Considering Relocating with Kids & Pets (Baltimore: apartment, houses, to buy)

[suzski]

I grew up in Highlandtown. My parents still live there and most of my family (siblings, cousins, etc.) live in the surrounding areas of Baltimore.

I moved away 28 years ago and have been in Oregon for 24 years. I'm now getting a divorce and want to move back.

My daughter is 10 and son is a college freshman at cc and still lives with me. We have a cat that refuses to stay inside, a big dog that initially barks when I leave, bird, guinea pigs, etc.

Here I have a large house, in a community that's only about 17 year old, a big yard on cul de sac in very safe community with great schools. The houses around here cost around $450K / $5K a year property tax. We bought when prices were lower. Ultimately $250K is about the max I can handle if taxes aren't ridiculous.

I can't live in an apartment because of the pets. The cat is not accustomed to traffic at all; our yard is heavily treed with yards surrounding ours.

So, are there any areas in Maryland that sound like they'd work for my situation or am I stuck in rainy Oregon?

Thank you for any assistance. Marylanders are some of the friendliest people in the country!!!!

[lrinpa]

Hi!

My parents also grew up in Highlandtown, and we were married there as well.

Have you considered a move to Southern PA? My husband works in Baltimore, and we were able to buy a home with great schools, yard, etc for a very affordable price. We are just 15 minutes over the stateline, and very close to 83. There are some great homes on the market for 250K- you can get more house for your money in PA. We had trouble finding a home like you mentioned for that price in the Baltimore Metro area.

I hope this helps, and feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

[LittleBlackDogs]

Ah, Oregon! It's funny, because that's where I'd love to move to! Beautiful coast, snow-covered mountains, fresh evergreen air.... But, I understand wanting to be near family. I agree that you may not be able to find exactly what you're looking for in the Baltimore metro area, but if you go a bit farther out, I'm sure there will be something that will work. Good luck!

P.S. Thanks for thinking about your pets, too! It's sad and frustrating when people dump their pets because of a move, so it's so nice to see when others consider them part of the family and look for appropriate housing.

[westsideboy]

There are parts of Maryland that have houses priced in your range, and the rural feel you want. They just aren't close to Highlandtown. Are you willing to live 2.5 hours away from Baltimore to find what you want? Do you need a job to relocate? If so, in what field?

[sandkrab]

Try Carroll or Harford counties.