do first time home buyers exist here with families? (Baltimore: transfer, neighborhood)

[Mike Jones 1999]

does anyone have any links to sites showing the number of first time home buyers in maryland? my wife and i are professionals in our late 20's looking to settle down and start a family. what we find so scary is that a lot of our colleagues in this area can only seem to afford housing in the baltimore area. other couples have roommates. how are others trying to start a family here doing it? if something does not change soon here we will be heading for the suburbs of atlanta where according to remax one can still find a home (4-5 br 2-3 ba) on a 1/3 acre of land for 250k.

[ChosenGSR]

It is what it is. You think it's tough as a couple? What about single professionals, the choice is either to get into a crappy place, a decent place in a not so nice area, or simply rent. Maryland is really really expensive, it's just the way it is.

[lscalder]

It depends on the county but yes you can find house in the 250k range. In counties such as Calvert,Charles,Frederick

[jaindow]

If you want to make it in Maryland, it may not be possible to have everything you desire. You may have to compromise on what you will settle for. If you want to move to a state where housing is more affordable, there are many other things you should check out as well --- such as typical incomes in your respective fields, state taxes, property taxes, etc.

I wouldn't move to another state that looks like it has more affordable housing without weighing the pros and cons of all the other expenses.... not to mention your lifestyles and what resources you want access to.

[Debi18]

jaindow is giving good advice, also, the average first time home buyer usually cant buy their dreamhouse with 4-5 bedrooms, 3 baths and all the bells and whistels right out of the gate, unless of course they're wealthy and can afford to do so without over extending. That's not a starter home, at least not in my area of Maryland. Why not consider starting out in a nice townhome with a FIXED conventional mortgage, live there for a while and then upgrade to the bigger dream house when you outgrow the townhouse and/or when you can comfortably afford it?

[autimom4ever]

Ditto on what everyone else said..

This is part of the reason we left Maryland...

The state isn't worth the price you have to pay..

There is to many other good places..

[Carrot2000]

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development first-time homebuyer programs:


More House 4 Less

[afishbein]

My husband and I bought our first house when we were 18. It was a 3 bedroom townhouse in Frederick. He was working in Montgomery County. He has since been transferred to Baltimore County. We are 20 now with two children so we sold the townhouse for a SFH in Carroll County.

If you are a couple with no children why not get a townhouse? You will still own a home with a little yard and have spare bedrooms for babies. If you pick a neighborhood which is "up and coming" you will be able to buy it cheap and then sell it in a few years for a profit (hopefully!) and get into a bigger, nicer house.

And they don't pay as well in Atlanta so I wouldn't assume you could afford $250K down there! Plus the traffic there is WORSE than it is here so get ready for hours long commutes.