Commuting from Fort Washington to Arlington - Crazy?? (Indian Head: real estate, rental)

[sheree202]

I'm starting a job in Arlington, but can't afford a very nice house in that area. We were thinking about buying a new house in Fort Washington, MD. I'm not worried about the school disticts, etc... since I will have my son in preschool in Arlington and rent the house out in two years when we move. I am however worried about the commute since I'd like to keep it under 45 minutes. I think that I would take Indian Head - 495 - GW Parkway. I appreciate any advice!!

[RamblingMan]

I commute from FW into DC and find the commute to be pretty reasonable by DC standards. I spend a lot of time in Alexandria and find that it is an easy run across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to Old Town or National Airport.

I can drive from my house in FW to the Key Bridge in Rosslyn in about 30 minutes if there's no traffic, so I think a commute to Arlington would be doable, especially if your hours are at all flexible. That said, everybody's tolerance for commuting is different. There's really no substitute for getting up very early one morning and driving to Fort Washington so you can replicate your commute and see how long it takes in real life.

On the other hand, is it really worth the hassle of buying a house, moving, and then trying to rent out a property you own if you think you're going to move in two years?

[sheree202]

Thanks for all of the information!! To be honest, we're just sick of paying someone else's mortgage. In the past 4 years we've paid $90k towards our landlords mortgage. Not to mention you don't get much for your money renting. However, I do see your point about the hassle in it all. Something to think about for sure.

[wisedisguise]

Originally Posted by RamblingMan

There's really no substitute for getting up very early one morning and driving to Fort Washington so you can replicate your commute and see how long it takes in real life.

On the other hand, is it really worth the hassle of buying a house, moving, and then trying to rent out a property you own if you think you're going to move in two years?

Don't you mean to word that the other way around? If she drove to FW from Arlington during am rush hour she would be going against traffic. It's basically an easy drive since the only real commuter traffic would be night shift workers and those going to the base in IH.
Doing that same drive in the pm would simulate a return trip.

[Zimar]

Originally Posted by sheree202

Thanks for all of the information!! To be honest, we're just sick of paying someone else's mortgage. In the past 4 years we've paid $90k towards our landlords mortgage. Not to mention you don't get much for your money renting. However, I do see your point about the hassle in it all. Something to think about for sure.

I feel that way sometimes when I think about my rent too, then I remember I am not paying

closing costs when you buy (these are hefty)
taxes
maintenance and yard work
insurance
mortgage interest (which the tax deduction doesn't really help, unless you either make a ton of money or have a huge mortgage)
fees, real estate agent's cut when you sell
taking a risk with most of my savings

Seriously, sit down and calculate it out one day and you might realize you're not "losing" nearly as much money as you thought!

[wisedisguise]

Originally Posted by Zimar

I feel that way sometimes when I think about my rent too, then I remember I am not paying

closing costs when you buy (these are hefty)
taxes
maintenance and yard work
insurance
mortgage interest (which the tax deduction doesn't really help, unless you either make a ton of money or have a huge mortgage)
fees, real estate agent's cut when you sell
taking a risk with most of my savings

Seriously, sit down and calculate it out one day and you might realize you're not "losing" nearly as much money as you thought!

If you owned the rental you could write almost %100 of the cost of that house off if you managed the property without the use of a realtor. Ever wonder why a lot of people have rental property?

[UrbanScholar]

If you are really interested in the Fort Washington area but concerned about the schools you could always go the private school route when your child becomes school age. There are a lot of people that take that route. As for the commute, echoing others, depending on the time and day you can make it within an hour driving. You could also split the commute between the car and metro.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by wisedisguise

Don't you mean to word that the other way around? If she drove to FW from Arlington during am rush hour she would be going against traffic. It's basically an easy drive since the only real commuter traffic would be night shift workers and those going to the base in IH.
Doing that same drive in the pm would simulate a return trip.

I think you misunderstood him. I think he meant drive to FW and then try commuting from there to Arlington in the AM. That's how I read it anyways. They should also go the other way in the PML.

[wisedisguise]

Originally Posted by dkf747

I think you misunderstood him. I think he meant drive to FW and then try commuting from there to Arlington in the AM. That's how I read it anyways. They should also go the other way in the PML.

I don't always know what people mean on here and don't want the backlash in the case I may pretend to. I probably shouldn't have replied for that very reason. I should try to exercise that in the future but it is too fun to get involved.

[slowlane3]

The total replacement of the (beltway) Woodrow Wilson Bridge a few years ago, with more lanes and capacity, has helped traffic flow tremendously. Before that for decades, the bridge was a continual major gridlocked bottleneck.