Help..moving to maryland (Baltimore, Ellicott City: real estate, to rent, crime)

[mochabizniswmn]

I was born here in Baltimore Maryland, and all of my family is here, however my mom was the child that moved to Charlotte, NC..and I was here for 30 years of my life.now I am at a point in my life I want to be close to family..I have 5 sons (18,12,11,10,9) and my fiance' lives here..I am looking for a good area in the suburbs I currently live in an Elite upper class area in Lake Norman Nc which is the suburbs of Charlotte, NC in homes starting at 550k and my kids are in private school. I want to put them in public schools, being an entrepreneur my franchise will also be opnening here so employment is not an issue...I have looked in Bel Air, Hagerstown, West Minister, Clinton, and White Marsh thus far...PLEASE HELP AND BE TOTALLY HONEST..I WANT THE TRUTH UNCUT AND UNCENSORED...this is my life and my kids involved and I would appreciate all honesty!! Tell me more about schools, racism, crime and all that..being from Charlotte per say trust me the south is still ignorant in a lot of areas and being a successful minority TRUST ME..i get harrassed just because of that!! We are taxed for everything and it is till on the rise..I know that it will balance itself out but I want something close to Baltimore with a small commute wheN i need to visit my grandmother..tell me the city and the county for which it is in if you don't mind..most relatives are still in Bmore my brothers one is in Bel Air..nice area I feel over priced and one is in Baltimore County..nice area still looking for the right home..I want yard..and SPACE...my current home is 6500 sq feet heated not including 3 car garage..willing to go smaller but want quality..I just want to rent for now, bc I will not be selling my cUrrent 2 homes in NC...and then I can see if the area is a fit for me...HELP ME PLEASE

[DDJJ]

Bel Air is in Harford County. I live in Ha County myself and prefer it to Baltimore County, property taxes there are higher, too. If you want all your kids in public schools, more space and so on... this might be a choice for you: Fallston is a nice place, right next to Bel Air and it has many large mansions with big lots, also IMHO the best schools. Another place to look for you might be the Churchville area. I personally like the "country" feel and there are many large, new homes in nice neighborhoods with really large yards (acres). Maybe even Forest Hill. There are many areas in Harford County that have what you are looking for. As for diversity, I don't see a problem. I guess there are places where that is an issue since people ask about it all the time on this board. If I were you I would talk to a couple of real estate agents, get a few opinions and compare what they say.
By the way I have family in Fallston and they don't lock their doors or cars half the time. Not that anywhere is completely safe but I think the rural areas here are good.

[charliegr]

Have you thought about looking into Ellicott City in Howard County. The schools are supposed to be excellent- lots of homes available in that price range and it is in close proximity to Baltimore as well as being a safe area. It seems to be a somewhat upscale area. There is an adorable old historic Main Street with restaurants, bakeries and antique stores as well. We looked into moving there recently and one of the reasons we were attracted to the area was because if it's racial diversity. We are a mixed race couple, with a biracial child and 2 adopted children from Ethiopia and Ellicott City and it's schools was the area we felt most comfortable in moving to after researching many areas. We are still working on moving up there. I am sure that there are others, perhaps residents, on this forum who can describe Ellicott City better than I, but I was definitely impressed.

[gettingyouloans]

Howard County is your best bet. Schools are much better then Baltimore county, crime is lower and there are more homes available for you and your family to stretch your legs a little bit. Homes are a little more expensive but it is worth the investment for your family. I live in Clarksville and it is a 25 min trip to Baltimore or DC. If i can help you out with anything eles PM me anytime.

[glorybeecosta]

If you want a laid back but fun life style Easton, MD is nice, as is other areas. I am in real estate here and I understand you can buy more for the money in the Carolines, but this is a beautiful area.

[naptown!]

Best schools in the Baltimore area are in Ellicott City and Severna Park. Both are safe areas. Severna Park is more affluent, and Ellicott city is closer to Baltimore.

[pczeno]

can single people have a life in easton? i'm a single woman...early 40s.