Maryland Residents?

Hi all. Just visiting here from the Texas Gardening forum. =) I am considering the east coast, possibly the Maryland area as a place to move to in a year-two. I would appreciate ANY INFO you can provide from the following if you have lived there, do live there or know someone else who does.

Any favorite links for the state/city/county's?
What do you think of the cost of living (taxes...food....housing)?
How long would you say each season is...or what do you think of the seasons?
More expensive & cheaper areas to live (counties perhaps)?
Cost of sales tax (is it 1 rate for the whole state?)
Is it fairly easy/affordable to start a small business in the state?
What vegetables grow well there? What are the months you are able to plant vegetables?
What are the most common garden pests/problems?
Quality of city water in your area?
Is it a place you could see yourself living forever?
Are there expensive fees (re-paying sales tax) on transferring cars from out of state to there?
What are the chain or box restaurants or stores in MD?

And any other things you might be able to through in, I'll appreciate the cons and pros of it all. THANK YOU!

This message was edited Sep 29, 2006 12:22 PM

Wait a minute now - weren't you moving to Virginia? Are you on the run from the law?

there must be someone lurking from Maryland here?

Hehe, no Al....but all these areas neighbor each other and from the looks of real estate Maryland might be a better bet for me. So just checking.

Hopefully someone in MD will check in. =)

From what I've gathered there is only a 5% across the board sales tax, no tax on food, that's cool. But they actually TAX your out-of-state purchases to help encourage you not to cut out MD business folks by avoiding a tax and getting a "discount" then of the 5%...but wondering how in the world they prove that you bought something online!?

But for way cheaper sales tax and property tax I think I can handle that. =)

It is virtually impossible to address all of your questions/concerns without knowing more about yourself. Maryland is ideally located for people with various interests and lifestyles. Every state has selective areas that may satisfy one's preferences. Since housing is a major component of the cost of living, there can be a significant difference from one end of the state to the other. There are cost of living (by state/city) calculators on the web that may be helpful. http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html

Here is another link that may be helpful. http://www.visitmaryland.org/home/index.asp

Through the years, many Marylanders moved across the state line to Pennsylvania or Delaware because of lower property taxes and/or sales or income taxes. What is good for one person may not be good for another. Many people make decisions on where to live based on the quality of education. Maryland is not inexpensive by any means. Why does one decide to move from Texas to Maryland, or vice versa ? Do you want to live in the mountains, the city or near the seashore ? We have it all !!!

From a gardening perspective, Maryland is in zone 7A and 7B. We do have a relatively mild climate. Winters can be cold but snow piles are generally short-lived. May 15th is a good guess for the latest frost.

We have a 5% state sales tax on just about everything. We have a personal income tax rate of 5% plus an additional income tax that varies according to county (average rate is 50% of the 5% tax).

Certainly a transfer fee (to transfer your car(s) from one state to another) can't be a driving force in selecting a new residence.

Quality of water in my area, based on my opinion ..... environmentally and healthwise safe, taste terrible. I don't like to taste or smell chlorine.

Hopefully other Maryland residents can provide additional input.

DO NOT move here. Although it is a beautiful state, it is too crowded and way too expensive. We bought our home in the mid 150 range only three years ago, it is now appraising for double that. New home construction anywhere in the MD/DC/VA metro area runs in the 500k to 700k range with little property around the home. And farm land around here would cost you your first born. Unless you move out into the sticks of MD or VA which are also starting to rise significantly in prices because people are moving out and commuting further just to be able to avoid high prices.

If we weren't attached to the area for custody reasons, we would not be here. My husband was born and raised here and he remembers when most of Maryland was a rural state. It's just too crowded, too expensive and you take your life in your hands everytime you drive somewhere, especially if you have to take any of the Interstates.

Sorry to sound negative, but I deal with commute issues and cost of living issues everyday and it really is just too overpriced in this area. You could not survive out here unless you are making a really good salary. Look at the living expenses before you make any decisions.....I say stay in Texas.

Tie_Na_Nog

I live in Baltimore County, which--kind of--surrounds all of Baltimore City. Been here for 45 years and love it. There is a lot to see and to do. People are friendly. Our "Inner Harbor" is a tourist meca. Good restaurants and seafood are more than plenty.
Living expenses here can vary greatly, depending of where you want to live. In general, thiugh, compared to our surrounding counties (like Howard Co.--Ann Arundel Co.--Harford Co., Columbia, and all the counties surrounding Washington DC) realstate in Baltimore is much more affordable than in DC, NY, or Philadelphia. I would stay away from the areas that are building 99 condos a month.

I live in the Perry Hall/White Marsh area and this is one of the best locations to be. You have everything here! 5 minutes from I-95 and about 20 minutes from downtown. Park and rides. Endless grocery stores and restaurants and good schools to choose from. It is almost a semi-country area, as all this used to be farm country and a marsh. 5 minutes north of this area--and you are in farm land.
You can still find plenty of roadside stands selling their fresh produce, home grown chickens and eggs. There is the Gunpowder river to fish in and go tubing in--and the Gunpowder Park nearby.
Ocean City and it's wonderful beaches are about a 3 hour drive away. If you like being near water, then any of the Southern Maryland counties would be a place to aim for--and cheaper to live in. In Southern maryland--you really ARE in Farm Country!

We have parks and access to water and fishing. Historical places to see too.
There are older areas where one can buy a home with a decent yard for a reasonable price. Depending on what you are looking for, you will have a wide range of prices.

All kinds of vegetables grow well here, ecpecially Corn, Tomatoes, Sqush, Melons, Green Peppers, and other warm-climate vegetables.
We have very hot summers and fairly mild winters. Now and then Mother nature throws a glitch our way and we have piles of snow--like this past february when we had an 18" snowfall overnight.
Humidity is always high. Nights do not cool off much in the summer, so having a central A/C in your home is the norm here.

Garden pest and problems? Well, because of the heat and humidity, it is a given that you will have black Spot on your Roses. Also a lot of mold on your Lilacs, and peomies and Flox.
We have a lot of Crabgrass in the lawn, unless you treat it with a Pre-Emergence control application. We have slugs and Earwigs that like to chew everything in sight. And--we have Japanese Beetles (between July and August) that destroy a lot of flowers and foliage. Then they lay their eggs, which fall to the ground and become Grubs,. which live on chewing the roots off of the grass in your lawn. All are treatable with the right lawn applications.

I am not a vegetable gardener, so I cannot advise you on that aspect of gardening. I am sure someone else will. The soil here, basically, is red clay. Amendments are needed if you build a new home.

The "Big Box Stores are: Home Depot, Lowes, Target, Kmart. Wall Mart, Sears, JCPennys, Kohls, Marshalls, TJ Max, Bed bath and Beyond, AC Mores (crafts) and many others NOTHIN you will ever want for!
Grocery stores are: Giant, Safeway, Superfresh, Weis, Shoppers, Lion King, Mars, etc.

I LOVE Maryland for all it's diversity and friendliness. I think if you want to move here, some of the trivial stuff you have asked about will become irrelevent. It just is a nice place to call HOME!

Re transferring a car here from another state and obtaining a license--you will have to pay the 5% sales tax on the value of that car.
AND!!!! We do NOT have the "Texas Mentality" here! We are "plain folk".....

Well! I am sure many others will chime in.

I sure would welcome you! Gita

I'll do my best to answer your questions :)

Any favorite links for the state/city/county's?

http://www.discoverfrederickmd.com/farmersmarket/ http://www.discoverfrederickmd.com/

What do you think of the cost of living (taxes...food....housing)?

Property taxes here are rising as is the value of real estate, but on the other hand, we've seen a flattening of the real estate market in the past few months. Being within commuting distance of Wash DC, our property values definately hold their own and there are many great values if you are not subject to daily commutes. We are blessed by being self employed so we were able to choose where our office would be which is exactly 10.5 minutes from our home. It just depends on where your base of operations is. If I had to commute to DC which we did for many, many years, it would be unbearable.

Food costs - we grow lots of our own food even though it's very small scale. We buy our meat from a local butcher and the prices are 1/2 what they are in the grocery stores plus we know his product. We buy local produce for what we cannot grow and their are terrific organic farm markets here that we support.

How long would you say each season is...or what do you think of the seasons?

Here in Frederick County, we have 4 distinct seasons and we love them all.

More expensive & cheaper areas to live (counties perhaps)?

Again, yes. It depends on how you make your living and what your job requirements are for travelling or commuting.

Cost of sales tax (is it 1 rate for the whole state?)

I think others have answered this very nicely.

Is it fairly easy/affordable to start a small business in the state?

Yes and No - what is the business you are trying to start? If it's a catering business the answer is No as health requirements are stringent. Let's say on the other hand you are trying to start another type of business, such as what we operate, then the answer is Yes :)

What vegetables grow well there? What are the months you are able to plant vegetables?

Every vegetable grows well here except for artichokes - haven't mastered them at all!! You can plant in very early spring for peas, beets, lettuces, cruciferous etc and re-plant in the fall for lettuces, spinach, etc.

What are the most common garden pests/problems?

Japanese Beetles, squash borers, black spot for roses

Quality of city water in your area?

We are on a well and have a UV light system that we love. We test the water 2x a year and have had no problems. City/County water has been excellent from our family reports who live in Maryland from the Eastern Shore to just west of us.

Is it a place you could see yourself living forever?

On this earth, yes :)

Are there expensive fees (re-paying sales tax) on transferring cars from out of state to there?

I'm unsure of the answer on this one; maybe someone else has better knowledge

What are the chain or box restaurants or stores in MD?

Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Sam's Club, Costco, Best Buy, the restaurant chains I suppose are endless, but we never eat out so I'm not a good resource for that.


I will tell you that Maryland has farm land, mountains, beaches, a completely different eastern shore life, a completely different mountain life and a totally completely different metropolitan life should you need to commute to either Baltimore or DC. We are very happy here and cannot imagine another place to live except of course for....Texas :)

Dea

I don't think I can add any more to the above.....I have lived here for my entire life and love it. (66years). As said above...there are places to live that are high real estate and places to live that are more economical...it is a huge question. We offer anything you may want in the way of gardening except for the fact that we do not have the "easy climate" of Texas. We have all seasons......seven is heaven as they say. I disagree with noobei- gardener....there are always places in EVERY city and county that are less desireable and certainly we have ours. You just don't buy there...

All the others have answered your basic questions and most hit the nail on the head. I am not wedded to Maryland and would move were it not for custody issues of my own. I don't love it, nor do I hate it. I'd just rather be someplace where I could buy a house with some land around it for a reasonable price, instead of a rowhome for the same price!!! I don't live in a rowhome, but that's the way it is here in Baltimore. You pay acres of $ for a small house with NO LAND!!!! I'd also like to be someplace with a much better school system. The Baltimore City school system is one of the worst in the nation, as far as I'm concerned. My DD attends a BC school and it's one of the better ones, but by and large, there is a great deal of room for improvement. As far as gardening, of course, I'd rather be some place like south Florida so that I can have an outdoor garden year round! The summers are humid and the winters are not bad. Our last winter was pretty mild- no huge snow storms, e.t.c. Your houseplants will enjoy a summer vacation outdoors:) I'd stay in Texas, too, if I were you. Why do you want to move to the Mid-Atlantic?:)

GH

You've already gotten lots of good feedback and I don't know if I could add a lot more, but I'll try:

Any favorite links for the state/city/county's?

Here is a link that will give you information about living in various counties in suburban Maryland.

http://www.choosemaryland.org/factsandfigures/qualityoflife/costoflivingoverview.html

"Communities throughout Maryland offer a broad range of amenities and lifestyles that are both attractive and affordable. In Baltimore, living costs are somewhat above the national average, but less than those in urban areas in the northeast and west. Living costs on Maryland's Eastern Shore and in Western Maryland are generally near the national average, and also compare favorably with other smaller metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in the northeast and midwest United States."

http://www.aafsw.org/dc/links/maryland.htm

What do you think of the cost of living (taxes...food....housing)?

I lived in Howard County for the past 20 years and previously I lived in Montgomery County for 30 some years. Yes, both counties are very expense to live in, but there is still afforable housing. You are paying for the close proximity to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. A good realtor would be able to find you housing that is in your ball park.

Maryland tax: http://individuals.marylandtaxes.com/incometax/default.asp
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/edit/state/profiles/state_tax_Md.asp

How long would you say each season is...or what do you think of the seasons?

Spring in Maryland is beautiful, but sometimes in short lived. Summer in Maryland is very hot and very humid. Fall in Maryland is gorgeous with autumn colors. Winter in Maryland is not that bad. Some years we'll get a lot of snow and other years we'll hardly have any.

Is it fairly easy/affordable to start a small business in the state?

Here are some links to help you:

http://www.mdsbdc.umd.edu/getstart.htm
http://wwwnew.towson.edu/sbdc/startup/
http://www.blis.state.md.us/BusinessStartup.aspx
http://www.ventureworthy.com/Grants-for-starting-a-small-business.asp

What vegetables grow well there? All of them! Take your pick!!

What are the months you are able to plant vegetables? March through November

What are the most common garden pests/problems?

The top ones on my list are Japanese Beetles, Black Spot and Gypsy Moths

http://www.agnr.umd.edu/MCE/Publications/Category.cfm?ID=L

Quality of city water in your area?

I'm sure that the city water is safe, but we still prefer to drink bottled water.

Is it a place you could see yourself living forever?

I would like to live here for the rest of my live, but who knows!

Are there expensive fees (re-paying sales tax) on transferring cars from out of state to there?

Here's a link to Maryland Vechicle Administration. http://mva.state.md.us/AboutMVA/INFO/58000-01T.htm

What are the chain or box restaurants or stores in MD?

Lots of "big box stores" in Maryland that have been listed above. Lots of smaller stores to. Too many to name.
One more link to dining in MD. http://www.restaurants.com/US/State.asp?StateAbbrev=MD&LID=2235

Where ever you choose to live, the main thing is to be happy, safe, and secure. Good Luck!

well not sure what I can add exept I have lived here my whole life as well 42 years and loving it.Married a man who has lived here his whole life too and we have family ties here that will keep us here forever and that works just fine with me!We have it all the mountains the shore the culture all close by.

I live in Phoenix MD which has a bit more of the rural feel and small town kind of thing going which is wonderful.

The schools here--- in the right area are BAR NONE wonderful.

The question most asked here is "where did you go to school" and they mean HIGH SCHOOL -- here it seems most either stay or come back !

I have not lived anywhere else but would say! Come on over this is a great place to live.

I do agree with my Mom "levilyla" the city and some other areas have their bad spots--- just don't move there

Linthicum:

Thanks for all your info and links. I can elaborate a bit on what you've asked. Why move? My husband desires the 4 seasons and we want a wetter climate for gardening than we have here. We've lived in Michigan, Colorado and Texas and liked things about each.
A transfer fee for a car is NOT a reason not to move, I totally agree....but when you move to Texas you have to pay sales tax AGAIN on a vehicle depending on it's blue book value, which I think is kinda silly. I ask about the water because I travel a lot in Texas with my job and have tasted some bad city waters and have since put it at the top of the list of important things to be aware of. Thanks for the info on the income tax, that was one thing I couldn't locate online. Do you file state income tax for another state if that's where you drive into work but live in MD and then not file in MD at all? Thanks again!


Noobie,

Sorry for all your troubles but I really did get a chuckle out of your descriptions! My gosh people are saying the same thing in TEXAS! That we are to crowded and we have to worry about water issues now....to much building....etc. It's the whole country in my opinion and as long as I'm buying an old home that's established I don't really see myself as adding to much to the crowding issue. We bought out home here near San Antonio 2 years ago and it's already gone up quite a bit...."they" say. But I am pleased to hear the latest news that the housing bubble is finally busting and it's a "buyers market" they say. But yes, I would not move unless it was for a good salary. And I expect the utilities alone in a colder climate would top the list of more costly cons to consider. But I grew up in Michigan so I'm no stranger to that or the cold. =) You know, I can't remember what person it was but someone on DG actually bought a farm in NEW YORK of all places for a wonderful sum....something like 100 acres or something for 200 grand...in NEW YORK! Now don't quote me on that....because I don't quite remember the specifics but I remember thinking...wow they still have open land there? And even Texas gives it's surprises. When I moved here and Mom saw it for the first time she said, "Wow....I didn't know Texas had so many trees!" It's all in how you look at it I think.


Gita:

WOW, LOVED your info!!!!!! You are the perfect commercial for Maryland. =) I know some of my questions are silly but they were coming to me so fast I was just a typing away whatever I could think of. I love the idea of quantity in grocery stores!!!!!! I know some might have thought that silly but my gosh we moved to SA and were disappointed to see we have 2 choices (unless you add in a natural food store). Yep, a million people here and we have 2 places to grocery shop. Wal-Mart or HEB (a Texas started chain that is HUGE like Wal-Mart). Not very good choices. I've read much on MD sites about the many farmer stands and that was exciting to as we've not found even a close farmers market to go to here. We seem very similar on the garden pests and I didn't realize crabgrass went that far north....don't remember having it in MI. So VERY GLAD you included as much info as you did!


Dea:

Thanks for the wealth of opinion and answers on that. You've said just about what I've been reading on MD websites.


GrowHappy:

I must not have stated in my original posting but we are NOT quite content with our gardening abilities here in the "easy climate" state of Texas. East of us they get more rain but here in San Antonio we get about 30" a year and we've had a drought all year. The only time our veg garden was able to produce for us was Spring. Our summer crops all went ca-put. It was terrible! We got just a few squash and then some bitter cukes and some corn that had smut. So it was no good. We have nectarine trees that didn't even get to flower because the winter was so warm. Yet we are to cold to grow tropical plants outside year round here. DH would like more seasons and I grew up with them. I'm not married to just summer. =)

Magoo:

Thank you as well!!!!!!



You sure are a friendly bunch and I appreciate the time you all took to post links, opinions and facts. =)

Tir:

Upstate New York is absolutely beautiful and nothing like NYC. In fact, when I lived there in upstate (Alfred) I found that upstate New Yorkers do not like to be affiliated with, in their words "that nasty,filthy little city" (meaning NYC).

Everyone will have their different opinions about Maryland. However, I think I am a little more objective as I was not born nor raised in Maryland. It does have some beautiful parts and the beaches (when they are not closed for high bacteria count) are beautiful. Ocean City is very nice. But again, you need to make a really good salary to live comfortably. We make good money, so we are comfy, but our money could go a lot farther than it does if the cost of living here wasn't so high.

In short, like any place, it has it's good and it's bad. Unfortunately, because you have nation's capital and government jobs (LOTS of them), it is bringing more people to the MD/DC/VA metro area than our roads, neighborhoods and school systems can handle.

Tir,

Thanks for your kind words!
Yes! We are a friendly bunch here! Overall, Baltimore is also known as "The Friendly City". Too bad there is pretty high crime in the City...

About the Farmers markets...
Just about all over during the Summer, there will be a Farmers market somewhere--even downtown under the Jones Falls ( a highway) bridge. In the center of Towson (the seat of the County Government) and many other places. I live very close to White marsh Mall and there is a farmers market there as well on friday mornings, right behind the Borders Book store on the parking lot. Prices are much cheaper that way and you actually get to chat with the farmers themselves. There are plenty of farms around here, where they grow everything, and close to my area, there are a couple where you can go and "pick your own".

Should you choose to settle in the more expensive are of Hunt Valley, they opened the first Wegmans grocery store there this year. I have not been there yet, but it sounsd like one should go there on a tour bus and spend the day!!!

It is now starting to get cool at night. Last night was in the mis 40's. Time to bring all the plants in and turn my home into a jungle.

Remember--"Home is where the heart is....."

Gita

I probably don't have much to add. You're lucky if you don't have to worry about school system. I think a key is how rural/suburban do you want to be? Even rural, you will have lots of roads to get you to all the shopping, jobs, health care, etc. By the way, I think we have lots of good choices in health care. but I'm no expert. Anne Arundel County where I live has had huge growth due to NSA and other federal jobs. All the suburbs of Balto and DC have nicer and nastier areas.
My part of Anne Arundel County has great sandy loam( unless the builder has stripped it) I love to dig and not break my back!! Other regions in the Coastal Plain may give you that too, certainly Delaware and MD Eastern Shore I expect are sandy. I don't have any Jap beetles ( i have four o clocks) 40 inches about average rain. Do have earwigs, and camel crickets and slugs, but learn to live with them. Bugs and fungus go along with adequate moisture for lots of plant life, forests, and the somewhat mild winter. Lots of people complain about sinus problems here, between pollen, ozone, mold, the air quality is not good.
You do get four seasons here. None generally too intense or long lasting.
If you care about politics, MD is pretty strong Democrat.

Sally,

Thanks for your state facts! I am not to concerned with school systems as I am strongly thinking of home schooling my kids....none of which have been born yet =).

Sounds like you have the same type of things I grew up with in MI as far as bugs, soil, allergens.

Gita,

I know what you mean about the bad and good in the same city! That's why anywhere I chose out of state I'd unfortunately have to rent awhile first to find the better parts of town. Even SA has it's good and bad areas and housing prices vary quite a bit depending even in just this one city.


Thanks again everyone!

Tir_Na_Nog-

I don't know the answers to most of your questions, but I have a few comments:

If you're considering MD anywhere in the DC metro area, housing costs are huge, as others have mentioned. I don't think that you could raise a family anywhere near here and homeschool unless the other person had a significant salary due to the high costs of living.

Have you looked at any of the cost of living relocation tools? Here is one: http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html. You tell it where you want to move from/to and the city and your income. It gives you an analysis of the cost of moving and living there.

Regardless of what they call it, every state I have lived in taxes your car based on the bluebook value. One way or another you pay it as a license fee or a property tax.

Some states do tax people who work in their state but live elsewhere. It varies. You have to research your particular state. Some states tax out of state purchases. That's not rare.

IMHO, taxes should not be the basis for such a decision unless you live on a border between two states, because governments get their share one way or another. You may notice a sales or vehicle tax more because you pay it in isolation, but you are being taxed for lots of things in a variety of ways. And you have to calculate the value of the government services to determine whether or not you are being overtaxed in one place relative to another.

In addition to the things you asked about, you might also consider availabity of high-speed net service and cell phone towers once you narrow down your selection.



This message was edited Sep 30, 2006 6:46 PM

andidandi,

Thanks for the link, Lithicum shared it earlier and I did check into it. I see you live near one of the most expensive parts! Good point on the high-speed internet and cell towers!

Just found out today you DO NOT have to pay sales tax again on your car when transferring it in TX. Ours always were here as it's where DH is from. But starting Oct 1 they'll join the ranks of many another state in charging sales tax (80% value of the car) here in TX.

Taxes are a big deal to me but probably none more so than the property tax as it's disappointing to know you never truly do own anything do we....don't pay those taxes and the gov't get its. But I'm in the game to play it to so I thank you for the things to consider.

I do have one question about how high it costs to live in the DC area, many have said this, and I believe you! So how do you suppose families do work their gov't jobs and still live there? I don't know where we'll end up, like I say, we're just considering possible changes.

Tir_Na_Nog-

re your question how families live here:

I think that they have two incomes and/or live in older (inherited or purchased long ago) or rental housing and use the public school system. But in most cases of the people I know personally in that situation, they have killer commutes and are coming in from areas with affordable housing. If you have two earners you can have an income of at least $160k+ in those jobs. That would get you a small apartment rental, but not private education or full-time child care. You would need to have a home well outside of the area in order to own. Although you could buy and convert a place in an ungentrified area of DC and take your chances, and that is happening as well. Day care around here is $2k a month for the non-exclusive ones.

I know many families with one earner, but they do not have incomes below $200k from the one salary. I know many marriages where the government or public interest person is married to a professional in the private sector, and that's the primary income source. Many of the low-income people in the area are kids out of college who can live here because their parents are contributing to their living expenses in order to get them into the low-rung jobs with potential for advancement, and many live in group houses.

It's reached the point where we are running out independently-owned shops and the nationals are taking over due to the cost of real estate.

One thing I will add, if you are considering DC proper - is that a few years ago they entered a compact that gives DC residents in-state tuition in other states. That's huge if you are looking at college costs. Although the costs of living there are still tremendous.

This message was edited Sep 30, 2006 6:51 PM

This message was edited Oct 1, 2006 12:57 AM

THANKS! That elaborated quite a bit and answered some things I was wondering about. I can see your points and will take it all into consideration.

Tir:

I live in Harford County, north of Baltimore, and happily there is still affordable housing up here, although it's growing by leaps and bounds. U here quite a few people home school and there are even home school co-ops where people group toether for activities and to share talents and strengths. My children, however, went to public school and got a wonderful education. All 3 went to college here in MD and have good careers. My 2 older kids were able to purchase their own homes (townhouses) about 2 years out of college, so there is still affordable housing out there.

I'm not a native Marylander, or even a native-born American, but I love it here and intend to spend the rest of my life right here in MD. Yes, we probably commute more than some people in other states, but I remember some awful commutes right there in SATX when we lived there 15 years ago.

It all depends on what's tolerable to you and your lifestyle. What may not bother me might be unbearable to you. People here are friendly, helpful, and in general, a joy to be around. You get what you give, as everywhere.

Good luck in your planning

Well said. And at least comforting to know "still affordable" is an option up that way!

SATX is growing by leaps and bounds like the rest of the country seems to be....new main roads going in all the time and TONS of construction...In the 2 years I've lived on the outskirts in my neighborhood several other whole neighborhoods have popped up in this abandoned mesquite-ridden farmland. Lots of talk of water conservation now.

When it comes down to it I'll just have to see where we stand in a year or two and where the jobs are. Depending on our market here we may just decide to sell our home that's shot up in value and move to the country (did you ever see Boerne TX? It has some wonderful old town charm with many new box stores and some of the best landscaping around this area).

Thanks again to all.

Sally,

What do "Four O'Clocks" have to do with Japanese Beetles????? Is this a plant that repells them? Never heard of that, and I have been gardening for 40 years!

I ask, because I recently got some 4'OClock seeds in an exchange and have to plant them now!
If you tell me that they repell J.B., I will plant them around my roses.

Thanks, Gita

Gita, Just saw your question about 4 O'clocks & Japanese Beetles.

Here is my experience, I put my Jananese Beetle trap near the 4 o'clocks, I was just trying to trap the beetles and they were really drawn to the 4 o'clocks. They really likes the leaves, I had to move the trap. I think if you planted the 4 o'clocks around the roses you would be providing them with a buffet. IMHO From what I observed 4 oclocks attracts them, they don't repell them.

Chris

Just received your request. I will try to find some helpful Links. Yes the Sales Tax is 5%. I am a Local Nurseryman and Landscaper. On my Web there is a link to our local TV station which is a treasure house of sources.
go to: www.davidlsnyder.com A most helpful book check out Mid-Atlantic Gardener's Guide by Andre and Mark Viette ISBN 1-93060-499-8 . I am from the Lower Easter Shore Wicomico County. 30 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. As for a Plant draw back's there are two High Humidiy resulting in a Number of Problems. The soil here is known to be either sand or clay. But it is a Lovely area.
I will answer more this week.

Chris,

One is never supposed to put a JB trap anywhere near the flower beds. You are just attracting the beetles to your beds that way--from everywhere. Traps should be placed about 20-30 feet away from the beds. I believe it even says so in the "how to use directions".

Just FYI, Gita

I agree with your response to the use of Beetle Traps. However many of the newer traps contain a lure that attracts both the male and female beetles. Granted the beetles will return yearly to the same spot to mate.
But sometimes the ends justify the means. I place the Traps at the farthest point to lure them, unfortunately You are still encouraging them to return to the one area. Far better than having them attact all plants. I also incorporate
Milky Spore Costly for the initial application but does work effectively for several years. the Spores attack and eat the fresh larva or grubs. This in turn also reduces the Mole Problem. I hope this clarified how I as a Landscaper attack these problems. I am much into the natural defense approach using Lady Bugs, Praying Mantis, and other natural deffense instead of using pesticides. I remain dave www.davidlsnyder.com

Last summer I had so many JBs that when the sun was shinning bright and I'd go outside I got hit in the head with them, that was before I put out the trap. There is no place 20 to 30 feet away from a flower bed in my yard so I relocated it where it did less harm. I did dispose of 2 bags full JBs.

The 4 o'clocks did recover and bloomed all summer.

I started a new thread for the four oclocks question.
Anne Arundel County housing is outrageous now and the school system has 'challenges' Harford has a better rep in schools. Homeschooling is a well established trend around here. Small business- not my expertise but commerce is very competitive around here. seems to be a lot of turnover in small business and even the indoor mall which is not that old (8-10 years?) has been eclipsed by a new mills mall.
Tax- This county only has one place(annapolis) that might have city tax on top of county and state.
But I do enjoy having a choice of taking kids to the bay beach or the mountain forest, both within 60- 90 minutes, on a summer day!!! and there's always a fast food joint on the way.

Sally,

Sounds like a wonderful place to raise kids with the varying sights! I'd much prefer mountains to desert on the left of me. =) We do live a few hours from the gulf here and it's a fun place to go and watch for dolphins, etc. Do you have any really clear or clean lakes for swimming?

We went to Cunningham Falls/Catoctin Mt park a few times, several weeks ago took three young teens. The lake water was nice and clear, with two sand beach areas to access. Nearby you can hike up the mtn to a stream and falls- we did that first then cooled off. It was a beautiful day! Anne Arundel doesn't have any lakes for swimming that I know of, but we have Bay beaches and private community river swimming. Frederick County is nice and on the rural end of our spectrum, altho growing. I think a Fred Co resident has written above. There are a lot of cultural and historic sights in our region.

Tir,

We have a couple of Quarries that are used for swimmimg right here in the County. They are abandoned rock-quarries now filled with water. One is Oregon Ridge ( near Hunt valley) and the other one is Beave Dam close by. I remember going there swimming when I was younger, They are "landlocked" and deep but are in a park System. There are several dams where you can go look at huge carp(because people feed them all the time). The most popular is the Loch raven Dam. We also have Pretty Boy Dam and the Connowingo Dam.

In the Middle River/Essex area there are also many waterfront properties with boat access and fishing and crabbing. I know of a couple of beaches here locally. They are not oceanside, but one of the inner bay beaches. Now and then they get a bit "junked up" by tides and storms. Then they close them down. Otherwise, they are usable for swimming.

We do have mountains in western Maryland--about a couple of hours drive from Balimore. Over there is also the big skiing resort and the huge Deep Creek lake and a nice, scenic Park called Black Swallows Park. A lot of camping and hunting and such.
Maryland really DOES have a little bit of everything. Mountains, ski resorts, lakes and parks and a lot of hunting and fishing areas. Also beaches and sea-side parks. Besides Ocean City there is Aceteague Island where the wild ponies roam and where you still can pick up a lot of big sea shells after a storm.. First come--first served!

Are you convinced yet???????????

C'mon over! Gita

It's weird, but I think Maryland is the only state with no natural lakes. It's also the only state with no National Forest land. The National Forest Service was based on Maryland's State Forest Service.

I live in the College Park area the houses are in the $350.000 plus range with a small yard it is close to the University of Maryland. No we don't have two income in order to live and this has not stop us from having a secong house on the Eastern shore . we are close to the school withing walking distance , and the price of rental for a 3 bedroom house is about $1,400. a month. you can live very nicely here . It depends on your taste and what you want.

ORCHID:
whew, well orchid, that perks me up a bit. DH was down yesterday thinking there was no point in pursuing this course since housing is so high. That said I think Andidandi was referring to the DC area particularly. But LOL I was thinking if people are willing to pay 2 grand a month in daycare I'll watch kids!!!!!!!!!!!!
CLAY:
Good point about the national forest/lakes. I was afraid of that...but I suppose it has so many other beautiful places. One of our clearest lakes in Texas was man-made so it suits me fine, except that it has a rocky bottom and in Michigan we were used to sandy.

Well, most of the people I know have some kind of two incomes, just not us and a few others. We are pretty cheap, and I did work for nine years before babies, and we weren't fresh out of college when we bought. AND, we got this house 19yrs ago before the big inflate. You'll have to get more specifics and do your math. now DAYCARE- thats a guaranteed customer base there!!!! You have to go thru licensing, but the demand for infant care is high. I believe the numbers are, you can have 2 infants(under2) and four more kids, per adult. Work at home! what could be easier!!?? tee hee

Plant the four o'clocks near your roses and they will prefer the four o'clocks to eating your roses and eating the four o'clocks will kill them.

If you have real invasion of Japanese beetles, they'll eat everything, but if it's a normal year, it will help protect your roses.

If you're really serious about moving up here and you believe the doomsayers that the bottom is going to fall out of the housing market, you could sell your house in TX now while the prices are still good, then rent until the foreclosures start increasing up here (and believe me, there will be lots, people are so overextended), then pick up more house than you could afford in today's still-relatively-high market.

Course, it's me telling you to take a risk, but it's one we've seriously thought about doing ourselves. And markets are fickle, and who's to say things will really crash.

Just a far-out-there plan from a dreamer.

Tir, don't let me give you the wrong impression about recreational opportunities in Maryland- it's way ahead of most states' , there's manmade lakes and ponds, and lots of state parks and forest land, besides the almost countless streams and tributaries of Chesapeake Bay, which itself offers some of the finest recreational fishing, sailing and boating anywhere.
I kind of agree with Orchidfancy, parts of the Maryland suburbs of DC are probably within "normal" peoples reach. Hyattsville, Riverdale, College Park, Greenbelt, Mount Rainier all have nice neighborhoods of modest brick houses with mature trees, azaleas and dogwoods everywhere....I know they've built more Metro stations, and property values have increased, but not THAT much....and that is the DC area, parts of College Park are 2 miles from DC.
Most people don't realize that when you look at the map of DC, it was a diamond shape exactly ten miles on each side, including Arlington and parts of Alexandria, which are now Virginia. It is a small city physically, not much bigger than San Antonio, and fewer people. I don't know, maybe DC has more suburbs though.
I know you said you might home school. In this area you have access to the many Smithsonian museums and programs, and the fine universties' libraries, not to mention the library of congress, the US archives, the national arboretum, zoo, etc.,etc