Can I continue to afford to live in Maryland? (Aberdeen: hardwood floors, apartment) - (MD) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

nvared · 08-22-2010, 01:34 PM

If you are on SSDI and in your early 30's, I would definitely look somewhere that maybe is less stressful plus has a decent medical system. How about maybe Columbia, SC? You would be 2 hours from your dad, it's a decent enough size of a city, and it has a university. You may not be on SSDI forever-I would work very hard on improving your quality of life. Your quality may just not be there in MD. Friends can be made anywhere.

sephiro499 · 08-23-2010, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nvared

If you are on SSDI and in your early 30's, I would definitely look somewhere that maybe is less stressful plus has a decent medical system. How about maybe Columbia, SC? You would be 2 hours from your dad, it's a decent enough size of a city, and it has a university. You may not be on SSDI forever-I would work very hard on improving your quality of life. Your quality may just not be there in MD. Friends can be made anywhere.

Yes that is part of my issue; I don't want to move to an area with no opportunities. I know I'm not going to be on disability forever. It'll take years but this is a necessity not a lifestyle choice. Having my own space will actually go a long way. I do not do well with anyone in my personal space. Nor do I do well with guests and people I don't know (roommates with friends over, etc). The frantic nature of where I do well is actually a detriment to me living my life (TRAFFIC, etc).

nvared · 08-26-2010, 04:05 PM

I understand about traffic, anxiety and also about being around friends. If traffic, money issues, etc. are increasing your anxiety, you will have a vicious circle. Having a support system would be good and that's why I thought being close to your dad but being in an area where there are younger people and a bigger place but not too big might be good. You will have cheaper options for housing that are safer too than Baltimore. Sometimes a person has to bite the bullet for something better to occur down the road.

sephiro499 · 09-25-2010, 03:37 AM

Thanks everyone for the replies. I've been looking in Ohio, since according to this:

Cost of Living 2nd Quarter 2010

It has a low cost of living and low housing prices. I've seen 3br houses for rent for 400 dollars on craigslist. It's also within driving distance from frederick md (sure it's an all day thing at 8hrs but doable). Does anyone have experience with this state? I was looking at Dayton ohio since it's about an 1 hour away from 2 cities, cincinnati, and columbus and 2hr from indianapolis.

Renting would certainly be the best option at first. I generally shy away from apartment complex due to the soulless corporations or real estate trusts who own them, lowest common denominator apt management companies, noise, privacy etc.

I've only rented one apt in a complex before and what I mainly disliked about it was privacy. I could hear my upstairs neighbor when they walked around and could hear neighbors through the wall. Does anyone with extensive apartment living have any insight, as in are all apt complexes like this?

JainaSJedi · 10-12-2010, 07:52 AM

Ohio! Let me tell you my story. I moved to Maryland 2 years ago from Ohio to take a contract job at APG. I really wish I hadn't. It was a major change and way too stressful. I'm still renting a room in a townhouse because that's all I can afford; and I am on my 4th townhouse due to crappy roommates. In Ohio, I had my own one bedroom apartment. The biggest issue for me was sticker shock. Everything was more expensive, and my pocketbook is still trying to make up the gap. I wish I could go back to Ohio, but the job market really sucks right now. Maryland has more jobs available, but you will pay for it. Since I've paid off my car I am looking into traveling for a while. I'm burnt out and in need of a break.

gosling357 · 10-14-2010, 12:20 PM

I recently moved from Maryland to Newark, DE. Things are much less expensive here. I rent a 2-bedroom condo with w/d and 2 bathrooms on the water for $895. You can certainly find a cheaper place than that if you don't require that much space. It's about an hour from Baltimore so you could still get medical care there if you want, but there is also excellent medical care here...it's about 20 mins from Wilmington and a half hour from Philly if you needed to get to another big city quickly.

searching4... · 10-15-2010, 12:31 AM

Hi, I really feel for ya. I've always said "Give me depression over anxiety ANY day" ... worst feeling on God's green earth!

I was wondering ... if you moved out of state, wouldn't you have to stop your Maryland SSDI and apply for it in the new state? Unless you had someone here whose address you could use, I suppose. Seems a shame - to move all that way just to get some affordable peace and quiet. I bought my condo before the housing boom in Columbia - 1 bedroom - for 82k. It's quiet enough although on rare occasions I hear my neighbors. Fortunately I'm surrounded by mostly professionals & reasonable people so we all work together when someone is being bugged by noise, smells, etc. Probably rare to find this level of cooperation, sadly. The bldgs in my development are concrete (floors/ceilings) so you hear a LOT less than in average apt/condo devp'ts. Seems like maybe Catonsville would have someplace. Or Westminster but I think you said you've checked all that out. I will keep thinking ..... good luck to you! Maybe you could look at a fixer-upper that is being sold cheaply.

Incidentally, I am a therapist and several of my clients are on SSDI with anxiety and/or other issues. It does get better, so keep plugging away! You're young and on your way to a better life --- good for you! Only the strong decide to pursue therapy so give yourself a pat on the back and keep up the good work : )))

searching4... · 10-15-2010, 01:11 AM

so, I just did a quick perusal of the realtor website - it looks like there's several houses around 100k in Frederick - although, they are townhouses which may not be what you want. There was also an interesting looking one on Main St in Manchester, I think it was for 110k but I'm sure you could get them down. Also one for 100k or less on Fusting Ave in Catonsville. They're not going to be great, obviously, at that price but maybe doable with some elbow grease and imagination. You're probably pretty creative, no? I've had pretty good luck in townhouses - you just need to make sure the neighborhood is ok. When I bought my place I knew the development had a repuation of being in a cruddy part of town, but I knew my development specifically had a good Board of Directors and was a solid community. There were decent cars on the lot and I even knocked on doors nearby to get resident's impression of the area. Buying cheap doesn't have to mean you end up in a bad, more anxiety-provoking area. Just gotta use your head as you look around, but an 8 hour drive to your med. appts shouldn't feel like your only option.

searching4... · 10-15-2010, 01:38 AM

oops, one more thought then i'm off to bed. check out York, PA. close to md. so you'll be near friends but cheap area. i think there are some not great areas there but there's a couple sweet brick cape cods that are 100k that look like they might be decent areas. in fact, one is so nice that if you don't buy it, i'm gonna : )

good luck!!!

dkf747 · 10-15-2010, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by searching4...

I was wondering ... if you moved out of state, wouldn't you have to stop your Maryland SSDI and apply for it in the new state?

No. SSDI comes from Social Security, not the states. Some states add to it, but the SSDI is the same whichever state you move to. I've had it in 4 states.