cimberdog

Hi all,
We are exploring the possibility of relocating from the suburbs of the Twin Cities, MN out to the DC area. The job itself is in DC, however, we are looking for housing and school recommendations within the MD or VA areas (not in DC proper). We would move as soon as school ends in June.

Academics - HIGH Importance:
We have two very bright kids who are in the gifted and talented programs here in MN. Our schools are typically ranked very high in the education system, and it is important for us to find public (private is not affordable to us) schools with high academics that are safe and within a reasonable area of our jobs. I've read enough to know we wouldn't have our kids attend school in DC.

Kids are 11 and 9 - our 11 year old is going into 6th grade but has just completed a full year of enriched 5th grade which essentially taught him 6th grade academics and some 7th grade math. His goal is to attend MIT. Our 9 year old will be in fourth grade but can already perform reading and math at that level and also participates in G&T pull-out groups. So, schools are a huge consideration for us, given the academic options we have where we are now.

Transit:
We would need to learn about the transit system - we don't have metros here so we all drive everywhere. Would prefer not to drive if it saves time and $ there.

Budget - Rental short-term / Affordable 3 BR / dog-friendly:
Not knowing what to expect for budget and cola, we aren't sure what options are available. We prefer the least expensive options and 3 bedrooms ideally for a rental to start. Must be dog-friendly (one big dog and one small dog) and would like an area that has housing options for a MIL apartment or for my mother to live nearby (she will move with us).

Thanks in advance for ideas and suggestions!

kja

You might find the following old thread helpful (or maybe not, but I hope so!)

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...hington-dc.cfm

Good luck!

Dukey1

Yorktown High School in Arlington; lowest tax rates; most diverse, closest to parts of the District. Check that one out.

nytraveler

You don't mention budget but for what you want in an area with a decent commute I would expect significantly more than you are paying now.

Based on your post I would start by searching for info on the school districts and then work from there. Where you may have to give is commute - since getting around DC at rush hour tends to be very onerous.

NewbE

<for what you want in an area with a decent commute I would expect significantly more than you are paying now.>
How on earth would you know that when OP has not indicated how much her family spends on housing now? The advice regarding beginning with school research is sound, but this is a baseless assumption.

nytraveler

DC is one of the most expensive areas in the country - and the areas with excellent schools do NOT have cheap housing. I think assuming DC will cost more than Minnesota for the same housing is a perfectly fair assumption. (Everyone I have seen posting here who has been here looking for info on housing in DC has commented on the high cost.)

BigRuss

Housing in DC suburbs in Virginia is more expensive than Maryland, as a general rule. We looked at this issue and were shocked by the Virginia prices. Part of this is the easier access from the immediate Virginia subs to Georgetown and Foggy Bottom, part of it is the additional governmental sites in northern Virginia (one word: Pentagon), part of it is the tax scheme (Virginia is for re-locators).

And having seen both UVa and U. Maryland, the question of which one you'd rather have to pay in-state tuition for your kids is easy.

pantanal

Arlington or Fairfax counties, for the schools.

bardo1

Expect housing costs to be AT LEAST double what you currently. The G&T programs in all areas are good. When looking at housing, Google map the drive time to/from work at the times of day for your jobs (Eastern Standard Time) on a weekday

NewbE

<Expect housing costs to be AT LEAST double what you currently.>
I just don't agree. There are very pricy areas of the Twin Cities, and if the OP lives in one of them, his/her expectations may not be that far out of line with the DC suburbs. Surely, given concerns about schools and with two kids, condos in Dupont Circle or townhouses in Georgetown are off the list anyway.

Yes, I know the DC area is very expensive and only getting more so. And I'll stipulate that a modest family home in Minneapolis costs much less than the same in the DC area.

I know I'm being a bit pedantic, but these blanket warnings rub me the wrong way. Plenty of middle class people manage to make the DC their home, so there's no reason to assume the OP can't afford it.

BigRuss

>

Yes, you are. What everyone else is talking about is an apples to apples equivalent: if the OP has a nice 3/2/2 2500ft2 house in StPaulpolis and wants a similar lodging in the DC area, the similar lodging is likely to cost a LOT more. If they can sell their manse in 10,000lakeland for $2.2 mil, they'll be able to buy a decent amount of house in the District and its surrounds. But the notion that "plenty of middle class people MANAGE to make the DC their home" is not the point.

If "managing" means the home they have in Twinville would be a 2 bedroom 700ft2 apartment in DC, they might as well stay in the frozen north and have a nice lifestyle instead of shoehorning themselves into an abode that is not suited for them.

NewbE

But how is it our business to tell them they'd be better off not to move? It is not our place to question the reasons for their move, and condescending to boot. To me, the fact that lots of middle class people live well in the DC area IS exactly the point, for the OP.

A 700 sq ft apartment? Yes, because they're obviously too dumb to realize there are options outside the city itself. Please. People with two kids and not unlimited funds live in the suburbs of DC, often fairly distant ones, because:
--public schools are good, and free
--good public transportation exists
--they get more bang for their housing buck

Why scare them with the specter of a 700 sq ft apartment?? It's misinformation.

nytraveler

No one is questioning their reasons for moving - or telling them not to do so. Just providing a little perspective on comparative housing costs they need to look into.

They have made it VERY apparent that top schools are a must (perfectly understandable and legitimate) and that will most probably mean a sizable housing budget.

And yes, many people end up living in far distant suburbs. But for people who get to work in 15 or 20 minutes 60 or 75 might not be what they want/expect.

bardo1

Perhaps cimberdog can give a range for housing budget (and also maximum commute time in rush hour)?

Here's one in Silver Spring, just inside the beltway (about a 40 minute commute to downtown DC in rush hour).

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/10...37298195_zpid/

It's in Montgomery County, MD, very good schools. 3BR and allows dogs - nice neighborhood and has yard. $3000/month.

Christina

I live not that far from that zillow listing, I don't think it's that nice a neighborhood, myself. It's right near the beltway exit and a main thoroughfare, so lots of traffic, also. And not near any metro stop.

I agree there that it seems houses are cheaper in Maryland than NoVA, on average. That's one reason I bought a house in MD, the same type house cost about $50-100K less in Maryland than Arlington, for example. That was a lot of money back when I bought (like maybe $250K instead of $200K).

To be honest, I don't think it's worth going into a lot of suggestions without knowning WHERE this job is located in DC. It makes a big difference in terms of commutes and transportation, if it were in the NE part of the city vs. down near the State Dept or around Georgetown, for example. If you were there, NoVa would make the most sense, but not if you were working around Catholic University. If you were working on Capitol Hill, you could kind of go either way.

Believe me, it is a big issue as to where you live versus where you work in terms of commuting time and methods.

HKP

Anyone want to weigh in on the Montgomery Cty schools? Many years ago, Bethesda area had the best in the metropolitan area. Has that changed?

nytraveler

There are websites that evaluate school systems all over the country using a host of different parameters. That's where the op should go - not take a single person's opinion of what is good or not. They're not looking for OK - they seem to want true excellence - as in top 5% or so.

HKP

In any case, you often have to choose among priorities -- commute distance/difficulty OR.(rather than "and") quality of schools.

obxgirl

>> They're not looking for OK - they seem to want true excellence - as in top 5% or so.

jglags

Cimberdog... if your son is set on MIT, you may want to move to Northern Virginia and consider him applying to attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. If you look at US News and World Report, it's ranked in the top 10 national public high schools. Students have to take a standardized test and go through an application process.
My son is graduating this year from Yorktown High School in Arlington and attending a top university in the fall. Arlington schools are excellent. Only one student that I'm aware of in his class of 420 is going to MIT.
Arlington is expensive, there is no getting around it. It's the housing that is expensive...everything else is tolerable. And depending on where you find housing, you can easily be within a mile of the metro. There is also a bus system in Arlington (the ART) that goes to/from the metro.