Job at Andrews AFB (Bowie, Clinton: apartment, foreclosures, condos)

[PrISM]

I currently live in Kansas, but I recently got a job working at Andrews AFB and I'd like a couple of good places to start looking for housing. I've been to DC only once so I'm not real familiar with much of anything there. I'm in my early 20s and single so I'm mainly looking for an apartment/condo/town home and not a full blown house. Some people have been telling me that the crime in Maryland is outrageous, but I don't know if they're just telling me horror stories. So what are some places to start looking that have lower crime rates?

[Ex-Ithacan]

The folks telling you about the crime problems are correct as far as the area around Andrews. I think your best bet for housing might be the Bowie area if you want to stay in PG county. Another option might be Crofton. I think a short commute would be worth the effort to stay in a safer hood, and you might have more options for price ranges. Good luck on the move. Andrews is a nice base, and you might end up meeting some of the world leaders(they and the White House folks fly in and out of there).

[teleblazer]

Originally Posted by PrISM

I currently live in Kansas, but I recently got a job working at Andrews AFB and I'd like a couple of good places to start looking for housing. I've been to DC only once so I'm not real familiar with much of anything there. I'm in my early 20s and single so I'm mainly looking for an apartment/condo/town home and not a full blown house. Some people have been telling me that the crime in Maryland is outrageous, but I don't know if they're just telling me horror stories. So what are some places to start looking that have lower crime rates?

Crime is a problem in PG (Prince George's County) but not all over Maryland. Many of the counties are quite safe. I live in Calvert county and drive about 30-40 minutes to get to Andrews when I report for reserves duty. It's not bad.

What you will find though is the safer the county the higher the premium for a place to live. We're very big into the "McMansions" out here so that full blown house you mentioned is everywhere.

There are some affordable housing options in the condos but the perception of "affordable" is a bit skewed. Many condos today cost what houses did 5 years ago.

Good luck with your search...

[PrISM]

Originally Posted by teleblazer

I live in Calvert county and drive about 30-40 minutes to get to Andrews when I report for reserves duty. It's not bad.

I'll be in the reserves as well (I'm active duty right now), but I'll also be an ART (Air Reserve Technician) so my commute would be daily. I think I saw a couple of people mention that Howard County is a nice place. Is this correct? What kind of a commute would that be?

[Ex-Ithacan]

Howard is nice, but a lot of it is a bit more pricey than the average in Calvert and Anne Arundel. The commute might be more aggravating also. Not really a direct route to Andrews without bumping into much of the DC commute.

[teleblazer]

Originally Posted by PrISM

I'll be in the reserves as well (I'm active duty right now), but I'll also be an ART (Air Reserve Technician) so my commute would be daily. I think I saw a couple of people mention that Howard County is a nice place. Is this correct? What kind of a commute would that be?

Howard is a bit of a haul from Andrews AFB. If you want shoprter commutes with a decent living area that's safe, etc... you'll end up paying for it. Unfortunately Howard is very nice but a little more expensive than say Anne Arundel and Calvert counties.

Just because of the type of person I am I would recommend getting as much house as you can (without taking food off the table for yourself) in a safe place with good schools. Even if you don't sprout a family anytime soon it helps with your resale options later should you take your ART position to another base.

Just my 0.02 cents worth...

[toje11321]

I live in Clinton, MD, Andrews is located here. Crime is NOT bad here. We have Citizens Advisory groups that have direct access to the Prince Georges County Police. Considering the number police, of which are inadequate, I feel they do an outstanding job. Major Morris is the Commander here in District V. He is very approachable and down to earth. Chief High has made outstanding accomplishments since he has been chief. He walked into a hornets nest. In the three years he has been here, he has worked miracles with this department. Prince Georges County is county governed, and he opened doors for other Police departments (memorandum of agreements), to help. Sure there are horror stories, but thats what the news wants you to hear, shock and awe. Inside the beltway, crime does start to worsen. Alot of times people must investigate areas on their own, not by news or radio.
toje

[PrISM]

What kind of area is Upper Marlboro?

[toje11321]

It's in transition from being rural to more neighborhoods. Rt. 301 has alot of lights. The way around that is usually to take Rt. 4 (Pennsylvania Ave.). Average priced home starts at 330,000. Upper Marlboro is the where the County courthouse is located, as well as County Municipal Building. (County Seat) This is where Prince Georges County Fair is held every year. The housing market is going way up in that area. Huge homes with gated communities. It's a beautiful area, I just hope they can keep it that way. The crime isn't bad. Most of the time people must use common sense. Don't leave valuables in your car. Don't go where you think it may not be safe,

[TeamBenya]

These are all very good comments that have been made. I have a client in Germany right now that is preparing to be transferred to AAFB, and he's looking in the bowie/crofton area. There's a lot of homes available right now, and the prices have dipped quite a bit in the last year due to the high rate of foreclosures in PG County.