New York City Metro Area ($350,000) or D.C. Metro Area ($275,000)?

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

You literally selected one of the only three homes available in Nassau with the parameters listed - only issue is the 6,000 square feet listed in two of them is *lot size*.

Meanwhile, in Londoun County, VA you can score a newer build home with 4000+ square feet of actual living (not lot or including basement), in a nice, family friendly cul de sac. Can’t find that near NYC.

Good point I can't deny.
That said, my relatives in Somerset have large houses on large lots (I think one of them has over an acre) and when I stay there, it's an easy ~45 minute train ride to Penn Station. I have relatives in Upper Marlboro who live in a similar home, and the feel of the area feels similar to Somerset. I don't think there is a rapid transit line that goes into the heart of DC from there...? I may be mistaken. I normally have a rental when I'm out there.
Both are under 30 miles from the heart of their respective cities.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

So basically the life of a rich celebrity. Might as well add weekly NSA sex with different bikini models to the list while you're at it.

Coming back down to reality, 350K would provide a high QOL in NY, but you would not get as much as bang for your buck as you would in DC as far as living accommodations go.

And that's the thing... It's a tradeoff some (including myself) would find worthwhile. I'd gladly give up living in my 1,500sqft home here in Orlando for a ~600sqft home somewhere in Manhattan (or larger in Brooklyn or Queens) considering the lifestyle that comes with it.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Nassau and Loudoun aren't exactly analogs though. Loudoun is 40 miles away from DC. A better comparison would be Loudoun to Rockland County, NY or the closer parts of Sussex County, NJ.

Loudoun is 30 miles from DC city center. Nassau is 30 miles from Manhattan. Only four homes total meet the parameters of over 4,000 square feet under $1m in Rockland County, all of which appear to be what I call “red flag homes”.