Looking at a house near 495 soundwall (Bethesda, Potomac: foreclosure, rental, houses)

[renoschmitt]

hello,

We (My wife, our 19 months old son and I) just moved to Bethesda this summer and are now shopping for a home nearby. We are seriously looking into a big foreclosure that would require quite a bit of work but is seriously under priced for the area. it is located in Bethesda.

We are not afraid of the the repairs as we have remodelled 2 houses in the past already. However this one has another flaw which cannot be remedied, as it sits right next to the 495 behind a sound wall. The house is 4000 sqft on over 0.5 acres at the end of a very nice cul de sac. There are plenty of trees between the house and the sound wall so view is not an issue at all. However the highway can be heard quite well from the exterior of the house. I measured the noise level with a phone app and it goes up to 70 decibels.

We know it will be harder to resell but we are looking to stay in the house long term and really think we can deal with the noise. The interior of the house is completely silent and we would replace the old wood winbdows with high end PVC windows imediatly anyways.

I was just wondering what your thoughts were, and if anyone here has experience with such situation?

Thanks in advance.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by renoschmitt

hello,

We (My wife, our 19 months old son and I) just moved to Bethesda this summer and are now shopping for a home nearby. We are seriously looking into a big foreclosure that would require quite a bit of work but is seriously under priced for the area. it is located in Bethesda.

We are not afraid of the the repairs as we have remodelled 2 houses in the past already. However this one has another flaw which cannot be remedied, as it sits right next to the 495 behind a sound wall. The house is 4000 sqft on over 0.5 acres at the end of a very nice cul de sac. There are plenty of trees between the house and the sound wall so view is not an issue at all. However the highway can be heard quite well from the exterior of the house. I measured the noise level with a phone app and it goes up to 70 decibels.

We know it will be harder to resell but we are looking to stay in the house long term and really think we can deal with the noise. The interior of the house is completely silent and we would replace the old wood winbdows with high end PVC windows imediatly anyways.

I was just wondering what your thoughts were, and if anyone here has experience with such situation?

Thanks in advance.

First, are you planning on having a large family? 4000 sgft for three people is quite large to maintain in an area where the cost of living is so high. Especially in Bethesda where you pay a premium for just about everything.

Second, you have a 19 month old. Studies have shown that children who live next to major highways experience more health issues than those that live further away. I live 2 miles from the beltway and I'm still concerned. I can only imagine what living next to one would do.

Lastly, are you so sold on Bethesda which is why you are willing to buy a 4000 sqft fixer-upper located next to one of the busiest highways on the east coast? I'm sure others in this thread would suggest similar neighborhoods with better conditions.

[renoschmitt]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

First, are you planning on having a large family? 4000 sgft for three people is quite large to maintain in an area where the cost of living is so high. Especially in Bethesda where you pay a premium for just about everything.

Second, you have a 19 month old. Studies have shown that children who live next to major highways experience more health issues than those that live further away. I live 2 miles from the beltway and I'm still concerned. I can only imagine what living next to one would do.

Lastly, are you so sold on Bethesda which is why you are willing to buy a 4000 sqft fixer-upper located next to one of the busiest highways on the east coast? I'm sure others in this thread would suggest similar neighborhoods with better conditions.

Thanks for the feedback. We are only planning on having 1 more kid but we both have families that live far away so when they come visit they dont come for 2 days. This house has a mother in law appartment. I also work from home and therefore i need extra space. it is also the only house in bethesda with a big driveway and a 2 car garage for under $1M.

The health studies are what concern me most but it sounds like you are 15% more liley to get some diseases that are not likely to begin with. My wife is a phycician and she doesnt seem concerned.

My wife works in bethesda and we like it here (we have a rental now) so we have a strong preference for staying put. Schools are also better here then elsewhere in MoCo. We are also looking at Potomac woods (20854).

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by renoschmitt

Thanks for the feedback. We are only planning on having 1 more kid but we both have families that live far away so when they come visit they dont come for 2 days. This house has a mother in law appartment. I also work from home and therefore i need extra space. it is also the only house in bethesda with a big driveway and a 2 car garage for under $1M.

The health studies are what concern me most but it sounds like you are 15% more liley to get some diseases that are not likely to begin with. My wife is a phycician and she doesnt seem concerned.

My wife works in bethesda and we like it here (we have a rental now) so we have a strong preference for staying put. Schools are also better here then elsewhere in MoCo. We are also looking at Potomac woods (20854).

Well I think you have your answer then.