Maple Lawn development, in Fulton (Baltimore, Columbia: sales, houses, neighborhood)

[JMH-MD]

We are trying to decide if purchasing new construction in the Maple Lawn community in Fulton right now is a good financial decision, given what appears to be a long-standing decline in the value and sales price of single family homes in that development. it does nit seem to be keeping step with Clarksville or even the rest of Fulton. We priced out a 5100 total square foot home (including finished basement and attic) with the builder on a sizable lot for about $930,000, which a few years ago would seem fine but now we're seeing houses still underwater and resales struggling to be sold despite multiple drops in price. Would our appraisal even come close after we've built? What are residents saying about their decision to purchase there? Is there an upswing on the horizon? Thank you.

[EducatedBro82]

Maple Lawn from what I am hearing is still a good investment. There are builders still building out there and the Retail part is still under construction as well. Maple Lawn was built during the recession so it should be further than what it is now. Also with the ICC near completion, BRAC, and other development in Columbia and Laurel, Maple Lawn is a good investment. Not to mention it is in Howard County, home of the best schools. You should be fine.

[goldenage1]

If your going to spend that much on a home, I would place it an area with comparably priced homes surrounding it like Clarksville or Glenwood.

To me, Maple Lawn still looks out-of-place. It is a dense expensive development surrounded by farmland and lower-priced homes. I don't think a $930K home there is a good investment. Honestly, I think Glenwood is a far more attractive area.

Obviously the PP has a different opinion.

[goldenage1]

I am not a realtor, but I suspect the upper end homes that hold their value more will have more acreage. I sampled a few homes in the 800K-1M range on Realtor, and they do not seem to have lost as much value as homes in Maple Lawn. A few built in the 90's have increased in sales price.

I think there is great value in having the privacy of 2-3 acres, as some listings do in Clarksville. There is a trendiness (or political correctness) in having densely packed homes as in Maple Lawn, but I think it is hard to sell to an upper-income consumer.

I agree that BRAC and the ICC will bring more consumers to look at Maple Lawn, however, most of them will not have the income to buy an 800K-1M homes.

[JMH-MD]

This is OP. Thank you for the feedback. To answer my other questions, can anyone with direct experience with Maple Lawn provide insights on whether recent appraisals have met sales prices for new construction (not resales)? Also, what are residents and locals saying about the housing prices? Any insider sense of why the resales stats are below Clarksville, even though Maple Lawn is apparently such a desired development? Thank you.

[PGC Native]

$930,000 seems quite steep for the neighborhood in all honesty. I don't see that as the best return on investment. That's in the top 1-5% of the market in the North Laurel/Fulton area. It will be hard to sell being the most expensive and luxurious home on the block. I second Clarksville, it's more affluent and more established. The public school system in Clarksville is rated higher than Fulton, which is a big factor for resale in the DC/Baltimore area. Clarksville has a better long term outlook for an investment.