First time home purchase

Submitted by LordKibutsuji t3_11b03gj in baltimore

I'm looking to buy a house (possibly townhouse) within the next 6 months in the Baltimore area. I've never lived in Baltimore before, but i Have lived in Richmond VA. I'm 30m with no pets or responsibilities besides basic bills. My budget is anywhere from 150k-350k and I'd like to get historic property although I'm not exactly holding my breath. What areas should I focus on/avoid? Is Baltimore a feasible option? If I decide to go through with it, I'll be working in SW Baltimore near cherry hill, and I'd also like to keep the commute 30 mins or less if possible. Thank you all in advance!

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Few_Society5388 t1_j9vom7z wrote

The amount of people wanting to buy houses and move to Baltimore sight unseen in this sub is kind of scary.

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seekay14 t1_j9w1xba wrote

I was just thinking the same thing! I’m over here renting for 16 years, finally ready to settle into a neighborhood and maybe buy in the next 2 years 😂 Guess there’s gotta be an opposite end of the spectrum

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sxswnxnw t1_j9wbnot wrote

Lmao I am the same way u/seekay14. Took 11 years and post-pandemic rent surge for me to do it.

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nemoran t1_j9wwfeb wrote

I sold my house in Wyman Park last year to a guy who was the only one of our offers to actually visit it. We got other offers from a ton of DC/NYC folks who just bid off the online listing. It’s nuts out here!

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Few_Society5388 t1_j9wxrrb wrote

As someone who will be trying to buy in the next year or two this is depressing as fuck.

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wer410 t1_j9x46qt wrote

A lot has changed over the last year - multiple offers aren't nearly as common now as they were a year ago.

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HourLake4200 t1_j9vxsy7 wrote

I would suggest spending a couple of weekends in Baltimore driving through different neighborhoods day and night with the listings you pull up online, look through these Baltimore reddit subs and talk to folks before making that move. As of now, commutingwise I would go with Pigtown or Fed Hill but you need to see the street and neighborhood first hand. Pics and videos online can be deceiving. Peace of mind is priceless.

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No-Lunch4249 t1_j9z0mlz wrote

Yeah seconded, it’s a short trip up on the Northeast Regional, no reason not to come to the city once or twice first

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locker1313 t1_j9ve4d9 wrote

The site Live Baltimore: https://livebaltimore.com/ has resources on all of the different neighborhoods that make up Baltimore City as well as incentives for homebuyers.

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tjo5112 t1_j9wo3yx wrote

Why not rent for a year and explore the city before buying? Or at the bare minimum, at least visit a few times and explore some neighborhoods.

Federal Hill and the surrounding areas are probably the best if you want a shorter trip.

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TerranceBaggz t1_j9z9dwf wrote

If he’s working in Cherry Hill, anywhere near the Light Rail is a pretty good idea. Mount Vernon, Woodbury or Mount Washington would be within a 30 min ride to work. OP, check out those 3 neighborhoods. You can get a room/hotel for a weekend in all 3. I’d suggest since the location of your job allows it (proximity to the light rail) that you not frustrate yourself and look outside of neighborhoods not on the light rail. Auto traffic and parking here in other neighborhoods off the light rail are absolutely rage inducing. You can easily live a car lite lifestyle at the very least with a job in Cherry hill. Your stress levels will be much lower and you’ll probably enjoy this city much more when you aren’t having wild swings in time spent in traffic and searching for parking.

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tjo5112 t1_j9zpthv wrote

It seems like usually when people talk about commuting it's by car, so that's why I said Fed Hill and areas close by. Also, other than Friday/Saturday nights and Ravens games, I actually don't think parking is too bad once you know where to go. Your suggestions are valid too, the Fed Hill area just seemed like a nice middle ground suggestion.

Plus, that's why I made my first point - rent in any part of the city that is reasonable commuting distance, get a feel for the city, and THEN think about buying. I think it'd be crazy to buy in a city you don't know anything about. Even visiting for a weekend (or multiple) seems like it wouldn't be enough to fully understand the traffic, public transportation, etc.

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TerranceBaggz t1_ja06h2t wrote

Agreed, but I think if we’re going to progress forward as a city and not languish, we need to change that. If people are blank slate moving here, I want to lead them towards living a car lite or even car free life here and maximize their experience/life here.

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dickpickdan t1_j9wdil5 wrote

Check the wiki, get a realtor.

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sxswnxnw t1_j9wc9d7 wrote

For short commute to Cherry Hill, pick a neighborhood close to the water. That seems to be a very broad budget, I'm sure you can find something closer to the upper end near the water.

That budget in Baltimore is definitely doable. You may be parking on the street though, depending on the neighborhood.

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lorena_rabbit t1_j9ze50t wrote

There are great, large, historic homes in Charles Village for around 300k. Would be at the top of your commute range but I adore the neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods (Remington, Old Goucher, Abell)

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dak52 t1_ja325cs wrote

I’m a big fan of south baltimore. Lots of home in your price range, lots of great stuff to do, friendly people. I second the suggestion of coming to town and spending a day in each of the neighborhoods you are interested in.

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DMelanogastard t1_j9wyfin wrote

Are you single? After you take other people’s advice of getting to know the different areas, maybe look into buying a condo? The 2bed 3bath 1800sqft townhome next to me just got bought by a single guy who only shares it with his cat. He’s a nice neighbor and it’s his money to spend, but imo it seems like a bit of a waste

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blankitty t1_j9xm7b9 wrote

It's totally not a waste, I need space for my kitties to roam. Also, I have a bunch of users for my spare rooms! Like having family come over and an office. I also have a pretty sweet indoor garden in the basement.

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