A Moving Tale !!! (Wilmington, Lewes, Milton: for sale, foreclosures, renting)

[tonydisk]

Thanks in advance for reading this.

I’m 62 and a retired computer guy, my girlfriend is 56 and an ortho nurse. We now live in Western PA and have vacationed in Virginia Beach for years.
At one time we had a dream of retiring here, around the Chicks Beach - Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel areas but the property prices, traffic, and for lack of a better term, decline in civility, are directing us to other areas.

We have never been to Delaware so our understanding is limited.

Our concerns/wants are: Safe area, reasonable property pricing, reasonable access to healthcare, did I mention near the water!!! And a sense of community – small town feel. (the dream of course is a small cottage or beach house - you’ve guessed it- by the beach)
We have a small dog and a grandson who would visit from time to time. Our health is for now excellent, but some type of transit system would be nice to fall back on.
Not into partying but my girlfriend would like a small area to grow flowers, I would like to throw away the lawnmower, he,he,he,
Housing could be a 2 bedroom condo or detached home. Again on or near the water would be great.
We’ve done our share of drywall, plumping, roofing, electrical, and windows, so rehabbing is o.k. for us. Foreclosures are o.k, as our budget is limited.
We would both need to work at least part time so an area close to a hospital for her and business community for me would be good.
Appreciate any ideas/ experience.

Tony.

[DelawareLiz]

You may want to consider eastern Sussex County, Delaware beaches if you want to be close to the water--anywhere from Milton to Fenwick along route one or a few miles west of route one. It's a safe area, there are plenty of excellent doctors and a hospital (Beebe) right in Lewes, and there are many activities year round to keep anybody occupied. And don't worry, we don't have the decline in civility here and most likely never will. There are spotty areas that one should avoid, but I'd say about 97 percent of the areas along Sussex County's route one are very safe and very civil.

The towns I'm thinking of are Milton, Lewes, Rehoboth, Bethany Beach, Ocean View, and Fenwick Island. The only ones with a true "small town feel" are Lewes, Milton, and perhaps Ocean View. I say perhaps because it doesn't really feel that way during the summer, but it does feel quite homey and comfortable from September-May.

You can pick up a decent, older rancher home for around 200K right now, which was unheard of before the housing market tanked. These homes will need updating and some interior work, but for the most part they aren't bad at all. In fact, I know of two foreclosures and a couple homes for sale right in my area that are 140-200K (all ranch style homes). The ones that are well under 200K need quite a bit invested in them, but you can pick up a 20-25 year old rancher that only needs a few grand in updating for 200K, no problem.

The homes I'm speaking of do have yards, although the lots are rarely larger than 1/4 acre. Large lots aren't very common at the beaches. All the homes in my area (and most along or near route one) have central sewer, and many have central water as well. Please let me know if you have any other questions .

[Alicia64]

Hi Tony,

I'm very familiar with Vir. Beach -- we leave semi-nearby. For the first time we went to the Delware beaches. Rehoboth Beach specifically.

We absolutely loved it. I have a husband and 9 year old boys. I've been to the Outer Banks too and still I was in love with Rehoboth and would love to return. Unfortunately it's about a 5 hr. drive for us, but might just be worth it.

My understanding is that the homes are pricey near Rehoboth -- 1 to 2 mill.

Wilmington is an avoid town. Just after we went through Wilmington I learned that Parenting mag just named it the #1 most dangerous city in America.

But the beaches and the surrounding areas are beautiful farmland and many of the small town have a Mayberry flavor to them.

Good pick!

Alley