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We are thinking of relocating further north from a Charleston, SC burb due primarily to hurricane fatigue as it gets harder every year as we get older, but also because we came from a Boston burb (Newburyport) and miss all the amenities of having a big city nearby - sports, entertainment, international airport, a transit system, etc and the more cosmopolitan flavor in the north. We also have family in NoVA and would like an easier drive back home to MA. That said we don't want to venture too far north as we have gotten used to the milder climate.
We looked at NoVA as we have family in Annandale, but it seems very pricey and my niece says that traffic is a nightmare - not something we want to deal with as we age.
I'm barely familiar with MD - have only been to Annapolis (which I loved), Baltimore for business (which leaves a lot to be desired IMHO) and the Eastern Shore (Easton and St. Michaels) which was nice to visit but I could never live there - much too isolated. So trying to get a feel for what DC suburbs (love DC!) might meet our needs if any.
On our short list we've targeted the Annapolis area (I think crime in Annapolis is a bit too high to live in the city itself), as well possibly as the Capital Region (Frederick, Rockville, Takoma Park, Germantown, etc.) to explore. We are open to any other areas, but would want to be within 45 min to 1 hour max of DC so we could easily go in for events or the day maybe a couple of times a month. My husband is retired and I work from home, so commuting is not a consideration. Access to good medical care - i.e. a good hospital and specialists nearby is a high priority.
I don't know if we would buy or rent - we would at least rent for a year. If we bought we'd not want to go above 500K and would want a small house, preferably one story - 1,200 - 1,500sf or a townhouse. In the right area we might be happy renting permanently if it was a nice complex with amenities. 2K would be our max. We could get by with a 1BR but would prefer 2BR.
Are we even in the ballpark, or is this area of MD as pricey as NoVA? Also, is traffic as horrific as I've heard it is in NoVA?
We're really not urban people, more Urban/Suburban or Dense/Suburban, definitely not rural, and our sweet spot population-wise is 10K-65Kish, although a larger city that has neighborhoods that feel like small towns like Del Ray in Alexandria, VA or Rosslyn in Arlington, VA would also work.
Would love something walkable (meaning sidewalks in the neighborhoods, maybe walking trails, a "core" downtown area where one can park, get out and walk to shops and restaurants vs driving to spread out strip malls). We want somewhere progressive, not in the political sense so much, but in the sense that people are educated and open to change or at least open to discussing it. Weather-wise we're used to the heat and humidity and that doesn't bother us, nor does cold in winter, just don't want a place with a lot of snow or ice.
Looking for something that has an "intimate" feel - easy to get around, close to amenities (grocery stores, vet, doctors). Would love to be within 30 min of Whole Foods, Costco, Home Depot/Lowes sorts of places. A place that has things going on - vibrant - we like the yoga/Whole Foods/artsy kind of vibe, and want something aesthetically appealing and safe since walking a dog alone at night is part of our life. Don't care about bars or clubs as we're beyond that and don't want to live in the middle of party central.
Our home in MA was the best of both worlds and we would love to find something similar - a quaint, vibrant, artsy little city of 17K right on the water with a core downtown, lots going on (festivals, etc.), mostly independent shops and restaurants, upscale and safe (lots of people never locked their doors). Hospital, fire, police in town, doctors, dentists, vet and lots of amenities. Highly walkable with sidewalks everywhere and a rail trail and multiple parks. Historic. No big box stores but those were an easy 30-min drive away as was more advanced medical care for humans and pets (24hr pet hospital). Great surrounding towns (within a 20 min drive we could be at an orchard picking apples, or at a local farm getting grass-fed meat and fresh vegetables), easy ride to lots of other interesting places - the Cape and Islands, ME, VT, NH, RI, CT etc., and we could take the train or bus in town into Boston and be there within 45 minutes - 1 hr for a fun day trip or event.
Thanks in advance for any info/suggestions you can provide.
I don't know if we would buy or rent - we would at least rent for a year.
If we bought we'd not want to go above 500K
Like Boston... people accept crazy high prices in Big Job towns to have the big job income they want.
Sometimes it works out for them. Fewer and fewer though as trends go on.
Quote:
Are we even in the ballpark, or...
Rather uniformly... if price enters the discussion then you CAN'T afford the area.
Certainly not the nicer portions of the area.
Some retiree wisdom I picked up some where some while back:
Don't own a home that represents more than 25% of total net worth.
Don't live anywhere that the MONTHLY bills are more than the WEEKLY net income.
If we can thread that needle we'll be doing fine.
How comfortable are you living around a large Black middle class population? 500k? You would have to check out Prince Georges County, MD. There are def neighborhoods like that but most of the time Whites are not the majority. If you want a larger White presence but still lots of diversity I would look in the Hyattsville area near the University of Maryland in neighborhoods like University Park. Lots of MD Professors live there its a small family enclave and its near a shopping center that contains Whole Foods. Nice Homes and People. Also look at Bowie and Fort Washington (Tantallon). Both of whom are diverse but Majority Black middle class, Tantallon is a waterfront community near the National Harbor. Again you can't be tooo picky for only 500k
Assuming you plan to continue working from home, I don't think traffic needs to be given too much weight. Complaints really revolve around daily rush hour commutes for people who live and work in completely different parts of the region. For running errands and day-to-day stuff I don't think traffic will seriously be a quality of life concern for you, especially if you end up in or near the walkable area you seek.
Home prices are generally higher in NoVa than suburban MD. $500K budget largely eliminates MD's expensive first-ring suburbs (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, downtown Silver Spring, Takoma Park), but there are other nice options a bit further out but still within an hour of DC. Walkable retail districts for Rockville and Gaithersburg, for example, include Kentlands, Rio, Downtown Crown, Rockville Town Square, King Farm, Pike & Rose, and Park Potomac. Unfortunately, even townhomes directly in those communities will be $600K+ since they're all fairly new and there's high demand for walkability. I'd encourage you to consider condos there which would be in your budget, highly walkable, and not particularly different from living in a TH, e.g. something like this at the Kentlands: https://www.redfin.com/MD/Gaithersbu...home/143621957
If you're set on SFH or TH, being outside but nearby (1-2 miles) several of these retail cores is doable. Particularly the area around Rockville Town Square for a small house and around Downtown Crown and King Farm for a medium-size TH.
Thanks all. This was eye opening for sure, but can't say that I am surprised. Are rents out of reach as well - our budget is 2K max and we would hope for a 2BR in a nice newer complex with amenities?
That said, is Frederick, which I believe is quite a bit farther from DC - perhaps 2 hours? - that pricey as well? If no, is it due to the location or is it due to it not being a desirable community - i.e., high crime, lack of amenities, etc.
Being as far out as Frederick is and with our wish not to be in a rural community, would Frederick even be a good fit? We're wanting to move somewhere that is a little more cosmopolitan than we are now, not less.
Is Annapolis/Annapolis burbs as high-priced as Montgomery County?
Yes, we would consider a nice condo vs a townhouse depending on the regime fee if that's a thing in MD. In SC you may as well buy a SF Home because the regime fees are so high.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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^^^ Frederick, MD is 49.7 miles from Washington DC, certainly not two hours with average traffic on the road, more like 1 hr. However, it's very rare that you'll make that trip without any traffic interruptions.
Thanks all. This was eye opening for sure, but can't say that I am surprised. Are rents out of reach as well - our budget is 2K max and we would hope for a 2BR in a nice newer complex with amenities?
That said, is Frederick, which I believe is quite a bit farther from DC - perhaps 2 hours? - that pricey as well? If no, is it due to the location or is it due to it not being a desirable community - i.e., high crime, lack of amenities, etc.
Being as far out as Frederick is and with our wish not to be in a rural community, would Frederick even be a good fit? We're wanting to move somewhere that is a little more cosmopolitan than we are now, not less.
Is Annapolis/Annapolis burbs as high-priced as Montgomery County?
Yes, we would consider a nice condo vs a townhouse depending on the regime fee if that's a thing in MD. In SC you may as well buy a SF Home because the regime fees are so high.
Thanks for the info.
Frederick City is far more diverse than Newburyport in population demographics, not sure about cosmopolitan though. How are you defining that term?
Frederick County has large rural sections, but Frederick City is its own animal, connected by interstates directly to other more populated areas closer in towards D.C. and Baltimore. The city itself doesn't have a rural feel, more exurban/suburban and isn't that far out. It is only 30 miles or so away from those "inner ring" suburbs that seem a bit out of your price range.
It won't take 2 hours to get to D.C. from Frederick, but it probably over an hour to get to any destination there though. I will let posters who do that commute more regularly answer that one.
I pulled up town homes for sale in Annapolis and I am seeing quite a few below $500,000 with most in the $300's. Unfortunately, there is a "good" Annapolis and a "bad" Annapolis so more research would be needed.
As for Frederick, it would probably have all the amenities you are looking for. My son just sold his town home (3 bed / 2.5 bath) in Frederick for $369,000. It was in a desirable area and was really quite a spacious, lovely, and fairly new home.
I think your purchasing price is doable but your rental cap might be a too low for what you are looking for. Even just two bedroom apartments are running around $1,800 (in nicer areas with more amenities).
Leesburg, VA might fit a lot of what you are looking for. Having travelled a lot for Craigslist free ads, I find it to be a rather "organized" city with a lot of stores on Market St. It even has a 24 emergency pet hospital.
How comfortable are you living around a large Black middle class population? 500k? You would have to check out Prince Georges County, MD. There are def neighborhoods like that but most of the time Whites are not the majority. If you want a larger White presence but still lots of diversity I would look in the Hyattsville area near the University of Maryland in neighborhoods like University Park. Lots of MD Professors live there its a small family enclave and its near a shopping center that contains Whole Foods. Nice Homes and People. Also look at Bowie and Fort Washington (Tantallon). Both of whom are diverse but Majority Black middle class, Tantallon is a waterfront community near the National Harbor. Again you can't be tooo picky for only 500k
University Park is a tree-laden zone of SFHs in a county where stores and "necessary services" are scattershot outside of the town's borders. Yes, there is PG Plaza nearby, a Whole foods, etc. But it is in a disorganized manner that sends you in multiple directions. It's also too expensive as there are no 500k or lower houses, at least on Redfin.
The property taxes can also be brutal if you don't qualify for tax credits, as the PG county taxes are high and they are double because the municipality charges their own tax.
Based on my travels(Craigslist free ads), Chesapeake Beach is a nice place aesthetically although it will be missing a few things because it is a tad far out.
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