Where to move, NVA or MD? (Arlington, Fairfax: real estate market, apartment complexes, rent)

[david_111]

I'm a new college grad and have the opportunity to move to MD or NVA for work. I have 2 different job offers, in MD I would work in Greenbelt and in NVA I would work in the Dulles area. I would be renting for several years, then would be looking into buying SFH or a townhouse if the area is extra pricey. All things considered, cost of living, crime, schools for future kids, commute, recreation..... What do you all think, NVA or MD?

Thanks!

[musincy]

SFH homes are quite expensive here, but I don't know what price you'd be willing to pay. Rent is typically over $1000 even for a 1 BR apartment. I don't know too much about the Maryland area, but I believe that rent is sometimes a little cheaper there... somebody correct me if I'm wrong please. The schools in this part of Virginia are excellent, especially Fairfax County, Falls Church City, and Arlington County. Commute isn't wonderful, there's quite a bit of traffic, but of course this will be depend on where you're living and where you're working. Generally, traffic tends to be better if you're driving away from the city.

[jaywallace]

Originally Posted by david_111

I'm a new college grad and have the opportunity to move to MD or NVA for work. I have 2 different job offers, in MD I would work in Greenbelt and in NVA I would work in the Dulles area. I would be renting for several years, then would be looking into buying SFH or a townhouse if the area is extra pricey. All things considered, cost of living, crime, schools for future kids, commute, recreation..... What do you all think, NVA or MD?

Thanks!

A nice townhome will be in the upper 300's in most of NOVA. Montgomery County in MD. is pretty nice as well. There is A LOT of work here for people, it's a good opportunity for jobs. The federal contractor positions alone are endless.

[jaywallace]

Originally Posted by david_111

I'm a new college grad and have the opportunity to move to MD or NVA for work. I have 2 different job offers, in MD I would work in Greenbelt and in NVA I would work in the Dulles area. I would be renting for several years, then would be looking into buying SFH or a townhouse if the area is extra pricey. All things considered, cost of living, crime, schools for future kids, commute, recreation..... What do you all think, NVA or MD?

Thanks!

A nice townhome will be in the upper 300's in most of NOVA. Montgomery County in MD. is pretty nice as well. There is A LOT of work here for people, it's a good opportunity for jobs. The federal contractor positions alone are endless. The Dulles area is real nice. Fairfax as a whole is great.

[dullnboring]

Both areas have different things going for them. Greenbelt has cheaper rents by maybe $200/month or so on average, and substantially cheaper housing as well. As is to be expected, there are reasons for that price difference. Greenbelt has a significantly higher crime rate than Dulles. The schools also aren't as good, although Greenbelt is home to Eleanor Roosevelt High School, arguably the best high school in Prince George's County, one which has a very well-renowned magnet program (science and tech), which might place Greenbelt as comparable with much of northern Virginia, but only at the high school level.

Greenbelt is located in Prince George's County which carries a bit of a stigma within the DC area, although the area's bad reputation is undeserved in many respects, but generally speaking, more people are clamoring to live in the Dulles area (Eastern Loudoun, Western Fairfax) than the Greenbelt area, and the Dulles area has more cache in virtually every respect. Greenbelt however is generally regarded as a nice part of PG County, albeit one with a some rough patches, more rough patches than you'll find than in the Dulles area. One big criticism that PG County residents have is the lack of entertainment, dining and retail options within the county which means that in order to meet your shopping, social or dining needs and wants, it may require a longer trip than it would from the Dulles area which is building strip malls and restaurants left and right.

Commutes are pretty much equally atrocious across the DC area. It's one of those things where it's difficult to say that one city is better than another because it's so heavily localized, down to the neighborhood level and will depend on exactly where you will live and work, but in general, expect it to be pretty brutal. Greenbelt may have the edge however just due to the stratospheric growth rate in the Dulles area outgrowing the roadways.

Greenbelt is closer to DC and has Metro access via the Green Line. The Dulles area is 15 miles further from DC, and will be getting Metro service in 5-10 years, allegedly (which means housing values may shoot up if you buy now and hold on til the Metro's completion; assuming you're near a station). Greenbelt is closer to the beach. Dulles is closer to the mountains. Dulles has the international airport right there; Greenbelt is only half an hour from BWI. Greenbelt is right off of I-95. Personally, I think Greenbelt's biggest advantage over Dulles IS its location.

[stacylee926]

I do not know about Greenbelt, but as a NoVa resident for 41 years I never liked Maryland.

In the Dulles area you will definitely find very little crime and your typical suburbia with young to middle age families.

There is no need to even worry about buying yet. By the time you buy who knows what the market will be like so it is not even worth speculating on. Plus, you may thinking in different terms - maybe getting married, starting a family and just checking out all the areas in NoVa. I think you would like NoVa better - the Dulles area has grown up significantly in the last 10 years with a new mall and many, many new apartment complexes where you will meet new friends in your age range.

[PropertyMan]

The commenter "dullnboring" is quite right when he said that Prince George's county suffers from an undeserved stigma. I personally moved from Northern Virginia to Maryland to get more for my money. I had a rather typical single-family home in Arlington (although an upscale section) and was able to move into a brand new custom home sitting on the Potomac for the same price in Prince George's.

The price disparity in some cases is COMPLETELY unjustified. There is no crime to speak of where I am and yet the reputation of a relatively small area where crime is bad detracts from the whole county (one of the largest counties in the whole state). Part of the problem is that there is a countywide police force, so that whenever crime is reported in one area, the name of the whole county is invoked.

Ultimately it comes down to which is more important to you, hype or value. The hype factor has always made the NoVA real estate market volatile and overdevelopment has in some respects lowered the living standard. With the overpricing and overdevelopment you will have a lot of options, but your money will go much further in Greenbelt.

[Luke29]

Greenbelt?? Stay away from that place. It's one of the bad parts of PG county.

[goldenmom7500]

Originally Posted by PropertyMan

The commenter "dullnboring" is quite right when he said that Prince George's county suffers from an undeserved stigma. I personally moved from Northern Virginia to Maryland to get more for my money. I had a rather typical single-family home in Arlington (although an upscale section) and was able to move into a brand new custom home sitting on the Potomac for the same price in Prince George's.

The price disparity in some cases is COMPLETELY unjustified. There is no crime to speak of where I am and yet the reputation of a relatively small area where crime is bad detracts from the whole county (one of the largest counties in the whole state). Part of the problem is that there is a countywide police force, so that whenever crime is reported in one area, the name of the whole county is invoked.

Ultimately it comes down to which is more important to you, hype or value. The hype factor has always made the NoVA real estate market volatile and overdevelopment has in some respects lowered the living standard. With the overpricing and overdevelopment you will have a lot of options, but your money will go much further in Greenbelt.

... but real estate is so much about reputation and perception. If there *is* a reputation, even if it's not justified, then it means that you may get a lot for your dollar, but it may not be the best real estate "investment" in terms of resale.

Also, that is a very interesting point about the police force and the news reporting.

[FindingZen]

Unless your potential Dulles-area employer is offering you $100K out of the gate - or maybe $75K over in Greenbelt - I think it will be many years before you will need to worry about purchasing anything more than a condo for any reasonably convenient location (i.e within 30 miles/60 minutes) around the DC metro.

IMO, neither Dulles or Greenbelt are particular convenient to any place where a young single person may want to hang out. That said, Greenbelt isn't very far from DC; and the Clarendon-Ballston corridor in Arlington is where many twenty-something Virginians choose to live and/or play. If an active weekday social life is important to you, perhaps you could reverse commute from DC or Arlington. (That said, if you do become a DC resident, you won't have a senator or congress member with voting privileges.)

From my observation, the areas with the most issues in much-maligned Prince Georges County tend to be inside the Beltway aka I-495. Greenbelt is far outside the Beltway. I'm no expert on local crime statistics but I've been through there on a few occasions and found it to be a pleasant and diverse if not so "trendy" town.

On the other hand, Northern Virginia is the job center in "the job center" of the country. Dulles Airport is located in Loudon County just over the border from Fairfax County. Both counties' school districts have generally excellent reputations. Each county is also in a yearly "battle" for the title of "highest household income in the nation". Fairfax won this year at just over $100K. Loudon is not far behind at $99K.

Really, it's a toss-up, in my opinion, especially for a younger person starting out. But since this is the Northern Virginia forum - and my current home of course - I'll say that if you want a vibrant social scene and are willing and able to pay a premium cost for that lifestyle, move in or near the Ballston-Clarendon corridor and enjoy your new job at Dulles. Your mileage may vary when you and your future spouse start considering "typical" $500K THs and $700K SFHs for your budding family.

I hope this post isn't too presumptuous for a guy who's been here but two years.