Moving to Aberdeen Proving Ground (Baltimore, Edgewood: section 8, crime rates, mortgage)

[transition09]

I would like any information regarding housing and elementary and middle schools. Thanks

[d96t01]

The Harford county schools are good, but be careful as they filter in to a not so hot high school. Have you thought about Cecil County? It is right there by the water, nice small town feel, good schools, not a bad commute for you, no traffic. Also, close to DE/Baltimore for day/weekend trips. Growth is coming to the area, housing prices less than Harford.

[Regularguy123]

Welcome to Harford County!

Overall, the public school system here is fine. That said, the best High Schools in Harford (based on test scores & my humble opinion from personal experience and those of friends with kids) are Bel Air, CM Wright, Patterson Mill, Fallston and North Harford. Most if not all of the Middle and E schools feeding into these HS's are fine.

In terms of where do you want to move, if you have kids and $ allows you freedom of choice, then the top communities are: Most of Bel Air, Churchville, Fallston, Forest Hill, as well as other parts of Northern Harford County. As you proceed to look at homes north and west of Route 1, be aware that your commuting time will increase (although not sure where you plan to commute to so this may not be a concern).

Other folks on this thread may try to convince you to look at less expensive communities, which do have some nice areas, but as they say, buyer beware. I encourage you to take a visit to Havre de Grace, Aberdeen, Joppa, Joppatowne, Edgewood and make your own decision after viewing the aesthetics there. These areas also tend to have a higher % of renters, Section 8 voucher recipients and public housing. You will probably also want to check the crime rates, graduation rates, etc... before buying anywhere.

While Cecil County is more affordable than Harford, there are other factors to consider than just housing costs. While your time commuting is not deductable, a few dollars more on mortgage interest payments are. Your commuting time away from the family is not replaceable. Test score comparisons are a good starting point, but not the only thing.

Best of luck and do your homework!

[slug1]

Regularguys post is pretty accurate. I would say that Edgewood is absolutely the worst place to live. Stay away. The other lesser communities you have to be a pretty discriminating buyer. The locations north\west of I95 are the places to look. The school system is pretty good here.
Cecil County is not my cup of tea and you have to be careful of possible commuting costs. If the State ever removes the decal program over the Hatem Route 40 bridge it could cost a fortune for daily commuting.

[DDJJ]

I would never move to Cecil County. My friend moved there three years ago and thought the house was cheaper but her cost is no less as they have weird fees for things that she never paid here. She regrets it every day because she misses Harford County living. If you live in Cecil you will just end up in Harford County for everything you need to do! Schools are also better. Depending on what you are looking for you will find just about any life-style in Harford County. All the shopping is here, too.

[transition09]

Thanks for the posts. I have recieved a lot of tips for North Harford. What areas specifically will I be looking for. Schools are top priority. We are in need of Elementary and Middle School. Are there any areas that are more crowded than others?

[DDJJ]

yes, there are. I would say Bel Air is pretty crowded. That is because there is the mall and all the big stores and with the conveniences you have more people per square mile. They are building like crazy here and Abingdon also seems to be getting busier. Depending on what you are looking for and what kind of commute is acceptable to you, there are many rural areas within Harford County. The only thing about some of the rural areas is that the commute to APG is going to be all local roads and that can mean a looong drive at peak times. Have you looked at the general Churchville area? that is pretty close to APG, yet rural and still close to all shopping and so on...