Which PG County Community would be better? (Clinton, Greenbelt: mortgage, house) - Calvert County, Charles County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

RaisedWell · 02-16-2010, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowian

Uh, cut it out you two. LOL. You can get a small house for a fairly decent price in those other areas. For instance, townhouses in the Greenbelt Homes area can be reasonable (like in the mid to upper 100s). Also, the OP needs to be cognizant of not only the pros of those communities he listed, but the cons as well. Some of those cons already were listed here.

I just figured that he mentioned those areas for a reason, like maybe he had already done his research and could see that the majority of the low-end priced single family homes are in those specific communities. I just assumed that he was not interested in a townhouse since he has two large dogs and would need the yard space.

As far as Hyattsville goes, it is very large and would include the smaller municipalities of Bladensburg, Colmar Manor, Cottage City, Brentwood, and North Brentwood.

Now to answer his original question: In addition to my first post, if I had to choose from his list of communities, it would be District Heights. It is a smaller municipality bordering Capitol Heights and unincorporated Forestville. I find it to be quiet and some of the smaller homes there are made of stone and uniquely beautiful.

JassyFresh · 02-17-2010, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaisedWell

^^Cheverly is not on the same level with the areas he mentioned.

Why is that?

I would not count Cheverly out. Friendly people and affordable (as far as MD goes). For 2 adults and 2 dogs, Cheverly is pretty ideal. Hyattsville would be the second choice.

selhars · 02-17-2010, 08:50 AM

I would have phrased it the other way around -- that the areas that the OP mentioned: District Heights, Capitol Heights, Forrestville, are not on Cheverly's level.

Cheverly is out of those price ranges. It takes more to even get into Cheverly than those other areas.

Bigbluelandrover · 02-17-2010, 06:23 PM

In trying to be helpful to the op I overlooked something. He wants to buy a house for less than rent on a STUDIO apartment.

My guess is that in those areas suggested a studio is in the 1000-1200 range (maybe).
Ownership in PG includes some pretty high taxes and then add in monthly insurance,maintenance and utilities and I would think even on a "cheap" house the monthly cost is closer to 1600 plus?

Consult a realtor. Search on the net for homes. I like red fin.-Im not trying to promote sites but there is a LOT of current information on the net if you search for it.

bowian · 02-17-2010, 07:08 PM

Where is the OP?

From DC to NC · 02-15-2011, 01:02 PM

i'd suggest renting for a year to get a feel of the area. i'm not particularly fond of any of the areas you mentioned but of the 5, i think hyattsville is your best bet. consider the hyattsville area in or around new carrollton - off of 450 (annapolis road) and riverdale road - right next to and behind the shopping center (lowe's, shoppers, suntrust). it's the same neighborhood where the new carrollton library is and it's a pretty decent area. also check out the area behind the recently renovated metro points hotel. that too is a pretty decent area.

those are my recommendations. best of luck to you!

pgtvatitans · 02-15-2011, 01:29 PM

Hold on. If we're talking about saving money by buying then you don't have to settle, unless money is an issue. Housing values have dropped dramatically in PG over the past few years and right now, even the most expensive areas are becoming more affordable. I take a different view than most on here, I don't think you can compromise your safety just to save a few bucks. You might be able to save a few bucks in Capitol Heights or Landover, but worst come to worst, what did you really gain? I would think some things aren't a compromise. Given that you have dogs, wouldn't you want to live in a walkable community? The places that you named aren't ideal candidates. Hyattsville is okay, but it definitely has some horrible parts. Yes these places may be cheap, but please remember why some of these places are so. I brought a condo in Oxon Hill (outside the beltway) a little over a year ago and less than a 1-bedroom place for a 3-bedroom place. I'm not here to say that you should move to Oxon Hill, but you can still live in a nicer community and still save money. District Heights is definitely a decent place, but there are some places in Largo, Upper Marlboro, and Fort Washington that would save you just as much and have more parks and walkable communities. It's all about what you want...

How close do you need to be to public transportation?
What stores do you and your wife like to shop at (grocery, department)?
Would you be interested in getting a townhome, condo, or house?

Natali :) · 02-15-2011, 01:34 PM

Hi All,

I would like to ask you what do you think about area around National Harmony Memorial park (SW side) ?
Is it safe ?

Thanks !

Natali :) · 02-15-2011, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meatkins

Hold on. I take a different view than most on here, I don't think you can compromise your safety just to save a few bucks. You might be able to save a few bucks in Capitol Heights or Landover, but worst come to worst, what did you really gain? I would think some things aren't a compromise.

The places that you named aren't ideal candidates. District Heights is definitely a decent place,

How close do you need to be to public transportation?
What stores do you and your wife like to shop at (grocery, department)?
Would you be interested in getting a townhome, condo, or house?

@meatkins,

I like the way you think !

Tell me about District Heights, please !
Is NW area of Great Eastern Plaza safe ? (Regency & Pennsylvania Ave intersection )

We do not need to be close to public transportation or grocery,
and we are interested in getting a townhome or house in move-in condition
(not more what 20 years old) with good/safe commute to National Mall area

pgtvatitans · 02-15-2011, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natali :)

@meatkins,

I like the way you think !

Tell me about District Heights, please !
Is NW area of Great Eastern Plaza safe ? (Regency & Pennsylvania Ave intersection )

We do not need to be close to public transportation or grocery,
and we are interested in getting a townhome or house in move-in condition
(not more what 20 years old) with good/safe commute to National Mall area

I can't tell you anything about National Harmony Memorial Park btw, I don't know much about it, but I can tell you about District Heights.

First I will tell you as a general rule of thumb, avoid Marlboro Pike at as much as possible. It's not particularly safe. The Great Eastern Plaza is okay and is a slight exception. I usually go there to the Capital Sports Complex (CSC) to play ball. It is a nice facility to work out. They also replaced the old Giant (which moved to the corner of Pennsylvania and Silver Hill) and put a new grocery store (the name escapes me). That shopping center also has a Big Lots, Pep Boys and a few other stores. Nothing particularly special about the shopping center outside of the CSC since Giant moved. If you're looking for shopping it is better for you to head down further and go to either Forestville Mall or the Penn Mar Shopping Center. Both of these places are okay as well crime wise. I go to all these shopping centers all the time and I have never encountered any problems.

There is also another shopping center called the Penn Station shopping center. It is okay as well. It has a new Planet Fitness, Dollar Tree, Save-A-Lot, Burger King, and it has a new T.G.I. Fridays that's supposed to open soon if hasn't already. This shopping center is okay safety wise, but there was a murder that happened there a few weeks ago in front of Planet Fitness. It seems like it may have been isolated. It also has another shopping center next to it that has a Safeway, so there definitely is a lot shopping around.

If I were to move to District Heights I would stay near Ritchie Road. I have heard some bad stories about places off of Marlboro Pike, District Heights Pkwy, and Kipling Pkwy. There are some nice homes off of Ritchie Road and if you get D'arcy Road, the homes began to go into Upper Marlboro/Largo, and they include some nice mini subdivisions. Most of the homes are smaller and older off of Ritchie Road, but they are about as affordable as you can get. I should also mention this location is very nice because it is also near Ritchie Marlboro Road, which has a new shopping area Ritchie Marketplace/Steeplechase. Unfortunately the Ritchie Marketplace only includes a BJs but there have been rumors of more stores for a while, who knows what will happen.

Okay so I told you some good things, here goes the bad, if you have children, you keep your children out of the schools in District Heights. The schools are amongst some of the worst in the county. Although Central High School is the feeder school and is decent, the elementary and middle schools are bad. This may actually be one of the main reasons for the low prices, but overall I've known people around there and have tried to buy a place in District Heights and those parts that I've mentioned are good places if you're looking to save money on a nice home.