Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.
WELCOME TO MARYLAND, and congratulations on your new job in the beautiful Annapolis area!
You have probably already checked out the official websites for Annapolis, the U.S. Naval Academy and Annapolis Naval Station, so I won't go there. Instead, I will give you this:
A checklist for my Annapolis house-hunting trip:
1. Request a FREE Maryland Travel Kit from the Maryland Office of Tourism. This is first on the list because it will take a while to receive this information by mail and you may find the Maryland map and other material helpful in getting to know the area.
2. Plan your house-hunting trip, starting with arrangements for travel and accommodations. If you are travelling by air, be sure to choose BWI as your destination airport, if possible, because it is only about a half hour from Annapolis. Both Reagan National and Dulles are farther AND will probably provide your first unpleasant experience with D.C. area traffic congestion.
Military personnel can make reservations at the BEQ, but there are lots of places to stay in and outside of Annapolis. If you enjoy American history and want to combine house-hunting with vacation, check out the Historic Inns of Annapolis, located nearby and within walking distance of Annapolis Harbor and the restaurants and shopping on or near Main Street. Other options include staying at an Annapolis Bed & Breakfast or one of the many hotels on the outskirts of Annapolis, such as the Doubletree - or just 15 minutes away at the Bowie Comfort Inn Conference Center, conveniently located at the intersection of Rt. 50 and 301.
3. Gather together your personal financial records, as suggested in Stop - Don't Pack to Move Without Setting Aside These Important Papers!
4. Military personnel - Verify your BAH, basic pay, and any allowances for which you may be eligible, based on your own rate or rank. You will be required to enter the Annapolis zipcode (21402), so I am providing it here for your reference. If you need additional information about your pay, consult the website for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
5. If you plan to use VA financing, obtain your VA Certificate of Eligibility. Whether you plan to have your lender handle this or you plan to request it yourself, you will need the same documentation. And remember, you may be eligible to buy VA again with either full or partial eligibility, even if you have used VA to finance a home in the past. This may be the way to go if you can't sell your current home, due to today's tough real estate market.
6. Obtain pre-approval from a local mortgage lender. While there is no shortage of lenders online, I highly recommend a local lender for many reasons. Here are a few lenders that my clients have worked with recently:
- Capital Mortgage Finance, Rod Luck (USNA '88)
- FNMC Mortgage, Chris Washburn
- 1st Metropolitan Mortgage, Lou Colletti
It is important to do this up-front, so you are realistic about price range in your home search. There's no point in spending your limited time looking at homes you can't buy, and then suffering the disappointment of learning that after you fall in love with a home.
7. Check out homes and communities in the Annapolis area with a free subscription to weekly or daily reports on new and revised home listings, based on search criteria you specify.
Or take a look at some of the homes in these communities near Annapolis, keeping in mind that prices often range from the $200's to well over a million dollars for waterfront estates. 'Odds are that you'll be somewhere between those extremes.
NEARBY COMMUNITIES:
Of course, it goes without saying that you need to choose a local real estate agent who really knows the area... and knows military life!
I've walked in your shoes, as a military spouse, and gone to new duty stations with only a day or two to make a housing decision. I had a baby while my husband was deployed, and I've struggled with all the decisions a military spouse makes without any family around to help out. Add that experience to my years as a Realtor, helping military families... Who could be better qualified to help you relocate to the Annapolis area?
If you are interested in Crofton real estate, be sure to check out Focus On Crofton, my blog for and about and the surrounding area..
RELATED LINKS:
- Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Purchase Your Next Home in Crofton, Maryland
- Capitol Title Waives Fees for Military Home Buyers
- How to Obtain Your VA Certificate of Eligibility
- Good News for VA Home Buyers in Maryland
- Welcome to Fort Meade!
- New to Andrews AFB?
- How VA Can Help Sell Your Crofton Home
STOP - Don't Pack to Move without Setting aside Important Paperwork
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Find a Home online and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Crofton and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX. These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace.
When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900
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