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So, Aberdeen Maryland?

post #1 of 84
7/21/10 at 8:49am
Thread Starter 

As much as I've resisted it my job is moving to Maryland next month.  And it seems like I may just go down there.  Anyone from the area care to comment on things to look for as far as housing?

 

I'm solo and no kids so schools are not important.

I'd like to not be further from the base than a 30 minute commute (yes I know the traffic getting in and out is bad).

I'm considering buying a bigger home than I need and renting out portions to other BRAC refuges

I'd ideally like a second finished building that could be used as a photography studio.  While I am not a pro I'd like to have a separate area which could be used as a side business in the future.  How does MD handle businesses in residential areas?

I've heard about a $1400 tax on top of town, county and state taxes, what's that all about?

As dumb as this sounds, FIOS might be an incentive to pick one town over another.  The buildout maps are a mess, any clues as to what towns are fully good to go there, and is it true you can just get FIOS internet, not TV?

Waterfront might be tempting if I could find the budget for it, but not critical. 

 

Towns I'm considering in order:

BelAir

Edgewood

Havre de Grace

Abingdon

Joppa / Rising Sun / Churchville might be further out but still worth thinking about.

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post #2 of 84
7/21/10 at 1:30pm

Wow. Didn't think the BRAC migration was starting so soon. I'm in the Northern Va area but BRAC is huge around here since FT Belvoir is taking on a bunch of people. I'm not sure about your list of choices but I'll ask around to see what I can find out.

 

Jeff

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post #3 of 84
7/21/10 at 1:38pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks Jeff.  Bunch of government guys have already gone down, now they are starting in seriously with us contractors and the rest of the government guys who are moving.  I've heard that as little as 15% of the work force will move.  I'm still not 100% on going, but this slot is going August 16th with or without me.  We werent supposed to go until June 2011, but then 'bang surprise, your are next'!  =(

 

The entirety of Monmouth must be shut down packed up closed out and lights off by September 2011.

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post #4 of 84
7/21/10 at 1:52pm

well, can't help you much with the housing, Sam, all I know is a lot of Baltimore area workers look for property north of the Mason Dixon along the southern edge of PA because it must be cheaper taxes...  

 

You'll only be about 50 miles from me - I live just a few miles north of Lancaster.  We'll have to link up sometime and talk home theater stuff, lol...

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post #5 of 84
7/21/10 at 1:52pm

Sam:  When I was about ten my dad  took me and my family on a trip to Aberdeen when he went on a business trip.  About the only thing I remember is eating at a hamburger joint fronted by Gino Marchetti,of the Baltimore Colts.  And for some reason I still have a matchbook (which I keep in my desk at work) from the place we stayed (Clay's Motel on Route 40).  A little map on the inside of the book shows the motel was directly across the street from the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

 

Does that help?!? 

 

 

 

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post #6 of 84
7/21/10 at 5:23pm

Belair is closer and is a nice little town that is getting bigger all the time.  My brother lives there and so do many of my friends.  I would live there but my job would make that commute too painful.

 

Havre de Grace is an awesome place, but would be a farther drive for you.  It is on the water of the bay and is very historic.

 

I would have to say that you want to avoid Edgewood, Abingdon and Joppa.  My last house was in Abingdon and my biggest gripe is that most of Abingdon is simply too close to I 95 (road noise).  The other places are not desirable even though Joppa does have some waterfront properties that might actually be affordable.

 

Rising Sun is kinda far for working at the proving ground...Churchville is cool and I would suggest you also take a look at Darlington and also Port Deposit although they are both kind of far as well.

 

I live in White Marsh

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post #7 of 84
7/21/10 at 6:45pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks that's REALLY helpful!

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post #8 of 84
7/22/10 at 3:10am

I'm in the same boat as Sam except if you see my post, I'm moving  north...

 

I can say the same thing about Rising Sun and Harve de Grace in terms of the niceness. 

 

LDFan: the majority of folks I believe are moving to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, though some are moving to Ft Belvoir. I know that as a software engineer, the SEC is pretty much moving to APG though I know a married couple here where one is supposed to go to APG, the spouse is going to Ft Belvoir...  Contemplate that logistics!!?!

 

I decided to do the logical thing, quit and find a job north where I've always wanted to be.   I don't know of too many snow capped mountains in Maryland, especially right on the cheasapeake..

 

Jay

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post #9 of 84
8/26/10 at 12:29pm
Thread Starter 

If I haven't mentioned it, it's official, I'm starting in Aberdeen on 15 September.  As of right now I still have to clean out and clean up my house here in NJ and figure out if I am going to try to rent it out or sell it and I have absolutely no idea where I'm going to stay once I get down there.  The good news is I don't have to walk the earth like Kane from Kung Fu, but other than that it's going to be a big adventure.  I may try renting a 1br for a bit or renting a room from other BRAC refugees if I can find something livable and with solid internet connectivity.

 

My biggest unknown is how I'm going to handle my cat.  I can leave her up in NJ for a few days at a time and have my parents check in, but if I move her south with me that's going to make going home to NJ on weekends a bit tricky.  I can't leave her alone long term and I don't want to give her up.  Will figure it out but so far it's a mystery.

 

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post #10 of 84
8/27/10 at 4:09am

Hey Sam, I hope you really like and do well at the new job.  I have a sneaky thought you were trying to move as far away as possible!  I move north, you move south... Maybe like one of those physics demonstration model of the 5 balls lined up like a pendulum trick.. :-)

 

 I, for one, however, think walking the earth like Kane is an excellent adventure... I hope you do have or take some time off though, kind of clear the mind and start anew..

 

Today was my first day I biked to GD, wow, I am out of bike shape, having a stupid flat 2.3 mile commute to Fort Monmouth...  But feels good and today was a nice day!

 

Jay

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post #11 of 84
8/27/10 at 6:55am

Good luck, Sam...with the move, the job, and the cat. 

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post #12 of 84
8/27/10 at 8:43am

BTW Sam, I sent you a PM on the cat, but also my sister knows of a boarding place around the navasink area if you want I can also ask her the name and location.....

 

jay

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post #13 of 84
8/27/10 at 9:21am
Thread Starter 

Thanks guys.  Next stop is Key west and then Baja california if I REALLY wanna get away from Jay and NJ =)

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post #14 of 84
8/27/10 at 9:31am

Heck...having Jay in NJ makes me think I oughta move outta New York! 

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post #15 of 84
8/27/10 at 10:17am

Of course, not in NJ anymore and in fact, much closer to Mike... I'm going to move in soon... how's that? (I just updated my profile.... Hi Mike, neighbor... hahahahahaaaaaa

 

Jay

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post #16 of 84
8/27/10 at 11:59am

Aaaaack! 

 

I thought I felt a disturbance in the force...  vader1.gif

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post #17 of 84
8/27/10 at 12:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Posten View Post

Thanks guys.  Next stop is Key west and then Baja california if I REALLY wanna get away from Jay and NJ =)



If you really want to get away from me Sam, you better move to like Iowa. (no offense to people in Iowa) but I like mtns and snow. :-)

 

P.S. Mike, I'm watching you...

 

Jay

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post #18 of 84
9/13/10 at 2:41pm
Thread Starter 

I'm here!  Doesn't seem as bad as some folk have made it out to be.  The front gate is more of a ghost town than the ghetto it was described as and phone service is equally terrible on all services, not just Verizon and AT&T.  I'm staying in Havre De Grace this week at a very nice place and am looking for an apartment to tide me over while I prep for sale.

 

One of my friends posted this the other night and I gotta hope she's right:  'Things always turn out the best for those who make the best of things'.  =)

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post #19 of 84
9/13/10 at 4:15pm

Hey Sam, I'm glad that you have resurfaced, and just in time for the napkin thread too.   Fort Monmouth is sure getting quieter and quieter.  Hope you find a nice place down there, and enjoy some crabs for me (I'm allergic to them)..

 

Jay

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post #20 of 84
9/13/10 at 7:38pm

Hope the transition goes smoothly. Don't know anything about Aberdeen, but from Google Maps it looks like you're in reasonable part of Maryland, close to some big cities.

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post #21 of 84
9/27/10 at 9:18am

Welcome to the area, Sam! I haven't been down to the Aberdeen area for probably 6 years or more.. as I stated in my previous post, I'm about an hour north of you in Lancaster County...

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post #22 of 84
11/8/10 at 1:23pm
Thread Starter 
I'm not sure if this is an indictment of how boring or dangerous this places is:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/bs-md-video-game-robbers-20101107,0,5201573.story
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post #23 of 84
11/8/10 at 4:53pm

Since they could sell it before the release date I'm sure they could get a pretty penny selling it on the black market... Said the theft happened over the weekend so they did have a few days to sell the stuff somewhere... 

 

Maybe it's a sample of both!

 

Jay

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post #24 of 84
11/10/10 at 7:03am
Thread Starter 

Yeah, I guess which makes ME crazy cause...  well I wasn't expecting it but I found a house I actually like down here and now I'm scrambling to get my place up in Jersey sold. 

 

It even has a semi finished basement with an area that would be perfect as a home theater. 

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post #25 of 84
1/13/11 at 5:52am
Thread Starter 

Mini update, my place in Jersey is now on the market so if you know anyone who wants a great little house in Navesink send em here:

http://mls.momls.com/MonmouthReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=6752508189

 

The house I want down here is still for sale, hoping I can get an offer and make one on it.  Until then eating $55 a night at a decent but not great hotel, which is better than having to get a lease for an apartment since I'm only down here 4 nights a week, but that also means I gotta pay gast too and from Jersey for the weekends...

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post #26 of 84
1/13/11 at 3:43pm

Hey Sam, got any snow down in MD?  You should kayak too and from Maryland, just go down and around the Chesapeake bay and up the coast, round Sandy Hook and get to the Navesink... :-)

 

Jay

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post #27 of 84
1/14/11 at 8:00am
Thread Starter 

Ha now THAT would be a commute.  Just enough snow here to be a PITA.  =)  How's your move worked out?

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post #28 of 84
1/14/11 at 4:10pm

move has worked out, I mean I am here, I like the berkshires and lenox, althought my landlord's wife is threatening to make me take Argentinian Tango lessons. I'm told it's one of the harder dances to learn...  but what do I know.. I'm a software geek.   Work is very busy, but fun... 

 

Jay

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post #29 of 84
3/17/11 at 5:59am
Thread Starter 

Got an offer on my house!  Will get the specifics later today I hope, it's a bit low but will probably go with it.

 

Been commuting down every monday at 4:30 AM and back on friday afternoons, so looking forward to stabilizing my life a bit.  Have been checking out houses over the last few months, pretty sure I'm going to buy in Abingdon, it seems to be the best match for me.

 

The logistics of the move are gonna be a mess tho.  My house is all boxed up so all I need to do is move it to either a relative's basement or a temp storage place, but that leaves my kitty homeless until I buy whatever new place.  I cheaped out and have been staying in hotels down here at a really great nightly rate, but that means I don't have a stable apartment to keep her in during the big switch.  Gonna have to figure that part of it out fast I guess!

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post #30 of 84
3/17/11 at 7:42am

Sam, that's great news! Cats aren't usually keen on instability, so hopefully you can find a place with a friend or relative in the interim.

 

I'm surprised that a hotel is cheaper than an apartment. I always through hotels came out to pretty steep for an entire month.

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