Totally agree. In addition, associates are at the whims of the partners and it is convenient not to live too far in case their presence at the office is needed at any time. My son-in-law (a partner based in NYC) still works from home but he’s been to the office several times a week recently. When he was an associate, he almost lived at the office. All your various considerations now may not be entirely practical.
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I third this. If the goal is to experience DC, finances allow it, and a suitable residence can be secured, I see no reason to live elsewhere. The metro makes it easy to access DC from the fringes, but nothing is like living in the middle of it all. If that’s what they want, that’s where the focus should be.
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D has lived in Tenleytown, Convention Center/Mt Vernon, and now Capitol Hill, though always renting from private landlords. Tenleytown was too suburban quiet for her tastes but looked like a great place for running and exercise. She liked the Convention Center area, but I was concerned about her safety. She was renting from my friends, and there were advantages to the arrangement, despite the iffy neighborhood. Capitol Hill she is quite happy with, though as a larger area, there are various pockets of safer and less safe. In the pandemic, she has been very happy to be close in, able to walk to work when not online, and avoid the Metro.
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Unless one is bothered by taxation without representation, as the district’s license plates are a frequent reminder of.
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Thank you everyone ! Great information. Lots of thoughtful advice. @great_lakes_mom gave an interesting view about living within walking distance from work in order to avoid public transportation during Covid.
Thank you to @Hippobirdy, @1214mom ,@sevmom , @collegemom3717 , @total1096 , @sabaray, @HImom , @Embracethemess , @VisibleName2 , @momprof9904 , @EconPop , @ucbalumnus , and especially to the thoughts & information shared by @cbreeze .
@sevmom: very thankful to you !
Love the links shared by @BDJ1125 which should be helpful to anyone considering the greater DC area/ Bethesda.
Hopefully, others will benefit from the information provided by all.
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Please let us know the results once the decision is made.
I hope they enjoy living in or around DC. The area has a lot to offer.
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I hope I’m not too late. Try this site for getting a somewhat optimistic view of different neighborhoods.Corporate Housing Washington, DC | Short-term, temporary housing
Second, I would recommond a rental for no more than a year. That will give them time to figure out if they like the area and perhaps a neighborhood they would like better. Staying in a corporate short stay apartment for 1-3 months might be an option too.
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@jonri: Thank you.
Outstanding points !
I agree 100% regarding maximum one year lease in order to get acclimated to the area.
Does DC have the thing like Boston, where for many apartments the renter needs to pay realtor a 1-month fee? That (and moving costs) gives incentive to stay put in Boston.
I don’t recall son ever having to use a broker or pay a broker’s fee for a rental in DC or northern Virginia. Application fee, yes. Most big apartment buildings have leasing offices and the owner would be the one paying any commission. Maybe someone else knows for sure about this. Of course, you could probably always find a broker to help you for a fee if you don’t want to or aren’t able to find places yourself.
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My S never used a broker nor paid a fee for DC/VA lodging either. He’s been there over a decade.
I believe he used padmapper a lot in the beginning.
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@Colorado_mom, @sevmom is correct. In the Arlington area, most/all rental buildings have leasing offices who might require security deposits and application fees.
For private condo rentals, there may be fees. DD recently researched this. Property managers will charge the owner about 7% of rent in management fees and about 1% in finder fee if they secure the tenant. The renter pays an application fee and security deposit.
Some buildings also might require move-in/move-out fees to cover the loading dock, and electronic entrance and garage fob activation. This could apply to rental and condo buildings.
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Please continue posting in this thread as everyone is offering very valuable information & thoughts that should be useful to others.
Thank you to everyone !
P.S. I hope that no poster uses the name of “everyone”. (smile emogi)
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Go with more affordable but equally convenient areas so they have more money available for saving, dinning, charity, travel etc.
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Have the guys decided where they’re going to live?
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