Areas with decent commute to Bethesda (Silver Spring, Germantown: for sale, real estate, condos)

[Montacute]

I'm considering a job in Bethesda and in looking at house prices I feel a bit sick. Anywhere that would be cheaper, with a more land within a 30 minute commute of Bethesda? Safety, land (at least an acre lot), and privacy are my primary concerns. Thanks for any pointers!

[tonyc]

Originally Posted by Montacute

I'm considering a job in Bethesda and in looking at house prices I feel a bit sick. Anywhere that would be cheaper, with a more land within a 30 minute commute of Bethesda? Safety, land (at least an acre lot), and privacy are my primary concerns. Thanks for any pointers!

More land and 30 minute commute and reasonable, don't go together.

Maybe lil more that 30 minutes commute, but check into Laytonsville/Poolesville area...

[dmcgoy]

Originally Posted by Montacute

I'm considering a job in Bethesda and in looking at house prices I feel a bit sick. Anywhere that would be cheaper, with a more land within a 30 minute commute of Bethesda? Safety, land (at least an acre lot), and privacy are my primary concerns. Thanks for any pointers!

Probably not possible. Even if you lived "only" 15 miles away, that'd probably be a 45 minute commute. The traffic in the 270/beltway section is horrific. You'll have to specify how much you are willing to pay and give a more specific location for the job to get some real help.

[rubytue]

I use to work in downtown Bethesda. I agree with the others. More than 1/4 acre, under a million, and within 30 min? Not happening.

[Cheasare]

Originally Posted by Montacute

I'm considering a job in Bethesda and in looking at house prices I feel a bit sick. Anywhere that would be cheaper, with a more land within a 30 minute commute of Bethesda? Safety, land (at least an acre lot), and privacy are my primary concerns. Thanks for any pointers!

Safety-land-privacy, reasonably priced in Bethesda is definitely not happening.

I agree that for land/privacy you will have to consider Laytonsville, Olney, Brookeville or Cloverly.

All of these places are between 45-60 minutes commute depending on how early/late you start commuting.

Bethesda is dense, convenient and expensive. Modest budget = small space.

C.

[Montacute]

The job would be nearest to the Medical Center metro stop. I really appreciate the responses. You all have given me a heavy dose of reality, which I need in evaluating the job offer. I would be moving from out of state. Can you tell me what types of houses would be available for around $500,000 that would be within a 30 minute commute. What is a standard lot size for this area? 1/4 acre?

[Mrs. 14th & You]

I think an acre of land alone might be worth a million dollars that close in to DC. Yes, 1/4 acre is probably more realistic.

Montgomery County is one of the most affluent counties in the country. Within Montgomery, Bethesda and Potomac are the priciest zip codes in which to live. Single familiy homes with 3 and 4 bedrooms on any lot size are going to be $700k and up, generally (there's always some rare exception(s)).

Will you be commuting by car or by Metro? If by Metro, you can live a little further out and still have a 30 minute commute. Check out areas within shouting distance of the Shady Grove Metro stop -- in Derwood and Gaithersburg. Germantown and Laytonsville, though they will have the land at the price you're looking at, can be too far out for a reasonable commute. You may also want to look at Silver Spring. From there you would not want to Metro, but driving in to B'da on East-West Highway isn't terrible. Rockville is a good place from which to drive or to Metro.

Pretty much anwhere within a half hour of Bethesda is very safe. But "safe" is subjective. Go to the Montgomery County police website for crime statistics, and compare them to what you are accustomed to. Also, ask questions in this forum about specific neighborhoods. I grew up in MoCo and was never, ever bothered by the crime anywhere. Then again, I also now live in DC, so maybe my tolerance is higher? I have been quite surprised to see some of the ractions to crime on this forum.

In terms of privacy and land, you will have to adjust your expectations somewhat. You're moving into a far more densely populated area. Much new construction in MoCo is condos and townhomes as land prices make density of construction a necessity. On the up-side there are also a number of developments with common land and walking paths, which can make for a much more spacious, if less private, feeling.

[tonyc]

Real Estate in Bethesda, MD, Homes for Sale - HomesDatabase

BTW, traffic was a breeze today. I made it from Gaith' to Bethesda in under 25 mins, quite rare I must say.

And for $500, you're looking at an older home...

[Mrs. 14th & You]

Wow, I'm actually fairly impressed with those prices. I completely forgot how North Bethesda can differ in cost from the areas closer to the "downtown" and Potomac. That said, it looks like detached single family homes on an acre start at $850k and quickly escalate to $1.5 million+. Taking the requirement down to a half acre does bring up two homes under $700k. Uff.

[Cheasare]

Originally Posted by Montacute

The job would be nearest to the Medical Center metro stop. I really appreciate the responses. You all have given me a heavy dose of reality, which I need in evaluating the job offer. I would be moving from out of state. Can you tell me what types of houses would be available for around $500,000 that would be within a 30 minute commute. What is a standard lot size for this area? 1/4 acre?

I was looking through some listings in Kensington which is a fairly short commute to the NIH/Bethesda Medical Metro and they were all priced between 450-500K and all were on about .15 to .20 acres. These are the small bungalow or split-level rambler type houses that were built in the 50s and 60s. Like someone else said you may have to scale back your requirements to get that shorter commute.

C.