How much should you spend on a SFH? (Dover, Milford: hardwood floors, real estate)

[Stonecoldharbours]

What about a townhome? In Magnoila and Lewes and the area of around and in Symanra, thanks!

[Roxanna]

Since I've given you so much bad news, here's the good news. I don't know, specifically about houses in Smyrna or Magnolia, but those areas would tend to be less expensive than Dover. The new houses going up fairly near us (Dover) start around 250K for 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, with hardwood floors, granite counters, most of the stuff people are looking for these days. As you know, I'd warn you to stay out of Dover (in general, out of DE!), but you can find the housing. I know of two older houses, one with 4 and one with 5 bedrooms that sold in the 245K range recently. I don't know about asking prices in Lewes, but I'd guess quite a lot higher because the shore areas can command high prices. I like Lewes but in addition to the lack of a high quality hospital, you have to deal with a lot of congestion in the Lewes, Rehoboth, Bethany area from May through September, and, generally, much more than in the past throughout the year.

[rockky]

Roxanna is correct. Any property around Lewes will be much more expensive. There are new developments being built inland north of Lewes. The cost may be lower there. At this point, Milton is being touted as beach property!! Water view may be a fire pond or drainage ditch. I sorta kid about it and say that a water view may be an overflowing septic. Yeah. That's harsh.

Also, there's major road work going on in the Lewes/Rehoboth/Dewey area on the main drag. I doubt that it will be finished any time soon. This summer will be a nasty drive. The infrastructure has not kept up with the numbers of people coming into the area. Any emergency egress from the beach areas will be a tragic disaster. I talked to a guy who sometimes flys over the area on a summer weekend. He said there is a steady line of traffic, in both directions, from Fenwick to PA and beyond. I'm amazed at how busy the roads are there out of season as well. Lots and lots of people!!! Wonder if and when the Indian River Bridge will get started.

I've been living in Dover for the last couple of years. I'm not a fan of Dover, but it may suit the desires/needs of someone else. Everything in life is a 'compared to.....'. I grew up in south/central PA. I find the shopping to be quite limited. Medical care is moderate at best. Most people recommend going north or to MD for medical services beyond the ordinary textbook stuff.

I don't personally know much about the medical care in Lewes. I've never needed to find a practitioner since I am only there in the summer, but for many, many years the hospital was the only place to get care. Not too many years ago, if you needed a couple of stitches, you went to the police station in Bethany. They'd stitch ya up!! If I needed to use an ATM machine, I drove back to Dagsboro. That has changed. There are doctors, dentists, and ATMs in Bethany.

The area around Smyrna/Middletown is booming. New Castle County folks are migrating to 'below the canal'.

Magnolia/Fredericka areas? Check the politics. Do a search on delawareonline.com Bethany just announced they are raising taxes 100%. A woman took down trees on her property in Rehoboth and was fined several thousand dollars. She didn't get a permit to remove them from land she owns.

There's stuff about 'slower lower' DE that I've enjoyed for years, but that was at the beach. I thought when people used that term they were talking just about the beach areas. I've learned that anything south of the canal used to be considered where the 'hick cousins' lived. . Then the chicken farmers in Sussex County started selling their land to developers. Now the money is there. The quiet, friendly, uncongested aspect of Bethany is disappearing. We've learned to work around it the last few years. Heck! It may be totally gone now....I'll see this summer.

[Stonecoldharbours]

Thanks for the info...we are looking into downtown Symara or maybe Milford or the outer regions of both areas. I would love an older home, even an well maintained historic one, but I am not sure I would be in a safe area or good school district, as we willl be placed in temp housing when we move there from my hubbys employer and will just have to go and look and hopefully hook up with a "respectable real estate agent" Ugh.