New townhouse, about 485K, good price? (Arlington, Alexandria: employment, buying, theater)

[car54]

Townhouses are for people that can't afford SFHs (or there are no SFHs...Old Town, Alex, G'town, etc).

A half million is SFH money. I don't care how much stainless this or granite that the place has....there's still just a couple sheets of drywall between you and you and possibly animal-like neighbors. Not to mention a postage stamp sized lot and all the parking hassles that go with rowhouses.

[NC211]

Originally Posted by vauser

The other townhomes are quite conventional and smaller though. While the pricing doesn't seem quite right, I am wondering if the builder won't budge as these are larger (2900+ sq ft), and have a very unique design (which is what attracted us in the first place) that is sort-of single family-like.

I wish we liked the other townhomes but this one is so stylish and we can't find any other that even comes close :-(

They're SF-Like, because that's SF price! Why not get SF?

[JfromReston]

I agree with the others - I just did a seach of townhouses in Brambleton. You are considering buying a townhouse at the very top to the townhouse market in Brambleton. One of the keys to real estate is to buy the least expensive house on the most expensive street - and not the other way around.

[NC211]

Exactly. At $485k, you will have to compete with SF in the future, albeit lower quality
Is my guess, given the fact that SF enjoys appreciation more
than attached housing does. If you buy this TH at this price, it's almost a certainty that what you pay, will be the highest it will command for several years.

[Teebyrd86]

Originally Posted by JfromReston

One of the keys to real estate is to buy the least expensive house on the most expensive street - and not the other way around.

which is what I just did! sorry.. the excitement got to me!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Teebyrd86

Brambleton happens to be close to many offices in the Dulles Tech corridor and the Herndon/Reston area; where many people around here work. It may be futher away from D.C. but that does not nessasarly make it "far flung" to everyone.

Generally speaking in just about every major metropolitan area in the nation (apparently except for DC) housing costs diminish considerably the further out you radiate away from the urban core. I view DC as being the area's epicenter---not Herndon or Chantilly or Ashburn. I've still never been able to understand why people in NoVA value a property based upon proximity to work and little, if anything, else. Here in Pittsburgh people want to know about proximity to coffeehouses, banks, theaters, bus routes, the light rail, casinos, sporting venues, etc.---not work and work alone, which was the case back in NoVA when I lived there.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Lucky★

I thought the best way to check the price is to see recent comparable sales. I wonder if the builder would tell you about everything that they have sold recently if you ask for information on all recent sales in the development?

Moderator Cut

[ngadude]

Housing costs in NOVA do diminish considerably the further out you are. See Gainesville as an example compared to Fairfax. It is inaccurate to paint things otherwise. And Ashburn is cheaper than Alexandria, Tyson's Corner, etc. for example. No one is saying Ashburn is the center of the area, and it IS cheaper and nicer than places like Tyson's Corner. I have not seen anyone here claim Ashburn or Herndon or Chantilly to be the center, and those areas are cheaper than Reston and Tyson's Corner. To say otherwise is simply inaccurate. Reston is terribly expensive compared to Herndon or Ashburn or Chantilly for example.

[Bigfoot424]

And to think. Paying $60,000 for my first home about killed me. Even paying 92,500 for my second home was still hard.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Generally speaking in just about every major metropolitan area in the nation (apparently except for DC) housing costs diminish considerably the further out you radiate away from the urban core. I view DC as being the area's epicenter---not Herndon or Chantilly or Ashburn. I've still never been able to understand why people in NoVA value a property based upon proximity to work and little, if anything, else. Here in Pittsburgh people want to know about proximity to coffeehouses, banks, theaters, bus routes, the light rail, casinos, sporting venues, etc.---not work and work alone, which was the case back in NoVA when I lived there.

But we're not in Pittsburgh.