Abingdon, Maryland??? (Baltimore, Edgewood, Aberdeen: real estate, military, house hunting)

[GirlNextDoor]

Hi - I am new to this forum and this is my first post. My husband and I are looking into purchasing our first home around September. Currently we are leaning towards Bel Air and Forest Hill but I am curious about Abingdon. How is the crime? What direction do you see the community going in, in the next 5 years or so? Any info you have on Abingdon would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[toadmama]

Abingdon, like Belair and Forest Hill, is a suburb of Baltimore, but it is an older suburb. The area seems to be getting a bit more crowded and a bit less desirable every year. It and neighboring Edgewood were probably very nice communities 20 years ago, but Baltimore and its problems are creeping outward at an alarming rate. If you can afford Belair and Forest Hill, I'd focus my search there.

If you have more questions, let me know.

Toadmama

[RoadTripGurl]

Maybe because I livind in PG Countyy, and lived/worked in NJ and NY, I think Abingdon is fine. Don't let the people on the board hype up the bad parts because most of them don't live there. I can't EVER see Abingdon or any city in HARCO getting like Baltimore, or going down that badly. Abingdon, and Edgewood have some very nice areas (off rte. 24), but others shoot it down like its a war torn city. I have friends that live in Abingdon, and it is very nice and quiet. All of Harfard is getting crowded because of the BRAC, thousands of more people are moving into HARCO in all cities. I never really here anything about crime, but HARCO in general is very very low crime (way lower than the B'more). besides, the Sherriff's Office pretty much keep things under control. I consider Abingon to be very nice, Bel Air and the likes are little more expensive than Abingon. I would come and check it out for yourself, only you can determine whether or not its for you. You might like some of the neighborhoods in that area.

[GirlNextDoor]

Thanks so much for your replies! I am def. going to take a look at all 3 cities. One of my main concerns is resale value. We are only looking at living in our first house 5-7 years but I want to make sure the city isn't going downhill fast. Hopefully the house will appreciate in value and the area will be a place people are still looking at when we want to sell. I actually grew up in PG County and believe that anything has got to be better but as I just said I am concerned about resale since a house is an investment.

Thanks again and I appreciate anymore input that can be added!

[RoadTripGurl]

i highly doubt that the resale value would be low. Like I said, the BRAC is sending people from Ft. Monmouth to APG and people are already looking for properties as we speak. being that Abingdon, is near WalMart, Target, I-95, 40, Edgewood MARC and APG gates, I think a lot of people will find it attractive. In 5-7 years, It will be a lot more crowded with the military folks. The real estate in Harfard is a steady incline compared to the other counties where it ballooned, so you can expect a decent amount on a sale by that time.

[rubytue]

We have been looking for a home in Harford county since mid-Dec. We finally picked on in Havre de Grace, but we spent a lot of time looking in Abingdon. What I learned is that Abingdon is generally priced a bit lower than Bel Air, and its mostly b/c of the schools. School system seems to be a HUGE deal here in Harford County, and everyone pushed Bel Air schools. Most of Abingdon goes to Edgewood schools, which have the worst reputation in the county. There are a couple of subdivisions (Box Hill North, Broadview, and that area) that do go to Bel Air schools, and they are prices a bit higher. From everything we learned, if you buy in Bel Air, you can be pretty sure your property will always be in demand.

We decided on Havre de Grace mostly because most of the Abindon subdivsions seemed to be heavily loaded with young families, and we don't have kids and aren't a huge fan of having them run around our yard. Instead, we moved to an older (1960s) neighborhood with retirees. Also, when looking at Abingdon homes, be aware that a lot of them were put up very quickly but spec builders, and frankly, the not-so-great quality shows. We saw several 10 year old houses with major foundation issues. We also saw some really nice houses, and even put an offer in on one (but were outbid).

I'm fairly new to Harford, but pretty familiar with the current housing market due to spending 4 months looking at probably 40 or 50 homes from Joppa to Bel Air to Havre de Grace. So let me know if you have any questions! (or need a referal to the worlds most patient realtor LOL)

Oh, one thing about BRAC - the majority of the moving won't be coming for 3 to 5 years. Not that people aren't trickling in, but the mass influx is still a couple years off. I'd highly suggest buying before that happens. But, keep in mind, lots of sellers right now are pricing for the NJ folks coming in with BRAC. :\

[GirlNextDoor]

Thanks so much, rubytue! I think that is about all the questions I have for now as we are going to wait 2 more months before we begin looking, but I would love a referal for your realtor. Actually, did you look at Forest Hill at all? What are your thoughts? Thanks again!

[kirstie707]

If you're looking at resale value as well, then Belair and Forest Hill are the way to go. That area is growing and it's really nice....Havre De Grace is nice as long as you're not too close to downtown. My friend's father was mayor there a short time ago....

[o_arlene]

I used to lived in Bel Air and now live in Abingdon and haven't notice the difference. But I moved like 20 minutes from my previous house. Abingdon its great location its good. I live in Box hill so kids go to bel air schools. But if I were to choose I would say Bel air houses are kind of expensive in this area so good luck.

Stay away from edgewood and aberdeen

[slug1]

I have lived in Bel Air for 25 yrs. Abingdon was mostly built after the early 90's. Abingdon is mostly townhouses and condos and is somewhat congested.
The schools are best in Fallston and Bel Air. Worst in Aberdeen and Edgewood and east of I-95. I would not send my children to Edgewood Schools. Aberdeen has a new H.S. building but academically it is not good.
Looking on a map can be deceiving. Please understand what the time and distances are. From Bel Air to the APG, one take Rt 22 straight across. It is about 15 miles. Average driving time is 25 minutes. I suspect it will take a minute or two more in the future. From Abingdon it is about 9-10 miles and about 15 minutes. You can reach APG from ANY point in Harford County in less than one hour.
Keep in mind the major shopping area is Bel Air. Every big box retailer in the world has a store there. Again, keep in mind the distance from Abingdon to Bel Air is only about 3-4 miles on Rt 24.
I do not recommend the company or have anything to do with them but I have found the Long and Foster website to the best for internet house hunting. It gives you the most options, information and is easy to navigate.
They have a lot of pictures, links to maps, etc. It will give you a good overview of the area.
Generally, it gets nicer the further you go north from 95. That said, in Havre De Grace there is a large new homes community called Bulle Rock. You might want to check that. Welcome to Harford County.