where to live with 4 kids, 5 years old and under (for sale, condo)

[6malletts]

My husband is likely going to get a job in downtown DC and I'm exploring where to look for a house. We're considering buying (<$230k). I'm open to MD or VA, hoping to minimize the commute. We only have one car currently, so he'll probably be using public transportation to get downtown.
What should I know about the area in choosing a place to live? It seems like all the homes were built in the 1950s - are there any areas within a 45-min commute that were built in the 70s or later?
Thanks!

[PenguinSix]

$230k barely buys a 1br condo in the District, and in many of the closer in suburbs the only places $230k will buy are places you probably don't want to live with a family. I currently live nearly 45 minutes from DC by car and even out here $230k only buys older slightly run down places.

I'd start with where your husband is going to be working, exactly, so you can determine which subway line he will be taking into work. I'd then start to look along that line for housing to minimize the commute. (Honestly though, I don't think you are going to be living that close in given the prices)

The problem is nearly all folks want to a) live on a metro b) in a nice clean large house c) with good schools and things for kids to do. In DC, where many many families are dual-income professionals (i.e. > $100k a year in family earnings) it results in the housing prices becoming a bit steep in the more sought after neighborhoods.

You can look at Calvert County (good schools) or St. Marys county in Maryland. These are considered 'Southern Maryland' areas and are at least a 45 minute commute to the city (and offering only limited commuter bus service). Even out here in towns like Dunkirk, Owings, Chesapeake Beach and North Beach you won't find much for $230k though. In Virginia you're going to be looking quite far from DC probably to get a big house and a good school, but traffic is quite a pain.

[JimGriffith]

You're going to need to buy something pretty far out.

Depending on the exact location of his office, I'd look for something around one of the commuter rail stations of the MARC (Maryland and West Virginia) or VRE (Virginia).

It's impossible to minimize the commute on that budget and get a newer home in a decent neighborhood.

[v2009]

you could buy a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath townhouse built in 1985 in Alexandria, VA, about 4 mi from Huntington Metro for $227,000. I would not recommend buying a condo - condo fees increase every year in many communities, and it can be as much as $650 per month if it was built a long time ago.

[6malletts]

Thanks for the input. I've heard great things about Silver Spring, MD, and have seen 4 BR houses for sale under $230k. They're older (more in the 1950s range), but I'm okay with that - just making sure I wasn't missing something. We can do fixing up. The note about a townhouse in Alexandria is helpful to be aware of though. We drove around Silver Spring, Wheaton, Forest Glen area, and it seems like all the houses I saw looked pretty much the same and the neighborhoods didn't seem much different. These areas seem to have been recommended as family friendly with good schools - is there a part of these towns I'm missing that is what's really being recommended? We were looking at places close to Georgia Avenue. Will there be other young families in these neighborhoods? I guess that's what I'm asking. Where do the young families live? (To attend good schools and have safe, kid-friendly neighborhoods.)
Thanks!

[6malletts]

Oh, and the red line is best for my husband's commute, hence we're looking along that route. The commute would be longer coming from the Virginia end, but would I be better off getting a place that direction?