Relocating to Baltimore area with 2 young children - HELP! (renting, house)

[KrazyRushan]

Its either safe area or 100k place. Can't be both, not in Baltimore Area anyway.
I suggest you look for a place OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS - Baltimore schools are the worst in the state and probably in the nation.
I hope you didnt take a job in the City school......

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by KrazyRushan

Its either safe area or 100k place. Can't be both, not in Baltimore Area anyway.
I suggest you look for a place OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS - Baltimore schools are the worst in the state and probably in the nation.
I hope you didnt take a job in the City school......

That's one of the reasons why I left Baltimore. The name of the game is stay away from the crime and **** people. Price is directly tied into this. You pay 350K you can pretty much find a nice place in Baltimore. But for that price you can go to where I"m at (Calvert County) and have acres of land a HIGHER PERFORMING school and a large home, no crime for miles away.

To the OP, you are better off renting until you can afford more. If you want to buy 100K your children will be slinging crack the next day.

[picardlx]

OP can be on the lookout for foreclosures that are relatively move-in ready. You won't find anything in Roland or Homeland (/sarcasm), but you might find something in a quiet area. At your price point, such opportunities may be quite difficult to come-by, but I would not say impossible. Although, you might be about a year or two too late to get one of those diamonds in the ruff that a mortgage holder desperately wants off of their books. I'm not one of those who suggests renting and waiting. It may sound selfish, but if you qualify for a mortgage during a period of tight credit standards and when the benefits of the recovery are not widespread, you want to take advantage of the resultant lower prices and low interest rates, both of which will disappear as the economy improves: Buy low, as the saying goes.

Edit: OP may also want to consider FHA (if you haven't already). A few years ago, Baltimore City had many incentives for city public employees. And lastly, OP would want to look into the Maryland Mortgage Program (http://mmp.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx), which offers down payment assistance. OP should also contact NHS Baltimore http://www.nhsbaltimore.org/index.php

Good luck and welcome to Bmore!!

[KrazyRushan]

OP , you need to provide more details - where are you going to work (city or county), are your kids school age, do you have a car or need public transportation, etc.

[Tallybalt]

You're not forgetting meth labs and mary jane in dear ol' Calvert County, aren't you Or living next door to rednecks in their scooped up Camaros and the KKK? (sorry, couldn't resist a little stereotyping, but fair's fair).

Not everyone wants to live in Calvert County, especially if their job is in Baltimore or the Baltimore suburbs. The schools in Calvert aren't going to be any better than the schools in the Baltimore suburbs. The top scoring ones certainly won't compare with the top schools in Baltimore County or Howard County. Plus Calvert is a long trek and an expensive commute. Ditto for similar counties like Cecil.

And not everyone wants acres of land. I have just about an acre and it is a lot of work to keep up. Remember, what works for you isn't going to work for everyone.

To the OP, as previously mentioned there are some very modest properties available in some of average Baltimore suburbs for around 100K. I found a few listings in Owings Mills, either 2-bedroom condos or tiny ranchers. They all needed a lot of work. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it. I second the opinion to rent for at least a year to scout the suburbs and get a sense of what's available for you. Interest rates won't change that much by this time next year.

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

That's one of the reasons why I left Baltimore. The name of the game is stay away from the crime and **** people. Price is directly tied into this. You pay 350K you can pretty much find a nice place in Baltimore. But for that price you can go to where I"m at (Calvert County) and have acres of land a HIGHER PERFORMING school and a large home, no crime for miles away.

To the OP, you are better off renting until you can afford more. If you want to buy 100K your children will be slinging crack the next day.

[choccity]

Originally Posted by scootergoddess

Hello everyone!
I am relocating to the Baltimore area this coming summer to work in the public school system there. I am from Albuquerque, NM - FAR away, and have never been to MD in my life. I really need some advice on the family-friendly and SAFE neighborhoods to consider buying a home. I don't care if I have to commute - so suburbs would be fine too. I am looking to spend up to 100K on a house, so I have a tight budget. I have two small children so I really want to be in a safe neighborhood where my kids can play outside and ride bikes and make friends with other neighborhood children. I sound like a hick, I know - but actually I grew up in New York and we lived in a suburb (Westchester County) which was an idyllic place to raise a family. Can anyone point me in the right direction, please?
thank you so much!

There are few houses for sale I've seen recently in Glenn Oaks and Idlewylde neighborhoods going for around 60k!!! These are townhouses. Quieter neighborhoods, decent public school (LeithWalk). Checkout Live Baltimore. Lots of info on homes, neighborhoods, schools etc.

[Seafood Junky]

About 20 miles southwest of Blatimore city is Howard County (where we live). Has been rated one of best counties to live (in the USA) and very good schools. $100K won't work, but just making you aware of the excellent (supposedly) school systems in the area (We are DINKS, so we don't know what they are teaching..).

..For what it is worth..

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by Tallybalt

You're not forgetting meth labs and mary jane in dear ol' Calvert County, aren't you Or living next door to rednecks in their scooped up Camaros and the KKK? (sorry, couldn't resist a little stereotyping, but fair's fair).

Not everyone wants to live in Calvert County, especially if their job is in Baltimore or the Baltimore suburbs. The schools in Calvert aren't going to be any better than the schools in the Baltimore suburbs. The top scoring ones certainly won't compare with the top schools in Baltimore County or Howard County. Plus Calvert is a long trek and an expensive commute. Ditto for similar counties like Cecil.

And not everyone wants acres of land. I have just about an acre and it is a lot of work to keep up. Remember, what works for you isn't going to work for everyone.

To the OP, as previously mentioned there are some very modest properties available in some of average Baltimore suburbs for around 100K. I found a few listings in Owings Mills, either 2-bedroom condos or tiny ranchers. They all needed a lot of work. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it. I second the opinion to rent for at least a year to scout the suburbs and get a sense of what's available for you. Interest rates won't change that much by this time next year.

Are you serious?????

You claim I don't live in Baltimore, because I don't live right under your ass, yet you are making non-factual generalizations of Calvert County???

I guess since there are a fewer pop of blacks, therefore every white person here must be a redneck right??? So in order for a place to have 0 racism it has to have a high black population right???? LOL. Since i've lived here I haven't seen any KKK or "rednecks in scooped Camaros", lol. Both my wife, I and my children are treated very well.

If you're job is in Baltimore, then it doesn't' make sense to live in Calvert (of course). But if you have a six figure high salary and you enjoy peace and quiet then it makes sense to live in Calvert (as most do). When comparing MSA scores, calvert scores higher.

Of course there are Private Schools in Baltimore as well as higher performing public schools. But in terms of "bang-for-your-buck", it didn't make sense. In Baltimore you have to play musical chairs with your district to ensure your kids are in a good public school. There are turf wars with schools and many parents we know have fought to place their kids in charter schools (to be away from the rift raft).

Then there are parents who make an effort to place their kids in Private Schools, then brag about it. To ensure your kids are in a great school in Baltimore you have to spend 400K + for a **** box on a tiny piece of land in the county. Not worth it...... In addition you still have the criminal element of Baltimore, the drug elements and every other negative statistic about Baltimore you can think of.

In Baltimore there is a lot of racism. The whites live out in the county and try to stay far away from the Blacks in the city. Baltimore is in a way, segregated.

[Tallybalt]

Got you angry, didn't I?

Hope you learned a few things about stereotyping. Think about what in my post made you angry and you considered nonsense, and then think about what you've written in your posts. Hmm?

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

Are you serious?????

You claim I don't live in Baltimore, because I don't live right under your ass, yet you are making non-factual generalizations of Calvert County???

I guess since there are a fewer pop of blacks, therefore every white person here must be a redneck right??? So in order for a place to have 0 racism it has to have a high black population right???? LOL. Since i've lived here I haven't seen any KKK or "rednecks in scooped Camaros", lol. Both my wife, I and my children are treated very well.

If you're job is in Baltimore, then it doesn't' make sense to live in Calvert (of course). But if you have a six figure high salary and you enjoy peace and quiet then it makes sense to live in Calvert (as most do). When comparing MSA scores, calvert scores higher.

Of course there are Private Schools in Baltimore as well as higher performing public schools. But in terms of "bang-for-your-buck", it didn't make sense. In Baltimore you have to play musical chairs with your district to ensure your kids are in a good public school. There are turf wars with schools and many parents we know have fought to place their kids in charter schools (to be away from the rift raft).

Then there are parents who make an effort to place their kids in Private Schools, then brag about it. To ensure your kids are in a great school in Baltimore you have to spend 400K + for a **** box on a tiny piece of land in the county. Not worth it...... In addition you still have the criminal element of Baltimore, the drug elements and every other negative statistic about Baltimore you can think of.

In Baltimore there is a lot of racism. The whites live out in the county and try to stay far away from the Blacks in the city. Baltimore is in a way, segregated.

[dogpark]

Originally Posted by Tallybalt

Got you angry, didn't I?

Hope you learned a few things about stereotyping. Think about what in my post made you angry and you considered nonsense, and then think about what you've written in your posts. Hmm?

Steppinthrax stereotypes about private schools too, but has no direct experience. Good call Tallybalt!