lewes and dover area (Smyrna, Rehoboth Beach: sales, real estate, apartment)

[maggiekate]

Hello, I was looking at homes in both areas on real estate.com. I found some
which were nice, I was wondering about house taxes, and insurance in either area. I was looking at townhomes, etc.Are these places near the beach, and the crime factor I saw was low? I am in Fla and miss the North. I have also read that the state of Delaware is getting expensive because of new jersey and New York people moving in?

judy

[donsabi]

Delaware is suppose to be the cheapest state for retirees. Retiress have been moving there from all over the county not just NY and NJ. IMO, there is no comparison of Dover to Lewes. Lewes is the better. Rehoboth Beach is just south of Lewes. Rehoboth is noted for it's gay population and also the many tourists. DE has the lowest taxes anywhere but be aware they also charge fees for things you have never heard of, so when speaking with a DE realtor be sure to ask about taxes and fees. No sales tax! Insurance is comparable to any other location.
Don

[winnie]

I know some people who live out in DE and I think the property taxes are among the lowest in the nation. If I read some of the websites correctly I think it is .3%???

I can't get over how cheap housing is down there..and it seems that it is cheaper on taxes than most states I have lived in (which have been many lol!)

Dover is cheaper than Lewes, but I agree that Lewes is a better area to live. The beach is really nice.. It seems like everyone up here in the North East is trying to get down to DE or NC, and all you Floridians are trying to get "up here"

However, Dover does have the racetrack and the military base and a bunch of really yummy resturants. And it is about 45 minutes from the beaches and you might have more other stuff to do if you choose to live near Dover.

We have tried really hard to relocate from the NorthEast to DE but my husband works for the government and noone seems to want to leave Dover AFB!

[maggiekate]

Hi, This is what I have ;

Southern Meadows, Delaware age restricted 55 and older. I think it is near the Dover Mall. Any information on this place, or area?

thanks,

judy

[SteelToad]

I live in Dover and have to say the taxes are low. No sales tax, income tax is very low, and property tax on a house valued at about 150K is $400/year for city taxes and about the same for county taxes.

That having been said, I want out, it just seems as though there is nothing here. For some folks thats nice and relaxing, but it's not what I want. You should visit for a week first.

Apartment rents are outrageous as well, you might as well plan on buying when you move.

[winnie]

Originally Posted by SteelToad

Apartment rents are outrageous as well, you might as well plan on buying when you move.

You are kidding, right?????

Dover is one of the cheapest places to live in in the North East. Your RENT for a three bedroom apartment is what most people in NY, CT, NJ pay in a MONTH for property taxes.

[sleeplessinpa]

My husband and I are thinking of this area once he retires in 4.5 years.

I have a relative who lives there(moved from philly to retire) and his home taxes on a 3 acre $300,000 property is only $654 for everything!!(it maybe worth more now-he bought 5 years ago) .

He does get $500 off for being over 65 so his real taxes are $1,154 a year!

I am in Pennsylvania on less than 2 acres my house is assessed at $136,000 and I am paying $5,000 a year in taxes!

So if I can have more home in DE than PA and it is mine and not the School districts(that is where most of our tax money goes) then I will be down.

Any help on the area would be helpful. We are small town here less than 15,000 people with not much nightlife so we are use to it. The only crimes we have are some drug arrests and some break ins. Otherwise nothing else.

What can we expect in the lewes area?

Thanks

[winnie]

Low crime, better weather with less harsh winters, cheaper taxes (from what you posted) and cheaper homes.

I like DE - south of Smyrna area.

And to me it has a little bit more charm and class that NC where other North Easterners are moving to. And you can still get to Philly, DC or even NYC for the weekend. Median age is 55. I know quite a few New Yorkers who have fled this area for cheaper living. One built an ocean view home for cheaper than she was renting in NY.

Dover has a decent sized mall and Dover Downs and casino.

I think you will have a harder time finding 2 acres there, but you should be able to find a bigger home depending on what you are looking for (modular, ocean front, age etc) . I found that the land is nice down there it seems like everyone has a nice, pretty, level lot with green green grass.

[sleeplessinpa]

Winnie:

Thanks for writing. We are pretty slow paced so Casinos and the raceway is not something we would be into.

I live just 30 minutes from Pocono Raceway and it gets so congested with raceweek that it does not appeal to us.

We would like at least 2 acres(we have dogs). My cousin lives in a developement and feels that is better because your neighbor will at least have a decent home otherwise you could be living next to a trailer.

We rather only stick built homes- I use to work real estate and modulars here are a pain(lots of defects) .

The only thing I would have a problem with is flat land and hurricane season. I am not use to either. Never expereinced a hurricane.

What other taxes does DE charge that may be a surprise?

We are not wealthy just middle class be taxes to death in PA.

Hubby mentioned NC as being a nice place.

Thanks

[winnie]

What is your upper price range? Are you looking for new built?

For exact taxes you will have to ask a native, we were looking to move there a few years back and frequently visit and have military buddies down there too. I know that property taxes are rediculously low in Southern DE.

Dover does a much better job at managing traffic around their casino that up here in NY/PA IMO. We had no problems navigating around the casino/racetrack area in Dover. I think in the summer you may find there to be an annoyance with traffic in Lewes, when we went to the area Rehoboth and Indian beach were terribly swamped with traffic. Not so bad in Lewes.

I am not a huge NC fan. I know quite a lot of people are fond of the state and to each his own, but I have had numerous relatives stationed there and they all do not like it, I did not like it when I visited, thought it was a wee bit behind the times and just the overall mentality there I hated.