Relocating to DC: Need suburb recommendations (Silver Spring, Germantown: sales, townhouses, neighborhoods)

[Names2DC]

Hello!
My husband is getting a job on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC. We have three small children between the ages of eight and one. We are looking for a home in the Maryland/VA suburbs where the commute would not be more than an hour. Our housing budget is between 450k and 550k. We would like a newer house, not a fixer-upper. Somewhere family friendly, close to parks. Great schools are definitely a must.
Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!!

[AndroidNP]

Hi Dear,

We are in a similar situation. I work in Bethesda and my husband works in DC Penn Ave. We need to find our next home by Aug 2019 and so far, I can't figure out the right place for the money, school and commute. Hope we gets answers

[NativeTongue]

What features are you looking for in the house? 3 Bed? 4 Bed? SFH/Detached or Townhouse? Do you care if there's a backyard if you're close to parks? What is a "newer house" to you? Something built within the last 10 years? I'd say with your budget, you're going to have to make some compromises.

NoVA - You're likely not going to find anything close-in (within the Fairfax County Parkway) built within the last 10-years in your budget. You'll have to look at outer areas like Ashburn, Sterling, Chantilly, Manassas, Woodbridge, etc. Those offerings tend to be townhouses, with a few SFH either on the older side of age or the top of your budget. You're NOT getting to Pennsylvania Avenue in an hour during rush hour, even with toll roads; realistically its more like 1.5 - 2 hours. Someone else can speak to the schools.

PG - You'll find a lot of new construction homes well within your budget in family friendly neighborhoods close to parks. They'll be a 50 min - 1 hour commute during rush hour. Schools would be the only issue (particularly some middle and high schools). Review sites each have their own measurement criteria, so its always best to ask parents in the current system if you can. Overall, I'd say to look around northeastern parts of the county to find everything that you'd want (Greenbelt, Bowie, Mitchellville, Lanham, Woodmore, etc). || Westphalia near Andrews airforce base is a new large development outside the beltway surrounded by greenery with family friendly attractions coming soon (amphitheater, community center). You can hop on Pennsylvania Avenue or Suitland Parkway easy enough to go to work. Neighboring communities (Forestville, Suitland, etc) are still depressed areas. So if your taste is more Whole Foods and Panera Bread than Dollar Tree and Little Caesars, you're going to be doing some driving until the Westphalia Town Center is complete.

MoCo - You're kind of in the same boat as both NoVA and PG depending on where you're at. You'll be out in Clarksburg, Germantown and Gaithersburg to find newer townhouses in your budget surrounded by good school offerings, but they'll be well over an hour commute. You may find a few here and there closer inside the county, but the schools aren't great.

[Names2DC]

Those are some good points. I’m fine with a townhome and a relatively small yard as long as there are parks or common spaces for the kids to play within walking distance. I’d ideally need 4 bedrooms and a finished basement. I guess “older” was the wrong term, I’m at least looking for curb appeal. I really don’t want a 60’s split level facade, but I can do a 60’s brickface as long as it’s 2 stories. Does that change anything?

[NativeTongue]

Yes/No

NoVA - you can get inside the beltway (the Fairfax County part), which improves the commute, but most of the homes I'd expect you to find are those 1 story ranchers and the split foyer homes. You'll have to go on Zillow to really find what you want and if its been updated. I don't think Fairfax schools are that great either.

PG - General advice is the same, and you could also look into Hyattsville and College Park for older homes.

MoCo - General advice is the same, and there are a lot of brick face 2 story homes in the greater Silver Spring area you'd probably like.

[Names2DC]

Based on these counties you mention, which seem the most family friendly with a whole foods vibe as opposed to dollar store?

[NativeTongue]

All of the counties have that. You'll need to speak with a realtor to get a better feel of the areas if you can't visit out.

[phoenixmike11]

you might want to consider getting a house near a MARC rail station (commuter rail in Maryland - there is one in VA as as well I believe) Germantown and Gaithersburg have a Marc rail station as do other suburbs - 60 or 75 minutes on a train is a lot better than sitting in traffic https://s3.amazonaws.com/mta-website...ap_09_2018.pdf

[Scorpion3510]

Originally Posted by NativeTongue

Yes/No

NoVA - you can get inside the beltway (the Fairfax County part), which improves the commute, but most of the homes I'd expect you to find are those 1 story ranchers and the split foyer homes. You'll have to go on Zillow to really find what you want and if its been updated. I don't think Fairfax schools are that great either.

Unless something has drastically changed in the last couple years, Fairfax County school tend to be near the top of school systems in the country. Certainly in the area. MoCo & Loudoun counties are the only ones that really rival Fairfax.

[MDMIKEY22]

Hi. For the OP and second poster, I would recommend Potomac Overlook, National Harbor. The location is great for your various commutes. Its on the water, walkable, and has great amenities. And you can get a resale or new construction in the low to mid 600s. The homes are starting to see a nice uptick in sales and resales since the Amazon announcement also. I'm guessing since we are about 4 miles away.... Many of the residents, who don't use the public schools, choose to go the private route in DC, NOVA, or MD. All 3 areas are extremely close, which gives you a plethora of school choices. …...Full disclosure. My wife and I live here and love it!