Brunswick Crossing, thoughts and cost (Columbia, Frederick: transplants, for sale, city hall)

[Lindsay1126]

Hi,
So we are are looking to relocate to the area. I have fallen in love with what Brunswick crossing is supposed to be. I am worried about the the extra cost, that living in that kind of community will entail. Can someone tell me what kinds of extra HOAs or extra fees they are paying?

We are not in the area yet (next month), is the shopping center, pool and parks already developed or is that something still in the future?

I see only Ryan homes is building there now, that kind of worries me as i have not heard great things about them as a builder, but keep on coming back to the community. How was you alls experience?

Do you enjoy the community? Would you buy there again? Would you recommend it to your friends and family?

Are there any other neighborhoods that have a community like this in the area (Frederick County)?

Thanks.

[LittleBlackDogs]

I don't live in that community but I've driven by it many times. Seems like a nice place. The pool opened last summer and they finally broke ground on the grocery store.

Communities with HOAs are very common, but I think the fees vary depending on the amenities offered.

[HoCoMom]

Online it looks a lot like Spring Ridge but smaller and with only one developer. Spring Ridge is almost 20 years old and still looks great, in my opinion. There will be HOAs to pay for pool, open area maintenance, etc and rules about house color and clotheslines but you will find that in all large planned communities.

If your husband was the one commuting to Columbia Mall- his commute could be 75-90 minutes during rush hour.

[MLTB2020]

Hi Lindsay1126,

Brunswick Crossing is one of only a few special tax districts in the area currently. Special taxes are issued in order to help pay for the development of such large developments such as this, assisting in both on and off site projects. There is roughly 20 years remaining on this special tax, which will cost more each year, until it has been fulfilled. Each homeowner will be required to pay anywhere from $1200 a year currently, up to $2400 at the end of the cycle, depending on what type of home they own (townhome, single family detached, etc).

Some of the public works projects have been started. Grocery store, parks, pool. It's certainly an ongoing process though! I know that besides a few homes being sold by homeowners, a new home built to your specifications are about a 6 month lead time as of now.

There are definitely other communities that offer some of the same type of things Brunswick Crossing has or will have. Hope this helped, let me know if you have any other questions!

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by tmackintoshb

Hi Lindsay1126,

Brunswick Crossing is one of only a few special tax districts in the area currently. Special taxes are issued in order to help pay for the development of such large developments such as this, assisting in both on and off site projects. There is roughly 20 years remaining on this special tax, which will cost more each year, until it has been fulfilled. Each homeowner will be required to pay anywhere from $1200 a year currently, up to $2400 at the end of the cycle, depending on what type of home they own (townhome, single family detached, etc).

Some of the public works projects have been started. Grocery store, parks, pool. It's certainly an ongoing process though! I know that besides a few homes being sold by homeowners, a new home built to your specifications are about a 6 month lead time as of now.

There are definitely other communities that offer some of the same type of things Brunswick Crossing has or will have. Hope this helped, let me know if you have any other questions!

Well done.


I don't have nearly this much information but I do have a friend who lives there and really likes it. I like Brunswick too, we camp there often, but it's too small with too few restaurant options for me.

[tw71]

I live in Brunswick proper, and as far as the Crossing goes? It's "interesting". On one hand, I think almost ALL of the area residents really look forward to the shopping it will eventually bring. We need a grocery store in town, badly -- but even the possibility of a shop like a Dunkin' Donuts or another Chinese place moving next-door to it are welcome additions.

On the flip-side? It's created kind of an undercurrent of an "us vs. them" mentality that the folks in City Hall do everything in their power to downplay and squash. But it's just a fact of life that the main part of Brunswick has a lot of 100+ year old homes that have been owned by multiple generations of families, and they tend to get kind of set in their ways. When you build an entire new sub-division that adds that many new residents (most of whom are transplants from Montgomery County or even other states), it causes some culture shock.

As a good example? When people found out the nice, brand new swimming pool was getting constructed in the Crossing, they got miffed that they wouldn't ever be allowed to use it because it was only for Crossing residents. Meanwhile, Brunswick has its own municipal swimming pool -- but it's pretty run-down and as of late, has been severely mismanaged by the YMCA, who took over daily operations as part of a deal with the city. Crossing residents are basically saying, "Heck no you can't use our pool! Not when we paid this much in HOA fees to build it!" But when they post pics on social media, showing how much they're enjoying it in the summer - it just feels like rubbing salt in the wound to Brunswick proper's residents who see it.

As far as quality of construction of the Crossing homes? I don't have a whole lot of info on that. But I do know one resident was complaining when I visited to buy an item they had for sale. She said pieces of siding ripped right off the side of her place with the last windstorm, and she thought that spoke to the poor construction. Take that for what it's worth, I guess? The homes look nice to me from what I've seen inside and outside, but I'm just visiting so don't know. I don't care for how close they're all packed together though. You can get a home with more of a yard in other parts of Brunswick if you shop around.

[tw71]

In Brunswick's defense? I think we have about as many restaurants as a community this size can really sustain. Off-hand, we've got:

- New China Asian (in the shopping center)
- Domino's Pizza (in the shopping center)
- Subway (in the shopping center)
- Roy Rogers
- Wing and Pizza Shack
- Coach's deli (sandwiches and ice cream)
- Penny's diner (open 24 hours, next to the hotel)
- Benancio's Southwest Grill (by the train station, and *really* good!)
- Potomac Street Grill (Greek food as well as burgers and other fare - and has a full bar)
- King's pizza (authentic New York style pizza, as created by a Brooklyn native)
- Beans in the Belfry (coffee shop with great chili, stew and sandwich offerings)

And just on the boundary between Knoxville and Brunswick at the Hwy. 340 exit, you've got McDonalds and Sheetz too.

You've got to remember that just across the bridge over the Potomac from Brunswick is the town of Lovettsville, VA - which is basically Brunswick's "sister" town. They, too, have a number of restaurants which are only a few miles from us and do pretty much compete directly with what's in town. (Over there, you've got such things as Thaiverse - a Thai restaurant that's won awards, even with the Washington DC crowd, and Andy's. Plus, they have a new shopping center just going in that has a new pizza place leasing out a space in it.)

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

Well done.
I don't have nearly this much information but I do have a friend who lives there and really likes it. I like Brunswick too, we camp there often, but it's too small with too few restaurant options for me.

[hem207]

I know someone who looked to build in BC (didn't work out) and there will be over 1000 homes when completed. The HOA's are not "too" bad as there is a nice pool and other amenities by the time it's all said and done. I do know people that have younger kids and LOVE living there. The school system is ok and I'm sure they'll have to add onto the schools as more developments pop up that way. I liked the area and would definitely look at moving there if I had younger kids. I know there will be an assisted living building going in there as well. Did you go in and talk to anyone?

As for Ryan homes, I have never heard glowing reviews. I am looking at Middletown Glen on my ride to work and those houses go up SO fast. A plumber friend, who worked on the homes in Glenbrook in Middletown, said he'd never buy there based on what he saw (walls that are board not meeting where they should etc). But, I know people that live in Glenbrook and have not heard any huge complaints except for the HVAC system, but I think you can pick what you want to go in now anyway.

Brunswick is a cute town and has grown up so much. And, if you can't find what you need there then Frederick and Middletown aren't too far away. It's all highway to get to Frederick anyway :-)

[MidValleyDad]

Middletown Glen is being built by Ryan Homes. There is no pool in the development. The new County Library will be at the entrance to Middletown Glen but it is probably 5 years off (there is a library in town that is bursting at the seams). Current plans for Middletown Glen are for 84 homes (if I remember correctly) They are allowed to build 28 per year.