WELCOME TO BOWIE, MARYLAND, and congratulations on your new job in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area!  Bowie is an excellent match for you and your family, based on its location, community lifestyle, and affordability - the top three reasons to choose Bowie for your next home.

1.  LOCATION 
      Bowie is 30 minutes to everywhere you want to go. 

You know what they say about the most important things in real estate - Location, Location, and Location!

When the traffic gods are smiling, Bowie, Maryland, is less than 30 minutes from "everywhere" - just 12 miles from Washington, D.C., 15 miles from Annapolis, 20 miles from Baltimore, and only 15 miles from BWI Airport.  

Access to Bowie by Highway couldn't be easier:

• East - US 50, MD 450
• South -US 301, MD 450, MD 3
• West - I495/95, US 50, MD 193, MD 450, MD 214
• North - Baltimore/Washington Parkway, MD 197, MD 3

If you're active duty or retired military, you and your family will enjoy the resources of several nearby military installations:  Andrews AFB, Fort George G. Meade, the U.S. Naval Academy, National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and even the Pentagon. 

Public transportation:  If your job is in D.C. or Baltimore, you will have the option of taking the MARC train from Bowie, or take the METRO-Rail to D.C. from nearby New Carrollton. In fact, there's even a park 'n ride for commuting by bus from Bowie to New Carrollton.  And, if your job requires travel to anywhere Amtrak goes, you can hop on board in New Carrollton, just 5 miles from Bowie.

Aside from a manageable commute, you'll appreciate Bowie's location for its convenience to the museums, monuments, professional sports teams, and arts venues in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis,Maryland - not to mention sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.   If you've never lived on the East Coast, your kids will probably be thrilled to learn that the Atlantic Ocean is only about 2 hours east of Bowie - close enough for frequent day trips or weekend getaways.  

2.  COMMUNITY 
      Bowie is poised for the future and proud of its heritage. 

The City of Bowie is home to more than 50,000 residents in an area covering about 16 square miles, including 2,000 acres set aside as parks or open space.   There are dozens of ball fields in Bowie, several community centers, swimming pools, an ice arena, theatrical playhouse, performing arts center, public golf course (6 more golf courses within 10 minutes), public library, four museums, and a gymnasium. 

While shopping centers dot the entire community, Bowie New Town Shopping Mall and Gateway Center are regional shopping meccas for the entire area, and Annapolis Mall is just 15 minutes away.  Restaurants range from fast-food to franchise to uniquely Bowie. And there's a multi-screen movie theater, the Regal Bowie Stadium 14, to keep you entertained.

If those options aren't enough, you can watch Bowie's own minor league baseball team play at the beautiful new Bowie Baysox stadium, visit Six Flags amusement park in nearby Kettering or take advantage of all that Baltimore, Washington, and Annapolis have to offer.

A little Bowie history:

Bowie is an old railroad town, dating back to the mid-1800's when a rail line was constructed between Baltimore and Southern Maryland, where large tobacco plantations dotted the area.  A spur to Washington, D.C. was soon added, and the town around the railroad junction known as Huntington was chartered as Bowie in 1880. 

This railroad access from Baltimore and Washington was a contributing factor to the selection of Bowie as the site for America's first thoroughbred race track in the early 1900's.  Nearby Belair Stable was part of the famous "Belair Stud," one of the premier racing stables in the 30's, 40's and 50's, and it has been restored now to operate as a museum for 250 years of history.

The Bowie Race Track has been closed for several years, but the train station is now a busy commuter hub.  Both the railroad and racing roots of Bowie are still celebrated each year at Heritage Day. 

In 1957, New Jersey developer Levitt and Sons acquired the original colonial plantation of Provincial Governor of Maryland, Samuel Ogle, and developed the residential community of Belair at Bowie. Two years later the town of Bowie annexed the Levitt properties and re-incorporated the now-larger area as a city in 1963.  While many of Bowie's residents live in this 60's-built community, Bowie now includes many other neighborhoods built more recently, including condos, townhomes, and even a few "McMansions".

Prince George's County Public Schools in Bowie include several elementary and middle schools and award-winning Bowie Senior High.  Pius X Regional Parochial School, other private schools and many day care centers are located in Bowie, so your family has many choices.  It's possible your children will be within walking distance of school, but they could have a short bus ride.  

3.  AFFORDABILITY
      Yes, you can afford a Bowie home.

While home prices are higher in the D.C. area than many other parts of the country, Bowie is lower than most other communities in the D.C. area.   I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover older 4-bedroom detached homes (like the one picture to the right) priced in the low $300,000's; a larger home, or one that is completely updated and "like new" could be closer to $400,000.  Or, if larger, newer, and higher-priced homes are your preference, there are plenty of them, as well.

I think many of those sticker-shock stories about the D.C. area are based on Northern Virginia home prices.  Bowie is a neighborhood where families can choose either a detached home or townhome and, in most cases, not have the expense of a mandatory Home Owner's Association. There's a large inventory of homes available right now, and this is a perfect time to buy a Bowie home.

Here are three Bowie homes I plan to show you, assuming they're still available when you arrive. 

• BEST MATCH:   Kavanaugh Lane - $329,950.  This one-level home in the popular "K" section of Bowie is located within walking distance of Kenilworth Elementary, a blue-ribbon school that makes this neighborhood a popular one for families with children.  The home features a screened porch, updated baths and kitchen, and beautiful 11,482 sq. ft. treed lot.
  
• BEST VALUE:   Starlight Lane- $355,5000.  No mortgage payments for the first three months on this awesome designer-decorated home, just reduced $12,000.  This colonial style 2-story home features 4 bedroom, 2.5 baths, wood floors, upgrades everywhere, tile flooring in baths, family room with brick fireplace and slider to the patio, and a large 9,957 sq. foot treed level lot.  
  
• BEST PRICE:   Yorktown Drive - $310,000.  This popular 4-bedroom 2 bath cape cod style home, situated on a 7,176 sq. ft. lot, features an above-ground pool and a Loi pond.  It needs a little TLC, but expensive updates are all done for you:  recent HVAC, roof, windows and siding.  Don't miss this opportunity for a real bargain!

Click on this link for a sneak preview of homes for sale in Bowie, including photos, prices and brief descriptions. 

As I mentioned on the phone, it is essential for you to have mortgage loan approval from a local lender in hand before arriving for your house-hunting trip.   You will find several listed under "Real Estate Partners" on the Area Guide page of my website.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this process.

You mentioned that you want an agent who knows Bowie, knows real estate, and is tech-savvy.  The easiest way for you to determine if I'm an agent who satisfies those criteria is probably to check out my ActiveRain Blog, featuring "how-to" articles for consumers and other real estate professionals, local information for relocation home buyers, and a few random topics ranging from family to gardening.  You can count on me to work hard for you, to be an effective advisor and advocate during your relocation and home purchase, as I have done for Bowie home buyers and sellers since the 70's.

Again, welcome to Bowie!  I look forward to talking with you again and meeting you personally.

Sincerely,

Margaret Woda
Associate Broker, RE/MAX Vision

P.S.  I almost forgot to mention the "BRAC Factor" - 

Thanks to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Report, 22,000 new jobs are expected in the next five years in the Ft. Meade and BWI areas.  This is great news for your Bowie home's future property value, since there will be huge demand for a limited supply of nearby homes!

Although Bowie is located in Prince George's County, it literally adjoins Anne Arundel County.  For that reason, I think you'll find most of the articles in Your Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland to be equally relevant for anyone buying a home in Bowie.  I'm still working on building a similar relo package for Bowie!

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Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Bowie, 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 - 410-451-1900