Relocating to MD from Austin, TX (Baltimore, Annapolis: to rent, condo, new house)

[nolatx]

My husband received a job opportunity that he can't pass up in Annapolis, MD. We do have family that live in Annapolis, although I have never been there. I wanted to start with this forum and look for objective responses from locals.

We are struggling with homes in the Severna Park/ Arnold area and the Eastern Shore (although not too far from the Bay Bridge area). We are "ideally" looking for a commute to Annapolis under 45 minutes, however, I've been reading about the Bay Bridge Traffic nightmares.

Severna Park and Arnold looks great as far as the proximity to Annapolis. I know Severna Park has good schools but how are Arnold's schools? Also, are there any communities south of Annapolis that anyone would recommend? We have four daughters ages 11, 8, 7 and 2 so we are looking for a family friendly community with good schools.

I'm moving from Austin, Texas which is extremely pet friendly. (i.e. I work in a law firm and am able to take my dog to work with me every day). We have a ton of dog parks here and I'm just curious if there are there any dog parks in these areas?

[ebo202]

Those are good places. Just about anywhere in Anne Arudel County is great. Prince Georges county is still a hole. Avoid it.

Yes, I'd say it's pet friendly! You'll LOOOOOOOOOVE Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. It's a HUUUUUUUUUUUGE recreational park in Annapolis that is right on the Chesapeake. The dogs can actually go in the little beach area and play in the little waves. Big dogs and little dogs alike all go nuts around there.

From what I've seen, Annapolis is a pretty chill spot. A lot of old money lives around there... You know... Families of the super rich that never have to work a day in their lives. Not a bad thing, but if someone who has that kind of cash chooses to live in Annapolis, it's pretty good.

[Zippy7fo]

PG county is good and so is Anne Arundel...Its basically old political-legal types that have boats in the area. Its beautiful especially in the summer/fall. Make sure you pop by the Naval Academy. But your moving to a great area, although me personally, no way in hell I would leave Austin for DC. People are friendly and nice, good weather, and like you said you can take your dog to work which is worth the price of staying. Good Luck...

[nolatx]

Thanks so much for the advice. It really helps to hear from the locals. We've still not decided if we will rent first for a few months until we find an area we want to buy a home in or what.
I really love Austin (I moved here from New Orleans about 3 years ago) and we just bought a new house in June. So, it looks like we'll only get a years worth of life out of it before packing up for Maryland.
Its going to be a huge culture shock for me. Overall, its really an opportunity we can't afford to pass up. My husband is a teacher here and he is changing careers in Annapolis. What a change.

[sundaze]

I really think it is a great idea for you to rent a while before buying. You will be able to decide where you want to live. Also, there is a huge surplus of house inventory and prices will probably fall. (Realtors may say otherwise, but they have a vested interest in this.)

[PenguinSix]

Do not go over the bridge. You are at the mercy of the traffic and occasionally the weather. It's gotten worse every single year and projections are that it is going to continue to get worse even if they end up building a new bridge to ease the pressure.

I'd also *strongly* second the rent first option, at least for 3 months or so. It won't kill you and you'll find out things about neighborhoods that countless 'visits' will not answer.

As for where to live, you can also look at Davidsonville and Edgewater (to the West and South of Annapolis). Some big homes going up there. South of Edgewater is very rural, pretty much as far as you can go. There are places in Shady Side and Deale (you might get a water view) and then in Calvert County in Chesapeake and North Beach (some good schools in Calvert).

But, coming from Austin, heading South is going to be a bit of a change. We're talking very very rural.

Annapolis proper still has some deals, but the city is getting more and more crowded. You are seeing sky cranes in some parts now as they throw up multi-story condo buildings (while still on narrow city roads).

[nolatx]

Great advice! Thank you!! I will definitely look into those areas to see if they are a good fit. Very helpful.

I definitely don't want to be too far out and cut off from everything. I really don't want my only option for shopping to be Walmart. Although, if it affords a water view, it might be a good trade off.

I'm curious about how extreme the weather is? More particularly, the winters. Being born in Texas and raised in Louisiana most of my life, I've never even seen snow in person. So I'm a little concerned about how to prepare myself. Other than to layer clothing and bundle up, I have no idea. Is Maryland affected by Hurricanes much each season?

Also, does anyone know of any good restaurants where I can continue to find good cajun food? The thought of having to dig around for that makes me cringe a little.

[PenguinSix]

Maryland really doesn't get severe winters. Usually when it does snow, it melts pretty quickly. Probably one 'good' snowfall a year of > 5 inches, and then two or three 1-2 inchers that go away quickly. Throw in the occasional ice storm every year or two as well.

MD does get hurricanes, but generally the majority of the state doesn't notice it much. Isabel, the last major to come through, caused flooding in Annapolis and Baltimore, and more devastation in North Beach and Chesapeake Beach and farther south in Chesapeake Ranch Estates and St. Mary's County. That was considered a pretty big storm (eventhough it was only a TS by the time it got to Maryland). Power was out for nearly a week in some parts. Generally, the storms 'hit' North Carolina's outerbanks and the coast and then make their way into the bay. It would take a nearly perfectly lined up storm to come straight up the Bay without hitting land first (and thus slowing down a bit). Isabel was close, but in the end came up 30 odd miles west of the 'straight up the bay'.

I think the last storm was Ernesto last year, but to most people, it was just rainstorm--they didn't even notice (though for those on the Bay, there was some flooding and high waves).

I did see a waterfront on Craigslist in North Beach, but you can also get them in Annapolis (to be honest, living up there would probably be easier--more restaurants, things to do, etc).


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Like people have said, rent for a few months and then buy. Will save you a great deal in the end (i.e. people buy a house basically unseen only to discover that a fire station is around the corner and they go out constantly every night, etc).

[candis]

Maryland DOES get hit hard with snow and it does NOT melt right away. In 2004 it snowed every other day at least 6 inches. The winter can be very bad here!

[JaBradshaw]

The High School in Arnold is Broadneck High School which is also an excellent school.