I don't have much that's different to add ... in fact, I'm taking notes ! But I CAN tell you that I moved here from California.I left a garden that took me 5 years to perfect with a show for every season and even planted with fragrances and colors in mind. Soooo... when I moved here, the first year I was very depressed because I never had experienced the death and slumber that winter can bring. HOWEVER, I did learn to adjust and between mulching and propagation, I managed to pull off a rather nice garden afterall. I designed my living room to mimic a garden complete with real plants and flowers so I could still enjoy my pretties during the cold.
I live in a rural Sykesville and I absolutely LOVE it. 2 and a half acres with woods and a stream to boot. I happen to enjoy the deer/squirrels/chipmunks/rabbits... but I know they CAN be trouble to a gardener. The two closest areas to us are Eldersburg and Westminster. Both are Carroll County. They are just now really starting to grow so you have a nice selection of small businesses,cozy housing, and there's still plenty of trees and fields. With the housing market steadily declining, you could find a very nice home in either of those towns for a decent price. Lots of home schooling here but the public schools are actually pretty good at least in Carroll County. I may have traded sun for snow in the winter, but I also traded smog for CLEAN air, crime for peace... the trees are incredible to watch change colors. I keep praying mantises and lady bugs in my yard to curb the pests.
I don't know what type of business you're looking to start, but there's ample opportunity here. BTW, I NEVER liked history until I moved here, it's an absolute treasure trove of historical places that will awaken your appreciation for the human effort that took place during the real birth of this nation. =)
Maryland Residents?
Wow, you guys are just to great, really! Thanks for sharing so much info., it has been so fun to read about all the viewpoints and the nice places. I did order one of your state tourist/map guides and look forward to seeing some great pictures of the area.
Lil_pip: I know what you mean about devotion to a garden you have to leave! We enjoyed 2 acres once and it's a LOT OF WORK to put in a garden only to leave it. We don't plan to do to much to this first home because of that fact....not a forever home...but there are some things I've spent quite a bit on...no trees on the lot originally and we've added 5. Is there anyway you could post pics of your beautiful 4 seasons California garden? And then perhaps what you've accomplished in MD? I'd love to see them! We use the praying mantis and ladybugs here as well.
Kiwi: I doubt the market will fall out in such desireable places as MD....I think some places will see a dramatic decline but not MD per say. I know what you mean about Americans being over-extended. My parents moved from MI and say the economy is so down there (all the labor unions being nixed finally) that there are foreclosures and DOM (days on market) for homes seems to be a year or better!
Which reminds me...and thought you all might find this interesting. Been working out of town this week...so watched my night TV than normal...watched that newer show "What You Get for the Money" on HGTV. There was a young couple who bought only ONE floor of a rowhouse (700 measley square feet, right)....paid $150,000 in 2002. An affordable price I'd say. Yeah, well THIS YEAR they were on the show which was touting what $500,000 would buy you in different parts of the country. I laughed SO HARD! I could not BELIEVE they think they market in DC (walking distance to the capital) has grown this much. My only conclusion was that after 9-11 there was a huge boom in gov't jobs available...but not the housing space? Anyway I thought that was funny.
DH is an electrician soon to try to take his Masters test for it again (it has a high failure rate....something like 80%) but he's been prepping for it and will take it again soon. But even with this we did a salary comparison using a website from here to MD and the hourly rate really doesn't jump very much. Disappointing considering the cost of living increase. But like you've all said...much cheaper away from DC. He is looking into going back to school again to finish his degree and getting it in Business/Constr. Mgmt. This would allow us to live anywhere and have a better wage. So we'll give it a couple years and the market here will continue to grow and then we can sell and at least have a 10% equity needed to do a conventional loan on a property.
We once almost moved to NC for a job. So DH said we might want to consider that area to.
If you don't mind I'd like to keep popping into the Mid-Atlantic forum. I think this part of the country is just beautiful. And I much prefer the charm and style of older homes than new (and mostly all you see here is newer....). Thanks for all your help!
Oh yes, forgot to say....the show said 40 grand of the value of this rowhouse floor was due to having a parking space.
Oh I was talking to a Texan about the north...who lived in Boston quite awhile. She describes the scenery, gardens and historic places just as you've described: BEAUTIFUL. She compared it to Texas gardens and I thought coined a phrase for us perfectly...saying we have "scrubby wildscapes and rock gardens." Oh how sad but true. I love the formal garden so think another place would be better suited to me.
The friend I go to visit in Texas lived up here (she was in Westminster, MD) because her husband is military and he was at Ft. Detrick. They want to move back up here and can't afford to.
My own ex-husband is a skilled professional and can't afford the down payment on a cardboard box up here...and it's not cause he's living the high live, either. ; )
I'm a rural person. The almost three years I spent in Bethesda, away from the farm, nearly did me in. It seems incomprehensible to me to spend 800K on a house that is exactly like all the other houses built within arm's reach...literally.
The outlaying areas here are still rural but probably won't last much longer...even the 15 years I've been paying attention have raught considerable change.
In my new magazine Baby Talk, Oct 06 issue pg 15 it lists several cities as the "healthiest, safest, and least expensive spots in America to raise kids." The source comes from Best Places to Raise Your Family: The Top 100 Affordable Communities in the U.S.
Louiseville, CO
Gaithersburg, MD
Roswell, GA
Lakeville, MN
Flower Mound, TX
Fort Collins, CO
Cary, NC
Sugar Land, TX
Columbia, MD
Noblesville, IN
were all listed in the magazine.
Gadzooks! Healthy and safe probably, but least expensive? I 'm skeptical about their criteria. Those are both well developed suburbn areas. and how much healthy and safe can they be, in the midatlantic region, compared to a million other towns across the country? I don't fear for my life by any means but how do the stats stack up, I'm wondering.
By the way, it appears that we MD and VA, now get all our monthly rain in one day, each month.
LOL sallyg on the rain!
Not sure how they stacked the criteria. It was a brief mention in the magazine. And SA didn't even make the list they printed...sure the booklet is more specific.
Whoever put Gaithersburg and Columbia on the 'least expensive' list was pulling your leg - hard. Is this magazine aimed at the very well-off?
Don't get me wrong, G & C are very nice places, but inexpensive, that's a joke, LOL
Kiwi,
Yeah I know what you mean. Well we've been hearing here in SA that we've been in the national news (several sources) touting San Antonio as the cheapest large city with most potential and yet we weren't listed in the magazine for anything? I don't always believe what I read but thought it interesting enough to post and get opinions.
But DH is returning to school and in a couple years with that and his Master Elec license he can work anywhere in the country and make a fairly nice living...we'll just have to evaluate the MD real estate market then. At least our house could only go up...if even a small amount...
Tir,
I WISH I had taken pics of my California garden! We moved on short notice and the woman who moved in to my home almost made me break down and cry when she announced" I love the yard, unfortunately, I don't like to garden", I told a garden buddy to come over and dig up anything she wanted ! I wanted to take the really rare things with me, but the trucking company informed me once they arrived in Maryland, that they had to unload any live plants before they could make the trip !! ???? That added to my sadness...
I'll try to get some pics posted, I haven't been able to work on my yard here for a couple years because I've been sick. Most things have held up pretty well,though. BTW, there is alot of clay and rock to be worked through. We should post some pics of the general areas we live in to give you a more realistic idea of what's here ;)
Lil....
pics of MD gardens would help a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so sorry to hear of the calif garden loss. what a bummer! see, I want to garden quite a bit more here but DH is smart enough to hold me back as we will be moving soon...just not decided where yet. Oh the yard is done enough to say it's "landscaped" but I dreamed of adding to it....but like you said so many others are not gardeners and may not have the desire to maintain it.
Since I've lived in both Gaithersburg and now the Columbia area, let me tell you from personal experience, neither place is inexpensive, they BOTH will cost you! YES, in terms of raising a child because our public school system is among one of the best in the country and Yes, in terms of health & healthcare.
=) Thanks Shirley, that's been established. I was just quoting a magazine.
Information was referring to this book:
http://www.frommers.com/bookstore/0471746991.html
Table of contents of book lists the cities they explored:
http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/91/04717469/0471746991-1.pdf
Hi,
There are communities within both areas of Gaithersburg and Columbia that can be very affordable. I grew up in Anne Arundel county, MD, married and then moved to Columbia, Maryland. After 10 years of living in Columbia, we moved the family to Frederick, Maryland. That was seven years ago.
Like all areas of the country, it just depends on what "specific" area you live in. Every place has it ups and downs. We have been very happy in Frederick MD.
Nancy
Thanks Nancy!
Sorry I am so late here, I forgot to bookmark the thread.
I live in between Gaithersburg and Frederick in an older neighborhood (39years) although not as old as some of the farmsteads around here. Lots of families have been here for generations on their farm. Impressive. I am from Florida born and raised. Most everything there is pretty new and no seasons to speak of (South FL). I have only been here since March 2004 when I moved from Ft. Lauderdale. Quite the culture shock but now I love it. I like it better in the rural area where we live but we are still only 40 minutes from DC (okay, at night with no traffic LOL)
We have well water, septic, no trash pick up since we take our recycling and compost. I found out what you already know about the car transfer - it needs to be within a certain time period after you move otherwise they will charge you the sales tax. Didn't file state taxes in FL so that was new to me also. Property taxes, for me anyway, went way down; Frederick is an agricultural county. I am with Pipsqueak on appreciating the history of this area. We are only an hour from Gettysburg, DC, Shenandoah/Potomac and everything in between. Since I am not from here I am always finding something new in my own backyard. Today I went to our states' newest winery, had a glass of vino and got the grand tour. They have been open since May and I didn't even know :( only 10 minutes from my house. Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard for the locals - the only winery in Montgomery County.
As a gardener I am still learning. Going from 9b to 6a takes some getting used to! This year I will plant bulbs for the first time ever. Lots of gardening plants and events are first time ever for me!
A website I used when looking for areas to live around here was: http://www.epodunk.com/ We knew where John was working and went out from there with our priorities and $$. I still don't know how to dress for the outside cold but indoor heating.
Let us know where you end up!
-Kim
Thanks Kim for the link! And all the info you've taken in about MD so far.
http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/weakhome_1.html
Article on "Falling Home Prices Predicted in 100 US Cities." Funny to see my hometown in Michigan made the list to! (Not surprised with all the union jobs up there...but still amazing).