Thinking of buying a home in DC

[Stewie]

Living in Reston (Fairfax County) right now, looking to move in November. My price range is $300K and under, and I need a 3 BR, 2 BA, which is pretty limiting.

What is the Deanwood neighborhood like? I still need to drive out there and look for myself but I'd prefer to hear from residents or people who live nearby. I'm getting a lot of hits there, along with a few in Trinidad and Anacostia.

[mattclearing]

1. Maybe in the ghetto.

You can't really get a one bed for that in a non-crime-ridden neighborhood.

Edit: Deanwood and Anacostia are sketchy as hell. Going from Reston to there would be some serious culture shock.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

2. Avoid Trinidad

It's a sort of triangle where gang turfs meet -- one of the most deadly neighborhoods in the city.

[dcfirefighter]

3. I didn't know that they had

In those neighborhoods, you generally need to drive or bus to get to a grocery store, sit down restaraunt, tavern, or a safe place to walk at night.

The neighborhoods are unfortunately, very crime ridden.

I used to work in Anacostia, I'd usually see someone stabbed or shot at least once a week. Deanwood and Trinidad are similar.

OTOH, if you can sit it out, I think that those are some of the few places that you'll likely see a sizeable increase in property value over the next few years.

[mattclearing]

4. I dunno about that.

Things seem to be leveling out downtown where I'm at. People don't seem too eager to invest in SE DC.

It's not as bad as it was ten years ago, but it's still by far the worst place in the entire DC Metro area.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

6. The new baseball stadium will affect the area.

But that's a good 4 years off at least.

[mattclearing]

9. Is that across the Anacostia, though? I thought it was SW DC?

Not sure, though.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

10. Oh I don't know for sure.

:shrug:

[mattclearing]

12. Even so, RFK didn't do a whole lot for Benning Rd.

Maybe it's getting better now with the stadium actually in usage, I dunno.

[northzax]

17. stadium will be in SE

but not by much, a few blocks in.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. On that budget? Stay out of DC if you value your life.

You aren't going to afford what you need. Or even come close to it. Heck, you probably can't get much closer to the city than where you are now for that money. I'd stay put if I were you.

[BonnieJW]

7. living in DC

You should know that when you live in DC, your paycheck will be taxed according to DC taxes which will mean a lot less take home pay.

[obxhead]

8. Good luck @ under 300K

Go 40 miles south and maybe (but you would still have a hard time in that price range)

[papau]

11. Dulles airport area - a Rt 236 condo in Anandale might exist - but

getting into DC with 3 BR for under 450,000 in a safe area is going to be tough.

I saw some nice property around Howard that might be that low.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

15. Actually, not

Older Rt. 236 condos in Annandale/Fairfax with no extras like a clubhouse or workout room are selling for about $230K for a 1BR.

[bottomofthehill]

13. Brookland

Look in Brookland. The Red line stops there, it is a great neighborhood, some nightlife, some shopping, a pretty great neighborhood.

I lived there for a while and it was a great place.

You can still buy a house with parking and a garage if you are lucky for reasonable money.

[bottomofthehill]

14. I was wrong

Brookland has gone over $300,000 but still well worth the money. My dentist was in Deanwood around the 5500 block of East Capitol. I am a city person and it was a little to urban even for me. I was happy when he moved to the Iverson Mall

[northzax]

16. don't do it. there are very few 3br, 2ba

Put it this way, I live near Howard, there have been 5 murders, on the street, within 2 blocks of me since May. Crack whores use the space under my front steps to service clients. And yet, it's hip enough (just down from 9:30 and DC9, that my apartment, an unrenovated TINY two bedroom in a townhouse, just sold for $380,000. and it needs about 50 grand of renovations.

unfortunately, I didn't own it, I just rented it. If you need three bedrooms, especially if you have kids, and you only have 300 to spend, look in Baltimore, you can't do DC. seriously.

by the way, here's the crime report for my block this weekend:

PSA 305
8/21/2005 2:35:00 AM Hours
Assault With A Deadly Weapon - Gun
1900 Block 9TH ST NW
CCN #05112565
C1 REPORTS THAT S1 AND ANOTHER UNKNOWN SUSPECT WERE SHOOTING AT EACH OTHER WHEN HE WAS SHOT IN THE BACK NEAR THE LEFT SHOULDER.

the guy collapsed on my front stoop. I got home later (around 2:50) but apparently it was an OK corral type incident, guys on opposite sides of the street shooting at eachother.

that apartment sold for 380,000. think about it.