Help me Find a Home in VA, MD DC area and still afford Disney!!

[Swimalie]

Hi Vicki-- I'm scared to look... the prices I put here in 2007 sound so lovely now.

I'm scared to look, too. I bought in 2006. Three months after we bought, our house was worth $40k less. Now it's about $150k less.

 

[Tiana]

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[Tiana]

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[vicki_c]

I'm scared to look, too. I bought in 2006. Three months after we bought, our house was worth $40k less. Now it's about $150k less.

I also bought in 2006 - July. Didn't we have great timing?

And to the post above, Crofton is nice. We wanted to live there when we moved here (I had my heart set on living in the circle there near the CC), although now I'm glad we ended up somewhere else. But my friends have been renting a townhouse in Crofton for a few years since they moved here. I have a few other friends that bought in Crofton the same year we moved here and they like it a lot. We also looked in Piney Orchard/Odenton - there's usually quite a few rentals available there as well.

edited - oops, got off track didn't I - we were talking about VA! Sorry. So easily led astray.

 

[Swimalie]

I also bought in 2006 - July. Didn't we have great timing?

And to the post above, Crofton is nice. We wanted to live there when we moved here (I had my heart set on living in the circle there near the CC), although now I'm glad we ended up somewhere else. But my friends have been renting a townhouse in Crofton for a few years since they moved here. I have a few other friends that bought in Crofton the same year we moved here and they like it a lot. We also looked in Piney Orchard/Odenton - there's usually quite a few rentals available there as well.

I am so regret not renting when we moved here. We moved across the country and had only 6 weeks to do so. We had no idea how bad it was going to get here.

Okay, I peaked at zillow. My house has gone up a whopping $2000 in 30 days. Party time. hee-hee. They have the estimate low, though. A house identical to mine, with a smaller lot, backing up to town houses sold for $40k more than what they estimate mine for so I know mine could sell for more right now.

 

[VAfamily1998]

I also bought in 2006 - July. Didn't we have great timing?

I'm there with you (We closed in August 2006)!!!

 

[Swimalie]

I'm there with you (We closed in August 2006)!!!

And aren't you near me? You know, the Once Upon a Child in the not-so-nice shopping center....

 

[VAfamily1998]

And aren't you near me? You know, the Once Upon a Child in the not-so-nice shopping center....

Yep! We're in Bristow

 

[Swimalie]

Yep! We're in Bristow

Gainesville here We almost bought in Bristow but the deal fell through. On my husband's last day here (he has 6 days by himself to find a house) he found this house.

 

[n2mm]

Wow, this thread is old.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

I live in VA about 20 miles S of DC on I-95. If you think you might only be in DC for 3-5 years, I would rent. Because the market cooled last year, there are TONS of really nice houses for rent. You can easily get a 3 year rental contract. And the rents DO NOT match the prices of the mortgages if you bought!
For ex., in an upscale golf course community, you can rent a 3500 sq ft 4 BR home with granite, etc. for about $2500 a month. The house sells for $800K now and used to sell for $900K 18 months ago.

In the $2000 a month range, you can still get a very nice house in a good school district in my area (eastern prince william county, va)---but for $2500 you can live like a KING.
Search 22192 for rentals--also in woodbridge/lake ridge area. (IF you are interested, I can give you the low-down on schools---there is a difference, even within this zip code.)

$300K will not buy you much at all---townhouse, if that. I would rent and live in a great neighborhood with good schools unless you KNEW 100% that you werew not moving for at least 5+ years.

We are doing this. DH is in the military and we are moving from WA state to the DC area. DH will be working in MD but we plan in living in VA since we lived there one before and liked it. We are keeping our home here in WA and will be renting it out for $1500 a month. We are looking to rent in Burke VA . We will be there for just 3 yrs and comparible houses there will cost us $2500 a month for rent Oh well. We get a monthly housing allowance so that will help us out. We would rather buy, but we just can't stomach paying that much money for a house we'd live in for 3 yrs.

 

[Swimalie]

We are doing this. DH is in the military and we are moving from WA state to the DC area. DH will be working in MD but we plan in living in VA since we lived there one before and liked it. We are keeping our home here in WA and will be renting it out for $1500 a month. We are looking to rent in Burke VA . We will be there for just 3 yrs and comparible houses there will cost us $2500 a month for rent Oh well. We get a monthly housing allowance so that will help us out. We would rather buy, but we just can't stomach paying that much money for a house we'd live in for 3 yrs.

I don't blame you. Although in 3 years the houses should be worth a lot more. Rentals are all over the place here due to short stays like yourself. My neighbors across the street moved in 4 years ago. They are still here, still renting and I'm so happy since they are great.

 

[swilshire]

I've been offered jobs there and never even considered it. They also have state income tax, which we don't. A big raise would disappear in a heartbeat.

Sheila