Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Maryland
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 12-23-2011, 03:40 PM
 
129 posts, read 160,748 times
Reputation: 85

Advertisements

I'll relocate to Maryland because of work.
The job is in Baltimore, but I may also need to work in DC, or even NOVA occasionally.
Can someone please recommend a few places in between Baltimore & DC?

We're a young couple w/ a toddler, looking for a safe neighborhood to live.
We prefer single family house, in the range of $250 - $350K.
School district doesn't need to be top notch, but should be somewhat decent.
We'd also like to have shops & restaurants nearby, instead of having to drive a good distance to places.

How is Laurel?
According to Mapquest, it's a 30 min drive to Baltimore or DC.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 12-23-2011, 03:42 PM
 
1,106 posts, read 2,882,088 times
Reputation: 417
I would go for Laurel.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-23-2011, 03:51 PM
 
Location: Sneads Ferry, NC
13,368 posts, read 27,015,812 times
Reputation: 6980
Quote:
Originally Posted by rsh56 View Post
I would go for Laurel.
Agreed. There will not be single-family houses in that price range in Columbia or Ellicott City.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-23-2011, 04:07 PM
 
129 posts, read 160,748 times
Reputation: 85
Thank you both for the quick reply.
Is there a reason that houses are cheaper in Laurel?
Is it because there are more crimes?
We're willing to pay more to be in a safe city/town.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-23-2011, 04:36 PM
 
Location: Sneads Ferry, NC
13,368 posts, read 27,015,812 times
Reputation: 6980
Quote:
Originally Posted by cooky01 View Post
Is there a reason that houses are cheaper in Laurel? Is it because there are more crimes?
No, I think there are two factors. 1. Distance from the cities. Laurel is relatively far from both Baltimore and DC. 2. Schools. People pay lots more to be in the better quality school districts in Howard and Montgomery County.

It is confusing, but Laurel is spread over three counties: Prince George, Howard and Anne Arundel. In addition, if you are in the city limits of Laurel, there are additional city property taxes.

The budget you mentioned, $250-350 will not get you much in a single family house. It would typically buy a rancher or cape-cod, or an older Colonial. There are some bargains in the Carriage Hill development in 20707. Please check a real-estate site, and see what you like.

If you could go with a townhouse, I suggest the Russett development in the AA County part of Laurel. It is a very nice planned community near the BW Parkway. It would give you good access to the commuter routes.

Last edited by goldenage1; 12-23-2011 at 05:00 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-23-2011, 04:37 PM
 
Location: Sneads Ferry, NC
13,368 posts, read 27,015,812 times
Reputation: 6980
Quote:
Originally Posted by cooky01 View Post
How is Laurel?
According to Mapquest, it's a 30 min drive to Baltimore or DC.
The drive times are totally unrealistic for rush-hour. I would double that if you have to get downtown in either city.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-23-2011, 05:01 PM
 
1,106 posts, read 2,882,088 times
Reputation: 417
It's 34 on google maps. 42 to get to DC. They are long drives with rush hour. But you have 2 options to get to either city. Laurel is sandwiched between the BW Parkway and I-95 but as mentioned, it's boundaries are very odd and confusing to define.

The crime is not high in Laurel so it won't be a concern.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-26-2011, 09:01 AM
 
129 posts, read 160,748 times
Reputation: 85
How is Owings Mills?
We found some nicer houses at more reasonable prices there, but were wondering if there's any caveat.

Is it a safe city to raise a family in?
It's in the Baltimore county.
How's the school district there?

thx
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-26-2011, 07:39 PM
 
5 posts, read 8,597 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by cooky01 View Post
How is Owings Mills?
We found some nicer houses at more reasonable prices there, but were wondering if there's any caveat.

Is it a safe city to raise a family in?
It's in the Baltimore county.
How's the school district there?

thx
All great questions.

Looking forward to any and all responses you receive.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Maryland
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:39 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top