Help!!! I don't know where to move in DE... (Wilmington: real estate, apartment)

[SOnstad]

I am a single parent and want to relocate to Delaware, but I need some help to find out where I should go. I grew up in South Jersey and Maryland and love the area and am looking forward to moving back. I still have family in Haddonfiled, NJ, so i want to be fairly close and I love the Philly area. I am a Registered Nurse and it looks like my best bet to get a job will be around Wilmington. I have school aged children so the school system will be important as well. I want a nice area for my children - i don't want to live in the city. I am looking to spend 250k or less on a home. Any help anyone can give me will be wonderful and greatly appreciated!!!!!!
Thanks ~ Stephanie

[armx]

Stephanie:

Instead of the purchase price, a monthly payment is a better determining factor for checking out neighborhoods because the property taxes can vary from state to state, ....

Wilmington area - inside or outside the City - has many locations that will satisfy your criteria of safe neighborhoods with good school feeder pattern. Which grades are your children in?

More specific responses can be forthcoming if you share specific details. For your guidance this forum has the exploratory questions formulated, they might provide a good starting point. This is the link:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/8597764-post4.html

[SOnstad]

Thanks for the quick reply!!!

My children are 7 (2nd grade) and 19. My 19 year old graduated this past May and is wanting to take a year off before starting college.

As far as the house goes - I am in the process of selling my current house and it is paid for, so i will be just paying for the house completely - no house payments, yea!!!!!

I'd just like some ideas of towns, or neighborhoods, outside of the city to start looking at real estate, schools, etc.

Thanks ~ Stephanie

[armx]

It is great that you won't require a mortgage ... that way other parameters and not the cost of the house would be governing your decision-making.

When you get time, give us more specifics as to what you are looking for - other than good schools, safe neighborhoods because those are the basic minimum requirements for most buyers..

[SOnstad]

I found the questionnaire below on another string and thought that it might help others to understand what i am looking for and help point me in the right direction.

When are you moving? Within the next 6 months
Where are you coming from? Arkansas, but i grew up in NJ & Maryland
Why are you moving? Want to get back up north, still have family in NJ but it's way too expensive to live there. Love being within driving distance of the coast.
Where will you be working? Not sure yet, I'm a Registered Nurse so I'll be working somewhere in a hospital, doctor's office, medical type setting. I'm really trying to determine what area i'd like to be in before i start looking for a job.
Have you been here yet? I've been through Delaware many times, but i haven't explored areas i'd like to live in.

Will you buy or rent? I will buy.
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? I think i'd like a townhome, I would like to spend 250k or less, and my home is paid for so I will not need to finance it.
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? n/a
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? n/a

Are you married or single? Do you have children? I am single and i have 2 children 7 yr old girl and 19 yr old boy.
Do you prefer public or private schools? Public
Do you have pets? 2 dogs and a cat
Do you want or need a yard? I'd prefer a yard, or at least an area i can walk my dogs.
Are you keeping a car? yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? I don't like the city and i don't like rural living. I'd prefer a suburb of a city. I'd like to live in a town with a small town feel, where my kids and i can walk down the street, but I'd like to have the amenities of a city within an hour or so.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work I'd like to be fairly close to work, < 30 minutes.
Shopping doesn't matter
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.) doesn't matter
Nightlife I hope at some point to have a social life again, but driving a little to get there is not a problem.
Train or subway stations n/a

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Diversity is the spice of life. I prefer to live in a safe area that is condusive to family life. Other than that, I'm not picky.

Beaches or City? I LOVE the beach. But after living in Arkansas, anywhere in Delaware will be close enough to the beach for me. As long as i can spend a weekend at the beach, I'm good.

[Charley]

Sounds like someone who might want to check out the towns in Kent County. Kent General Hospital is there for you to continue your nursing career and you'd be an hour from the Jersey turnpike to the north and an hour to the beaches to the south.

[armx]

Thanks for going to the thread and providing the answers to the questionaire ... makes it easy to have "to the point" exchange.

Now one differentiating question arises - Do you want to be closer to NJ or to the beach i.e which will be more frequent activity - going to the beach or visiting other places including NJ?

Northern New Castle Co.(NCCo) will make it easier to travel to NJ and keep you 1 to 1.5 hour away from the beach. It is suburban, less rural, more diverse. NCCo hospitals probably pay better and they have more beds than the Kent General ... although Kent and Sussex county are attracting senior citizens from other states so it may be interesting to investigate what plans the hospitals - in Sussex and Kent - have for the future.

A townhouse with a fenced yard (for dog) for $250-275 K w/ $2K - 2.4K taxes looks like a practical solution. There will be several locations in NCCo, w/good schools and safe neighborhood in that price range...

In NCCo., the incorporated area is full of different communities - no towns as such to name - there is a college town of Newark (pop.35000). In Kent and Sussex the county seats are the cities with pop. concentration.

[KatieKate]

I moved to Delaware from South Jersey (Medford) a few years back. We have 3 counties here: New Castle, Kent and Sussex. This is my opinion of the 3 counties: New Castle is getting to be as congested as South Jersey but there are some wonderful suburban areas like Middletown that are only about 30 minutes from the Del-Mem Bridge. The schools in Middletown are rated very high. It's also home to a nice hospital, Middletown Memorial which is part of the Bayhealth Hospital Group. You will also be in a nice location as far as proximity to theaters, colleges, etc.

Kent County is a more suburban/rural area. Of all the schools, I would recommend either Caesar Rodney school district or Lake Forest. The hospital in Dover is Kent General and is also part of the Bayhealth System. In Kent County, you are closer to the beaches, yet far enough away to avoid the summer traffic. The distance to the bridge is now about an hour. I visit family in S. Jersey all the time. You'll find the traffic always seems to be going in the other direction. I also recommend EZ Pass so you can breeze thru the tolls at 65 mph.

Sussex County has the beaches - I would reccomend Lewes for relaxing or Rehoboth for the boardwalk but there are plenty of others very close. You learn to time trips to the beach around the tourists - I would not go on a weekend. There are many nice neighborhoods that have year-round residents. Just check first to see if the community you like has a lot of summer-only residents. I would not recommend the west part of Sussex county - it's too rural and has chicken farms mostly. Milford Memorial, part of Bayhealth, and Beebe Hospital are located in Sussex county. Beebe has the better reputation and some top-notch doctors. Good luck in relocating! I would find a realtor to help. Oh, and don't forget to check the FamilyWatchDog.org to see who your neighbors are! As a single mom, I wanted to know how safe my new neighborhood was. Just remember, they also post where offenders work. Good luck!

[Joe84323]

Middletown is a good choice for you pricewise. Bear is always a choice, but the school feed is lacking.

Brandywine Hundred is expensive, but has somewhat decent schools and is closest to Phila/KOP, Wilmington, and pretty close to Jersey.

Good names to look at are:

Arden
Ardencroft
Chalfont
Pike Creek
Bellefonte
Brookmeade
Newark
Ogletown
Middletown (far)
Townsend (far)
Hockessin ($$$)
Fairfax
Talleyville


Avoid:
Wilmington
New Castle
Edgemoor
Claymont (sorta)
Richardson Park
Llangollen
Some Bear neighborhoods
Some Apts in Newark


I don't like, but you might (hick/trashy):

Stanton
Newport



I did the above realizing you are not from here and just need some names to start looking at.

[debbiekr]

If you want to be closer to Wilmington, Odessa and Middletown are close but still small towns. Also, Smyrna is still pretty close and generally homes are cheaper in this area. As others have said, there is a hospital in the Dover area and one in Milford. Your best bet would probably be to travel to Delaware for a day and check out the different areas yourself. I'm originally from Maryland and now live in the Camden area, which is close to everything. It's centrally located to the city and to the beach.