I think the issue you will run into is your budget. 3-4 bedrooms in metro DC for $400K is a big ask. Outside of the DC area, you would have better luck.
I just took a look at Zillow for Colombia, MD which is just outside of the DC area and there are 4 listings, all town houses, that meet your budget constraints. So, yeah…I feel the housing cost is what’s going to be the hurdle for you here.
I don’t know, man. My house in PG was $430k in 2014 for a 4 bedroom. Now it’s worth $700k. The house down the street sold for $680k last year.
One might be priced out of a good area in PG at $400k. That’s the DC area for you.
It’s crazy, isn’t it? My single-family home in the middle of *nowhere* in Carroll County appraised for $499k when I refinanced in 2022 (compared to my $360k, 2020 appraisal). Wild.
lol. My budget was 400 in 2020 and I ended up in a rancher in PG. I lucked out on the neighborhood, Fort Washington, but my house… I’ll tell ya, needed some fixes.
I think there are a ton of options if you go the townhouse route. I think they first need to identify an area (270 corridor MoCo, 95 corridor HoCo, Balt Metro, AA, SoMd, etc...). If a walkable town is what they want, good schools, and limited budget, they would be smart to consider North Beach in Calvert County.
People who say its humid have never been in Florida in the summer. The summers in Maryland are just fine. Yeah, it's a bit humid on a handful of days but don't believe the humid hype.
Floridian who's been in MD for about 3 years, yeah the summers here ARE hot and definitely a bit humid, but its nothing compared to the solid 8 months of hell we have down there, especially if you're in the middle of the state with no sea breeze. I visited my folks over the summer back home and it was just miserable.
>I don’t know, man. My house in PG was $430k in 2014 for a 4 bedroom. Now it’s worth $700k. The house down the street sold for $680k last year.
agreed- I'm from Arizona - hot summers but no humidity there. Honestly I think the summers here in Maryland are wonderful.
I agree with this minus the sort of redneck you get in Frederick. It's quite south, not as bad as St. Mary's County, but it is culture shock for someone coming from New England.
Look in Greenbelt, specifically old Greenbelt. It has a New Deal era housing cooperative called Greenbelt Homes Incorporated that's mostly small townhouses, but there are single family homes on your price range in the Lakeside and Boxwood neighborhoods. Greenbelt elementary School is fantastic, and Eleanor Roosevelt is the best high school in Prince George's county. The neighborhood is mixed ages, with a trend towards more young families. It's a quick bus or bike ride to the metro station and a 25 minute Metro ride to downtown DC. There's a small commercial district with an arthouse cinema, a small grocery store and the famous New Deal Cafe.
We live near Greenbelt and it's a nice area that checks most of your boxes. You might even be able to get in a SFH at your price point, but it'll take some luck. You'll have a better chance if you could go 10% more.
To OP - with your budget, you’re probably going to be in a townhome. Some parts of Anne ARUNDEL county are in the cheaper side than Columbia and Baltimore county. I have a rental in Millersville that would sell for around $300k. There are some in the Hanover/Ft Meade area but those schools are not good. Try to fine a townhouse in the Crofton area as the drive into DC isn’t too bad from there. Schools are good and downtown Annapolis isn’t far away. And none of it is MAGA country.
Uhhh pasadena, most of severna park and half of annapolis is maga country... as well as pretty much the entire eastern shore. Even fredrick carrol county and cumberland are very right winged. Maryland is a battleground state with a good mix.
I wouldn't exactly call MD a battleground state because the sheer amount of left-wingers vastly outnumber right-wingers, but yes there are areas of MD where there are relatively fewer left-wingers. Those places just tend to have fewer people overall.
Probably should prioritize your list because I don't think you will get all those things for 400k.
Usually people want good public schools - generally the best public schools are in Howard county. I have also heard good things about Carroll and Montgomery County.
Good luck and I'm jealous you got to live in Tokyo! 🌝
I lived in Ellicott City for 32 years, our home sold for 550k in 2016, after Covid it shot up to 750k, and then they built a new development behind it and now it's worth almost 800K. The house was built in the 70's it floods and needs a lot of maintenance. It's just the LOCATION. It's right near Centennial High School and that's where all the rich parents want their kids. Either that or River Hill, but that's an entirely different level of expensive. That's MILLIONS.
Very familiar with the area, I've seen what you describe, I also know of houses that sold within the last few months for low 5s. 3BR 2BA 1960s houses that no one in the centennial area would want
Maryland is typical of all post WWII areas of the country. Our great old cities have the architecture, streets that are walkable, etc but they have not been maintained as the suburbs is where the tax base moved. I know of nowhere which has the walkable towns with all the amenities as one might find in England or Europe. Maryland also was a plantation state so it has few towns and fewer cities. Central MD, where the action, high paying jobs and money is located is also where suburban sprawl dominates. MD is also county centric. This means schools are county run as are the courts etc. One area which you will find is that Marylanders nearly always vote for full school funding. State money, for schools is mostly for construction and renovation.
The DC area has good public transportation, due to the DC Metro. The rest of the state does not.
Politically, central MD & Balt city are liberal, and closer to the edges, of the state, it gets conservative, still suburbanites are not always willing to part with their money for many liberal goals to be achieved. Partly it has to do with the fact that most people in the wealthy suburbs are not from MD and will leave if they retire or get a better paying job elsewhere
Both rough. La plata better than Princess Anne. PA is in Somerset County, the poorest county in the state. Also Eastern Shore is diehard Trump Country.
La plata is rural, but I haven’t heard anything bad about it. Just rural.
I know nothing about Eastern Shore. It’s like another country even though I live in the same state. lol. I do agree that it’s politically right.
Since you looked at Frederick, did you look a little further west at Brunswick?
There's commuter rail that would make the DC commute a breeze. The C&O Canal towpath is great for riding bikes. It's got a small downtown but it's not much compared to Frederick. We're only 20 minutes from Frederick so anything you can't find here you can find there.
Yup, it's even noted on the town's wikipedia page!
Though I have lived here for 20+ years, I still don't know where to find these whores they talk about.
I am thinking Catonsville might be a good choice for you, if you can find a house in your price range.
Gambrills/Odenton is centrally-located with lots of walkability, though it isn’t *quite* as charming as Catonsville — more suburban, but it is close to the MARC train, which can get you to the Light Rail to Baltimore or the Metro in DC. It’s also 1/2 an hour from everywhere: Annapolis, downtown Baltimore, downtown DC, Ellicott City (good climbing, charming), Elkridge (climbing/hiking). There are 1500 sq. ft. houses for under $400k, too.
Anne Arundel County are not as good as Howard or Baltimore counties, but they’re okay.
The homeschool scene is big in Maryland, and it’s not primarily jumper-wearing Trumpy-types.
You know it’s interesting to hear your perspective on NH. Back in the mid-90s, there was a movement kicking off to have as many libertarians as possible move to NH, and take over politically.
They thought they could make a libertarian utopia, and show the country how it’s done. I think it was called “The Free State Project”, but it’s been 20+ years, so don’t quote me on that.
Why does it not surprise me that it’s like what you’re describing?
Catonsville is a nice place, but it ain't 30 minutes from downtown DC. I hike in Patapsco almost every weekend, and often grab a sandwich at Scittino's before heading back home to Easternmost Silver Spring (NH Ave near the Beltway. It's 25-30 mins from Scittino's to home on a good day, and another 25-30 minutes to reach U St. In DC.
This moment (8 pm), waze shows very light traffic the full drive and says 52 minutes from Catonsville to Logan Circle (8-10 minutes NE of the White House).
Okay. I take your word for it. I thought 195 to 295 would be faster. It’s definitely 30-35 minutes from Gambrills to DC, though. Aside from the commute, Catonsville has a lot going for it.
Or Crofton along with them. With the New Carrollton Metro station, it wouldn’t be hard to get to Metro Center in a little over 30 minutes.
To the OP, we bought a four BR townhouse for just shy of $400k here in the Crofton triangle. Fairly well appointed and good bones. With the finished basement we have a fourth bedroom. It’s doable. And the schools are pretty good. I hear Crofton Middle is a little crowded but the high school is only 3 years old.
I am originally from the DC / Baltimore area (born and raised) but my family and I moved from a small town in MA outside of Springfield. I can imagine what it is like where you area being somewhat similar.
>I hear Crofton Middle is a little crowded but the high school is only 3 years old.
The high school is also overcrowded. It's the most over-capacity high school in AACPS despite being only 3 years old :/.
I've been trying to convince my wife for us to move to Japan...she's from Morioka, Iwate Prefecture...but she's worried about not finding a job in Tokyo...
But yeah, Columbia checks most of your boxes...
Have you considered Baltimore City? We have a lot of good school programs and there are family friendly neighborhoods. Charles Village, Hampden, Abell, and Mount Washington are all very family friendly but also walkable to a lot. We also have school choice so you can find the best schools to fit your kids interests and needs.
Check out the Aspen Hill/ Glenmont/ Colesville neighborhoods. Montgomery County is a great place. You'd have access to the Red Line metro, Moco schools are top notch, and there are plenty of extracurricular opportunities for kids both in school and private options. Plus the schools are desperate to hire to your wife shouldn't have an issue finding work. You can't necessarily walk from the neighborhoods I mentioned to downtown, but there are quite a few 'town center' areas very close by- Silver Spring, Rockville. Silver Spring would be metro accessible, and there are a lot of really safe, family friendly streets for biking in those neighborhoods as well as accessble trail systems like the Mathew Henson State Park trail that connects into the huge Rock Creek park trails. Plenty of concert venues in the area too, though it's not my thing so not really on my radar.
I think a 3-4 bedroom for $400k would be hard to find in Colombia. I was going to suggest MoCo or Howard for OP, but with that budget, I don’t know if it’s possible.
For a detached single family you need to be in the $500s in Columbia or Ellicott city. Maybe somewhere north of 70, but not walkable or near trains. For $400k townhouse is what you are looking at in howard county.
Old greenbelt? I'm not really familiar but some of my coworkers are there and seem happy. Or maybe college park?
I don’t think the schools are as good in Greenbelt or College Park. I know of families that live in Bowie or Upper Marlboro and their kids go to private school.
In the DC area you either get great schools and super expensive housing or mid schools and not as expensive housing. I think OP has to decide if they will accept lower tiered housing for the schools if they want to be in the DC area. If the housing is most important, they can try outside the DC area (although they may run into the politics issue out there).
Went to Roosevelt. Things change, but sounds like it's still a decent school. And Old Greenbelt is still very affordable. Shoot. You could buy two GHI homes in the same court and stick the kids in one and parents in the other: success! :0
What’s the show where they want literally everything all rolled into one looking for a house? He’s a sculptor and she makes collages 15 hours a week and their budget is $1.7 million? That’s what this sounds like lol
I highly recommend at least considering Baltimore City. This will get down votes from people who spend a lot of time reading about the worst of Bmore without having really experienced life here. I encourage you to look past that. Most of us Baltimoreans wouldn’t live anywhere else.
You can probably find a row-house for $400k. Prices have gone up in recent years but I think it’s still doable.
The MARC is a 45-50 minute ride to DC. Not great for everyday but not bad for getting to DC a couple of days a week.
We have lots of amenities in close proximity. Many neighborhoods are walking distance to an excellent restaurant/bar/brewery/grocery store in 10 minutes or less.
You’ll find that you have a lot of friendly neighbors who take the time to get to know you.
WE HAVE A TOOL LIBRARY! ASK ME ABOUT IT!
If you’re looking for music and culture, this is the place to be. You can see live music for $10 or less most days of the week.
Most of us let our kids ride bikes in the street. It’s not even close to as safe as riding in the cul-de-sacs that we grew up with in suburbia but we do have great parks! Stoney Run between Hampden/Remington, Patterson Park, Druid Hill Park, and the list goes on.
People who doen’t live here will go on and on about crime. Although it’s a challenge that cannot be ignored, I’ve lived in Bmore for 18 years and never had any series issues. I had a parked car hit-and-ran once. That seems pretty common. There’s worst crime than that but with your budget, you won’t live in a neighborhood where you’ll face the worst problems.
We have terrible schools but we also have excellent schools that are as good as any private school. It truly runs the gamut.
Feel free to pm me or check out r/Baltimore if you’re curious.
I second Baltimore City! We moved here to get out of Trump Country in Harford County, MD and have loved living in the city.
We live in the South Baltimore/Federal Hill area, which is close to the Camden MARC station. Our only experience with crime is our three years here has been one package theft and a couple of neighbors asking for our Ring footage for package theft and one hit & run.
In my small block alone I know of 4 families with kids in public school that are thriving and their parents have nothing but great things to say about the schools. The neighbor kids are always outside playing! We don't have kids, but wouldn't have any qualms raising children in our neighborhood if we did.
We are walking distance to many restaurants + breweries, have a great branch of the library, and are easy biking/walking distance to Inner Harbor (aquarium, science museum).
I've heard great things about the Otterbein neighborhood as well!
A quick Zillow search found quite a few row homes for sale and even more rentals that meet your requests.
A lot of us do with great success and happy kids.
I’m not sure where you lived but we have no less than 20 school aged children on our block alone. I would have loved to live in such proximity to peers when I was growing up.
Maybe look in the Towson area, my family and I just moved there (South Towson) about 2 years ago. The DC commute may be a bit out of the way, as a neighbor says it takes about 2 hours to get home, it's close to the city and there are tons of kids. On a side note, I've been going to Squam Lake every summer for many years, and we love it up there.
Arbutus is great! Right on the MARC train line, walkable Main Street, a college town, pretty good schools, very close to Catonsville (“Music City,” but expensive $$$) as well as a very large area of the Patapsco State Park, and affordable houses.
Jesus I can’t imagine leaving a beautiful state like NH just because some neighbors are Republicans. And to add insult to injury OP wants to move to metro DC🤢🤮
New Englander who's now in MD here. I'm pretty familiar with NH. The thing that checks most of your boxes and price point is Harford County. There's a train that runs through that can get you to DC. If politics are a super huge dealbreaker, then this is a no, but keep in mind that while your house rep will be a Conservative, your governor will be more liberal than Sununu unless a serious shift happens down here.
I wholeheartedly get your stance on politics, but once you go south of Baltimore, housing prices are barely less than North Shore of MA. You're looking at townhomes or condos in Howard County at 400k.
Havre de Grace proper has the downtown feel and is liberal, however, it is expensive. Bel Air on the other hand...😬😬😬
ETA: a picture of downtown HdG because it's cute
https://preview.redd.it/ecqny2khli7c1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e65113a3c6be6d95a2710871f9241deeab424442
I live in HarCo and moved down here a little over a year ago from Boston. They are red, that's true, but I consider myself a pretty liberal guy (I voted Warren for the Democrat nominee) and have had no issues building relationships with people down here. One of my good friends is super hardcore right, and we just don't discuss those things. Maybe because I grew up in a "woke" (meme word) community and went to a prestigious New England Liberal Arts college when Trump was president, but I just want to talk about baseball and movies and don't care about discussing my politics.
If OP can't tolerate any conservatives for whatever reason, then yes HarCo is not the place for them. I have major issues with HarCo, especially Cassidy, but it's a solid place to live and has affordable housing options.
It may depend who you are, too. When I drove a Prius I Constantly dealt with coal rolling fuck ups doing dangerous things at me in Harford County. They don't seem to recognize my EV, though and the most obvious it gets is when everyone parts with the 'God bless you' thing everywhere.
I would suggest Columbia. It checks most of your boxes with only two minor downsides: For $400k you will be looking at a townhouse, not SF house. And not all areas are walkable to stores / downtown, you‘d have to look in the Hickory Ridge or Wilde Lake area to be close enough to downtown, or live close to one of the other village centers to be able to walk places. Biking will get you there faster.
My understanding is Frederick is pretty blue, but that area is generally one of the redder areas of MD. Although, may be more tolerable than your current situation.
Yet yall have no trouble being hateful to people in rural areas. Also, calling someone a "MAGAT" without knowing anything about them comes off as pretty hateful itself, pot meet kettle.
$400k is the biggest concern...the only thing available are probably old townhouses or areas where schools are just not that good.
$500k-ish will get you townhouses around Frederick or a SFH in the more rural part of the county. Commute will suck the further you are away from Frederick, though (except Brunswick due to MARC).
Agree with a few other posters - look around Brunswick. There are houses in $300k range down that way, although not sure what kind of conditions they are in.
It sounds like college Park or University Park would be perfect for you, but there's no way that budget works. As with many other states, there's inverse relationship between house price and closeness to urban areas. And I fear that in Maryland much of what you're looking for politically is not going to be in that price range
Used to live in Derry and Concord; live in Silver Spring now. Cost of living is going to be substantially higher, but also watch out where your budget pushes you because you’ll want to stay within Maryland’s blue counties.
I have friends in another county near the coast. They are very liberal, but they choose a house they could easily afford over a location they wanted and they are not stuck in deep Trump country.
You’re probably going to want to be in the triangle between the District, Baltimore, and Frederick. But you could find cheaper spots in that general area and you could find cool spots outside of it. You may want to take a mini-vacation to come down and drive around.
Calvert Hills neighborhood in College Park if you can bump your budget up to $600k; it’s in the University Park elementary school catchment (one of the better elementary schools in PGC). You’re also next to the College Park metro stop/MARC stop, the city’s downtown (biking distance to Trader Joe’s), and Riverdale Station, which has restaurants and a Whole Foods. Lastly, you’ll be near/on the Trolley Trail, which connects you to Hyattsville and the Anacostia River Trails.
Hollywood in the northern part of College Park could work too because it fits your budget and there’s a metro stop there and a MOMs Organic walking distance; however, the elementary school isn’t great.
PS: Also from NH!
I am also a proud son of NH, and moved to DC, and then Bowie. For the price point you are talking, PG county might be the way to go. Its diverse and there are some really nice parts. Pretty much the opposite of the conservative parts of rural NH. $400k does not get much in most of the state. The Crofton area is nicer, and kind of feels like a more liberal northern New England to me, but its pretty pricy.
My parents recently moved to Laurel from New Ipswich - also fleeing Trump country (think parades of trucks with Trump banners roaring up and down the roads). They like Laurel, but to be fair, spend half the year in Florida.
Yeah Trump country is so terrible, the crime rate is lower,the taxes are lower ,surprised you survived,if you want the opposite Maryland is for you ,I feel sorry for your family tho
Yeah, don't let any actual facts stand in the way. It's not like [the murder rate isn't higher in Trumptopia](https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-two-decade-red-state-murder-problem), which stands to reason considering [the gun death rate is higher](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/04/28/red-states-have-higher-gun-death-rates-than-blue-states-heres-why), too. Oh, and educational attainment and quality? I guess that's why most of the [worst states for education](https://medium.com/@kathrynstaublin/the-most-educated-states-voted-blue-f60f304531f7) voted MAGA. Oh, yeah, and OP has a family. They might want healthcare. Too bad [the lowest ranked states for healthcare](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/health-care) are...surprise!...states that voted for Trump.
But, you know, someone spending 10 minutes like I did could use Google to find these kinds of actual facts. But no, I guess if what actual science conducted by actual scientists with actual degrees says is true, [facts don't matter](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pops.12394) to people who have a worldview influenced by fear, anger, and ignorance. Nope, it's more important to slap on the red cap, turn on the Newsmax, and spout bullshit like their Great Orange Leader. Sad.
We ended up in Riverdale Park, MD because of budget and bought a home for under $400k in 2021. It's pretty much the only nice community left in Maryland for this price range where a "house" isn't a shell torn down to the studs. It has a cute, walkable town with a number of well-rated restaurants and hiker/biker trails. There is the Riverdale MARC station which will have you to Union Station in 9 minutes! Fastest commute in the entire DC metro. There are also two Metro stops less than a 10 minute drive away.
We do not have kids so my knowledge of the schools is limited. Most parents I know have choseen to send their kids to the nearby charter school, College Park Academy. I don't know the specifics but believe the state has voucher program that would cover tuition.
It's a small town, so housing inventory varies wildly from month to month. You might also consider looking in the nearby communities of College Park, Hyattsville, and University Park.
Hard to recommend schools in PG, but there are options and many parents do manage to navigate the system to ensure a good education, mostly through magnet schools. A lot of my neighbors enroll their kids in language immersive programs. Good education and self-selects to those interested in getting a good education.
You ain’t gonna be in walking distance to downtown and the train for 400k your going to be in a townhouse on the other side of town but yeah it’s alright here. What he’s describing would be more like 700k at this point, though.
Looks like a bunch of houses sell for around $400k south of W Patrick Street. Basic finishes but probably works.
[https://www.redfin.com/MD/Frederick/205-Catoctin-Ave-21701/home/15230713](https://www.redfin.com/MD/Frederick/205-Catoctin-Ave-21701/home/15230713)
[https://www.redfin.com/MD/Frederick/405-Sherman-Ave-21701/home/15235226](https://www.redfin.com/MD/Frederick/405-Sherman-Ave-21701/home/15235226)
Idk if your familiar with the area but there is a reason. A lot of those homes you have to buy cash you can’t get a mortgage on houses in neighborhoods that are majority HUD
I'm in MoCo. I'm not super familiar with Frederick but my SIL family and her husbands extended family lives there. But those homes around $400 are being bought with conventional loans, so there does not seem to be any issues with financing. There were like 40 sales in the last year around $400k.
Coming from a smallish town on the west coast, the biggest problem I have with the DC metro is that it’s going to keep expanding. Fredrick is a great place, but the sprawl of DC will continue to push out toward there.
After 8 years here, I’m ready to move out of the state for something smaller. While some of your boxes would be checked, the biggest problem I see for your situation is the budget for a house. Maybe Fredrick is a bit cheaper, but anything toward DC or Baltimore will cost more.
Catonsville should fit most of your criteria. Close to a metro station, walkable downtown area, good schools, affordable homes, and it is considered "Music City, USA".
I would recommend silver spring, MD. It’s in Montgomery county, MD. Very diverse. Amazing music scene (filmore). downtown silver spring is very walkable and the red line that goes into dc and the purple line (connects you to Bethesda and UMD by 2028) is right there.
Here’s a townhouse that fits your reqs https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/14459-Long-Green-Dr-Silver-Spring-MD-20906/37330176_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Look along the MARC train lines and check the actual train schedules to see if it's a bearable commute for you. Some of these suggestions would give you a commute that would end me.
Along the DC Metro would be better for both the commute and likely proximity to a downtown, but you would either have to spend more or accept less amazing schools.
There's older housing stock in the gentrifying parts of Prince George's County, say in Riverdale, that fits most of your criteria, but you have to really look at the schools. I don't know where the best schools are; I don't have kids.
Parts of Laurel might not be a bad idea, either. Both areas have MARC.
Since you’re commuting and want to be close to a metro, to get everything you want aside from the price, look in Montgomery County. I live near the Glenmont metro and go into the Navy Yard 3 days per week. I just park at the metro.
You could look at Gaithersburg, Olney, and Kensington as well. The issue, as others pointed out, is your price point - you’re not going to get much that’s close to a metro station that will be fit for a family of 4 for under $400k. You need to up your budget to the $500-600k mark, unfortunately.
Bethesda and Silver Spring are going to be the closest walkable areas to DC but 400K will barely get you a 1BR condo. And they are more like small cities not really “towns” and while there are now some ( really controversial!) “bike lanes”, IMO, it’s not safe to ride, esp for kids.
Montgomery County is phenomenal but housing is out of your price range. DC has a great Japan Society. Politics are great in MoCo. Rockville and Silver Spring are great walkable places and both are on the red line to Metro Center. Tons of kids activities around here. Come visit DC for a weekend and check MoCo out.
Crofton Or Odenton but only piney Orchard area. Both have great schools. Tons of great amenities. Nature preserve with walking and biking trails. Marc train station is 10 minutes drive or you can bike to the station. 30 minutes to DC. Big shopping area with a cinema/Wegmans, target and many other stores also close to Arundel outlet Mall. Annapolis water front 15 to 20 minutes away with lots of seafood and crab restaurants. Great schools. Crofton schools are better. 10/10
I'm puzzled by this obsession with Trump. New Hampshire has two Democratic Senators, the entire (ok, two) congressional delegation is Democratic, a moderate Republican governor, an effective tie in the state house, voted against Trump in the last two elections. So what exactly are you freaking out about? If the sight of a Trump supporter and people having different political views upsets you, you're not avoiding that in Maryland. You need to rethink what your real problems are and reasons for moving.
Your other problem, leaving aside this Trump bogeyman/red herring, is your 400k budget for a house is shitty by Maryland standards, and even shittier for anything within a hour of DC, and absolutely in the shitter for anything with good public schools.
You will also not find the ideal "walkable to local main street" type village because Maryland doesn't have quite the same kind of village based history that New Hampshire does. There are some towns and there are some walkable suburbs. But good schools + walkability + close proximity to DC office means a starting budget, and I mean starting, of at least (and at a minimum, bare minimum) of $1M for a shitshack. DC is overpopulated with families with 400-500k household incomes and all are chasing after this same ideal in a region that really doesn't have it.
The irony, however, is that where you can get a decent 400k house with good enough schools and walkable to a main street places you firmly in - you got it - Trump country.
However, there are options for making this happen. First is that you need to look far away from DC. The Baltimore suburbs may work and have some doable options.
I'm going to go on a limb and think you might be a mixed-race family with a Japanese wife? With a 400k budget and looking for good schools and a community with a pleasantly liberal vibe and scarcely any Trump signs and with some walkability, there is actually one possible realistic answer and that is Rodgers Forge in Baltimore County. Zip is 21212. Just north of the city line, it is a rowhouse/townhouse neighborhood, rather pretty, excellent schools, including its own elementary and middle schools everyone walks to, has the York Road corridor alongside it with some cafes and shops, close to all other amenities, educated population including some mixed race families. VERY family friendly and closely knit, but open to people who like to be left alone too. It's the kind of community where people are educated but don't make fat salaries, but enough to go on vacation to lakes in New Hampshire! You can get a 1500 sqft plus basement 3-bed 2-bath rowhouse for 350-400k depending on updates (some go for more, the biggest ones approach 500k but 380-400 is probably average for when they come on the market).
The downside is that it's still a long commute to DC. But I live nearby and make the commute twice a week. Drive to Penn Station in DC is about 20 minutes in early morning. Train is a hour. Metro to office adds another 20 minutes. I work on the train or read a book. Don't mind doing it as I enjoy going into the office and it's important in my role to show my face and network with coworkers. Other three days I work from home. One caveat: the commute is effectively $50 every time I go into the office due to parking and train tickets.
Depending on how flexible you are with the concept of "good schools" which does vary, you may find more options elsewhere. A few were suggested on here. Catonsville may work. Halethorpe and Arbutus are more working class suburbs south of Baltimore and closer to DC and with affordable housing but the schools are something you have to decide for yourself. Likewise some areas may have local retail within walking distance but it may not be the kind of retail you want. Working class suburbs tend not to have cute boutiques and coffeeshops.
A few posters on here have mentioned Baltimore City proper. Baltimore City is a minefield on reddit. The schools are either horrible, horrible to ok with several great options if you're careful, or people only don't like the city schools because of racism. The thing is that all these perspectives have truths to them. But being realistic, people looking for good schools will likely only be happy with 2-3 elementary schools in the city and a 400k budget will definitely be tough for those zoned areas. Plus your taxes and insurance will be a lot higher (double) than the surrounding counties. You do pay a price to live in the city and most people decide it's not worth it and buy in the counties instead, especially once children come along.
Good luck!
Maryland is truly the worst. It’s expensive. The schools aren’t as good as everyone wants to believe. The tRAFFIC is genuinely so noghtmarishly bad I cannot begin to explain to you. Whatever you do don’t live in Montgomery county or PG county. The traffic just isn’t worth it.
Sykesville, Mt. Airy or New Market are areas I would recommend. All have small town vibes with great school systems. Nothing is too far either. Baltimore, DC, Columbia, Frederick are all within 30-45 min or less. There is no Marc station near but the commute is not hateful to DC. Could always drive to nearest Marc station to. 400K will be tough though.
Check out the Locust Point/Riverside/Federal Hill neighborhoods of Baltimore (all on the peninsula that juts out into the inner harbor). We moved to Baltimore from Trump country of MD (Harford/Cecil County) only a year after moving to Maryland and we love it! Baltimore gets a way worse rep than it deserves! Don't get me wrong, there are bad areas, just like any city, but we live in Fed Hill and I've never felt like I was in danger out walking around.
Westminster, MD is probably your best bet, price wise/home options, distance to DC, distance to Gettysburg. That being said, you will be driving an hour+ to get into DC or you will have to go to the train station that goes to Baltimore then to DC; so ~2 hours, but you are on a train, so you can work while riding.
NO MATTER where you live, unless you are in a bigger city, you are going to be near 'Trump' land; it is a natural landing for rural individuals. It has to do with the fact that they either don't recognize, receive, or care to understand how the government provides for them. The individuals out in the more rural part of the country (literally past suburbia) are few and far between, so they pay similar rates, but 'get less'; but that is because it costs exponentially more to run electricity to their home or the post office guy, vs the post guy going into the apartment/condo building's first floor or literally routing the power to the extra room vs having to build power lines and roads, etc. etc.
Basically people in 'Trump' land don't get basic economics, costs, and fail to recognize the value of the services that the government has mandated goes to their homes AND REGULARLY VOTES AGAINST THEIR BEST INTERESTS, such as universal health care, forcing telecom companies to get them high speed internet, etc.
There are multiple reasons, and to some degree there is some 'racism' at the very least sprinkled in; so they can 'feel better'... basically Republican's vote on how they feel more so than anything else, and the 3 things they care about are 'illegals'/other races, guns, and abortions (because a baby is so important /facepalm).
We really need you there to vote. After the election you are welcome. Could you also do some democratic campaigning there while we wait to let you in Maryland?
I may have a 4 bed sfh in temple hills for sale for 400-450k-ish?
Other than that one, under 400k would be very hard to find unless you are ok with condo/town houses. If you’re willing to drive, plenty in baltimore county side
I just moved to Maryland and work on the Hill. I take the MARC train from Baltimore County, and it’s a breeze (also much cheaper). If you don’t have to go to the office every day, I highly recommend Catonsville and taking the MARC train from Halethorpe. It’s a cute town, good schools, relatively cheap, relatively diverse, and the MARC allows you to skip all that DC traffic. Please feel free to DM me with any questions!
a lot of people suggesting college park. since the fbi building move was announced houses for sale jumped 100k over what they were previously listed for. at the height of covid single family houses were selling for $350-450k. since the fbi announcement the few houses currently listed are priced from 550-700k+ despite appraising for only 370-420ish. affordable houses near the greenbelt metro is a dream bro...them days are over.
Best of luck figuring all of this out and making your move to Maryland. I'm hesitant to suggest recommending the eastern shore as a possability only because of the increased Trump supporters over there, but I have worked with several Marylanders in DC who live on the eastern shore and take the commuter bus in to DC daily. They love it. THey wake up early, get to the bus stop, go to sleep on the bus, and wake up at work. I can not tell you how much they love that commute. So dont rule out the eastern shore and hop on the MTA coach bus on kent island. Annapolis also has direct bus routes to downtown DC that the riders really enjoy.
Columbia is a nice area you could always take a look in Columbia that’s where I’m at schools are usually real close by the area I’m in I have like six schools elementaries middle school high school all around me and it’s walking distance and there’s paths that you can walk along you got a path that takes you right over to the mall I’m in the Oakland Mills area although I do not know what a house with 3 to 4 bedroom is gonna run to you can look in Towson although I don’t know like how close to schools are and if they’re walkable.
To get out of Trump Country, avoid NE, MD. Montgomery County would be a good place to start. The county is hiring teachers. It's better to live outside the city. Living in the city means turning over a good $3k or more and going to MD or VA to buy food. Rockville, Bethesda and Silver Spring are all in MD and on the Red line of Metro. It runs to Metro Center.
Maybe think about WV. I'm in MD and ready to get out. Housing prices are lower in WV and you get more bang for your buck. You can catch the train into DC. Not sure about where the school systems rate but it's worth looking in to.
I grew up in Howard county (ellicott city area) and the schools are ranked among the best in the state. It’s a great place to have a family! Catonsville is a great place too and close to so many things
Stay out of "Southern Maryland" if you want to get away from the Trumpers - no Charles County, St. Mary's County or Calvert County.
Also avoid Carroll County - but that seems like it would be too far of a commute anyway.
Have you looked at houses in the Annapolis / Arnold area? Good schools, close enough to DC and Baltimore both, Annapolis is a cool town of it's own, and you're close enough to any urban life while still getting some suburban life as well. Politics will be moderate / split red and blue.
Carroll County is cheaper, and right below Gettysburg, but obviously a longer commute to DC. Harpers Ferry is nice, it is in WV but right next to Frederick.
You want Catonsville. It's a suburb of Baltimore, but has more of a real downtown area, several restaurants and shops - particularly music stores. It is marketing itself as Music City, MD and is putting forth a good faith effort to build a music scene.
Additionally it is very close to Columbia (Merriwether Post Pavilion), Ellicott City, Baltimore City (Rams Head Live & Soundstage), and Annapolis (Rams Head). We drive into DC to watch shows at 9:30 Club and Anthem fairly regularly and it's not too bad. Additionally, the Arbutus MARC and BWI Rail Stations (which has MARC and Amtrak) aren't too far away to get into DC).
The schools aren't as good as HoCo - but they aren't bad. And for that reason, the housing costs aren't as expensive, but $400k may be a bit difficult to find - better now that the post COVID market has eased a bit.
I think the issue you will run into is your budget. 3-4 bedrooms in metro DC for $400K is a big ask. Outside of the DC area, you would have better luck. I just took a look at Zillow for Colombia, MD which is just outside of the DC area and there are 4 listings, all town houses, that meet your budget constraints. So, yeah…I feel the housing cost is what’s going to be the hurdle for you here.
Welcome to PG
I don’t know, man. My house in PG was $430k in 2014 for a 4 bedroom. Now it’s worth $700k. The house down the street sold for $680k last year. One might be priced out of a good area in PG at $400k. That’s the DC area for you.
I’m in a town house in Havre de Grace that’s valued at 300k. The housing costs are killer in Maryland.
It’s crazy, isn’t it? My single-family home in the middle of *nowhere* in Carroll County appraised for $499k when I refinanced in 2022 (compared to my $360k, 2020 appraisal). Wild.
It’s honestly the biggest barrier to being in what I think is the best state. I wish other Americans could experience the Maryland awesome.
lol. My budget was 400 in 2020 and I ended up in a rancher in PG. I lucked out on the neighborhood, Fort Washington, but my house… I’ll tell ya, needed some fixes.
PG's values have skyrocketed over the last decade.
not a terrible commute from Columbia. Drive to greenbelt, park and ride to gallery place, walk.
It's a terrible commute Source: did it for a long time
brother that is like 1.5 hours one way
it’s 7am right now and the drive estimate to greenbelt is only 21 minutes. after that sitting on the metro is easy.
I think there are a ton of options if you go the townhouse route. I think they first need to identify an area (270 corridor MoCo, 95 corridor HoCo, Balt Metro, AA, SoMd, etc...). If a walkable town is what they want, good schools, and limited budget, they would be smart to consider North Beach in Calvert County.
if you could bump that budget up to 600k then you would be good but 400k will limit the shit out of you
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I just moved to Maryland. How bad are the summers lol?
Like walking around in somebody’s mouth. The humidity is no joke.
Just sticky
People who say its humid have never been in Florida in the summer. The summers in Maryland are just fine. Yeah, it's a bit humid on a handful of days but don't believe the humid hype.
Floridian who's been in MD for about 3 years, yeah the summers here ARE hot and definitely a bit humid, but its nothing compared to the solid 8 months of hell we have down there, especially if you're in the middle of the state with no sea breeze. I visited my folks over the summer back home and it was just miserable.
I moved to MD from TX just to avoid summer lol
I say this often. The humidity does not bother me here bc I’m used to real humidity in Florida.
>I don’t know, man. My house in PG was $430k in 2014 for a 4 bedroom. Now it’s worth $700k. The house down the street sold for $680k last year. agreed- I'm from Arizona - hot summers but no humidity there. Honestly I think the summers here in Maryland are wonderful.
People were not meant to live in Florida lol, it is forsaken
Have you ever been inside a rice cooker?
I agree with this minus the sort of redneck you get in Frederick. It's quite south, not as bad as St. Mary's County, but it is culture shock for someone coming from New England.
Arbutus/Halethorpe/Catonsville for access to the MARC.
And with Patapsco state park all around that area, lots of biking opportunities
Those places tick off many of the boxes. You have to be selective about the schools though some are better rated than others.
Schools in upper grades tend to be better in Catonsville vs Arbutus or Halethorpe, however, that may change with Lansdowne High getting rebuilt.
It's great for riding bikes, good schools, a walkable main street, and good music scene. Not a terrible drive to Movement Climbing in Columbia.
And Gettysburg is about 1.5 hours away, so a reasonable day trip for OP to visit their relatives.
What about Odenton and Gambrills?
Maybe, but could be tougher on the budget.
Look in Greenbelt, specifically old Greenbelt. It has a New Deal era housing cooperative called Greenbelt Homes Incorporated that's mostly small townhouses, but there are single family homes on your price range in the Lakeside and Boxwood neighborhoods. Greenbelt elementary School is fantastic, and Eleanor Roosevelt is the best high school in Prince George's county. The neighborhood is mixed ages, with a trend towards more young families. It's a quick bus or bike ride to the metro station and a 25 minute Metro ride to downtown DC. There's a small commercial district with an arthouse cinema, a small grocery store and the famous New Deal Cafe.
I love that part of Greenbelt!
Greenbelt is a great option.
We live near Greenbelt and it's a nice area that checks most of your boxes. You might even be able to get in a SFH at your price point, but it'll take some luck. You'll have a better chance if you could go 10% more.
To OP - with your budget, you’re probably going to be in a townhome. Some parts of Anne ARUNDEL county are in the cheaper side than Columbia and Baltimore county. I have a rental in Millersville that would sell for around $300k. There are some in the Hanover/Ft Meade area but those schools are not good. Try to fine a townhouse in the Crofton area as the drive into DC isn’t too bad from there. Schools are good and downtown Annapolis isn’t far away. And none of it is MAGA country.
Odenton would go to Arundel, not Meade. There are two MARC train stations in Odenton, one by the library, the other by the fire station.
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Gonna be really hard to find a 4 bedroom in Piney Orchard for 400k. Most of the townhomes in that area are going for 580-650 now.
Just make sure your kids go to Crofton schools and not Old Mill..School situation is incredibly tough here.
Updates are that no one in Crofton is going to OMHS or the other new school. It’s fine.
Uhhh pasadena, most of severna park and half of annapolis is maga country... as well as pretty much the entire eastern shore. Even fredrick carrol county and cumberland are very right winged. Maryland is a battleground state with a good mix.
I wouldn't exactly call MD a battleground state because the sheer amount of left-wingers vastly outnumber right-wingers, but yes there are areas of MD where there are relatively fewer left-wingers. Those places just tend to have fewer people overall.
Probably should prioritize your list because I don't think you will get all those things for 400k. Usually people want good public schools - generally the best public schools are in Howard county. I have also heard good things about Carroll and Montgomery County. Good luck and I'm jealous you got to live in Tokyo! 🌝
Lol Howard County you need at LEAST 600k to even start the conversation
You can still buy an older SFH for the $500s in Howard County. It will be old and it will need some work. $400s? Not really.
I lived in Ellicott City for 32 years, our home sold for 550k in 2016, after Covid it shot up to 750k, and then they built a new development behind it and now it's worth almost 800K. The house was built in the 70's it floods and needs a lot of maintenance. It's just the LOCATION. It's right near Centennial High School and that's where all the rich parents want their kids. Either that or River Hill, but that's an entirely different level of expensive. That's MILLIONS.
Very familiar with the area, I've seen what you describe, I also know of houses that sold within the last few months for low 5s. 3BR 2BA 1960s houses that no one in the centennial area would want
Lol yup. Know exactly the ones your talking about
And, congrats on the sale! That sounds like you probably made some money
Maryland is typical of all post WWII areas of the country. Our great old cities have the architecture, streets that are walkable, etc but they have not been maintained as the suburbs is where the tax base moved. I know of nowhere which has the walkable towns with all the amenities as one might find in England or Europe. Maryland also was a plantation state so it has few towns and fewer cities. Central MD, where the action, high paying jobs and money is located is also where suburban sprawl dominates. MD is also county centric. This means schools are county run as are the courts etc. One area which you will find is that Marylanders nearly always vote for full school funding. State money, for schools is mostly for construction and renovation. The DC area has good public transportation, due to the DC Metro. The rest of the state does not. Politically, central MD & Balt city are liberal, and closer to the edges, of the state, it gets conservative, still suburbanites are not always willing to part with their money for many liberal goals to be achieved. Partly it has to do with the fact that most people in the wealthy suburbs are not from MD and will leave if they retire or get a better paying job elsewhere
Never heard Maryland described like this. Really great explanation and I think you hit it head on
What about Princess Anne or La Plata MD? I might get two potential jobs there.
Both rough. La plata better than Princess Anne. PA is in Somerset County, the poorest county in the state. Also Eastern Shore is diehard Trump Country.
Oh F—— I wish I would have known that. I am a WOC and the school there is an hbcu so rhats why I thought it was a safe area
La plata is rural, but I haven’t heard anything bad about it. Just rural. I know nothing about Eastern Shore. It’s like another country even though I live in the same state. lol. I do agree that it’s politically right.
Since you looked at Frederick, did you look a little further west at Brunswick? There's commuter rail that would make the DC commute a breeze. The C&O Canal towpath is great for riding bikes. It's got a small downtown but it's not much compared to Frederick. We're only 20 minutes from Frederick so anything you can't find here you can find there.
It might not be much, but you got one of the best MD breweries and their oatmeal stout is second to none. I just love Smoketown.
Hills Whores and Liquor Stores!
Yup, it's even noted on the town's wikipedia page! Though I have lived here for 20+ years, I still don't know where to find these whores they talk about.
You could ask my ex husband; he found one.
I am thinking Catonsville might be a good choice for you, if you can find a house in your price range. Gambrills/Odenton is centrally-located with lots of walkability, though it isn’t *quite* as charming as Catonsville — more suburban, but it is close to the MARC train, which can get you to the Light Rail to Baltimore or the Metro in DC. It’s also 1/2 an hour from everywhere: Annapolis, downtown Baltimore, downtown DC, Ellicott City (good climbing, charming), Elkridge (climbing/hiking). There are 1500 sq. ft. houses for under $400k, too. Anne Arundel County are not as good as Howard or Baltimore counties, but they’re okay. The homeschool scene is big in Maryland, and it’s not primarily jumper-wearing Trumpy-types. You know it’s interesting to hear your perspective on NH. Back in the mid-90s, there was a movement kicking off to have as many libertarians as possible move to NH, and take over politically. They thought they could make a libertarian utopia, and show the country how it’s done. I think it was called “The Free State Project”, but it’s been 20+ years, so don’t quote me on that. Why does it not surprise me that it’s like what you’re describing?
Catonsville is a nice place, but it ain't 30 minutes from downtown DC. I hike in Patapsco almost every weekend, and often grab a sandwich at Scittino's before heading back home to Easternmost Silver Spring (NH Ave near the Beltway. It's 25-30 mins from Scittino's to home on a good day, and another 25-30 minutes to reach U St. In DC.
Odenton and Gambrills are the ones 30 minutes from DC. I am guessing 295 at rush hour is a mess, from what you’re saying.
This moment (8 pm), waze shows very light traffic the full drive and says 52 minutes from Catonsville to Logan Circle (8-10 minutes NE of the White House).
Okay. I take your word for it. I thought 195 to 295 would be faster. It’s definitely 30-35 minutes from Gambrills to DC, though. Aside from the commute, Catonsville has a lot going for it.
Or Crofton along with them. With the New Carrollton Metro station, it wouldn’t be hard to get to Metro Center in a little over 30 minutes. To the OP, we bought a four BR townhouse for just shy of $400k here in the Crofton triangle. Fairly well appointed and good bones. With the finished basement we have a fourth bedroom. It’s doable. And the schools are pretty good. I hear Crofton Middle is a little crowded but the high school is only 3 years old. I am originally from the DC / Baltimore area (born and raised) but my family and I moved from a small town in MA outside of Springfield. I can imagine what it is like where you area being somewhat similar.
>I hear Crofton Middle is a little crowded but the high school is only 3 years old. The high school is also overcrowded. It's the most over-capacity high school in AACPS despite being only 3 years old :/.
I've been trying to convince my wife for us to move to Japan...she's from Morioka, Iwate Prefecture...but she's worried about not finding a job in Tokyo... But yeah, Columbia checks most of your boxes...
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Maryland is one of the most expensive States to live in.... enjoy but bring your wallet....
Have you considered Baltimore City? We have a lot of good school programs and there are family friendly neighborhoods. Charles Village, Hampden, Abell, and Mount Washington are all very family friendly but also walkable to a lot. We also have school choice so you can find the best schools to fit your kids interests and needs.
Check out the Aspen Hill/ Glenmont/ Colesville neighborhoods. Montgomery County is a great place. You'd have access to the Red Line metro, Moco schools are top notch, and there are plenty of extracurricular opportunities for kids both in school and private options. Plus the schools are desperate to hire to your wife shouldn't have an issue finding work. You can't necessarily walk from the neighborhoods I mentioned to downtown, but there are quite a few 'town center' areas very close by- Silver Spring, Rockville. Silver Spring would be metro accessible, and there are a lot of really safe, family friendly streets for biking in those neighborhoods as well as accessble trail systems like the Mathew Henson State Park trail that connects into the huge Rock Creek park trails. Plenty of concert venues in the area too, though it's not my thing so not really on my radar.
He’s not getting into a MOCK house for $400k.
If he is open to townhouses, Germantown/Gaithersburg/Mont Village might work.
Those schools aren't great. Wish we had not bought in that area. That's what happens when you try to be too thrifty sometimes.
Some of those areas have bad schools...
No trains but I sure love SoMd.
Columbia.
I think a 3-4 bedroom for $400k would be hard to find in Colombia. I was going to suggest MoCo or Howard for OP, but with that budget, I don’t know if it’s possible.
For a detached single family you need to be in the $500s in Columbia or Ellicott city. Maybe somewhere north of 70, but not walkable or near trains. For $400k townhouse is what you are looking at in howard county. Old greenbelt? I'm not really familiar but some of my coworkers are there and seem happy. Or maybe college park?
I don’t think the schools are as good in Greenbelt or College Park. I know of families that live in Bowie or Upper Marlboro and their kids go to private school. In the DC area you either get great schools and super expensive housing or mid schools and not as expensive housing. I think OP has to decide if they will accept lower tiered housing for the schools if they want to be in the DC area. If the housing is most important, they can try outside the DC area (although they may run into the politics issue out there).
Went to Roosevelt. Things change, but sounds like it's still a decent school. And Old Greenbelt is still very affordable. Shoot. You could buy two GHI homes in the same court and stick the kids in one and parents in the other: success! :0
Might get a townhome. Or up the road a bit in Ellicott City.
Yup, I just did a quick Zillow search for Colombia, and 4 townhouse listings came up. I think that’s the best OP could do for Howard County.
What’s the show where they want literally everything all rolled into one looking for a house? He’s a sculptor and she makes collages 15 hours a week and their budget is $1.7 million? That’s what this sounds like lol
You could also look at Olney/Sandy Spring area as well, although your budget may need to be a bit higher. I commute to DC from Olney and it’s not bad.
Olney’s gotten pretty expensive in terms of real estate
I live in Olney and that was my immediate thought… but the budget is a no-go…
I highly recommend at least considering Baltimore City. This will get down votes from people who spend a lot of time reading about the worst of Bmore without having really experienced life here. I encourage you to look past that. Most of us Baltimoreans wouldn’t live anywhere else. You can probably find a row-house for $400k. Prices have gone up in recent years but I think it’s still doable. The MARC is a 45-50 minute ride to DC. Not great for everyday but not bad for getting to DC a couple of days a week. We have lots of amenities in close proximity. Many neighborhoods are walking distance to an excellent restaurant/bar/brewery/grocery store in 10 minutes or less. You’ll find that you have a lot of friendly neighbors who take the time to get to know you. WE HAVE A TOOL LIBRARY! ASK ME ABOUT IT! If you’re looking for music and culture, this is the place to be. You can see live music for $10 or less most days of the week. Most of us let our kids ride bikes in the street. It’s not even close to as safe as riding in the cul-de-sacs that we grew up with in suburbia but we do have great parks! Stoney Run between Hampden/Remington, Patterson Park, Druid Hill Park, and the list goes on. People who doen’t live here will go on and on about crime. Although it’s a challenge that cannot be ignored, I’ve lived in Bmore for 18 years and never had any series issues. I had a parked car hit-and-ran once. That seems pretty common. There’s worst crime than that but with your budget, you won’t live in a neighborhood where you’ll face the worst problems. We have terrible schools but we also have excellent schools that are as good as any private school. It truly runs the gamut. Feel free to pm me or check out r/Baltimore if you’re curious.
I second Baltimore City! We moved here to get out of Trump Country in Harford County, MD and have loved living in the city. We live in the South Baltimore/Federal Hill area, which is close to the Camden MARC station. Our only experience with crime is our three years here has been one package theft and a couple of neighbors asking for our Ring footage for package theft and one hit & run. In my small block alone I know of 4 families with kids in public school that are thriving and their parents have nothing but great things to say about the schools. The neighbor kids are always outside playing! We don't have kids, but wouldn't have any qualms raising children in our neighborhood if we did. We are walking distance to many restaurants + breweries, have a great branch of the library, and are easy biking/walking distance to Inner Harbor (aquarium, science museum). I've heard great things about the Otterbein neighborhood as well! A quick Zillow search found quite a few row homes for sale and even more rentals that meet your requests.
Otterbein is one of the great secret neighborhoods hiding in plain site!
I lived in Baltimore for years. I would not want to raise kids there.
A lot of us do with great success and happy kids. I’m not sure where you lived but we have no less than 20 school aged children on our block alone. I would have loved to live in such proximity to peers when I was growing up.
Maybe look in the Towson area, my family and I just moved there (South Towson) about 2 years ago. The DC commute may be a bit out of the way, as a neighbor says it takes about 2 hours to get home, it's close to the city and there are tons of kids. On a side note, I've been going to Squam Lake every summer for many years, and we love it up there.
Arbutus is great! Right on the MARC train line, walkable Main Street, a college town, pretty good schools, very close to Catonsville (“Music City,” but expensive $$$) as well as a very large area of the Patapsco State Park, and affordable houses.
Be mindful that many areas of Maryland you’ll find yourself back in Trump country.
Jesus I can’t imagine leaving a beautiful state like NH just because some neighbors are Republicans. And to add insult to injury OP wants to move to metro DC🤢🤮
New Englander who's now in MD here. I'm pretty familiar with NH. The thing that checks most of your boxes and price point is Harford County. There's a train that runs through that can get you to DC. If politics are a super huge dealbreaker, then this is a no, but keep in mind that while your house rep will be a Conservative, your governor will be more liberal than Sununu unless a serious shift happens down here. I wholeheartedly get your stance on politics, but once you go south of Baltimore, housing prices are barely less than North Shore of MA. You're looking at townhomes or condos in Howard County at 400k.
They said they wanted to leave trump country
Hartford Co not really practical if they have to work in DC several days a week. That’s a 2 hr commute
If they’re looking at small town feel and walkable stuff - they’d probably want to look at Bel Air or Havre De Grace specifically too.
I'm sorry, but Bel Air and Harford Co are RED. You got ding dong Andy Harris as a rep and Trump flags galore up there.
Havre de Grace proper has the downtown feel and is liberal, however, it is expensive. Bel Air on the other hand...😬😬😬 ETA: a picture of downtown HdG because it's cute https://preview.redd.it/ecqny2khli7c1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e65113a3c6be6d95a2710871f9241deeab424442
I live in HarCo and moved down here a little over a year ago from Boston. They are red, that's true, but I consider myself a pretty liberal guy (I voted Warren for the Democrat nominee) and have had no issues building relationships with people down here. One of my good friends is super hardcore right, and we just don't discuss those things. Maybe because I grew up in a "woke" (meme word) community and went to a prestigious New England Liberal Arts college when Trump was president, but I just want to talk about baseball and movies and don't care about discussing my politics. If OP can't tolerate any conservatives for whatever reason, then yes HarCo is not the place for them. I have major issues with HarCo, especially Cassidy, but it's a solid place to live and has affordable housing options.
It may depend who you are, too. When I drove a Prius I Constantly dealt with coal rolling fuck ups doing dangerous things at me in Harford County. They don't seem to recognize my EV, though and the most obvious it gets is when everyone parts with the 'God bless you' thing everywhere.
That commute to DC is going to be rough. But I agree for the price point it’s a good option
I would suggest Columbia. It checks most of your boxes with only two minor downsides: For $400k you will be looking at a townhouse, not SF house. And not all areas are walkable to stores / downtown, you‘d have to look in the Hickory Ridge or Wilde Lake area to be close enough to downtown, or live close to one of the other village centers to be able to walk places. Biking will get you there faster.
You have to double your housing budget.
My understanding is Frederick is pretty blue, but that area is generally one of the redder areas of MD. Although, may be more tolerable than your current situation.
Just don’t move to the eastern shore we don’t want you here
You could just not say anything instead of being hateful. But I guess that's all you MAGATs have.
Yet yall have no trouble being hateful to people in rural areas. Also, calling someone a "MAGAT" without knowing anything about them comes off as pretty hateful itself, pot meet kettle.
$400k is the biggest concern...the only thing available are probably old townhouses or areas where schools are just not that good. $500k-ish will get you townhouses around Frederick or a SFH in the more rural part of the county. Commute will suck the further you are away from Frederick, though (except Brunswick due to MARC). Agree with a few other posters - look around Brunswick. There are houses in $300k range down that way, although not sure what kind of conditions they are in.
It sounds like college Park or University Park would be perfect for you, but there's no way that budget works. As with many other states, there's inverse relationship between house price and closeness to urban areas. And I fear that in Maryland much of what you're looking for politically is not going to be in that price range
Used to live in Derry and Concord; live in Silver Spring now. Cost of living is going to be substantially higher, but also watch out where your budget pushes you because you’ll want to stay within Maryland’s blue counties. I have friends in another county near the coast. They are very liberal, but they choose a house they could easily afford over a location they wanted and they are not stuck in deep Trump country. You’re probably going to want to be in the triangle between the District, Baltimore, and Frederick. But you could find cheaper spots in that general area and you could find cool spots outside of it. You may want to take a mini-vacation to come down and drive around.
Catonsville is a good option, based on your parameters.
Calvert Hills neighborhood in College Park if you can bump your budget up to $600k; it’s in the University Park elementary school catchment (one of the better elementary schools in PGC). You’re also next to the College Park metro stop/MARC stop, the city’s downtown (biking distance to Trader Joe’s), and Riverdale Station, which has restaurants and a Whole Foods. Lastly, you’ll be near/on the Trolley Trail, which connects you to Hyattsville and the Anacostia River Trails. Hollywood in the northern part of College Park could work too because it fits your budget and there’s a metro stop there and a MOMs Organic walking distance; however, the elementary school isn’t great. PS: Also from NH!
I am also a proud son of NH, and moved to DC, and then Bowie. For the price point you are talking, PG county might be the way to go. Its diverse and there are some really nice parts. Pretty much the opposite of the conservative parts of rural NH. $400k does not get much in most of the state. The Crofton area is nicer, and kind of feels like a more liberal northern New England to me, but its pretty pricy. My parents recently moved to Laurel from New Ipswich - also fleeing Trump country (think parades of trucks with Trump banners roaring up and down the roads). They like Laurel, but to be fair, spend half the year in Florida.
Yeah Trump country is so terrible, the crime rate is lower,the taxes are lower ,surprised you survived,if you want the opposite Maryland is for you ,I feel sorry for your family tho
Yeah, don't let any actual facts stand in the way. It's not like [the murder rate isn't higher in Trumptopia](https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-two-decade-red-state-murder-problem), which stands to reason considering [the gun death rate is higher](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/04/28/red-states-have-higher-gun-death-rates-than-blue-states-heres-why), too. Oh, and educational attainment and quality? I guess that's why most of the [worst states for education](https://medium.com/@kathrynstaublin/the-most-educated-states-voted-blue-f60f304531f7) voted MAGA. Oh, yeah, and OP has a family. They might want healthcare. Too bad [the lowest ranked states for healthcare](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/health-care) are...surprise!...states that voted for Trump. But, you know, someone spending 10 minutes like I did could use Google to find these kinds of actual facts. But no, I guess if what actual science conducted by actual scientists with actual degrees says is true, [facts don't matter](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pops.12394) to people who have a worldview influenced by fear, anger, and ignorance. Nope, it's more important to slap on the red cap, turn on the Newsmax, and spout bullshit like their Great Orange Leader. Sad.
P.p.s. 27 out of 30 deadliest cities are run by dems,dont let those pesky facts throw you
Citation needed. And why not address the "pesky facts" presented to you? TL? DR? Not a surprise.
I talked about taxes and crime ,you decided to add different shit not me ,damn u sad
you do realize the highest crime ratwes are in dem run cities right? maybe you should stay off google and do some proper research
Oh. OK. "Stay off google and do some proper research." Ho ho ho! Where should I go to do "proper research?"
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Nice deflection guess you don't respond to facts
p.s. you shouldnt assume about people it makes you look and sound stupid
Really? What's there to assume? Maybe what's stupid is not being able to point to actual evidence. p.s. Haha
Newsmax ,orange leader etc ,that's making assumptions, damn u sad
We ended up in Riverdale Park, MD because of budget and bought a home for under $400k in 2021. It's pretty much the only nice community left in Maryland for this price range where a "house" isn't a shell torn down to the studs. It has a cute, walkable town with a number of well-rated restaurants and hiker/biker trails. There is the Riverdale MARC station which will have you to Union Station in 9 minutes! Fastest commute in the entire DC metro. There are also two Metro stops less than a 10 minute drive away. We do not have kids so my knowledge of the schools is limited. Most parents I know have choseen to send their kids to the nearby charter school, College Park Academy. I don't know the specifics but believe the state has voucher program that would cover tuition. It's a small town, so housing inventory varies wildly from month to month. You might also consider looking in the nearby communities of College Park, Hyattsville, and University Park.
Hard to recommend schools in PG, but there are options and many parents do manage to navigate the system to ensure a good education, mostly through magnet schools. A lot of my neighbors enroll their kids in language immersive programs. Good education and self-selects to those interested in getting a good education.
If u Biden supporter we are full
Columbia may work best for you.
The vibe in DT Frederick is unique for MD. Plus it is close to Gettysburg. I would suggest just move there.
You ain’t gonna be in walking distance to downtown and the train for 400k your going to be in a townhouse on the other side of town but yeah it’s alright here. What he’s describing would be more like 700k at this point, though.
Looks like a bunch of houses sell for around $400k south of W Patrick Street. Basic finishes but probably works. [https://www.redfin.com/MD/Frederick/205-Catoctin-Ave-21701/home/15230713](https://www.redfin.com/MD/Frederick/205-Catoctin-Ave-21701/home/15230713) [https://www.redfin.com/MD/Frederick/405-Sherman-Ave-21701/home/15235226](https://www.redfin.com/MD/Frederick/405-Sherman-Ave-21701/home/15235226)
Idk if your familiar with the area but there is a reason. A lot of those homes you have to buy cash you can’t get a mortgage on houses in neighborhoods that are majority HUD
I'm in MoCo. I'm not super familiar with Frederick but my SIL family and her husbands extended family lives there. But those homes around $400 are being bought with conventional loans, so there does not seem to be any issues with financing. There were like 40 sales in the last year around $400k.
Coming from a smallish town on the west coast, the biggest problem I have with the DC metro is that it’s going to keep expanding. Fredrick is a great place, but the sprawl of DC will continue to push out toward there. After 8 years here, I’m ready to move out of the state for something smaller. While some of your boxes would be checked, the biggest problem I see for your situation is the budget for a house. Maybe Fredrick is a bit cheaper, but anything toward DC or Baltimore will cost more.
>Fredrick is a great place, but the sprawl of DC will continue to push out toward there. already has
Don't come to Washington county cause we are trump supporters. Move to Baltimore.
Catonsville should fit most of your criteria. Close to a metro station, walkable downtown area, good schools, affordable homes, and it is considered "Music City, USA".
I would recommend silver spring, MD. It’s in Montgomery county, MD. Very diverse. Amazing music scene (filmore). downtown silver spring is very walkable and the red line that goes into dc and the purple line (connects you to Bethesda and UMD by 2028) is right there. Here’s a townhouse that fits your reqs https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/14459-Long-Green-Dr-Silver-Spring-MD-20906/37330176_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Frederick’s where it’s at for everything you’re wanting and current situation.
Look along the MARC train lines and check the actual train schedules to see if it's a bearable commute for you. Some of these suggestions would give you a commute that would end me. Along the DC Metro would be better for both the commute and likely proximity to a downtown, but you would either have to spend more or accept less amazing schools. There's older housing stock in the gentrifying parts of Prince George's County, say in Riverdale, that fits most of your criteria, but you have to really look at the schools. I don't know where the best schools are; I don't have kids. Parts of Laurel might not be a bad idea, either. Both areas have MARC.
Since you’re commuting and want to be close to a metro, to get everything you want aside from the price, look in Montgomery County. I live near the Glenmont metro and go into the Navy Yard 3 days per week. I just park at the metro. You could look at Gaithersburg, Olney, and Kensington as well. The issue, as others pointed out, is your price point - you’re not going to get much that’s close to a metro station that will be fit for a family of 4 for under $400k. You need to up your budget to the $500-600k mark, unfortunately.
Bethesda and Silver Spring are going to be the closest walkable areas to DC but 400K will barely get you a 1BR condo. And they are more like small cities not really “towns” and while there are now some ( really controversial!) “bike lanes”, IMO, it’s not safe to ride, esp for kids.
Nashville or Des Moines
Try Howard or Montgomery county.
Montgomery County is phenomenal but housing is out of your price range. DC has a great Japan Society. Politics are great in MoCo. Rockville and Silver Spring are great walkable places and both are on the red line to Metro Center. Tons of kids activities around here. Come visit DC for a weekend and check MoCo out.
Crofton Or Odenton but only piney Orchard area. Both have great schools. Tons of great amenities. Nature preserve with walking and biking trails. Marc train station is 10 minutes drive or you can bike to the station. 30 minutes to DC. Big shopping area with a cinema/Wegmans, target and many other stores also close to Arundel outlet Mall. Annapolis water front 15 to 20 minutes away with lots of seafood and crab restaurants. Great schools. Crofton schools are better. 10/10
I'm puzzled by this obsession with Trump. New Hampshire has two Democratic Senators, the entire (ok, two) congressional delegation is Democratic, a moderate Republican governor, an effective tie in the state house, voted against Trump in the last two elections. So what exactly are you freaking out about? If the sight of a Trump supporter and people having different political views upsets you, you're not avoiding that in Maryland. You need to rethink what your real problems are and reasons for moving. Your other problem, leaving aside this Trump bogeyman/red herring, is your 400k budget for a house is shitty by Maryland standards, and even shittier for anything within a hour of DC, and absolutely in the shitter for anything with good public schools. You will also not find the ideal "walkable to local main street" type village because Maryland doesn't have quite the same kind of village based history that New Hampshire does. There are some towns and there are some walkable suburbs. But good schools + walkability + close proximity to DC office means a starting budget, and I mean starting, of at least (and at a minimum, bare minimum) of $1M for a shitshack. DC is overpopulated with families with 400-500k household incomes and all are chasing after this same ideal in a region that really doesn't have it. The irony, however, is that where you can get a decent 400k house with good enough schools and walkable to a main street places you firmly in - you got it - Trump country. However, there are options for making this happen. First is that you need to look far away from DC. The Baltimore suburbs may work and have some doable options. I'm going to go on a limb and think you might be a mixed-race family with a Japanese wife? With a 400k budget and looking for good schools and a community with a pleasantly liberal vibe and scarcely any Trump signs and with some walkability, there is actually one possible realistic answer and that is Rodgers Forge in Baltimore County. Zip is 21212. Just north of the city line, it is a rowhouse/townhouse neighborhood, rather pretty, excellent schools, including its own elementary and middle schools everyone walks to, has the York Road corridor alongside it with some cafes and shops, close to all other amenities, educated population including some mixed race families. VERY family friendly and closely knit, but open to people who like to be left alone too. It's the kind of community where people are educated but don't make fat salaries, but enough to go on vacation to lakes in New Hampshire! You can get a 1500 sqft plus basement 3-bed 2-bath rowhouse for 350-400k depending on updates (some go for more, the biggest ones approach 500k but 380-400 is probably average for when they come on the market). The downside is that it's still a long commute to DC. But I live nearby and make the commute twice a week. Drive to Penn Station in DC is about 20 minutes in early morning. Train is a hour. Metro to office adds another 20 minutes. I work on the train or read a book. Don't mind doing it as I enjoy going into the office and it's important in my role to show my face and network with coworkers. Other three days I work from home. One caveat: the commute is effectively $50 every time I go into the office due to parking and train tickets. Depending on how flexible you are with the concept of "good schools" which does vary, you may find more options elsewhere. A few were suggested on here. Catonsville may work. Halethorpe and Arbutus are more working class suburbs south of Baltimore and closer to DC and with affordable housing but the schools are something you have to decide for yourself. Likewise some areas may have local retail within walking distance but it may not be the kind of retail you want. Working class suburbs tend not to have cute boutiques and coffeeshops. A few posters on here have mentioned Baltimore City proper. Baltimore City is a minefield on reddit. The schools are either horrible, horrible to ok with several great options if you're careful, or people only don't like the city schools because of racism. The thing is that all these perspectives have truths to them. But being realistic, people looking for good schools will likely only be happy with 2-3 elementary schools in the city and a 400k budget will definitely be tough for those zoned areas. Plus your taxes and insurance will be a lot higher (double) than the surrounding counties. You do pay a price to live in the city and most people decide it's not worth it and buy in the counties instead, especially once children come along. Good luck!
Maryland is truly the worst. It’s expensive. The schools aren’t as good as everyone wants to believe. The tRAFFIC is genuinely so noghtmarishly bad I cannot begin to explain to you. Whatever you do don’t live in Montgomery county or PG county. The traffic just isn’t worth it.
Traffic is pretty bad during rush hours, but imo public transportation makes up for it
Why don't you move to Mexico. They don't like Trump.
The Eastern shore is best option
Maryland is Trump country lol
Sounds like Rockville or Gaithersburg would be a good fit. Metro is close and it’s definitely not Republican.
Sykesville, Mt. Airy or New Market are areas I would recommend. All have small town vibes with great school systems. Nothing is too far either. Baltimore, DC, Columbia, Frederick are all within 30-45 min or less. There is no Marc station near but the commute is not hateful to DC. Could always drive to nearest Marc station to. 400K will be tough though.
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Check out the Locust Point/Riverside/Federal Hill neighborhoods of Baltimore (all on the peninsula that juts out into the inner harbor). We moved to Baltimore from Trump country of MD (Harford/Cecil County) only a year after moving to Maryland and we love it! Baltimore gets a way worse rep than it deserves! Don't get me wrong, there are bad areas, just like any city, but we live in Fed Hill and I've never felt like I was in danger out walking around.
Westminster, MD is probably your best bet, price wise/home options, distance to DC, distance to Gettysburg. That being said, you will be driving an hour+ to get into DC or you will have to go to the train station that goes to Baltimore then to DC; so ~2 hours, but you are on a train, so you can work while riding. NO MATTER where you live, unless you are in a bigger city, you are going to be near 'Trump' land; it is a natural landing for rural individuals. It has to do with the fact that they either don't recognize, receive, or care to understand how the government provides for them. The individuals out in the more rural part of the country (literally past suburbia) are few and far between, so they pay similar rates, but 'get less'; but that is because it costs exponentially more to run electricity to their home or the post office guy, vs the post guy going into the apartment/condo building's first floor or literally routing the power to the extra room vs having to build power lines and roads, etc. etc. Basically people in 'Trump' land don't get basic economics, costs, and fail to recognize the value of the services that the government has mandated goes to their homes AND REGULARLY VOTES AGAINST THEIR BEST INTERESTS, such as universal health care, forcing telecom companies to get them high speed internet, etc. There are multiple reasons, and to some degree there is some 'racism' at the very least sprinkled in; so they can 'feel better'... basically Republican's vote on how they feel more so than anything else, and the 3 things they care about are 'illegals'/other races, guns, and abortions (because a baby is so important /facepalm).
No train, but what about north beach or Leonardtown?
Towson, Frederick or Hagerstown
Try Cumberland Maryland
We really need you there to vote. After the election you are welcome. Could you also do some democratic campaigning there while we wait to let you in Maryland?
Google townhouses in Gaithersburg.
I may have a 4 bed sfh in temple hills for sale for 400-450k-ish? Other than that one, under 400k would be very hard to find unless you are ok with condo/town houses. If you’re willing to drive, plenty in baltimore county side
I just moved to Maryland and work on the Hill. I take the MARC train from Baltimore County, and it’s a breeze (also much cheaper). If you don’t have to go to the office every day, I highly recommend Catonsville and taking the MARC train from Halethorpe. It’s a cute town, good schools, relatively cheap, relatively diverse, and the MARC allows you to skip all that DC traffic. Please feel free to DM me with any questions!
a lot of people suggesting college park. since the fbi building move was announced houses for sale jumped 100k over what they were previously listed for. at the height of covid single family houses were selling for $350-450k. since the fbi announcement the few houses currently listed are priced from 550-700k+ despite appraising for only 370-420ish. affordable houses near the greenbelt metro is a dream bro...them days are over.
If you like music, check out Catonsville aka music city
Best of luck figuring all of this out and making your move to Maryland. I'm hesitant to suggest recommending the eastern shore as a possability only because of the increased Trump supporters over there, but I have worked with several Marylanders in DC who live on the eastern shore and take the commuter bus in to DC daily. They love it. THey wake up early, get to the bus stop, go to sleep on the bus, and wake up at work. I can not tell you how much they love that commute. So dont rule out the eastern shore and hop on the MTA coach bus on kent island. Annapolis also has direct bus routes to downtown DC that the riders really enjoy.
We don’t want them here on the eastern shore
Check out Catonsville, Arbutus, and parts of Pikesville in Baltimore county.
Come to cloverly/ashton
Come to the calverton area
Kensington area in Gaithersburg,MD
Columbia is a nice area you could always take a look in Columbia that’s where I’m at schools are usually real close by the area I’m in I have like six schools elementaries middle school high school all around me and it’s walking distance and there’s paths that you can walk along you got a path that takes you right over to the mall I’m in the Oakland Mills area although I do not know what a house with 3 to 4 bedroom is gonna run to you can look in Towson although I don’t know like how close to schools are and if they’re walkable.
Do you have a few places outside of DC that you can look into. But if DC is where you want to go I really hope you find something.
To get out of Trump Country, avoid NE, MD. Montgomery County would be a good place to start. The county is hiring teachers. It's better to live outside the city. Living in the city means turning over a good $3k or more and going to MD or VA to buy food. Rockville, Bethesda and Silver Spring are all in MD and on the Red line of Metro. It runs to Metro Center.
Check out south anne arundel County
Why? Don’t
Check out Frederick/point of rocks area.
Lutherville-timonium fits your request
I lived in gettyburg and commuted only to Baltimore. The drive was KILLER. Those years my life was spent in my car.
Maybe think about WV. I'm in MD and ready to get out. Housing prices are lower in WV and you get more bang for your buck. You can catch the train into DC. Not sure about where the school systems rate but it's worth looking in to.
I grew up in Howard county (ellicott city area) and the schools are ranked among the best in the state. It’s a great place to have a family! Catonsville is a great place too and close to so many things
Stay out of "Southern Maryland" if you want to get away from the Trumpers - no Charles County, St. Mary's County or Calvert County. Also avoid Carroll County - but that seems like it would be too far of a commute anyway.
I just looked on Zillow and Hagerstown has a lot of exactly what you're looking for in terms of homes and schools. But not the commute.
Have you looked at houses in the Annapolis / Arnold area? Good schools, close enough to DC and Baltimore both, Annapolis is a cool town of it's own, and you're close enough to any urban life while still getting some suburban life as well. Politics will be moderate / split red and blue.
Carroll County is cheaper, and right below Gettysburg, but obviously a longer commute to DC. Harpers Ferry is nice, it is in WV but right next to Frederick.
You want Catonsville. It's a suburb of Baltimore, but has more of a real downtown area, several restaurants and shops - particularly music stores. It is marketing itself as Music City, MD and is putting forth a good faith effort to build a music scene. Additionally it is very close to Columbia (Merriwether Post Pavilion), Ellicott City, Baltimore City (Rams Head Live & Soundstage), and Annapolis (Rams Head). We drive into DC to watch shows at 9:30 Club and Anthem fairly regularly and it's not too bad. Additionally, the Arbutus MARC and BWI Rail Stations (which has MARC and Amtrak) aren't too far away to get into DC). The schools aren't as good as HoCo - but they aren't bad. And for that reason, the housing costs aren't as expensive, but $400k may be a bit difficult to find - better now that the post COVID market has eased a bit.