PG County: Good/Bad Area Breakdown (Baltimore, Bowie: best neighborhoods, sale, 2015)

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Jalux

I am partial to Fort Washington (west of MD 210 portion, 'Tantallon' branded subdivisions in particular), for the following reasons:

DISTANCE: Depending on where you live in Fort Washington:
(1) 0-3 miles from multiple National Parks (e.g. Fort Washington National Park, Fort Foote National Park)
(2) 0-3 miles from multiple public marinas
(3) 0-7 miles from National Harbor/National Harbor MGM/Tangier Outlets
(4) 3-10 miles from Washington, D.C. proper
(5) Near many military bases, to include Andrews AFB, Bolling AFB
(6) There are a number of properties West of MD210 that offer views of the Potomac River.
(7) 0-5 miles from National Golf Club

COST: You can buy a new construction 2 story SFH with approx. 5 BR 4 BA (~4000-5000 sq. ft. of finished space) in the current escalated priced market in the 400s. You can buy a second-hand home in good to excellent condition with similar specs in the low 300K range. You can get a 'fixer-upper' sub-200K.

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT: Crime is extremely low here. Many well-to-do African American professionals choose to live here. It is also a pretty diverse populace in this specific area, with a large contingent of Asians (primarily Filipino) and white people. Everyone is cordial to each other here-- it is common to have total strangers wave at you as you drive by. Communities here take pride in their homes and generally do not allow it to fall into disrepair. The fact that you can take a short bike ride to a national park (typically free to go) is amazing. The local country club 'National Golf Club' offers the lowest non-military country club rates in the DMV region.

SCHOOLS: Almost all families of means send their kids to private schools, and there are numerous private and parochial schools in the vicinity. There are private schools that cater to multiple faiths (predominantly Christian and Catholic schools) as well as secular schools (such as Montessori). Public schools aren't the best, especially the high school that Fort Washington feeds into (Friendly High School).

Not contradicting you about the "livability" of Fort Washington but just going to say that maintaining somewhere is a "great place to live" in one breath and then adding the caveat basically stating that you have to send your kids to private schools due to the area's poor schools in the next does have some measure of cognitive dissonance.

That's the problem with many Prince George's boosters, not recognizing that the disarray and dysfunction in the school system directly impacts everything in the County. From business development and recruitment to property values.

Your house in Fort Washington would be valued at least an additional 30%-60% in Montgomery County for a similar one. Double your price if it's waterfront or waterfront related. And you could send your kids to the public schools.

Even in your "backwater" of Charles County you'd be paying a 40% to 100% premium without having to utilize private schools. The same in Calvert where I am.

[Jalux]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Not contradicting you about the "livability" of Fort Washington but just going to say that maintaining somewhere is a "great place to live" in one breath and then adding the caveat basically stating that you have to send your kids to private schools due to the area's poor schools in the next does have some measure of cognitive dissonance.

That's the problem with many Prince George's boosters, not recognizing that the disarray and dysfunction in the school system directly impacts everything in the County. From business development and recruitment to property values.

Your house in Fort Washington would be valued at least an additional 30%-60% in Montgomery County for a similar one. Double your price if it's waterfront or waterfront related. And you could send your kids to the public schools.

Even in your "backwater" of Charles County you'd be paying a 40% to 100% premium without having to utilize private schools. The same in Calvert where I am.

Oh please. The only cognitive dissonance here is the idea that Charles County costs more because of schools. There is only ONE public school - an elementary school, at that - that is 9 or above in accordance with Great Schools. The majority of schools at all levels are rated 5-- which so happens to be terrible by my standard and also the rating of my local school in Fort Washington.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Jalux

Oh please. The only cognitive dissonance here is the idea that Charles County costs more because of schools. There is only ONE public school - an elementary school, at that - that is 9 or above in accordance with Great Schools. The majority of schools at all levels are rated 5-- which so happens to be terrible by my standard and also the rating of my local school in Fort Washington.

Another with no clue. Read again what I said about "great place to live" and then having to send your kids to private schools. Read it for comprehension.

Great Schools is about a reliable source as the National Enquirer. Look rather at the MSDE rankings.

Charles County schools are in the upper half in the State while Prince George's is number 2. From the bottom.

[Jalux]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Another with no clue. Read again what I said about "great place to live" and then having to send your kids to private schools. Read it for comprehension.

Great Schools is about a reliable source as the National Enquirer. Look rather at the MSDE rankings.

Lol my goodness, you're just as bad as G1. You make a comment alleging Charles County houses cost more. Did you not? My response was directed to that. Your level of ignorance is so deep that you can't even comprehend what you write yourself!

As for your OPINION that Great Schools - which virtually everyone across the nation utilizes much akin to US News College Ranking Report - as being like the 'National Enquirer'-- that is laughable to say the least. Tell me Counselor, what is the basis for that argument? None? Exactly. Thanks for your useless opinion that you are peddling as fact. I would not be surprised if you are an alter ego of G1. As for looking up MDSE-- disingenuous, much? It doesn't zero in on specific schools but evaluates entire counties. I don't know if you understand this intellectually (I'd wager that you don't), but PG is a big county. One of the largest in the entire state. It encompasses a wide swath of areas, of which Fort Washington is but one of them. The point is that it does not provide the level of specificity that we would require, unlike Great Schools, hence why people use Great Schools. But let's humor you for a moment. There is a 7% difference between college enrollment rates within 24 months of graduation for PGC students versus Charles County students. That's just counting public school. My point? The difference when encompassing with huge geographic areas such as this is little to meaningless. Your argument fails in so many ways it's just sad. Just walk away.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Jalux

Lol my goodness, you're just as bad as G1. You make a comment alleging Charles County houses cost more. Did you not? My response was directed to that. Your level of ignorance is so deep that you can't even comprehend what you write yourself!

As for your OPINION that Great Schools - which virtually everyone across the nation utilizes much akin to US News College Ranking Report - as being like the 'National Enquirer'-- that is laughable to say the least. Tell me Counselor, what is the basis for that argument? None? Exactly. Thanks for your useless opinion that you are peddling as fact. I would not be surprised if you are an alter ego of G1. As for looking up MDSE-- disingenuous, much? It doesn't zero in on specific schools but evaluates entire counties. I don't know if you understand this intellectually (I'd wager that you don't), but PG is a big county. One of the largest in the entire state. It encompasses a wide swath of areas, of which Fort Washington is but one of them. The point is that it does not provide the level of specificity that we would require, unlike Great Schools, hence why people use Great Schools. But let's humor you for a moment. There is a 7% difference between college enrollment rates within 24 months of graduation for PGC students versus Charles County students. That's just counting public school. My point? The difference when encompassing with huge geographic areas such as this is little to meaningless. Your argument fails in so many ways it's just sad. Just walk away.

Look at comparable properties in Charles to those in Fort Washington and you'll see that I'm correct. I don't care whether you like it or not nor do I really give a rat's ass where you live.

Great Schools, School Digger, etc. ratings are based on what people think and are willing to post with a leavening of some state statistics. I pointed you to the official the official MSDE rankings. If you don't know how to find them I can't help it.

Oh, look:

2017 Maryland Report Card

[Jalux]

For a person that asks to check facts, you seem to lack the ability to do simple research. Great Schools ratings are not based on 'what people think.' It is based on actual metrics, specifically standardized test scores and graduation rates. You'd know that if you took more than a cursory look at it. You are referring to community ratings, which are separate and NOT factored into the Great School rating metrics. Private schools on the other hand only have that 'community' rating because they are not beholden to the same standard metrics that public schools are and therefore would be inconsistent to rate.

[Jalux]

Further, your entire argument is by some generalized statement that PGC properties generally cost less than Charles County properties, and you then you try with painstaking effort state that it is due to schools? Jeez, if you were brought up in Charles County Public Schools, it'd explain a lot. There's so much to unpack-- multiple correlations or lack thereof, to begin with. Take a course in statistical analysis and we'll chat some more on it.

[G1..]

Originally Posted by Jalux

For a person that asks to check facts, you seem to lack the ability to do simple research. Great Schools ratings are not based on 'what people think.' It is based on actual metrics, specifically standardized test scores and graduation rates. You'd know that if you took more than a cursory look at it. You are referring to community ratings, which are separate and NOT factored into the Great School rating metrics. Private schools on the other hand only have that 'community' rating because they are not beholden to the same standard metrics that public schools are and therefore would be inconsistent to rate.

You haven't a clue of who you're dealing with (not me ,NBP) you might want to do some home work first to see how big a shoe you're putting in your mouth.

[Jalux]

Originally Posted by G1..

You haven't a clue of who you're dealing with (not me ,NBP) you might want to do some home work first to see how big a shoe you're putting in your mouth.

Translation: "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?"

Yeah, a jerk.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by Jalux

Translation: "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?"

Yeah, a jerk.

No, a former PG county teacher with decades of experience in the school system and an elected municipal official who knows pretty much every other elected official in the state.

I can't tell from your posts if you are old enough to have kids. I can tell you prefer to boost and brag you way through debates while providing only very light content. I mean, you really don't understand how important a school system is to housing values? You don't know that houses in the same neighborhood can be priced very differently based on which feeder system they are in?

That is pretty much universal knowledge among home owners. Are you a home owner? I can tell you my house is worth 10-15% less at minimum than identical houses one street over because of elementary school districts. It doesn't matter to me because....wait for it......I send my kids to private school!