Why Did You Move Out Of Maryland.... (Baltimore, Annapolis: real estate, housing)

[nickluva]

Originally Posted by Maxchus

Baltimore isn't exactly an identity I want to be a part of and the old culture/identity of the Chesapeake is dying off to some degree.

Wow...Another ignorant remark about Baltimore maybe you need to get around Maryland more before you start bashing on it's culture just a thought

[Maxchus]

Originally Posted by nickluva

Wow...Another ignorant remark about Baltimore maybe you need to get around Maryland more before you start bashing on it's culture just a thought

I've seen plenty, thanks. When I start to consider clubs a big part of 'culture' I'll know that I have reached the same understanding you have of it. I'm surprised you didn't throw in baseball and Camden Yards. Maybe the Aquarium too. Besides there are music scenes, good colleges, museums and more all over this country even in the smaller towns a lot of the time. There is little that is left that is unique about Maryland. Maybe it's you who never took a look around the rest of Arizona before you passed judgment?

[nickluva]

Originally Posted by Maxchus

I've seen plenty, thanks. When I start to consider clubs a big part of 'culture' I'll know that I have reached the same understanding you have of it. I'm surprised you didn't throw in baseball and Camden Yards. Maybe the Aquarium too. Besides there are music scenes, good colleges, museums and more all over this country even in the smaller towns a lot of the time. There is little that is left that is unique about Maryland. Maybe it's you who never took a look around the rest of Arizona before you passed judgment?

What is your understanding of culture?? Where did I say anyhting about clubs or Camden Yards or the Aquarium??? You didn't get what I said at all. If you can't see the culture or identity in Baltimore or many parts of Maryland then you just DON'T get the meaning of culture at all. Yeah they're maybe music scenes, colleges and museums everywhere but very few are on the same level as a DC or Baltmore. You sound a like a person who doesn't like changes happening in Maryland but hasn't experienced being anywhere else. I've been all around Arizona(have you even been??)and I can safely say that this place is so slow and backwards compared to MD.

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by TuborgP

Is the actual amount of taxes you are paying in Charlotte per sq ft the same? Or is the tax rate the same or higher? The rate could be the same but if the house is half the price.

I live in a 50+-year-old ranch house close to Uptown (the office district) in South Charlotte, and I've paid over $500/mo for electric in the summer, and something close to that for natural gas heat in the winter, and my property taxes are over $10k/year (on just under a 1/3-acre lot). House is about 3600 sqft. I think. So, you can get a bigger house, closer in, but still have to pay high taxes and utility bills.

When we first got this house, we pulled some old newspaper out of a hole in our crawl space, and it was the local section of the newspaper from the early 1950's. The first article in the section was about how food prices in Charlotte were just as high as New York City. We had a heck of a laugh at that, since we had just moved from New York, and had just been griping to eachother about how food wasn't any cheaper down here.

Take from that what you will.

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by The_Fairfaxian

For me, the traffic, workaholicism, cost of living, and continuous (dense) development in and around DC - which I really have grown an interest in - aren't the problem. It's not even the income that people make and them flaunting it off via clothing and cars. It's how they carry themselves personality-wise (particularly the exteriorly snobbish and unnecessarily rude individuals) and the "group-mentality" (race, religion, even neighborhood) that makes me want to move from Maryland. If only people could be rich and have luxury items w/o the purpose of trying to one-up each other, integrate with whoever they wanted to be friends/lovers/espoused with regardless of race or religion, and be nice and respectful (or at least give their privacy) to each other, Maryland wouldn't be that bad of a state.

And BTW, to all of you saying "Maryland was nicer in the 'Good ol' Days,'" it had more than its fair share of problems (the narrow-minded mentality of people in the rural parts of MD is an accurate, modern-day example of that). Ultimately, I would love to live my life in a laid back "live-and-let-live place," but for me, places like San Diego, Central Cali, Seattle/Pacific NW, Denver, and Hawaii are more of my cups of tea.

Here's a serious question. I grew up in VA, and didn't notice a lot of this snobbishness and 1-upmanship that I read about on this board, but then again I never really spent any time in Maryland.

So here's the question:

Is this snobbishness/money competitiveness:

(1) a new thing (over past 15 years or so),

(2) a Maryland thing (that doesn't show up so much in Virginia), or

(3) something that's always been strong throughout the metro area and I just missed it?

[TuborgP]

Originally Posted by vanyali

I live in a 50+-year-old ranch house close to Uptown (the office district) in South Charlotte, and I've paid over $500/mo for electric in the summer, and something close to that for natural gas heat in the winter, and my property taxes are over $10k/year (on just under a 1/3-acre lot). House is about 3600 sqft. I think. So, you can get a bigger house, closer in, but still have to pay high taxes and utility bills.

When we first got this house, we pulled some old newspaper out of a hole in our crawl space, and it was the local section of the newspaper from the early 1950's. The first article in the section was about how food prices in Charlotte were just as high as New York City. We had a heck of a laugh at that, since we had just moved from New York, and had just been griping to eachother about how food wasn't any cheaper down here.

Take from that what you will.

How much is it appraised at?

[TuborgP]

Originally Posted by md to nc

Tuborg - It depends on the county you live in and then the town you live in as well. Union county is about $.40 per $100 and $.13 per $100 for Indian Trail. Then there is the property tax on our cars which is about $99 to $200 depending on the year and book value of your car. After is all equates though it is equal to the one property tax you pay in MD plus the new sewer tax in Carroll County and their piggy back tax of 1%. It all washes out the same either way in my eyes. The only difference is my mortgage in MD was $3500 and now it is $1900 and my house is about 800 sq feet more.

So are you paying more or less per sq ft and age of house.
We juse relocated and our property tax per sq ft is a lot less. That is also going from 20 plus year old house to new. If you sell a 600K house in Maryland and buy a 600K house in NC then you will probably pay as much if not more in NC. However you can buy the same house in most places here for a lot less money and a resulting lower tax bill.

[Cumberland777]

[SIZE=5][SIZE=2]I am not Maryland Snob... I was born thre, raised there and yet moved away from there... As you read below, Cumberland is the worst for City Snob Officials, read how they treat the disabled![/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The City of Cumberland and HUD Housing needs to be investigated and fined and their employee's thrown into prison for the way they treat their residents.

They treat you like you don't have a mind of your own. Their maintenance men on a weekly basis come to your door and pound it like they were the police. They scream at their residents to back you down as if you were an animal and they need to prove that they are the Alpha Dogs.

If you think that Cumberland is a nice place to live, think again! Their Police, Fire Departments and Local Government Agencies treat the handicapped as if they don't have a right mind to speak and think with.

I once lived in Queen City Towers run by HUD for those who were elderly and disabled. The manager who called herself a Christian, was far from her religious mouth. The only thing religious was her words, not her deeds.

I witnessed many things within the walls of Queen City Towers... I saw how the mentally handicapped were treated, each day the Maintenance Men would go to their apartment and start pounding their doors and scream to "Open up and open up now or we are coming in!" I opened my door slowly to peek at what was taking place, these men would order those with child like minds to stand outside the door while they went in, one or two would enter while one stayed at the door way screaming at them to stay, like they were dogs!!!! They would back the mentally handicapped against the wall, screaming at them like they were Marine DI's with new recruits![/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The maintenance men treated us all like we were mentally disabled. They came to my room one morning after I had moved in. Then while I was asleep, they were pounding my door at 8am. Demanding entry for coming in, with a loud screaming voice![/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]I screamed back, you better not come in until I can get dressed, so while I am getting dressed, they are pounding and still yelling with demand for entry "whether you are dressed or not, we are coming in!" I went to my door and opened it and said..."What is your problem, why are you screaming and pounding my door?" Then one of the men replied in a happy voice "How ya doin man?" I said don't you "How ya doin man me!" I said "Don't you ever come to my door that way again in that tone of voice, screaming at me like I am some dog!" I said.. "Next time you come at me like this, I am calling the police!" [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The high school drop out maintenance man replied back to me..."Go ahead and call the police, when they come, I will tell them that you are retarded and they will believe me before they believe you!, So you won't win this one pal!"

I have a Bachelors of Science degree from Florida University. I am in no way mentally handicapped! This went on all the time with Cumberland Housing Maintenance Men... When you're handicapped in a wheel chair.... Life is different, even with a College Degree! Men with so-called perfect bodies don't feel much of a threat when encountering someone from a wheel chair level. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2][SIZE=2]These housing people walked in on women all the time who were widows and alone, they too were continually intimidated by Cumberland's so called finest! In the Winter, when the snow would fall, they would leave us who had cars, snowed in to the point we could not get out for 5 to 6 days, needing food and other items. When we would get heavy snows, it took phone call after phone call to down town offices for help, then when we would have tenant meetings later in that month, we were singled out by the Top Dogs and they would then humiliate us before everyone, for our calling the right people to get help, we were labeled as trouble makers. Which was sad, cause they use every form of intimidation towards residents, they just wanted us to live there, and "Shut Up!"[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Things every day just seemed to continue... [/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=2]One morning I was in bed and awoke to a tall black man standing over me, just staring at me, I screamed in fear, I did not have my glasses on, all I could see was this man peering over me, there was no reason for a maintenance man to be peering over my bed as I slept.

He then starts yelling, "It's ok, I'm cool, I'm Cool!" I said what are you doing in here? He said I come to check your plumbing," my plumbing was fine and I said you get out of here, I am not dressed and get out!" Then he replied "I will go out for 2 minutes, after two minutes I am coming in whether you are ready or not!"[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Anytime you would go to the Manager Joanie, she would listen and do nothing, she pretended she would help you, and then go behind your back against you. Also they employed a HRD Woman who was supposed to help you with your rights etc... She too was just like them; she would use her religious vocabulary to sound like she was someone with a heart. She was famous for reading personal information and then photo copying your personal data for whatever reason she used it for.

When we needed copies made for outside use, she was famous also for reading confidential papers, then when you demanded her to stop reading them, she would deny reading it, and what ever papers she deemed as something of interest to her. You would get your copy and your original, but she always made one for herself, which is totally against the law for privacy act, then deny to authorities she made any additional copies.

If you are planning to enroll a friend or family member that is not so capable of handling situations of intimidation, beware, be very aware of how Cumberland Housing Treats the handicapped.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Do not leave them alone and think they are getting along well, if they are mentally handicapped, then they are living in a silent fear within the walls of Cumberland Housing around the City itself.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Many of Cumberland's handicapped are afraid to step forward, I tried to fight it, I tried to fight the system set up there and not one attorney would touch the case...Why you asked? Here is what each attorney told me...."We cannot help you with this type of case, cause we have to face many of the city officials in the court room and if we go against them, then we cannot win cases for others who have cases not as extensive as yours."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Then after going from attorney to attorney, I was directed to contact attorneys either in Winchester, Virginia. Frederick, Hagerstown, Baltimore, or DC or Philadelphia... When I explained my case to each place, they all said the same thing, except that they replied "We come to Cumberland for various cases and we too cannot rock the boat with cases we need the siding of the city upon, if we do this for you, then we jeopardize our wining cases in the future!"[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Then with the DC Attorney, I said "Then who do I get to represent me?" He suggested that I go the route with a Legal Free Attorney, Cumberland had only one Legal Free Attorney and I took my case to her, she said I had a good case, but yet 8 months went by and every time I stopped in there, to see her, she had done nothing with my case, if I called her, then all I got was her voice mail.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]I know that I am not the only one that lived there, who had to deal with some of the so-called "Cumberland's Finest". I wonder just how many are dealing with such nonsense and in-humane treatment from city people as Cumberland has working there. But if you read this and know of someone, they may need your help to get out of that city and far away from the Payton Place they have created there.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Be aware and not so quick to enroll someone into HUD Housing in Cumberland! I was one who said within, “I am not going to live like this or submit to in-humane ways they treat you mentally with their maintenance men!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Everything I said would hold up under a polygraph without a problem![/SIZE]

[/SIZE]

[md to nc]

Originally Posted by TuborgP

So are you paying more or less per sq ft and age of house.
We juse relocated and our property tax per sq ft is a lot less. That is also going from 20 plus year old house to new. If you sell a 600K house in Maryland and buy a 600K house in NC then you will probably pay as much if not more in NC. However you can buy the same house in most places here for a lot less money and a resulting lower tax bill.

Well I guess it would be less if my house in MD was built in 1984 and was 1500 sq feet plus a basement but that doesn't count and we paid $2100/yr. Here I bought a new construction 11/06 2900 sq feet and we just paid $2086. Oh and my house in Maryland I sold for $360 in 12/06 and bought this one for $250 in 11/06. So my house is larger but a quite bit less. So it is less money, more square footage same darn tax bill.

[TuborgP]

Originally Posted by md to nc

Well I guess it would be less if my house in MD was built in 1984 and was 1500 sq feet plus a basement but that doesn't count and we paid $2100/yr. Here I bought a new construction 11/06 2900 sq feet and we just paid $2086. Oh and my house in Maryland I sold for $360 in 12/06 and bought this one for $250 in 11/06. So my house is larger but a quite bit less. So it is less money, more square footage same darn tax bill.

We are both saying and experiencing the same thing. My point is that you can buy the same sq ft/quality house in North Carolina for less money and less taxes. The tax rate in parts of the Raleigh area are more then San Diego but the cost of the housing is well under 50% the cost in San Diego. The actual tax bill for the same house here is mucho less. You made a move here with an upgrade in housing. If one wanted to retire or maintain the same level they could do so for less.