Lewes area questions ... (Hockessin, Milton: for sale, houses, schools)

[wanderingdude]

Hi, everyone. My wife originally hails from Hockessin and we're now thinking of relocating back to DE to be closer to friends and family. We are in our early 30s and have a 1-year-old daughter.

For a lot of reasons, including schools, charm and the ocean (I surf), we are considering the Lewes area. We will be visiting in July to see some houses that interest us, but I was looking for any advice locals might have before then.

A few of my main questions:

I see that taxes are still based on 74 values, and that there have been some rumblings about reassessments. Any idea about when (if ever) that might happen?

How would you characterize living in town vs. living a little farther out on the fringes with more land? Are there any areas to avoid because of flooding, unsold new developments, planned industrial activity, etc. One house that has really caught our eye (not in a planned community) looks like it is one of three or four houses for sale on the same block. That concerns me and suggests any offer should anticipate further price declines.

What kind of homes do you think are easy sells vs tough sells right now? I'm figuring it's mostly retirees looking for newer, lower maintenance, smaller-lot properties. I also get the impression that many of the new communities are full of unsold inventory.

Yet, as far as prices, it looks like they are still relatively high relative to local incomes.

I also noticed a lot of talk about traffic. I lived in the area for a few summers in the 90s and never found it that bad. Has it gotten a lot worse?

How about the schools? I hear there will be a new Cape Henlopen HS. Is it going up near the old site?

Any input or advice on the area would be greatly appreciated. We have also kicked around the idea of Milton for more value, but I'd really like to feel as connected to the beach as possible.

Thanks in advance!