WHY WE LOVE THIS HOUSE
We purchased this house in 1985 and decided to make it our “forever home”. 529 45th St. is located in Baltimore County, but is 2 blocks out of Baltimore City so it’s in close proximity to all the city amenities. It is in the small, low crime county community of Harbor View. The Harbor View Association (no HOA) keeps the community informed about anything that would affect it.
We really love the close proximity to everything. Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital is within a 5-minute drive. Shopping, great restaurants and doctor’s offices etc. are located on Merritt Blvd. which is also a 5-minute drive. Eastpoint Mall on Eastern Ave. is a 5-minute drive. The house is 2 minutes from 95 and 10 minutes from 695 (Dundalk entrance). It is 10 minutes to Canton with all the great city restaurants and is 15 minutes from the Coast Guard Base, 25 minutes to Fort George Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground. Towson is 20 minutes away and a six-minute drive will have you in Highlandtown and 8 minutes will put you in Essex. The neighborhood is very quiet and peaceful and we have great neighbors.
Over the years we added on to the home and extended the two car garage to four. We also put a six ft. fence around the property for privacy and security as Hubby likes working on antique cars etc. The garage is heated, the walls and doors are insulated and the floor is epoxied for easy cleaning. It’s huge, has tons of storage and you will not find another house anywhere in the area with that sized garage.
The oak floors in the home are the original ones from 1938 and we had them refinished in the late ’90s with high-grade polyurethane (the kind used on basketball courts). The rest of the house (except for basement and steps which are newly carpeted 12/15/2016) are ceramic tile and hardwoods, so zero maintenance. We added the dining room, solarium, enclosed porch and master bedroom on the second floor around that same time.
The dining room is HUGE and with its connection to the family room and solarium with enclosed porch makes family entertaining a breeze. The master bedroom is also HUGE with tons of storage and a sitting room or exercise area that overlooks the yard. The washer and dryer are located on the second floor along with the master and the full bath with jetted tub. Behind the glass-doored closets is another huge storage area that is insulated and runs the entire width of the house.
In 2010/11 we put a new 30 year architectural shingle roof on the house (gutter guards on both the house and garage) along with new double tilt in thermopane windows, a new Carrier furnace, a 5 ton Carrier central air for quick cooling (most houses are 3-3 ½ ton) and added two ductless mini splits to the house for use during seasonal changes. We love the Rinnai tankless hot water heater as it only heats water when it is used, so NO tank. We also added a Rainsoft whole house water filtration system with a Big Blue filter, so there is no need for filtered water. The Rainsoft removes the chlorine and other chemicals, the Big Blue handles particulates. The water is perfect so filter pitchers or bottled water are not required in this home. We also installed a Wynco 8K whole house generator so we would never be without power. There is no lead paint anywhere in this home.
We love the large front deck as we enjoyed “watching the world go by” sitting at a table or around the enclosed seating area.
This home can heat with either propane or natural gas. We preferred propane, so in 2000 we bought a 500 gal. propane tank and had it installed (buried) in the backyard. Propane burns hotter so it is more efficient than natural gas and we no longer pay the $30 a month fee to BGE for the “privilege” of having their meter hooked to the house. If you prefer natural gas, the line is already run to the house and a simple change of the pipe to the furnace and water heater would hook the gas back up. We considered the $30 fee to BGE a waste of money as that’s $360 a year for nothing.
My husband decided that in case something would happen to him (military), he would set the house up to be used as 3 apartments so that I would have an income if I needed it. Each floor in this house has a full bath and a bedroom with closets. The first and second floors have kitchens. This is a great set up for someone who would like an income to help with the mortgage or it could be used as a “multi-generational” home as there’d be plenty of privacy for everyone or, you could just take in roommates.
Another great feature about this home is the large carport. You never have a worry about weather if you don’t park in the garage. No mess with snow or frozen rain when you park under this!
The plumbing has been totally redone with PVC and copper, including the exterior water lines to the house. The sewer line has been replaced with PVC. The sump pump is 2 years old and we bought the best. You should never have a plumbing problem in this house. The electric has also been updated. There’s a (200 amp) circuit breaker box in the basement and a (100 amp) circuit breaker box on the second floor, so no “running” down steps if you trip a circuit breaker on the second floor.
You’re probably asking yourselves why we’re moving. We’re in our 70’s and neither of us handles steps well anymore. If this home was a rancher, it wouldn’t be for sale.
The home is unique, it’s very large and has a 4 car garage. You won’t find another like this and whoever purchases it will not be disappointed with this beautiful home in this very well established community.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and good luck in your search.
Barbara & Larry Gene
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