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I'm looking to get out of my rental apartment and buy a townhouse this summer. Having lived in single family homes most of my life, I do have concerns about townhouse developments. I could be wrong, but I would bet that they are full of people who are just passing through, including some renters sprinklered in.
There seem to be affordable townhouses in the Marlton Village and Kings Grant developments. Can any tell me if these developments are clean, safe communities? Marlton Village apparently had some drug arrests years ago. I do not need fancy, just a decent place that will retain its value. I will have two young children with me.
Also, I would love a fenced-in yard, which lends itself to a fee simple ownership. Are these developments condos or fee simple?
I really can't tell you too much about Marlton Village. My son's friend lived there when it had a rather poor reputation, but I don't think that it was ever really terrible. A little more recently, his other friend's aunt bought a place there (eight years ago?) and seems to like it. My son has stayed there with his friend when he was pet sitting for the weekend. The police didn't show up in the neighborhood and it was rather quiet at night. That said, there's a lot of traffic on Old Marlton Pike and I wouldn't want to live that close to Rt. 70.
Kings Grant is a very large development. It's not one big homogeneous place; it's a series of neighborhoods, some more upscale than others. I used to live there and loved it. Other than Carmel, CA, it's one of the nicest places I've ever lived.
I took a ride through a few different townhouse developments today. I could definitely tell right away that Marlton Village isn't my cup of tea. It's really dense with no yards and small units.
Kings Grant....hmmm. Well, for starters, I see what you mean about it not being a homogeneous place. It's a very random and odd development. It feels a little more lake resort than suburban, and I'm not so sure I like that. Certainly, the lake and outdoor activities seem like a huge plus, but some of the streets I turned into were hit or miss. They all have completely different architectural styles, that's for sure. I think my fears about townhouses could be legit. No one seemed to have any care or concern about the front porch, front yard, etc. It just had more of a renter's vibe to me. It felt a little too far too, though only about 3 miles from where I am now. Gerania, I'd be curious to know what part you lived in. The inner ring development seemed nicer than the outer ring.
I'm thinking in my price range, maybe a single family fixed upper might be best. Can anyone else recommend any affordable townhouses in Marlton, Cherry Hill, or Mt.Laurel?
Invertigo, when I moved to Kings Grant, I lived on Berkshire Way. I think the neighborhood was called Little Mill. Everything was pretty all of the time. That neighborhood is a mix of townhomes and single family homes. There's a tiny pond at the bottom of Berkshire, a tot lot, and some playground equipment for older children about half a block away. We were lucky to rent there because most people owned their homes.
When the owner--on short notice--decided to sell, we moved to Virginia Court in the Willliamsburg section. It wasn't quite as nice as the other neighborhood, though it did have a tot lot and two tennis courts. That neighborhood has townhomes and condos. More people rented than in the other neighborhood. All? of the people who rented were solid. My son's elementary school teacher lived there, as did a middle school teacher, air traffic control guy at the Philly airport, the DEA guy and the military family, some retirees. I might not buy there because of the rentals, though. Majestic Way near the golf course is beautiful. It's one of my favorite streets in the neighborhood.
Lipinski does most of the landscaping and outdoor maintenance in the neighborhood. Some of the HOA's choose to spend less money or choose a different company. It shows.
It is like living in a lake resort; I loved that about the neighborhood. My son camped in the neighbor's yard, won a ridiculously large trophy at the annual fishing derby and got to roam the area on foot and bike. The elementary school is in the neighborhood and the middle school and high school are not far away. There's a pharmacy across the street, and I must say, that came in handy.
I didn't get the good "vibe" when I look at properties in Kings Grant years ago. There were nice houses but there isn't a consistency.
I'm under 200k, unfortunately. I think with that budget, I can't afford the better communities.
I agree about Kings Grant. I'd be nervous to buy in a decent mini-neighborhood when the next one down is not so nice. One street had the homes right on a gravel street, no front yard, and it was kind of run down looking. Others had more of a formal colonial vibe with decent sidewalks and respectable front yards. It's one of the strangest developments I have seen. Just my opinion though.
Invertigo, when I moved to Kings Grant, I lived on Berkshire Way. I think the neighborhood was called Little Mill. Everything was pretty all of the time. That neighborhood is a mix of townhomes and single family homes. There's a tiny pond at the bottom of Berkshire, a tot lot, and some playground equipment for older children about half a block away. We were lucky to rent there because most people owned their homes.
When the owner--on short notice--decided to sell, we moved to Virginia Court in the Willliamsburg section. It wasn't quite as nice as the other neighborhood, though it did have a tot lot and two tennis courts. That neighborhood has townhomes and condos. More people rented than in the other neighborhood. All? of the people who rented were solid. My son's elementary school teacher lived there, as did a middle school teacher, air traffic control guy at the Philly airport, the DEA guy and the military family, some retirees. I might not buy there because of the rentals, though. Majestic Way near the golf course is beautiful. It's one of my favorite streets in the neighborhood.
Lipinski does most of the landscaping and outdoor maintenance in the neighborhood. Some of the HOA's choose to spend less money or choose a different company. It shows.
It is like living in a lake resort; I loved that about the neighborhood. My son camped in the neighbor's yard, won a ridiculously large trophy at the annual fishing derby and got to roam the area on foot and bike. The elementary school is in the neighborhood and the middle school and high school are not far away. There's a pharmacy across the street, and I must say, that came in handy.
I don't think I came across Berkshire in my travels. I appreciate all of your insight, however.
Only thing I don't like about Stonegate is that if feels a bit congested. Location wise, it's a convenient location.
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