Springfield: Loisdale neighborhood too good to be true? (Franconia, Fairfax: short sales, real estate)

[metrorider1482]

Does anybody know what's the secret to Loisdale? On the sticky it says there is no secret pocket of NOVA where you can get a single family home for less than $400,000. But it seems like the neighborhood near Loisdale is that secret spot... (I'm talking about 22150, near the intersection of Loisdale Rd & Constance). Right now there are at least 2 single family homes for less than $300K. I drove thru the neighborhood and it looks safe and pretty. It's conveniently near the metro, 95, and the Mall. Is this too good to be true? What am I missing? Is there a nuclear waste dump next door or something? Or is this Marylander just ignorant about NOVA real estate?

[weezycom]

That's probably a couple of folks who bought at the height of the market and saw housing values drop. They're upside down and just trying to escape without a foreclosure.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by metrorider1482

Does anybody know what's the secret to Loisdale? On the sticky it says there is no secret pocket of NOVA where you can get a single family home for less than $400,000. But it seems like the neighborhood near Loisdale is that secret spot... (I'm talking about 22150, near the intersection of Loisdale Rd & Constance). Right now there are at least 2 single family homes for less than $300K. I drove thru the neighborhood and it looks safe and pretty. It's conveniently near the metro, 95, and the Mall. Is this too good to be true? What am I missing? Is there a nuclear waste dump next door or something? Or is this Marylander just ignorant about NOVA real estate?

To be honest the area around Springfield Mall does not have a good reputation. The area has a high amount of illegal immigrants and the Franconia-Springfield metro station is one of the top two metro stations with the most crime. I imagine the area near the mixing bowl can be real noisey (this from someone who lives next to 395.)

[JEB77]

There are quite a few short sales and foreclosures of SFHs in NoVa (including Fairfax County) below $400K. As to the Springfield area, to compare it to a part of Maryland, it's pretty similar to parts of Silver Spring. Some of the local schools in Springfield/22150 are very well balanced economically and demographically, and some are now almost 70% ESL. I think Forestdale ES is the assigned school for the neighborhood that includes Loisdale/Constance.

[adolpho]

22150 would be a good buy at less than 300K. Good size yards, well made homes. It may even be nicer than the Springfield Estates area, but not as nice as the Crestwood area, where you should also look.

[mississippimagnolia]

I would be wary of anywhere near the Springfield Mall. But that's just me. I have a pretty low tolerance level for crime. I don't want to live anywhere near a higher crime area.

[weezycom]

Another thought occurs to me. Are these two houses very close to one another (say, with an undesirable neighbor in the house in between them)? Occasionally there's an extreme dipwad that makes moving the most desirable option.

[metrorider1482]

Thanks - this input is helpful. Somebody mentioned Silver Spring - I live in the Hyattsville area so crime is pretty frequent (two holdups in the past 4 months just on our street). I thought NOVA was better but I guess you make the same trade-off everywhere: low crime vs. low price. Can't have both...

[metrorider1482]

BTW: What about walking to the Metro from here on a daily basis? The Loisdale-Constance neighborhood is only about .75 miles from the station as the crow flies (google maps) but there doesn't seem to be any direct streets to walk on. Following the streets, it looks like upwards of a 2-mile walk twice a day (so not worth it).

[Alicia Bradley]

The area near the Springfield mall is probably a smidge better than Hyattsville, but I wouldn't want to live in either, um, community.