Why I left Maryland (Baltimore, Columbia: townhomes, unemployment, buying)

[The_Fairfaxian]

I think we can agree with one thing:

Although Maryland is crap considering its tendencies and not getting as much as you pay for in the quality of life, South Carolina as 10X worse! Something that I won't even argue with.

[crazymomkim]

I too am planning a relocation from Denver Colorado to Maryland. My spouse will go ahead of me to start his new job in December '08. I will follow with the kids in June when school is out. I grew up in Northern Virginia any my family is from the Frederick Maryland area. I have been away from home in California and Colorado for over 25 years. I'm not sure what I am coming back to. We will most likely end up somewhere in the Anne Arundel County area which I understand is quite expensive. I am a special education aide in the public elementary schools here and I hope to be able to continue this career path in Maryland. We have not chosen a place to live yet and will rent for a 12-18 months as we search out good areas and look for the right home. Any advice on areas? I have a 7th grader with some learning issues, loves playing organized sports (basketball and baseball) and a 3rd grade adopted chinese daughter. Looking for cultural diversity and openness, decent cost of living, good quality of life, just like everyone else..

[Billiam]

Originally Posted by The_Fairfaxian

I think we can agree with one thing:

Although Maryland is crap considering its tendencies and not getting as much as you pay for in the quality of life, South Carolina as 10X worse! Something that I won't even argue with.

disagreed very much with your first statement, by far the best state in the area (metro made up of MD, WV, VA - MD > West Virginia > Virginia)

[lscalder]

If you are a business minded person then Dc metro area is perfect to live and become successful.

[nocturnal rooster]

Awww C'mon dude, Maryland is much better than South Carolina.

When I lived in MD, I actually liked it aside from the lack of snowfall.

[prcg123]

I am trying to decide where the taxation is better, or I should say, less worse, between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Help. What would my property+school taxes be for a $400k home in Carroll county MD. Thanks.

[md to nc]

Originally Posted by prcg123

I am trying to decide where the taxation is better, or I should say, less worse, between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Help. What would my property+school taxes be for a $400k home in Carroll county MD. Thanks.

Each is about the same. Although I have not lived in Penn Twnship since 2003, I was paying close to $2800/year just in school taxes on a $155K house!! That said I bought at house valued at $300K in Carroll County in 2003 and by 2006 when I moved I was paying $2100/yr property tax. The advantage I saw with PA is you only had to buy a book bag for school, if you have kids. ALL the school supplied were given by the school's bought with the tax money so it was less burden to deal with back to school time.

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by md to nc

Each is about the same. Although I have not lived in Penn Twnship since 2003, I was paying close to $2800/year just in school taxes on a $155K house!! That said I bought at house valued at $300K in Carroll County in 2003 and by 2006 when I moved I was paying $2100/yr property tax. The advantage I saw with PA is you only had to buy a book bag for school, if you have kids. ALL the school supplied were given by the school's bought with the tax money so it was less burden to deal with back to school time.

Ug, I hate it when places levy a school tax on top of your property tax. A friend of mine in Long Island says she has to pay an outrageous school tax, and her village doesn't even have a school. I'm in MD, and at least I only pay one layer of property tax (though overall I wouldn't consider MD a low-tax state, I just don't know how to compare it to PA).

[North Beach Person]

A rule of thumb in MD is that schools take up about 50% of the County budget. To get the true number you have to factor out state aid, grants, etc. Your County budget would have the number somewhere. Another difference between MD and PA is that school boards in PA are their own taxing authority; in MD the taxing authority for schools are the County Commisioners/Council.
Having paid my mother's property taxes in PA for the last few years my gut feel is that property taxes in PA are higher as a proportion of house value. Of course MD has the cap on property tax increase although MD does reassess every three years, something that many jurusdictions in PA don't do. Also, an awful lot of people in MD change houses every few years and then pay taxes on the new value of the new house. And over the last few years many areas saw house values double or triple or even quadruple, which means the new owners get taxed on the new value which may have been capped for the previous owners.

[engine750wife]

Originally Posted by md to nc

Each is about the same. Although I have not lived in Penn Twnship since 2003, I was paying close to $2800/year just in school taxes on a $155K house!! That said I bought at house valued at $300K in Carroll County in 2003 and by 2006 when I moved I was paying $2100/yr property tax. The advantage I saw with PA is you only had to buy a book bag for school, if you have kids. ALL the school supplied were given by the school's bought with the tax money so it was less burden to deal with back to school time.

Yeah it will cost you several hundred dollars just for one kid in MD to get all of the supplies on the "list" every year and wait until they do to high school and the teachers expect you to go out and buy each of your kids a graphing calculator ($200+ each)...... i'm curious as to where the school tax money actually goes?