Hubby works in Newark, DE and I work in Germantown, MD. where to live? HELP! (Baltimore: how much, wedding)

[Germantown_girl]

All,

Im engaged to be married
My fiance works in Newark, DE and I work in Germantown.
WE would very much like to live together after our wedding (which in in 3 months )
Please suggest some places where we can live..
Switching our jobs (for atleast a year) is not an option. and Im scared of the 495 traffic. I dont want him to travel 120 * 2 miles evryday either.

Thanks for the help!
Germantown_girl

[jmking]

You've got troubles already if you can't take the beltway. Otherwise I'd suggest Annapolis or just over the bay bridge on eastern shore. Not up to speed with the Baltimore area but that sounds like your only option.

[CHIP72]

Any way one of you can switch jobs, or that you can search for a different future husband? (I'm just kidding on the second one.) Seriously, one or both of you WILL have a hellish commute if you try to split the difference between Germantown, MD and Newark, DE. It would literally be a lot easier if your jobs were in Washington, DC (or somewhere near a Metro station) and Wilmington, DE because Amtrak would be an option. Actually, Amtrak might possibly be an option for your husband, but Amtrak service to Newark, DE is very limited and the station is also not within walking distance of the University of Delaware (which is where I'm guessing your husband would be working).

There are really no good options I can see. Probably the "best of the worst" options would be to live in or very close to Baltimore near I-95 and for you to use US 29 and lower volume roads far from the DC Beltway between the Columbia area and Germantown to get to your job. (Your future husband of course would just use I-95 northeast to Newark.)

[Germantown_girl]

Jmking n Chip. thank u for the answers
He actually works in Wilmington DE. In that case is living near 270 an option?
I m pretty new to the MD area so I do not have much idea. thanks

[CHIP72]

Working in Wilmington makes a significant difference, if your soon-to-be husband's job is in downtown Wilmington - the Wilmington train station (which IMO is pretty nice BTW) is just south of the downtown area. I'm pretty sure Amtrak offers monthly passes for commuter travel along the Northeast Corridor; I know they do for the Keystone Corridor (i.e. between Harrisburg and Philadelphia) and they also do for Philadelphia-New York commuters.

IF your fiance works close to the Wilmington train station and can walk to his job from there (or if a shuttle bus or frequent service DART bus is available - DART is the public transit provider in Delaware), then you definitely want to live closer to Germantown to minimize your commute. A good possibility would be somewhere near BWI Airport; there is an Amtrak station very close to the airport. BWI is between Baltimore and Washington but closer to Baltimore. If you did live near BWI, I would strongly recommend taking back roads far north of the DC Beltway to travel between the BWI area and Germantown. Depending on your combined income, I also wouldn't rule out somewhere in or very close to Washington itself, provided the location is near the Metro (and preferably near the Metro Red Line - that line serves Union Station directly). Finally, the Mount Vernon section of Baltimore, which is within walking distance of Baltimore Penn Station, is also a possibility, but then your commute gets more annoying.

Incidentally, Amtrak trains come with electrical outlets at each seat, so your soon-to-be husband could get some work done both before and after he's at the office.

[WannaComeHome]

If one or the other of you isn't willing to move to the other state, you're in trouble already. Even if you take Chip's advice and your fiance takes the train, then you're dooming him to at least 4 hours of commuting time every day regardless of whose doing the 'driving'! And you want to see him when around an 8 hour work day???

And don't forget the taxes. If one of you makes any money in DE, and you file jointly, then DE will tax your joint income - not just his.

So how much do you love each other? Who's willing to get a job in the other state? Otherwise, your best bet might be somewhere around York PA - and you both have an ugly commute.

[Mike from back east]

Simply NOT workable.

[Germantown_girl]

wow.. it is more difficult than I initially thought it would be..
Im leaning towards columbia now..

@ Wannacomehome.. Even if he works in DE but lives in MD. do we still have to pay DE taxes?
Thanks,
Germantown_girl

[WannaComeHome]

Oh yes! if any money is made in DE, regardless of where you live, you will have to file DE taxes. They will do a percentage of your joint income, supposedly you might be able to deduct that tax off your MD tax... but it never comes out as well as it should. (we've had to do this a few times because of a house/property sale)

Decide who has the best paying job, or the least portable job and move accordingly. You'll likely be happier in the long run.

[Germantown_girl]

thats terrible.. may be we could maintain a DE address for him and a maryland address for me and file taxes separately?