Moving to MD- Help!!! (Baltimore, Bethesda: sale, real estate, house prices)

[njmom8]

Help! I will be moving to DC/ Baltimore area this summer from a NJ suburb close to NYC.

I am looking for a nice area (close to DC), that is family friendly (I have 2 elementary school kids), has great public elementary schools, and has the possibility of walking to a downtown or school/ shopping/ parks, etc.

I can spend around 800k, and need a 3BR house. I am thinking Chevy Chase, MD (expensive- how are the schools, is it family friendly?) or Bethesda (what areas? it seems rather large). Should I look in the Annapolis area?

[Kristinesq]

Bethesda and Chevy Chase are both very affluent areas with some of the top-rated public schools in the nation. If you can afford to purchase a house in either of these areas, no doubt it's an excellant area to live in. I was born and raised in Montgomery County, so I know. Both Bethesda and Chevy Chase have a very nice downtown area, and there are neighborhoods that are within walking distance to them. An added benefit is that they are both right on the D.C. line which makes going into the city very convenient.

[LOK222]

Originally Posted by njmom8

Help! I will be moving to DC/ Baltimore area this summer from a NJ suburb close to NYC.

I am looking for a nice area (close to DC), that is family friendly (I have 2 elementary school kids), has great public elementary schools, and has the possibility of walking to a downtown or school/ shopping/ parks, etc.

I can spend around 800k, and need a 3BR house. I am thinking Chevy Chase, MD (expensive- how are the schools, is it family friendly?) or Bethesda (what areas? it seems rather large). Should I look in the Annapolis area?

Annaolis is FAR from dc.

I'd say look at Bethesda but house prices are outragous. Check out parts of Rockville/Derwood.
Also around gaithersburg there are a couple new comunities that are real nice if you like the (stepford wives) type of feel

Kentlands, Lakelands and King Farm

very nice.. old town feel and mom and pop type shops.. really nice

[MD99]

for $800k you can live pretty near DC, although believe or not you don't get much for that in places like Bethesda or Chevy Chase .. Anne Arundel county is a better value in my opinion if you can deal with the commute .. there is a commuter bus that goes from Annapolis to DC, also a metro rail from New Carrolton to DC

[Kensington]

Chevy Chase is very family friendly and has wonderful parks and schools. Somerset is a very cute community within Chevy Chase, and you could walk to the Friendship Heights metro and shopping areas. I think 800,000 should be a doable budget for a small 3 bedroom home. Annapolis is really cute, but it is far from DC. You are looking at over an hour commute whether you drive or take public transportation. Downtown Annapolis is also very expensive. I don't think that 800,000 is going to buy you much more than in Chevy Chase if you want to be within walking distance of the downtown. Old Town Alexandria, VA is another place to consider. It is closer to downtown DC than Annapolis.

[manydubs]

For 800K you can get a gourgoues house in Howard county, which has THE best school system in MD. Ho Co dumps tons of $$ into the school system, just ask a Ho Co tax payer.

I own a house here and it is booming, there are so many places to eat and it is a brilliant blend of different ethnicities.

Best of luck.

[tk123]

I agree about Howard County. It's a good area. Stay in the western end school districts.

[RoadTripGurl]

I have to agree with everyone else. Howard County is better. DC is nothing like Jersey, being close to it may get on your nerves (I lived in Bergen County). It's way too expensive to live in Chevy Chase but they have good schools. Howard is more affordable and has good schools. Annapolis you can try to find real estate, it has that downtown or main street feel, I like it but its' pricey as well.

[teleblazer]

If you're looking for a good size home and close to DC don't discount Calvert County for safety, family oriented and great schools. It's far enough away from the city to get away from it all and it's close enough to visit when you want the more city like fair. Some parts are only 20-50 minutes from DC, Annapolis, several beaches (e.g. Chesapeake and North Beach), Solomons Island, etc...

I just got a market value analysis for Huntingtown, MD and the homes are still holding high value. The HIGH sale price was $840,815.00 and the Average was $681.938.00. Most of which are newer colonial style homes with 4BR or more on half an acre of land or more and at least a 2 car garage.

Good luck in your search. All of the areas suggested by the others have been great references as well. Just like them I'd caution watching your commute time of over an hour from some places. With your current budget you have lots of options, it's the people coming in expecting to pay 300-500k for everything under the sun that really have problems in those areas.