Most D.C.-area public school students head back to classrooms this week, and as parents struggle to get their children out the door with the correct backpacks, lunches and sneakers, they may be thinking: Wouldn’t it be great if the kids could just walk to school? No more missing the bus because someone forgot their tablet.
For our back-to-school real estate column, we compared three homes that are walking distance from in-demand public elementary schools.
Realtors we spoke with shared an important tip: Don’t ask your agent to provide advice on specific schools; such recommendations may run afoul of fair housing laws. Do your own homework. Once you have a few schools in mind, approach agents with ideas for areas and neighborhoods.
School reputations reliably drive up home values for single-family homes across the DMV. In the District, the most in-demand schools are in the upper Northwest and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. In Virginia, some pricey neighborhoods don’t necessarily have the highest-performing schools. In Maryland, schools with the highest test scores are clustered in the southwest corner of Montgomery County.
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D.C.
The listing: 131 11th Street NE, Unit PH
The price: $1,499,000
The specifics: Sitting atop a newly remodeled Victorian row home remodeled into three condos, this four-bedroom unit has plenty of room for kids, while coming in at a slightly lower price point than some single-family homes in the neighborhood. A giant kitchen island makes it easy to eat breakfast and assemble lunch boxes. A con is there’s a deck and patio but no substantive backyard; a pro is the home is two blocks from the green expanse of Lincoln Park.
The school: Forgotten-lunch-box runs don’t get easier than this. Maury Elementary is less than four blocks away, a neighborhood school that consistently ranks among the District’s top 10 schools for reading and math scores and has a 15:1 student teacher ratio. Sotheby’s real estate adviser Mattia D’Affuso says there are a handful of kid-friendly homes in the neighborhood, but it’s not easy, and many cost more than this. “There is considerable competition for homes that combine a desirable school boundary with enough space for a growing family, a convenient location and move-in-ready condition,” he said.
Sell us on it: This 11th Street listing “offers a combination that can be difficult to find at this price point in D.C.: nearly 3,000 square feet, four bedrooms, parking, outdoor space and a high-quality renovation, all within the Maury Elementary boundary,” D’Affuso said.
Maryland
The listing: 11809 Becket Street, Potomac
The price: $1,595,000
The specifics: This Georgian colonial in the Roberts Glen neighborhood was built in 1971 but renovated with a two-story addition and an enormous deck. With four bathrooms to match the four bedrooms, no one should be fighting over sinks in the morning. A mudroom “drop zone” is perfect for storing sports equipment and backpacks. After school, kids can play in the cul de sac, the half-acre yard or the basement rec room.
The school: We don’t know if there are any “sideways stories” straight out of the children’s book series, but there is definitely a Wayside Elementary in Montgomery County, and it’s only half a mile from this Becket Street house. U.S. News & World Report ranked Wayside in its top 15 schools for the state. Single-family detached homes within the Wayside boundary can range from roughly $900,000 to $2.5 million, or $3 million, occasionally, says Meg Percesepe, a sales agent with Washington Fine Properties.
Sell us on it: Citing the “hardwood flooring, recessed and designer lighting, and custom millwork throughout,” the listing calls this “a truly turnkey property.”
Virginia
The listing: 3831 N Vernon Street, Arlington
The price: $1,495,000
The specifics: This four-bedroom, split-level home was built in 1972, but many details were updated in the past four years. It’s just over a mile from Chain Bridge, making commutes to the District a freeway-free breeze. The playground at Glebe Road Park, which includes the Gulf Branch Nature Center, is about four blocks away, but there’s also a play set ready to go right outside the door.
The school: Jamestown Elementary, one of Arlington’s best, is half a mile down North Glebe Road. With fewer than 500 students, a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio and sky-high math scores, U.S. News & World Report ranks Jamestown in Virginia’s top 50 elementary schools.
Sell us on it: “When you walk into this house, you immediately know it’s not just a house, it’s a home,” said Mandy Barnes, an agent with Remax. All the renovations and updates were completed professionally by real people with children, not house flippers, and the family put considerable care into details like new appliances, bathroom fixtures and built-in shelving. And Jamestown Elementary? “That is definitely a selling point,” Barnes said.