As in most cities, those things are isolated to certain parts of town and can be avoided.
One item I forgot to mention is that some retirees move to Southern Delaware, as it is less populated, and that is where specific retirement communities sprouted in the 90's. When we've looked at those type of communities, we always found a problem of one type or another.. For us, we have our dream location, and don't want to give up the wooded yard, closeness to Philly, and so on.
How is the humidity there ?
When I worked in Baltimore, I found the summer humidity so thick, it felt like I was swimming in the air !
Going to the map again, with New Castle at the top, and C&D at the bottom of my view, there are homes for sale, I'm sure. If you switch to satellite map, and keep the pins for the retirement communities, you'll likely see nearby shopping centers and food stores near potential developments.I know I definitely don't want to be south of New Castle County and most likely not south of the canal. Some have mentioned Middletown to me but seems a lit more remote.
55+ communities have also been suggested. They definitely have some advantages. Often smaller homes with little to no yard upkeep and so on. However, I've always had the idea (from talking to others) that some of those communities are sort of like being in high school. And, really I generally prefer living with a more diverse group. That said, I guess it could be possible that one would attract us if everything about it seemed OK.
Correct: "most" cities.As in most cities, those things are isolated to certain parts of town and can be avoided.
Correct: "most" cities.
Honolulu? Homeless everywhere. You can't swing a dead cat without bumping into them. And crime is on the rise. Wonderful projects in the works with federal money to house them. But most suffer from addiction or mental illness. Address THAT problem, and you might actually make some progress toward alleviating the situation. Eric Adams in NYC has good ideas. Remove them, even against their will, for psychiatric assessment.
Just be aware that in some areas of Delaware you don't own the land a house is on. Instead, the land is leased. I think this is prevalent in the beach communities but you'll find it in other areas as well. Be sure you know the situation for a specific property before you buy.
Just be aware that in some areas of Delaware you don't own the land a house is on. Instead, the land is leased. I think this is prevalent in the beach communities but you'll find it in other areas as well. Be sure you know the situation for a specific property before you buy.
That’s not the way I remember Newcastle. I’d avoid the town.
I made this move 3 years ago - from North Jersey to the Middletown DE area. We are saving significantly on taxes and like being between relatives in NJ, NY and Washington DC. Amtrack runs hourly to all those places. Philly Airport is 45 minutes away.
For what you want, I would suggest you look south of Wilmington. There has been tons of new contruction in the last few years, and you can find a smaller and relatively new home, townhouse or carriage house. You mentioned the 55+ communities - I am in one. We enjoy it, but for diversity, look for some of the bigger ones - some have over 1,000 residences - plenty of diversity.
There are a lot of HOAs in DE, so do pay attention. Some are very strict (monitor your curtain colors), others are pretty loose.
As you have never been in DE for any time, I suggest you rent an AirBnB for 2 weeks in the area you are considering (North of Wilmington) and maybe in the Bear area, and see what you think.
I have moved 7 times in 9 years, mostly for work, and the ones that didn't work well were the ones where we picked a place remotely - we did this 3 times (it was a rushed move) and in all 3 cases moved after a year to a neighborhood we liked but didn't know about beforehand.
Finally, from Middletown, we can get to Christiana Mall (or Hospital) in 15 - 20 minutes, so not all that remote. But I will say nothing is walkable in most of DE outside of the cities - you need a car. For us, this is a drawback...
If we end up hating the area (which I doubt will happen) then we will probably look at some of the nearby states that are not tax unfriendly.
I expect you’ll like Delaware.
My house sold in two days and I have no where chosen to go yet. And I haven't started packing yet, let alone figure out what furniture to keep or what to give away. My house closes on the 21st of this month.
Ho boy! You really are setting yourself up for quite an adventure.
FYI if your AGI is less than $150K and you are at least 62, then NJ state income tax is actually low. For example, with $100K AGI, state income tax is only $625. SS is not taxed by NJ.
Yes. Now tell us about property tax.FYI if your AGI is less than $150K and you are at least 62, then NJ state income tax is actually low. For example, with $100K AGI, state income tax is only $625. SS is not taxed by NJ.