Help! Possible move to Delaware

[pooh bear]

My dh has been shorted listed for a job that would require us to move to Delaware or maybe Maryland.

 

From what I can gather, dh would pick up his load in Philadelphia and then deliver to stops in Maryland. He has another interview on Friday, and should get more details on that.

 

Looking at the homeschool laws, it seem that Delaware or Maryland are a lot easier than PA.

 

So, if you were to recommend a place to live to a Florida cracker, who thinks that if you can see your neighbors house from your front door, they are too close, what would you recommend?

 

And how cold are winters up there? When does it start to get cold? I'm from England, so I don't mind the cold, but dh is born and raised here in Florida. I think he has seen snow once in his life (he's 49)!

 

It maybe that he might have to go up there first, work a few weeks to get rent money together, before ds and I move up there. Are there any relatively inexpensive places for him to stay? He really just needs a place to sleep and take a shower. He will be working 12-14 hour days.

 

Are there any other things we should think about before dh takes the job, if he is offered it?

[Ria]

Having homeschooled both in PA and DE I can tell you that it's simple in both states. Don't let the state worry you. If your dh gets the job, come up and visit the area. Look around and see where you would like to be in relation to where he will be for work.

 

Weather-wise, DE gets about the same weather we get here (we live in SE PA, about an hour west of Philadelphia; we are about 30 minutes north of Wilmington DE); we get more snow, they get more ice. Snow is easier, imo. It gets cold in Dec. Nov is chilly. Snow is still a major event in this area, we're not like Vermont or the northern states!

 

I think this is a fantastic area in which to live. If you find out for sure that your dh gets the job, pm me. We can talk! :)

[Rjmakmom]

I live in Maryland, but only 30 mins from the DE state line. Easy hsing laws in both states. Plenty of rural/suburban/agricultural area in the Cecil County area of Maryland, and parts of that area are literally 5 mins from the DE line. Another perk to DE- no sales and no state tax!! Feel free to pm me if you want specific info, or someone to show ya around town! :001_smile:

[Mandamom]

I live in Maryland, but only 30 mins from the DE state line. Easy hsing laws in both states. Plenty of rural/suburban/agricultural area in the Cecil County area of Maryland, and parts of that area are literally 5 mins from the DE line. Another perk to DE- no sales and no state tax!! Feel free to pm me if you want specific info, or someone to show ya around town! :001_smile:

 

I probably don't live very far from you at all but I wasn't sure about what traffic would be like going to Philly every day from this area. Parts of I-95 through wilmington sound like they are a mess at times -- although I drove the Balto Beltway and that was pretty bad, too. I was wondering if maybe some place like Kennet Square in PA might be a little closer with a little less traffic to deal with -- maybe not as I don't travel north very often.

[pooh bear]

I would love to be able to have a look around before we moved, but we just don't have the money to do that. Dh has to go up first, to get the money for a new place. We also only have one vehicle, so it's not like I could go visit on the weekends.

 

With regards to the traffic, dh would more than likely have to pick up some where between 5 and 6 am, so I don't think the traffic will be that bad, will it?

 

Ds is the most excited. The Smithsonian is not that far away on the train.

[pooh bear]

I live in Maryland, but only 30 mins from the DE state line. Easy hsing laws in both states. Plenty of rural/suburban/agricultural area in the Cecil County area of Maryland, and parts of that area are literally 5 mins from the DE line. Another perk to DE- no sales and no state tax!! Feel free to pm me if you want specific info, or someone to show ya around town! :001_smile:

 

I could not live in a place called Cecil. You Americans pronounce it incorrect, and it would drive me crazy. :D

[happypamama]

I've lived in all three (PA, MD, and DE), and I'd put MD at the bottom of my list, with DE being second, and PA being the top. Except if it meant living near Philly. I might opt for northern DE over Philly area. A lot of people do commute on 95 to Philly from DE. The area between Philly and DE is very nice, but very expensive (Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr). I'm not super familiar with northern DE, but I think it would be less expensive than the Philly suburbs, though maybe commuting cost would make up for it.

 

Now, if you were able to move to parts of Montgomery County (PA), or even Berks or Lancaster County, I'd vote for those in a heartbeat. They make for a long commute into Philly, though. 5-6 am might still have some traffic heading into Philly. If you want open spaces, I'd opt for northern MD (Carroll County, can't remember what the one just to the east of Carroll is) or Berks/Lancaster County if the commute is doable. (We used to live out on the Montgomery/Berks line, near Pottstown, and we were an hour or so from Philly.)

 

The HS laws in all three are just different. PA has its advantages for HS'ing too. Shrug. If you care about gun laws, PA is way better; MD is terrible. If you care about raw milk laws, PA is way better as well. And if you care about in-state tuition for college, consider that as well; PA has more options than DE. Weather is the same in all three -- four seasons, fairly equal, sometimes more winter and sometimes more summer. DE will get you closer to the beaches, PA closer to the mountains.