Do we stay in DC or move to Baltimore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd look into just across the city line into Towson. Particularly Ruxton and West Towson (21204) and Stoneleigh (21212). Areas zoned for Towson HS, especially with Stoneleigh, Rodgers Forge and West Towson elementaries. You get a lot of the charms of North Baltimore but with county taxes and schools. Prices are slightly higher in the county but not drastically higher than comparable houses in the city. The real problem is the inventory. Very limited and good houses sell very quickly. But houses do get listed so you will find something with patience.

Inside the city, Roland Park holds its value as does Homeland. Waterfront has really struggled with appreciations and even losses, as you likely noticed. Guilford is hit or miss.

Nowhere in Baltimore, city or burbs, will ever see the appreciation you find in DC. But that's ok. Buy a house you can comfortably afford and just plow the rest into the markets.

Hi, Baltimore resident here. As much as I love the look of Homeland, those houses have not reliably held their value. My friend recently had to sell their house for less than they paid for it because they were moving out of town for a job. It looks great, but the taxes are twice that of the county and the HOA is REALLY strict. Crime is an issue everywhere in Baltimore, but way more of an issue in Homeland and Guilford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here.

Inside the city, the Roland Park EM/MS has a great reputation and holds its ground against the county options. Many Hopkins parents. Great neighborhood. We know plenty of people with kids there and they're parents with degrees from Ivy colleges. Big complaint is overcrowded and many do move to privates for middle and especially HS, but Baltimore does offer good tracks for public HS, if you navigate it carefully.

You'll find Baltimore (city and burbs) much more relaxed than DC. North Baltimore and inside the beltway Towson are great places to live at a fraction of the price of CC or Bethesda.

Roland Park has, IMO, some of the best/most interesting housing stock for the price--and as PP said, a very good EM and MS. The taxes will be high (as everyone will point out again and again and again when Baltimore is discussed), but I think that is a lot easier to stomach

We moved out closer to Baltimore just last year after being in DC for nearly 10 years. I never thought I'd want to move from DC but found myself craving a more relaxed atmosphere for me and my family. Haven't regretted it. If you go north of the city, basically everyone will be very Baltimore-centric while if you stick to HoCo-ish, you'll get a fair amount more DC-focused folks if that is important at all to you.

Make a crush tonight and think it over

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

[Anonymous]

^ Sorry about typos, on phone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

I think the most important factor here is to see Baltimore for what it is, and not what you want it to be. You are clearly taking a thoughtful approach to this decision, which is commendable.

We seriously looked at Baltimore last year and ultimately decided against relocating. Everyone has their opinions. Mine is that Baltimore is past saving and not worth a long-term investment. Granted, the city has some cultural gems, attractive housing, and pockets of desirable neighborhoods. However, the sheer magnitude of poverty, urban decay, and crime across the entire city is such that I don’t think it will ever turn around, and will only worsen over time. I think the sole reason that prevents Baltimore from turning into a full-fledged Detroit or Cleveland is its proximity to D.C.

I have family roots in Baltimore so I’ve heard from older relatives firsthand how far the city has fallen over the past 50-60 years. Unfortunately, the city’s incompetent government and its perpetually strained relationship with the state make matters even more challenging.

Best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

With the obvious caveat that I haven't a clue where you live in DC and that I think predicting home values in 10 years in a fools errand, if you want to avoid a suburban vibe--as you've noted, living within those more popular areas in Baltimore city that you list is a very, very different ballgame than living within the more popular areas in DC. We lived in Fed for years and when we return to visit friends, I am sad to see that the area looks more rundown. It may sound like I'm parroting some fear-mongering out there but restaurants/bars have closed, etc. because of upticks in crime.

I think if you buy in Catonsville or Ellicott City (close enough to take advantage of each's cute downtown), you'll CERTAINLY see a return on your investment--but if those are too suburban for you, think you could be looking at a difficult decision.

That said, the idea of being in a small 2BD with a kid located in an "eh" school district is worth a move to the 'burbs for me, but that is total personal preference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

Do you have kids? Really the only neighborhood you are looking at that is kid friendly is Roland Park. Hampden was up and coming 10 years ago, I would not expect a lot of further house appreciation. Also the housing there is a good size for a couple, not so much for a family.

The housing market in North Baltimore is not soft, it has been a sellers market for the past year or so. Desirable houses in Hampden, Roland Park, Homeland or Close in Baltimore county sell within days with bidding wars. If location is off or house not rehabbed, it may sit a few weeks.

Private schools in Baltimore are cheaper than dc, but still $30,000 a year and over once you get past the youngest grades. As others have mentioned, taxes are high in the city. Make sure you work out all the numbers.

That said, we live in a Roland Park and love it. Have lived in Towson and there is nice as well, but very suburban. You could not pay me to live in Howard County, that’s way too suburban and car centric for us,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

Do you have kids? Really the only neighborhood you are looking at that is kid friendly is Roland Park. Hampden was up and coming 10 years ago, I would not expect a lot of further house appreciation. Also the housing there is a good size for a couple, not so much for a family.

The housing market in North Baltimore is not soft, it has been a sellers market for the past year or so. Desirable houses in Hampden, Roland Park, Homeland or Close in Baltimore county sell within days with bidding wars. If location is off or house not rehabbed, it may sit a few weeks.

Private schools in Baltimore are cheaper than dc, but still $30,000 a year and over once you get past the youngest grades. As others have mentioned, taxes are high in the city. Make sure you work out all the numbers.

That said, we live in a Roland Park and love it. Have lived in Towson and there is nice as well, but very suburban. You could not pay me to live in Howard County, that’s way too suburban and car centric for us,

Hey now, some of us HoCo folks can walk to EC's main street which makes us basically an urban mecca.

In seriousness, I love Roland Park, OP, and second the PP's comments. We would have moved to that area if we hadn't needed to be south of the city for a few reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

With the obvious caveat that I haven't a clue where you live in DC and that I think predicting home values in 10 years in a fools errand, if you want to avoid a suburban vibe--as you've noted, living within those more popular areas in Baltimore city that you list is a very, very different ballgame than living within the more popular areas in DC. We lived in Fed for years and when we return to visit friends, I am sad to see that the area looks more rundown. It may sound like I'm parroting some fear-mongering out there but restaurants/bars have closed, etc. because of upticks in crime.

I think if you buy in Catonsville or Ellicott City (close enough to take advantage of each's cute downtown), you'll CERTAINLY see a return on your investment--but if those are too suburban for you, think you could be looking at a difficult decision.

That said, the idea of being in a small 2BD with a kid located in an "eh" school district is worth a move to the 'burbs for me, but that is total personal preference.

I don’t think the rate of appreciation in Catonsville or Elliott City has been that high over the past five years or so, most of North Baltimore has appreciated slightly over the same time period. Baltimore really got hit hard by the 2008 housing crash, so people who bought during the boom still may not have fully recovered their price (thought most are there or getting close). Those who have bought more recently have seen some appreciation, although perhaps not in Federal Hill which has lost some cachet to areas on the other side of the harbor like Harbor East and Canton, and even adjacent neighborhoods like Locust Point.

That said, I have lived in Baltimore on and off for 20 years and actually feel pretty hopeful about it’s future right now. We have a new young mayor and a new straight shooter for comptroller. Mayor has just hire the city’s first city manager. We are seeing a lot of ny transplants since covid times, and our relatively low cost of living is going to continue to make city desirable to transplants. Yes, crime is bad but feel that we’ve hit bottom there, and it remains the case that most violent crime is centered in certain neighborhoods and is dirt related, just as it is in dc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

With the obvious caveat that I haven't a clue where you live in DC and that I think predicting home values in 10 years in a fools errand, if you want to avoid a suburban vibe--as you've noted, living within those more popular areas in Baltimore city that you list is a very, very different ballgame than living within the more popular areas in DC. We lived in Fed for years and when we return to visit friends, I am sad to see that the area looks more rundown. It may sound like I'm parroting some fear-mongering out there but restaurants/bars have closed, etc. because of upticks in crime.

I think if you buy in Catonsville or Ellicott City (close enough to take advantage of each's cute downtown), you'll CERTAINLY see a return on your investment--but if those are too suburban for you, think you could be looking at a difficult decision.

That said, the idea of being in a small 2BD with a kid located in an "eh" school district is worth a move to the 'burbs for me, but that is total personal preference.

I don’t think the rate of appreciation in Catonsville or Elliott City has been that high over the past five years or so, most of North Baltimore has appreciated slightly over the same time period. Baltimore really got hit hard by the 2008 housing crash, so people who bought during the boom still may not have fully recovered their price (thought most are there or getting close). Those who have bought more recently have seen some appreciation, although perhaps not in Federal Hill which has lost some cachet to areas on the other side of the harbor like Harbor East and Canton, and even adjacent neighborhoods like Locust Point.

That said, I have lived in Baltimore on and off for 20 years and actually feel pretty hopeful about it’s future right now. We have a new young mayor and a new straight shooter for comptroller. Mayor has just hire the city’s first city manager. We are seeing a lot of ny transplants since covid times, and our relatively low cost of living is going to continue to make city desirable to transplants. Yes, crime is bad but feel that we’ve hit bottom there, and it remains the case that most violent crime is centered in certain neighborhoods and is dirt related, just as it is in dc.

Drug related, not dirt related.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

With the obvious caveat that I haven't a clue where you live in DC and that I think predicting home values in 10 years in a fools errand, if you want to avoid a suburban vibe--as you've noted, living within those more popular areas in Baltimore city that you list is a very, very different ballgame than living within the more popular areas in DC. We lived in Fed for years and when we return to visit friends, I am sad to see that the area looks more rundown. It may sound like I'm parroting some fear-mongering out there but restaurants/bars have closed, etc. because of upticks in crime.

I think if you buy in Catonsville or Ellicott City (close enough to take advantage of each's cute downtown), you'll CERTAINLY see a return on your investment--but if those are too suburban for you, think you could be looking at a difficult decision.

That said, the idea of being in a small 2BD with a kid located in an "eh" school district is worth a move to the 'burbs for me, but that is total personal preference.

I don’t think the rate of appreciation in Catonsville or Elliott City has been that high over the past five years or so, most of North Baltimore has appreciated slightly over the same time period. Baltimore really got hit hard by the 2008 housing crash, so people who bought during the boom still may not have fully recovered their price (thought most are there or getting close). Those who have bought more recently have seen some appreciation, although perhaps not in Federal Hill which has lost some cachet to areas on the other side of the harbor like Harbor East and Canton, and even adjacent neighborhoods like Locust Point.

That said, I have lived in Baltimore on and off for 20 years and actually feel pretty hopeful about it’s future right now. We have a new young mayor and a new straight shooter for comptroller. Mayor has just hire the city’s first city manager. We are seeing a lot of ny transplants since covid times, and our relatively low cost of living is going to continue to make city desirable to transplants. Yes, crime is bad but feel that we’ve hit bottom there, and it remains the case that most violent crime is centered in certain neighborhoods and is dirt related, just as it is in dc.

Drug related, not dirt related.

I hope you're right about Baltimore's future, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

With the obvious caveat that I haven't a clue where you live in DC and that I think predicting home values in 10 years in a fools errand, if you want to avoid a suburban vibe--as you've noted, living within those more popular areas in Baltimore city that you list is a very, very different ballgame than living within the more popular areas in DC. We lived in Fed for years and when we return to visit friends, I am sad to see that the area looks more rundown. It may sound like I'm parroting some fear-mongering out there but restaurants/bars have closed, etc. because of upticks in crime.

I think if you buy in Catonsville or Ellicott City (close enough to take advantage of each's cute downtown), you'll CERTAINLY see a return on your investment--but if those are too suburban for you, think you could be looking at a difficult decision.

That said, the idea of being in a small 2BD with a kid located in an "eh" school district is worth a move to the 'burbs for me, but that is total personal preference.

OP again. I hear you. We have been back and forth on the suburbs many times over the last decade. I thought having a kid and my work moving remote would make it more appealing and I could persuade DH, but the opposite has happened -- with a young kid and WFH, the potential isolation of the suburbs now terrifies me. My DH will at least get to go back into an office post-Covid, but I won't, and my work is very independent, so I can sometimes go weeks without actually talking to someone on the phone for work. Being in a place where we can walk to playgrounds and coffee shops and bars and just be around people a lot of the time has been my lifeline the last couple years. Covid is obviously different, but I think what I've learned is I'm a city person, through and through.

I'd do anything for my kid though, so if we can't lottery into a better school, well, as long as I can walk to a Starbucks I'll make it work!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

With the obvious caveat that I haven't a clue where you live in DC and that I think predicting home values in 10 years in a fools errand, if you want to avoid a suburban vibe--as you've noted, living within those more popular areas in Baltimore city that you list is a very, very different ballgame than living within the more popular areas in DC. We lived in Fed for years and when we return to visit friends, I am sad to see that the area looks more rundown. It may sound like I'm parroting some fear-mongering out there but restaurants/bars have closed, etc. because of upticks in crime.

I think if you buy in Catonsville or Ellicott City (close enough to take advantage of each's cute downtown), you'll CERTAINLY see a return on your investment--but if those are too suburban for you, think you could be looking at a difficult decision.

That said, the idea of being in a small 2BD with a kid located in an "eh" school district is worth a move to the 'burbs for me, but that is total personal preference.

OP again. I hear you. We have been back and forth on the suburbs many times over the last decade. I thought having a kid and my work moving remote would make it more appealing and I could persuade DH, but the opposite has happened -- with a young kid and WFH, the potential isolation of the suburbs now terrifies me. My DH will at least get to go back into an office post-Covid, but I won't, and my work is very independent, so I can sometimes go weeks without actually talking to someone on the phone for work. Being in a place where we can walk to playgrounds and coffee shops and bars and just be around people a lot of the time has been my lifeline the last couple years. Covid is obviously different, but I think what I've learned is I'm a city person, through and through.

I'd do anything for my kid though, so if we can't lottery into a better school, well, as long as I can walk to a Starbucks I'll make it work!

Totally fair! I was horrified to find out I was a suburb person a few years back and hope I recover after the kids are out of the house, ha!

[Anonymous]

Just moved into Hampden a month ago and loving it. Vibrant, yet close to nature, tons of arts stuff, etc. Our kid is in one of the private schools, but our current place is zoned for Medfield which I think is supposed to be pretty good.

Agree with the person who said that love Baltimore for what it is and not what it’s not, and ignore the hysterical DC Baltimore-haters who think you’ll get shot as soon as you cross the city line. I moved to Hampden from a much much much less safe part of Baltimore… where I lived for 18 years and experience no crime other than having my car rifled when I left it unlocked by accident. I don’t yes the taxes are awful, but you’re paying taxes on a house that costs 500K, not 1.2 million. Taxes work out to be about 2.3%, just add that in and see whether it makes sense for you or not. It’s very very high, but when you compare it to what you pay to live anywhere decent in DC, it suddenly doesn’t look so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all! We have definitely contemplated renting out our condo and then renting a house in Baltimore. Perhaps we just haven’t looked hard enough but it feels like the cost advantages dissipate a bit in the rental market than buying? Perhaps because the Baltimore real estate market is soft? We can find apartments there pretty cheap but SFHs are significantly more expensive to rent than to pay the mortgage on (even factoring in the taxes, which we are very aware of). Still an option, but less appealing for a variety of reasons.

So far, we’ve looked at Fed Hill/Riverside/Locust Point, Roland Park, and Hamden. Fed Hill has been most appealing because of my DH’s commute and because it feels most like where we live now. Roland Parks is most appealing for schools but feels pretty suburban to us. Hamden is a mix of the two and feels the most like an “up and coming” neighborhood of anything we’ve seen in Baltimore.

We have looked at both Catonsville and Ellicott City, but again they might be too suburban for us. Even looked at Columbia because the schools are great but yes to the PP who mentioned it gets pricy fast.

I don’t know, maybe this is a pipe dream? Starting to feel like our best bet us to stay in our condo in DC another 5 years or so, assuming we can figure out a school situation we can live with, and then reassess. It feels like there should be a middle ground (maybe Hamden?) but we just haven’t figured it out.

I think the most important factor here is to see Baltimore for what it is, and not what you want it to be. You are clearly taking a thoughtful approach to this decision, which is commendable.

We seriously looked at Baltimore last year and ultimately decided against relocating. Everyone has their opinions. Mine is that Baltimore is past saving and not worth a long-term investment. Granted, the city has some cultural gems, attractive housing, and pockets of desirable neighborhoods. However, the sheer magnitude of poverty, urban decay, and crime across the entire city is such that I don’t think it will ever turn around, and will only worsen over time. I think the sole reason that prevents Baltimore from turning into a full-fledged Detroit or Cleveland is its proximity to D.C.

I have family roots in Baltimore so I’ve heard from older relatives firsthand how far the city has fallen over the past 50-60 years. Unfortunately, the city’s incompetent government and its perpetually strained relationship with the state make matters even more challenging.

Best of luck to you.

Cleveland? I’d be thrilled if we had a proxy for Cleveland nearby. Spent our summer vacation there a few years ago and it was amazing!