Living on 120K family of 3. Doable?? (Arlington, Franconia: rent, student loans, houses)

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by LIG3204

I saw Reston Lake something. Is this a nice area? It seems to be just 30 min from Bethesda.

South Lakes Reston is a nice area - that is where I live - but I would not recommend it for someone who works in Bethesda.

The drive is 30 minutes with no traffic but that doesn't happen during commuting times very often. Right now at 8:15 am on Tuesday (with the government having unscheduled leave & telework that makes traffic lighter) Google Map says it will take 46 minutes from my house to downtown Bethesda. I would guess that the average commute will be 50-60 minutes with occasional days that you want to tear your hair out where it goes over an hour.

I recommend that you look in the North Bethesda, North Potomac, Rockville, Kensington areas - essentially just north of I-495 (north of Bethesda).

[LIG3204]

Originally Posted by Vectorhead

I think Reston to Bethesda would be pretty awful. The general rule of thumb is to take the mileage between two points and double or triple it to get the typical commute time at rush hour.

In general, it's not the greatest idea to rely too heavily on advice from other people about what you can afford based on your annual income. What really matters is how you like to live. A family that eats out once a month can afford more than a family that eats out 2 or 3 times a week. A family that loves to watch movies on TV on weekends can afford more than a family that loves to spend winter weekends skiing and summers at the beach. Some people are thrilled to be moving to an area with outstanding public schools (and NOVA definitely qualifies in that regard) but some people want their kids in private schools.

So sure, it doesn't hurt at all to listen to general advice about what percentage of your income MAX should go to housing. But you need to look at what you're making now, how much of that is available to you after you pay whatever you pay now for housing, and how you spend that money. No one can really help with that process. Once you've really analyzed what you spend your money on, and placed priorities on that spending, THEN you can decide for yourself what you would feel comfortable paying for mortgage or rent. And when you're deciding that, you need to realize that around here, you also have to take commuting costs into account -- they are effectively part and parcel of your basic living expenses. The further out you live, the cheaper the housing and the more expensive your commute. It's a balancing act!

Good point!! I guess I'm a little freaked out by the change of lifestyle DC area will bring.

Good to know about reston. Thanks!!

[Vectorhead]

Try not to worry too much! Apart from housing and traffic, this is a pretty nice place to live. You'll hear lots of moaning and groaning about lack of small town charm and that is very true. But there's a lot to do here and the schools are excellent and the job market is far better than it is in most of the country. We've been here 10 years and are really quite happy we settled here. I hope you find it a fun place to live as well.

[Deluusions]

Originally Posted by JfromReston

South Lakes Reston is a nice area - that is where I live - but I would not recommend it for someone who works in Bethesda.

The drive is 30 minutes with no traffic but that doesn't happen during commuting times very often. Right now at 8:15 am on Tuesday (with the government having unscheduled leave & telework that makes traffic lighter) Google Map says it will take 46 minutes from my house to downtown Bethesda. I would guess that the average commute will be 50-60 minutes with occasional days that you want to tear your hair out where it goes over an hour.

I recommend that you look in the North Bethesda, North Potomac, Rockville, Kensington areas - essentially just north of I-495 (north of Bethesda).

Bethesda is way to expensive for them to live and maybe Rockville. The average home being sold in Bethesda exceeds over 1 mill. I suggest the OP looks in Kensington, Silver Spring and maybe Takoma Park

[LIG3204]

Originally Posted by Panu16

Will you be renting or buying? Is your husband's job Metro accessible?

Not sure about it. Buying makes more sense.

There is a train system, but I forgot the name of it. I know it is accessible easily by transport.

[Deluusions]

Originally Posted by LIG3204

Not sure about it. Buying makes more sense.

There is a train system, but I forgot the name of it. I know it is accessible easily by transport.

What's your budget for buying?

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by LIG3204

There is a train system, but I forgot the name of it. I know it is accessible easily by transport.

Here is the link to the METRO trip planner that will help you plan public transit trips.

Metro - Rider Tools - Trip Planner

[Smiles:-)]

Bethesda, MD is an upscale pricey area. You can get a larger home with a nice size backyard if you look into the burbs of DC. The further South you go the cheaper it gets but then you will have to deal with the commute.😁 Good Luck.

[LIG3204]

Originally Posted by Deluusions

What's your budget for buying?

400k ideal, 450k max

[LIG3204]

Originally Posted by JfromReston

Here is the link to the METRO trip planner that will help you plan public transit trips.

Metro - Rider Tools - Trip Planner

Oh, nice!! Thanks!!