about the time that we will need to head down.

Thanks again for the great info!

It will be closed off at NH Ave so that will be good for the community b/c there will be no thru traffic from Good Hope to NH Ave via Cape May Road. How that ties in with getting on or off the iCC I don't know -you may want to check the master plan for the county to see if that ICC exchange is just on off ramps, just running under NH ave, or what it is ( a major cloverleaf ramp system - I don't know. . .).

Yes, it's going UNDER NH ave - they will excavate. It will be no small feat to do - they are building the exchanges throughout the county before laying the lanes and I'd say it's going to take 2 years minimum, to do that one once they start (that's my guesstimate - I'm not an engineer).
The salesperson should be able to show you the conceptual sketch of the underpass.

I'd drive a very hard bargain if I were you. Like I said, I grew up around there and my parents still live off of Briggs Chaney and I drive through there a lot with the grandkids - since the "bust" of the market, they have slowed to a crawl with building out that community. There was a spec house fronting New Hampshire Ave that I swear was up for 2 years empty that they were trying to sell - I think someone finally did buy it. Or they just took down the "available" sign b/c it was turning people off.

They are obviously in a bind with the contract falling through and building that house - now it has become a spec house, essentially, that the builder is going to have to pay on until it sells. More specifically, I would get an agent to represent you as a buyers agent and negogiate on your behalf. The agent's 3% is built into the price they are quoting you anyway so you might as well benefit from it. Ask for the moon b/c you'll probably get it and if it isn't making you uncomfortable for what you are asking, you're not asking for enough in my humble opinion.

Good luck!

[KiahJane]

Thanks so much! We do have an agent in MD who is doing some legwork for us right now. I appreciate you taking the time to give me such great info!

Perhaps I'll see ya around the neighborhood sometime....