Trying to move to Elkton,please help (Baltimore, Easton: apartments, renting)

[singlemomFL]

I am a single mother of a 6 year ol dlittle girl. Im from Orange County NY and moved to florida about 6 months ago. The cost of living here is high and pay is very low, so I want to move back North. My fiance now lives in Elkton, I am trying to get up there as well. I am looking for apartments, I have interviews and job possibilities already.. but He cannot help me much because he is a pilot and is barely there. Can someone PLEASE help on giving me some advice on the schools there.. and before/after school programs. Good apartments that are affordable? Any help I can get would be GREATLY appreciated. Please respond asap.Thank you SO very much!

[pkoons]

Hi, best of luck on your move. Elkton is a nice quiet area, there's not a ton going on but you aren't far from Baltimore or Philadelphia if you want to get to a major city. You've also got Wilmington/Newark nearby as well.

One of the best elementary schools in all of Cecil County is Elk Neck, located near the water in Elkton. It's far enough removed from the main area of town that it is very quiet. You can reach them at 410-996-5030. It's worth a call to find out more info but everything I have heard about it has been positive.

Other elementary schools include Cecil Manor, Gilpin Manor, Holly Hall, Kenmore, Leeds, and Thomson Estates. These are all OK (I went to school in Prince George's County which is one of the worst school districts in the nation, so they all seem good to me). But from a test score/student-teacher ratio/location standpoint, you're going to really be happy with Elk Neck.

Now, the problem is, since it's kind of tucked away you'll be hard pressed to find apartments down near the water that will keep you in that school district. You should look into buying a townhouse instead of renting because you can find a really nice TH for under $200K, keeping your mortgage around $1300. Where I'm living now (Anne Arundel Co. south of Baltimore), you can't find a similar townhouse for under $350K. A decent 2 bedroom apartment would run you close to $1000 anyway. Some nice townhome neighborhoods are Village Falcon Crossing, Persimmon Village, and Village at Elk Creek. Just check with the school board because you don't want to end up in a crummy district.

Good luck! Post a reply if you need more info.

[jerseygirl]

pkoons - did you see my post on Easton? Whatever info you can give me on that are would be great. It looks like a nice little town, but I keep hearing that MD is expensive. I've checked the property tax rates and it doesn't seem that high to me.

[pkoons]

I'm posting a reply on Easton in the main forum today. Sorry it took me awhile to get around to it. I have been very busy at work and I don't use a computer on weekends. But it's a good topic, and Easton is a really good city. Hope you find the info useful.

As for Maryland cost of living in general, personal property taxes, and auto insurance, I'll give you some basics here. Maryland is probably less expensive than most areas in New Jersey, but still quite pricey. The Eastern Shore where Easton lies is one of the less expensive areas to live as it is pretty rural and dotted with small towns like Easton. Talbot County is one of the 100 wealthiest counties in the U.S. There is a lot of waterfront living which probably adds to the cost, as you could find a perfectly nice older home for under $300K. If you go really far inland (i.e. Caroline County) you're looking at fairly cheap living but not much culture.

Personal property tax I believe pertains to mobile homes primarily. I have never rented or owned one so I wouldn't know details. I also believe that you can take a deduction for the new purchase of personal property over a certain dollar amount - it usually pertains to cars, mobile homes, outbuildings for a residence, etc. Again, I am not 100% sure on this because I haven't run into it since the tax law change.

Auto insurance is expensive but anywhere on the Eastern Shore will be reasonable. There are a lot of variables - if you live in PG County and drive a sports car for example you're going to pay a lot of money. If you have a good driving record and get a combo discount with a homeowners or life insurance policy through one of the major agencies (State Farm, Geico, etc.) as an adult female you should be looking at less than $600 a year. I'm under $1,000 as a male in Anne Arundel Co. on the other side of the bay. In the scheme of things it's not bad but still expensive compared to other areas.

[jerseygirl]

Thanks - you've been a great help

[corndog]

Well, I am from Sounthern California and my wife and I last year traveled to Maryland to visit friends and family. In Elkton, I have a very good friend who grew up there and has sworn about his city for years. We visited it because it was a quaint mid-sized city in the northern part of the state and the type of place we were looking for at the time.

In Elkton, the prices are affordable, people are nice, everything is clean, good schools, and hospitals. There is a nice park that overlooks the the bay called Turkey point, which has a beautiful light house on the end of the pennisula. Large cities are close. There is a nice small little town, almost a village on the other side of the bay (forgot the name) that has a very old restuarant there!

[amanda_434]

I have lived in Elkton for 20 years. (Well, over the summer we moved to Rising Sun). I lived in the Fair Hill area and I attended Cecil Manor Elementary (1990-1996ish) and from what I know it was great. Kenmore Elementary is a good school though. For middle school I went to Cherry Hill....not the best, and for high school my parents and I opted I go to private school in Wilmington Delaware. There are very few cases I've heard where people were happy with Elkton High School. Most of my friends in college that went there are struggling to pass their classes.
I played Little League softball, YMCA basketball and volleyball. There are tons of activities for kids. The public library system is great too. They also offer a lot of activities for kids such as book readings, discussions for older kids, and holiday parties. Every year the 6th graders take a trip to their library to learn how to reasearch, make copies, and write reports.

House prices are great. My mom just bought a great townhouse in Rising Sun for 220,000 and if that house were a few miles away in Howard, Anne Arundel, or Baltimore County it would probably have cost twice as much.
The location is great since it is so close to Neward (tax free shopping) and Wilmington. The Baltimore/DC traffic is horrible but I'm sure it can't be worse than New York. As long as you don't have to drive south on I-95 you don't have to worry about traffic though.
Overall, I love Cecil County, but I prefer the charming towns like Chesapeake City, Northeast, and Rising Sun.