High crime in Seaford and Milford-Why? (Wilmington, Dover: rental, sex offender, low crime)

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by oncesir

No Im not from Jersey. Nowhere did I bash DE. I stated that I preferred northern DE over the slower lower area. Many of my statements were easily retrievable stats that I googled. Its what I prefer mixed in with a few well known facts. I really dont see whats wrong with that.

Ah.........stats huh Read the thread "thinking of Smyrna".

So much for stats.
You know, it is perfectly fine that you prefer another area. we are all different and so are our preferences.
I was just stating the job market and foreclosures are nationwide and not just in DE.
Sure there are more jobs in Wilmington. I happen to be retired and not looking.
So lower slower is perfect for me.
Good Luck!

[rossc]

Originally Posted by elizamary

I happen to be retired and not looking.
So lower slower is perfect for me.
Good Luck!

I believe that was his point. The stats are there to prove everything he said. For someone looking for a job AND a mortgage, Sussex Co is not the place to be right now. I also wouldn't consider the dover area lower, slower, although it may technically be. Housing is much more reasonable there and the job market is better. The further north you go the better the job prospects.

Pretty much anything South of Milford now is being advertised as beach property. Before i knew the area I looked at a "beach house" in Harbeson. It was advertised that way because it was within 30 minutes of the beach.

It's simple really. Generally speaking, retirees are moving to the areas nearer the beach or lower slower and they are paying too much for real estate. That is driving the prices up. People who need to work and make car payment and mortgage payments move to Northern parts of the state where they can make a decent living and buy affordable real estate.

The stats are there to prove this. Look at at the tax records for Sussex county and look at how many property owners do not list DE as their state of residence.

I'll say this once more. Retired people are not looking at real estate prices in proportion to the job market because they do not need a job. They look at prices relative to where they moved from. This is putting the real estate market out of reach to the average working stiff. I'll also add that this is pretty common for small town resort/vacation areas.

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by rossc

I believe that was his point. The stats are there to prove everything he said. For someone looking for a job AND a mortgage, Sussex Co is not the place to be right now. I also wouldn't consider the dover area lower, slower, although it may technically be. Housing is much more reasonable there and the job market is better. The further north you go the better the job prospects.

Pretty much anything South of Milford now is being advertised as beach property. Before i knew the area I looked at a "beach house" in Harbeson. It was advertised that way because it was within 30 minutes of the beach.

It's simple really. Generally speaking, retirees are moving to the areas nearer the beach or lower slower and they are paying too much for real estate. That is driving the prices up. People who need to work and make car payment and mortgage payments move to Northern parts of the state where they can make a decent living and buy affordable real estate.

The stats are there to prove this. Look at at the tax records for Sussex county and look at how many property owners do not list DE as their state of residence.

I'll say this once more. Retired people are not looking at real estate prices in proportion to the job market because they do not need a job. They look at prices relative to where they moved from. This is putting the real estate market out of reach to the average working stiff. I'll also add that this is pretty common for small town resort/vacation areas.

This may be so but I will say again.......forclosures and unemployment are National issues and not just affectin DE.
If you look around the country, you will see the middle class slowly disappearing.

BTW, If you are talking the beach area, we already know prices are throught the roof there in sussex county. that is nothing new.
And as far as Stats go, From what I have seen and heard lately, I have no faith in stats.
I suggest anyone looking into an area to go see for yourself and investigate.
Smyrna according to stats had a very high crime rate........yet.......this is not so according to the locals and people that have investigated the area.

[rossc]

Originally Posted by elizamary

This may be so but I will say again.......forclosures and unemployment are National issues and not just affectin DE.
If you look around the country, you will see the middle class slowly disappearing.

No one said it was isolated to DE. The middle class is disappearing because it and this country were built on manufacturing and manufacturing in this country is no longer affordable. Send all of those jobs overseas and the middle class goes with them, and it will just get worse as more third world countries gain the ability to manufacture what we need for a fraction the cost.

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by rossc

No one said it was isolated to DE. .

You need to read back to the begining of the thread Rossc.

Right now I can't keep up with all the post. God Mary........You really went to town.

[angiei812]

Wow, I think I'm sorry I started the thread. Who knew it would take such a direction. I read the first few responses then just came back now and WOW!

Anyway, back to the original topic, I do believe that the statistics I saw were per capita (per 1,000). Crime statistics any other way would be useless. BUT, I know that there are other things that affect statistics. For example what type of crime is reportable. In my own small town in NJ, if someone's bicycle is stolen, it makes the local paper, the cops would come and make a report and maybe even look in neighboring yards, be on the lookout for kids riding your yellow Schwinn.... In NYC where I grew up, if your bicycle was stolen, you just sucked it up and didn't even notify the police--they would laugh.

Anyway, I asked the question because I didn't really trust the statistics but also couldn't just pretend I didn't see them. I just wanted to get a sense from the locals if these were areas I should avoid. I got my answer. Now you guys can go back to your bickering.

Seriously--thank you!

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by angiei812

Wow, I think I'm sorry I started the thread. Who knew it would take such a direction. I read the first few responses then just came back now and WOW!

Seriously--thank you!

No bickering Angie. We just have a different point of view. That is what is so great about this forum. You get to hear both sides. This is good for people looking into a move to DE. The get to hear all points of views from different perspectives.
Remember.........we are all different people with different needs, wants and ideas.
What kind of a forum would this be if everyone raved about DE and folks moved here to be disappointed.
De is not for everyone.
We all know crime is everwhere these days. Yes, some more than others. Depends on where you live.
I strongly suggest to anyone looking for relocation to spend the time and check out the area you are looking to relocate.
Talk to the locals, investigate, here pros and cons and ask a million questions.

[oncesir]

I always found it entertaining that ppl will pick and choose what stats they say are false just to prove their "opinion".

Yes the housing market is slumped. The difference elsewhere(northern DE) is that housing and jobs are equally weighted. If you want a new construction home in slower lower good luck finding a job to afford that home. I find it hard to believe that stats about median household income would be skewed. Since certain ppl claimed those stats are incorrect lets look around and see what good paying industry is in slower lower. Oh wait, other than hospitals, local govt/power companies and chickens there arent any. Im not trying to be an a** I just cant believe ppl can honestly believe there isnt a problem. Im from the midwest and moved here(delmarva) 2 yrs ago. Ive never seen houses so expensive compared to the local job market. This area is doomed for anyone that hasnt retired here. BTW ppl dont move here for the stellar job market.

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by oncesir

I always found it entertaining that ppl will pick and choose what stats they say are false just to prove their "opinion".

So, you're entertained! That's always a good thing, in my "opinion".

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by oncesir

If you want a new construction home in slower lower good luck finding a job to afford that home.

It's the same all over. I'm in New York, about an hour north of New York City. (Make that closer to two hours during rush hour.)

The median home price in my area is now over $525,000. There are no jobs in this county that would support a half-million dollar home which is why the mass commute is on every morning to the city and the two-paycheck family is now the norm.

If you look at the areas in the Hudson Valley of New York, Northern New Jersey, Southwestern Connecticut and Long Island, you'll find hundreds of thousands of home owners with the same problem. The price of housing (and don't even get me started on the real estate taxes in these areas) has far outstripped the ability to get a job supporting that house, which is why our kids are leaving in mass numbers.

Many areas in California, Illinois and other states have similar problems. It's not a Delaware problem. It's an EVERYwhere problem.

Charley