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dadecounty11 wrote:

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Mr Anleu wrote:

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Born-and-raised Columbia'er checking in. Are you set on Columbia? Because you can get a home just across the line in Elkridge for about 20-25% cheaper. What makes you want to move from MoCo to HoCo though?

Towson, MD:

$1,055 2BR-1BA

It's walking distance to school and is one of the least busted complexes for parties. But I'm looking to get a house for Senior year.

 

My wife and I aren't set on anywhere yet and we have just started looking. We are thinking about Columbia because we found a house we really like that is in our price range, which is hard to do in Montgomery County because everything is so expensive around here. We also found some places in Elkridge that we like, but we didn't know much about that area either. How is Elkridge incomparison to Columbia?

If you care about convenience, stay out of Columbia, not worth it at all IMO. the traffic is horrible going into Montgomery/ PG Counties. For work, I leave at 5:30 am to get to Silver Spring and it takes roughly 45 mins to get there. Columbia has horrible public transportation as well. The only redeeming quality is the school system but that should only matter if you have little kids. I would also think twice about buying property in Howard County because property taxes are some of the highest in the state , and have increased every year. My dad is talking about selling his house there because of the tax rate increases.

Even with the ICC traffic is horrible? I would probably be coming down 29 and hopping on the ICC to go to Rockville everyday. As far as tax increases go, Montgomery County has gone up every year also except for this year. I was reading that it is because tax assesments are lagging behind the housing market decline. Hopefully it is the same for Howard Coutny, but if not we will definitely think twice before buying there.

I like Columbia. I used to live in Laurel when I was stationed at Fort Meade, but I kept hearing about Columbia, and when my lease expired I moved up there. It's quiet, has a nice atmosphere with lots of trees and woods and stuff. It is a bit out of the way, and things are spread out. It's not like a typical town where you can just go to the corner McDonalds whenever you want. I have to drive a little bit to get places, but it's worth it. The schools are good. Howard Co is pretty good about school which was important to me, because my kids are 11 and 7. The Columbia mall is nice. Merriweather Post Pavilion is there too and there are usually concerts in the summer, and events going on all year long. It's pricey to live there, but not as pricey as other places.

But like someone already said, Elkridge is nice too. That whole area is nice, but still too expensive. I work in south DC right off 295/Anacostia, and its a 45 minute - 1 hour drive to work everyday.

Traffic is pretty bad. I leave at 620ish and get to DC at about 710.

I'm thinking of moving to Silver Springs after my current lease expires. I need to some more research on it as far as the schools and prices, but it seems like a viable spot to get closer to DC. That hour+ commute twice a day is killing me.

Yea my wife and I like Columbia also because it seems really peaceful and quite. We go to Columbia Mall and the movie theater every once in a while when we want to get away from everything going on in Downtown Silver Spring/Rockville. Could you elaborate more on Elkridge also? Like how are the schools and safety?

Also if you need any help finding a place in Silver Spring or just some ideas where to look, let me know. I've been here my whole life and I used to work in property management, so I know where the good areas are.

I don't know too much about Elkridge.  I know its close to Anne Arundel county, like right inbetween 95 and the BW Parkway.  My son played pop-warner for Elkridge Hurricanes, so that as the only time I really went into Elkridge.  From what I saw it was nice and quiet too.  But I'm sorry I don't have more info on it.
  

Mr Anleu- Elkridge is right next to Columbia so really all of the amenities Columbia offers can be had if you live in Elkridge, they're just a minute or two more of a drive (minus the cheap rates for the Columbia Association which I definitely recommend joining). The key with Elkridge is to get as close to Columbia/Ellicott City as possible. The parts of Elkridge close to Hanover or Arbutus are really trashy and just not a good look. My mom/step-dad currently live in Elkridge in a neighborhood called Mayfield Woods, it's literally 30 seconds away from Kendall Ridge (Columbia) where I grew up. I can go to the edge of my court and look down the street and see the woods behind the house I grew up in. That's the area of Elkridge that I would recommend living in that borders Columbia, but the areas that border Ellicott City by Rockburn Park, Ilchester, etc. are nice too and the property values are a little more over there I think. 

Mr Anleu wrote:

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Destination Kicks wrote:

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dadecounty11 wrote:

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Mr Anleu- Elkridge is right next to Columbia so really all of the amenities Columbia offers can be had if you live in Elkridge, they're just a minute or two more of a drive (minus the cheap rates for the Columbia Association which I definitely recommend joining). The key with Elkridge is to get as close to Columbia/Ellicott City as possible. The parts of Elkridge close to Hanover or Arbutus are really trashy and just not a good look. My mom/step-dad currently live in Elkridge in a neighborhood called Mayfield Woods, it's literally 30 seconds away from Kendall Ridge (Columbia) where I grew up. I can go to the edge of my court and look down the street and see the woods behind the house I grew up in. That's the area of Elkridge that I would recommend living in that borders Columbia, but the areas that border Ellicott City by Rockburn Park, Ilchester, etc. are nice too and the property values are a little more over there I think. 

Elkridge has two high school options: Long Reach and Howard (rivals, about 3 miles apart in Columbia). Long Reach being the "black school" and Howard being the "white school". Howard's better academically then Long Reach but I'm an LR grad and wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Also if you work in DC/suburbs, have you looked into Fulton? Like around Maple Lawn and Reservoir HS? 

dadecounty- Haha what a small world, I almost played for the Hurricanes but decided to play for the Warriors instead.

Thanks for the input I will definitely check those areas out. I think we saw a couple places in Elkridge we liked and if I remember correctly they were near 95. I'm not sure which side that is on but I'll go back and look. As for Maple Lawn, we saw some of the new developments there and they are way too expensive. The new townhouses are like $400-$600k because they are brand new with updated everything. 

The ICC is extremely underused because it costs so much. Its a great way to travel but people want to cut their commuting costs and they will take longer to get somewhere if its cheaper. I know no one who has used it except for the first week when it was free (I did and I can't believe I got to Rockville in 15 mins from getting on @ 29 ). 

Yea, I agree it definitely is way too expensive and I don't know many people that use it either. From what I hear there is police on the ICC all the time. If I move to Columbia I may consider using it though. 

No problem, feel free to shoot me a PM with any questions you have, I may be able to answer them. Yeah Maple Lawn's pretty expensive. My dad works at Bozzuto and they have some beautiful places there but they're so expensive.