New Greenbelt Station Townhomes (Baltimore, College Park: HOA, condo, crime)

[Miranda231]

Originally Posted by bowian

So the stream names are your prior notice/warning should you buy there.

Can developers really get away with building directly over old swamp land? I hope not.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Miranda231

Can developers really get away with building directly over old swamp land? I hope not.

Of course not. There are stringent laws protecting "wet-lands". If you are interested, you should get the appropriate environmental reports to see what they are doing to protect the homes.

[bowian]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

Of course not. There are stringent laws protecting "wet-lands". If you are interested, you should get the appropriate environmental reports to see what they are doing to protect the homes.

Well, er, uh, heh --

USATODAY.com - Developers rush to build in wetlands after ruling

Does the U.S. Supreme Court decision still stand?

[bowian]

Originally Posted by Miranda231

Can developers really get away with building directly over old swamp land? I hope not.

See my response to goldenage with the USA Today article. I was being facetious and not accusing the Greenbelt developer of building on wetlands. However, building next to or near wetlands could carry some risk. My advice is to do the research and determine what that plot of land was before development, and find out what tests were done on the land prior to approval.

[King_of_DC]

Originally Posted by Miranda231

I knew it was too good to be true.

Some of the later homes might be nice... if they can control the water. To be sure, I'm looking at old pictures of the land and a visit in nov/dec 2013 and posting... I don't live there or know people in that area. And I'm sure they would (at least I hope) not build there and not fix any potential water issues.

Guess I'm looking at how people are now moving into flood plains I used to play in as a child back home... then winter comes, then spring and the people are surprised by standing water on their lawns... no surprise by people who lived there a long time.

Anyway... the houses might be okay.. if the fbi gets in close, that might be a wise purchase.

[w100tik2]

Hello All-

I am so confused and could use some help- do you think Greenbelt Station (an NV townhome there) is a better investment than building in Waterford Hills in Germantown, near Germantown Town Center, where they have Ryan townhomes? The Ryan towns are a bit more expensive in Germantown. The area around the development in Germantown is more appealing, but Greenbelt is metro accessible and is closer in to DC and has larger nicer homes, but also has much more poverty. I know there are nicer parts of Greenbelt, but I haven't visited them, just been in the area around greenbelt station development and the mall that is close by. I am nervous about this big decision and don't want to make a mistake after losing so much money in real estate when the market crashed. I appreciate your thoughts!

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by w100tik2

Hello All-

I am so confused and could use some help- do you think Greenbelt Station (an NV townhome there) is a better investment than building in Waterford Hills in Germantown, near Germantown Town Center, where they have Ryan townhomes? The Ryan towns are a bit more expensive in Germantown. The area around the development in Germantown is more appealing, but Greenbelt is metro accessible and is closer in to DC and has larger nicer homes, but also has much more poverty. I know there are nicer parts of Greenbelt, but I haven't visited them, just been in the area around greenbelt station development and the mall that is close by. I am nervous about this big decision and don't want to make a mistake after losing so much money in real estate when the market crashed. I appreciate your thoughts!

There are a few question you may need to ask yourself.

How important is being close to DC for you?
Have you considered the Arts district in Hyattsville which also has new townhomes?
Do you or will you have school-age children?
How would the FBI decision later this year to relocate to Greenbelt come into play?
How long/expensive would your commute be?

[UrbanScholar]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

There are a few question you may need to ask yourself.

How important is being close to DC for you?
Have you considered the Arts district in Hyattsville which also has new townhomes?
Do you or will you have school-age children?
How would the FBI decision later this year to relocate to Greenbelt come into play?
How long/expensive would your commute be?

I echo what adelphi has stated and would also recommend that you pull the strategic plans for both areas (through their respective planning departments ) to see if their vision aligns with yours. I would also check to see what approved projects are in the pipeline for the same reason.

Whereever you buy make sure that you don't purchase at the top of what that area offers as you will gain little equity over time and you have a greater risk of loosing more if there is a bust. This is especially the case when the entire development is new vs an area that has a mix of new and old (the old will insulate the neighborhood it has been well take care of).

My place increased significantly during the boom but (during the bust) I didn't go underwater like others because I bought a reasonable price point (pretty much in the center of the market at the time). The one regret I have is that I didn't buy in a place that was more metro accessible.

At the end of the day the choice is going to be based on what is important to you and your needs today and what you project them to be over however many years you plan to be there.

[WhoDatInMD]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

There are a few question you may need to ask yourself.

How important is being close to DC for you?
Have you considered the Arts district in Hyattsville which also has new townhomes?
Do you or will you have school-age children?
How would the FBI decision later this year to relocate to Greenbelt come into play?
How long/expensive would your commute be?

I thought they were supposed to make their decision and announce it next month?

[UrbanScholar]

Originally Posted by WhoDatInMD

I thought they were supposed to make their decision and announce it next month?

They are.