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Old 04-15-2016, 03:16 PM
 
2 posts, read 3,659 times
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My fiance (husband in 1 month) has just accepted a position in Potomac, MD. We currently live in NC. His situation is a little different in that he is still a student, but this (federal gov.) position will allow him to work in Maryland for the summer, come back to NC to finish his last semester of school, graduate in December and move back to Maryland permanently to resume working.

Since I can't hop back and forth with any kind of job security I will be staying in NC for the summer while he is in MD, and then we will both be moving there in December. This gives us plenty of time to find a place to live and scope out different areas, and I'm sure he'll get a good feel for the area while he is there this summer.

As nearly everyone is, we are looking for an affordable place to live that won't be a killer commute for him to Potomac. We will most likely be renting to start with but aren't opposed to buying if we find the perfect location (we would actually prefer this). As of now I don't know where I'll be working but there seem to be a decent number of opportunities in DC in my field (marketing and public relations) so I wouldn't mind being close enough for me to work in DC (that's just a thought though, not a necessity). I've researched Silver Spring for this reason but rent and home prices seem to be a little steep for us.

We LOVE the looks of Frederick but that seems like it'd be a long commute for my husband. He thinks he wouldn't mind driving it...but I don't know.

I know "affordable" is relative but I guess I'd just like recommendations on cities that might be known for having a lower cost of living. I am pretty unfamiliar with the area so it'd be nice to hear from those who know it well! We're both in our late 20s, will probably be starting a family in the next couple of years, and wouldn't mind a more rural area as long as it's still convenient to stores, restaurants, etc.
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Old 04-15-2016, 03:43 PM
 
Location: Foothills of Maryland Blue Ridge mountains
993 posts, read 760,331 times
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Hi. I'm pasting what I wrote to another OP earlier today....same subject. We just moved and love the Frederick area. There's a lot going on in the city of Frederick too. We live in a rural setting, but are only 15 minutes from downtown Frederick. We lived in the Bethesda/Potomac area for 37 years. It has become a traffic nightmare. Also checkout the SpringRidge neighborhood near new market, MD. And Lake linganore.

You might checkout New Market, Mt. Airy, Middletown or Myersville in Frederick county. They all have excellent schools and housing is more affordable with wonderful family neighborhoods. On the downside, your husband would have a 45 min/60 min commute on a typical day, a little longer when traffic is bad.

Your budget won't go far in Montgomery County. We just moved from the Besthesda area to Middletown. Life is easier up here. People are friendly, much less traffic, it's pretty. You should check it out before you make your final decision on where to move.

Feel free to private message me with further questions.
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Old 04-15-2016, 07:58 PM
 
Location: Sneads Ferry, NC
13,323 posts, read 26,782,434 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slv9998 View Post
As nearly everyone is, we are looking for an affordable place to live that won't be a killer commute for him to Potomac. We will most likely be renting to start with but aren't opposed to buying if we find the perfect location (we would actually prefer this).
You might look for a sublet from students who are going away for the summer. Craigslist already has some from the Capitol Hill, U. of Maryland and George Washington University areas. Otherwise, your husband ought to check with his Human Resource office about short-term rentals.

Frederick is a good suggestion, and Mount Airy or Carroll County is another suggestion. However, I would find them a killer commute. There really are few "affordable" places within an easy commute of Potomac. If you can quote a realistic rent budget, please let us know.

Last edited by goldenage1; 04-15-2016 at 08:08 PM..
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Old 04-16-2016, 09:21 AM
 
2 posts, read 3,659 times
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Thanks to both of you! Great suggestions and I'll check them out.

I guess I should have mentioned that my husband has housing worked out for this summer already (his employer provides it for a low rate). It's a shared house with roommates though so once we move there together in December we'll be looking elsewhere.

If we do end up renting for a while before buying I think our max budget will be $1500/month. This is already a huge jump from what we're paying now in NC ($800/month with utilities) so I'm admittedly feeling a little bit of sticker shock when researching lol! But I'm also very understanding and realistic about the higher costs as I know the cost of living is much lower here. We need 2 bedrooms and would really prefer a house but would do a townhome. We would like to avoid big apartment complexes if possible.

Last edited by slv9998; 04-16-2016 at 09:29 AM..
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Old 04-16-2016, 10:33 AM
 
Location: Sneads Ferry, NC
13,323 posts, read 26,782,434 times
Reputation: 6915
Quote:
Originally Posted by slv9998 View Post
If we do end up renting for a while before buying I think our max budget will be $1500/month. This is already a huge jump from what we're paying now in NC ($800/month with utilities) so I'm admittedly feeling a little bit of sticker shock when researching lol! But I'm also very understanding and realistic about the higher costs as I know the cost of living is much lower here. We need 2 bedrooms and would really prefer a house but would do a townhome. We would like to avoid big apartment complexes if possible.
I think there will be townhouses available in Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village or Shady Grove area for that budget. As others have said, you would have to pay more for better school districts.

If your husband wants to avoid a commute down I-270, look at the Dufief Mill/Travilah Road corridor down to River Road. Or take Falls Road down to MacArthur Blvd/Clara Barton Parkway.
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Old 04-17-2016, 03:06 AM
 
10,580 posts, read 11,991,567 times
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OP, just exactly how long of a commute might your husband be OK with. You never say. And that would help.

15 mins, ½ hour – an hour…..
Also WHERE in Potomac would he be working? Up by Rockville…..or closer to Cabin John

Just looking at a map how about:
Seneca you could come down route 190
Darnestown or North Potomac
Gaithersburg, Kentlands*, Rockville???
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