Possible move to DC on a GS9 salary, doable? (Washington: apartments, foreclosures)

[mkh1480]

I was interviewed for a job in DC with a GS 9 salary. I have looked at the locality wage charts and know that with my experience I will most likely start at step 5. I kept getting asked if I thought I could live on the GS 9 salary? If the department has doubts if anyone could live on it, why do they offer it at that level, but I digress. I'm in my middle 50's, white, female, single now, with four cats and a dog. I'd like to buy as I see lots of foreclosures. However, my current financial problems will most likely keep me from buying. I know living within the beltway is probably not an option. So here's the question: On a GS9 salary for a woman like me, where will I need to look to find a place to live? I would rather rent a house than live in a condo or apt building. I will most likely drive as the metro doesn't go where I need to go to work. Not looking for nightlife, bars or the like. Just want a safe place where I can walk the dog, let the cats out into the yard, and invite my great nephew and neices (little kids) over for the weekend. (They live in Alexandria/Falls Church). BTW I'm a seasoned big city dweller....most recently Oakland, CA.

[mmposting]

something like Reston or Herndon might work for you. those are about 20 miles outside of DC on the Virginia side.

[Mzflavor70]

I currently live in central PA and have a few friends who live in the DC area. I'm currently a GS 9 in federal government and can say that you can not live off GS 9 pay in the DC area with one income. If you want to purchase a home, have a car and take a vacation once a year it's going to be pretty tight. This coming from a person with a working husband, no kids, and no credit card debt. I have all of these things in PA,a much lower cost of living area and could do it with my pay alone, but having the extra income allows for more things. I mean do your research. Look at the average cost of apartments vs buying a home there. Check the deographics, they will never steer you wrong.

[ceejamon]

You will have to join the army of commuters from pretty far out. Columbia, MD and Herndon, VA are worth looking into.

[anglophile]

If you could give more specifics about where you need to be for work we could help better. If you need to be at say Andrews Airforce base you have a very different set of options than say Ft Meyer.

[mnwcsult]

The obvious answer is yes. GS9 > $50,408 annual salary. The intangibles I moved to DC in 1977 on a then GS5 salary part time. Coming from Omaha where I was a GS3. I lived in the high rises in SW Washington DC. Here my rent was immediately double what it was in Omaha. I was single at the time, did not have a car, but the metro had just opened and was less than a half mile away. You learn to cook instead of fast food. It was tight but I got promoted to full time and GS7 in a years time. Also I did have credit card debt, which I worked very hard at getting rid of. Plus for living in SW DC, short walk to the National Mall almost all venues there are free.

So IMO it is doable, it is a matter of how high do you want to live once you step off the bus.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by Mzflavor70

I currently live in central PA and have a few friends who live in the DC area. I'm currently a GS 9 in federal government and can say that you can not live off GS 9 pay in the DC area with one income. If you want to purchase a home, have a car and take a vacation once a year it's going to be pretty tight. This coming from a person with a working husband, no kids, and no credit card debt. I have all of these things in PA,a much lower cost of living area and could do it with my pay alone, but having the extra income allows for more things. I mean do your research. Look at the average cost of apartments vs buying a home there. Check the deographics, they will never steer you wrong.

I don't know, I disagree.

Can you live off of a GS-9 salary? Yes, you can. I'm doing it, as are many of my coworkers. Some live alone, some don't, but all of us go out, enjoy ourselves, and travel a few times a year (I'm in the midst of planning a trip to Peru and then another to Austria, both of which I can afford). I have a roommate with a higher, but similar, salary, and we can easily afford rent on a 2-bedroom townhouse. If we wanted to buy it together, we probably could swing it. I'd imagine that if we were a couple/married it wouldn't be that much of a difference, since you still have both salaries coming in and no kids.

Can you buy a house? Maybe, maybe not. I have a coworker who bought a condo in DC while still a GS-9, and I have two GS-9 friends who are considering buying a townhouse together. Another friend on a similar salary just bought a house in Springfield.

Basically, you won't starve, unless you make choices such as you'd rather live in a luxury condo than eat. I know a bunch of GS-7's who eat just fine. However, you probably will have to trade off either a long commute or the single-family home with the white picket fence.

[Johnny B. Fury]

Juniperbleu hit the nail on the head, especially when he/she said:

"Basically, you won't starve, unless you make choices such as you'd rather live in a luxury condo than eat."

DC tends to be somewhat of a "keepin up with the Joneses" town. If you're inclined to impress with your house, you'll definitely have less disposable income. I personally went with a modest housing arrangement and prefer to spend my money "doing" things instead of being a slave to rent or a mortgage.

With that being said, you may want to check Craigslist.org for a variety of housing options. When I was looking, I was impressed with the number of houses and townhomes that had an available basement apartment for rent. Maybe that would work for you?

Good luck!