Wilmington housing market

[Moving to Wilmington]

Moving the family to Wilmington this summer for my new HQ role. What neighborhoods near AZ are good?

 

[Anonymous]

Suggest you look in the former hometowns of all the Wyeth folks who were blasted out by Pfizer 4 years ago. SOme of those boomtowns are ghost towns. Just like this will be. In 2 years.

 

[Anonymous]

Extended Stay America is the right option for you.

 

[Anonymous]

1. If your kids are going to a public school, check out the exact address of your home against the school assignments, as children are bussed from every neighborhood.
2. If you drink water, be aware that Delaware has the 2nd highest rate of breast cancer, possibly due to groundwater contamination (very large concentration of EPA superfund sites). Bottled water for drinking is a very good idea
3. Carpenter ants and termites are common.
4. Visit your home at various times of the day and week. The mushroom 'farms' (steel pole buildings) brew chicken poop to increase the potency as fertilizer for mushrooms, and if you happen to be down wind, you'll know it. The problem is that it won't smell except during their processing, done at odd hours of the week. Lots of mushrooms are grown in nearby PA.
Otherwise, nice weather, pleasant people, rude drivers, and some pretty areas.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd be very cautious about buying in Wilmington. Rent for now. Pfizer is coming, that is certain

 

[Anonymous]

Moving to Wilmington when the site is in its death throes??

 

[Anonymous]

Are you nuts? Wilm life expectancy is less than 2 years.

 

[Anonymous]

1. If your kids are going to a public school, check out the exact address of your home against the school assignments, as children are bussed from every neighborhood.
2. If you drink water, be aware that Delaware has the 2nd highest rate of breast cancer, possibly due to groundwater contamination (very large concentration of EPA superfund sites). Bottled water for drinking is a very good idea
3. Carpenter ants and termites are common.
4. Visit your home at various times of the day and week. The mushroom 'farms' (steel pole buildings) brew chicken poop to increase the potency as fertilizer for mushrooms, and if you happen to be down wind, you'll know it. The problem is that it won't smell except during their processing, done at odd hours of the week. Lots of mushrooms are grown in nearby PA.
Otherwise, nice weather, pleasant people, rude drivers, and some pretty areas.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. I heard that JP Morgan is moving a lot of people from NY to Wilm, so I hope to buy soon to avoid inflated prices.

 

[Anonymous]

Prices are already inflated. DE has no sales tax and very low property taxes, so a lot of old people retire to the state and never leave. Which means nice house in nice neighborhoods rarely go up for sale, and when they do the are a fortune, because you are paying for the land. So you end up paying top dollar for a 50 year old POS that hasn't been updated in 60 years. Seriously, go on realtor.com and search in the area and look at the photos, the kitchens and bathrooms and finishes are straight 1950's.

If you want a "nice" 4BR house that isn't in shambles in a decent neighborhood you are looking at $365k-$375k minimum, and it's going to look like an I Love Lucy set. Forget about new construction, any land that goes on the market is snatched up by inside deals with developers who plop as many McMansions as they can put on it and sell out in a week at 1.2-1.5 million a pop.

This is all for North Wilmington. If you are OK picking up an hour commute each way you can get brand new construction 5br knocked out house for $300k in Middletown. But get a large life insurance policy because you will blow your head off dealing with the traffic every day.

Overall it's a pretty crappy place to live because of the demographics. People with a lot more money than you all moved in 50 years ago and they ain't leaving, and when they die their kids are going to keep the house because they can't afford to buy one themselves, so you get generational neighborhoods and no one selling anything for a reasonable price.

As for schools, accept that you are going to send your kid to private school. It's just how it is done here, instead of paying a lot in property tax and going to public school, you save on property tax and instead spend that money on private school.

Air quality is bad, and DE overall has a very low Quaility of Life rating. If you can afford to move into Sharply or Pembry or one of the high end neighborhoods it can be very nice, but your are paying half a million bare minimum. North Wilmington is very much like southern CA, if you have millions in the bank you can make a nice life here, if you are an average middle class family you are going to be spending all your money for a lower middle class lifestyle.

On the plus side it is a very convenient place to live since you are close to pretty much anything and anywhere.

 

[Anonymous]

Read the crime stats. They are awful. Heroin use on the rise. Wilmington as a city very dangerous. Suburbs get overflow burglaries. If you are still bent on going to Wilmington budget for private schools and get a stucco inspection as the facades are being replaced on many homes due to mold and water issues.

 

[Anonymous]

Look at southern pa instead. Much better public schools, easy commute, decent house prices and some beautiful areas in which to raise a family. Places like Kennett Square, Chadds Ford, West Grove. As a previous poster has said just be wary of nearby mushroom farms as the smell they generate can be appalling.

 

[Anonymous]

Move to the other Wilmington (NC),nicer, cheaper, better weather, beaches, commute on flight to PHL

 

[Anonymous]

Look at southern pa instead. Much better public schools, easy commute, decent house prices and some beautiful areas in which to raise a family. Places like Kennett Square, Chadds Ford, West Grove. As a previous poster has said just be wary of nearby mushroom farms as the smell they generate can be appalling.

Plus a 45-90 minute one way commute depending on traffic. DelDOT is possibly the most corrupt Dept of Transportation in the country, and all the local politicians are real schiesters.

 

[Anonymous]

many SOB's in HO....and I don't mean short of breath...be careful if your a women you have 3 holes and only two hands...can't cover them all.

 

[Anonymous]

I moved to the area a few years ago with the same questions. Bought across the border in PA and have been very happy with the community and the schools - I am in Chadds Ford, but there are other townships that also have good schools. Commute is not too bad - less than 30 from CF. It will be expensive (unless you are moving from SF) - but you can get a pretty nice 4br for less than a mil.

Good luck with your move.

 

[Anonymous]

I moved to the area a few years ago with the same questions. Bought across the border in PA and have been very happy with the community and the schools - I am in Chadds Ford, but there are other townships that also have good schools. Commute is not too bad - less than 30 from CF. It will be expensive (unless you are moving from SF) - but you can get a pretty nice 4br for less than a mil.

Good luck with your move.

I love the 20 somethings walking around HQ thinking they are on a promotion path when in fact they are being exploited and will be stuck here when the ship goes down. Anyone who relocates to Wilmington right now is fucking stupid. Not just stupid, fucking extra stupid.