Relocating - Salary

[PeoplesElbow]

Are you sure it's not you?

If it was it would be limited to my little section.
Also it is a documented HR exit interview item. Unfortunately they continue to recruit in places where the culture shock will be so great that there is no chance anyone from there will stay. Best places to recruit from have much lower average salaries. Cant tell you how many I've seen come from north of DC and say "I'll commute" and have a new job up there in a few months. Last one lasted two months, you know how much that costs to hire someone that only stays for a few months?

 

[UglyBear]

Dollar General in Ridge are places I've had them approach me I wouldn't have expected.

Well, you might have caught @TPD before his morning coffee. And you being a come-downer, you might have misunderstood his delightful very very Southern MD accent, so you thought he’s asking for some change.

 

[BOP]

Try the stuffed ham.

 

[BOP]

I

I'm hoping for $16.
French fries ain't as easy as everyone thinks.
Sometimes you don't hear the Ding.

If you work at 5 Guys, can I has discount?

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

You will get better insight here than you will on the other Forum where you asked the same question. In fact, one third to half the responses will be from people who don't even live in Maryland.

You one current response there is from someone who couldn't find St. Mary's County on a map if you pointed it out to him.

After reading through much of what followed my original post I may have to amend it.

 

[PrchJrkr]

Hello. We are possibly relocating to the St Marys County area due to a job opportunity. We are wondering with the salary of $135K, if this would be middle class in the area. We are relocating from South Georgia, where the cost of living is much less. We understand the housing market is hot right now and plan to rent for the first year or so. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Well, this thread went on a little bit longer than I thought it would.

Like any place, Southern Maryland is what you make of it. I've been here since my father retired from a GS job in NOVA back in '72. I absolutely hated being ripped from my hometown and stuck out here in the sticks of the 7D. Instead of 7-11 on the corner, we had Bud Mattingly's General Store. Total culture shock for a preteen boy, but in hindsight, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

kristiy, SOMD is like any other place. It is, what you make of it. Welcome and good luck!

 

[Kinnakeet]

Cant go shopping anywhere without some panhandler wanting a "flavor".

lol...flavor

 

[Kinnakeet]

When THEY come along with semi free housing the area will go to hell in a hand bag that is a fact just look at Waldorf

 

[PeoplesElbow]

When THEY come along with semi free housing the area will go to hell in a hand bag that is a fact just look at Waldorf

I thought it already existed in all of MD, does waldorf have a project?

 

[PeoplesElbow]

So here are some good things about SOMD

Mild winters, average winter day seems to be in the 40s
Primary care providers are pretty decent, specialists are fewer though
Autumns are great, spring comes fairly early
Its generally quiet except for the aircraft, and the flying is mostly between 8am and 8pm.
People are moderately friendly, I'd say on the middle of the scale
People mostly mind their own business and the busy bodies are usually only HOA "enforcers"
Lost of different churches to choose from
If you are into boating there are lots of places to launch from

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

Hello. We are possibly relocating to the St Marys County area due to a job opportunity. We are wondering with the salary of $135K, if this would be middle class in the area. We are relocating from South Georgia, where the cost of living is much less. We understand the housing market is hot right now and plan to rent for the first year or so. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

I'm wondering if "kristy" is coming from Houston Texas and not South Georgia? I fear, fellow forumites, with four pages of comments, they appear to be futile, and wasted once again, under the trolls agenda.

Really, how hard is it for anyone today to look at Zillow, or any real estate website, to get an idea on on housing prices? Especially a person ostensibly smart enough to be pulling down a $135K annual salary? Which based upon what they are being paid could easily find a house which could carry a mortgage of $3750 per month? This person could buy a house priced up to about $900,000 based on a 3% mortgage with no down payment, or a higher price, (say a $1,000,000) home, with a down payment. Which means nearly any property in St Mary's County. Let alone any monetary gains they might realize on the sale of their current house, if they have one, from "South Georgia", to assist in their new purchase. Rent? At that income level? What a joke.

So sorry to say. You've been 'hooked' people, and "kristy" is reeling you all in.

Oh. And still no response from "kristy".

 

[PeoplesElbow]

If I may ...


I'm wondering if "kristy" is coming from Houston Texas and not South Georgia? I fear, fellow forumites, with four pages of comments, they appear to be futile, and wasted once again, under the trolls agenda.

Really, how hard is it for anyone today to look at Zillow, or any real estate website, to get an idea on on housing prices? Especially a person ostensibly smart enough to be pulling down a $135K annual salary? Which based upon what they are being paid could easily find a house which could carry a mortgage of $3750 per month? This person could buy a house priced up to about $900,000 based on a 3% mortgage with no down payment, or a higher price, (say a $1,000,000) home, with a down payment. Which means nearly any property in St Mary's County. Let alone any monetary gains they might realize on the sale of their current house, if they have one, from "South Georgia", to assist in their new purchase. Rent? At that income level? What a joke.

So sorry to say. You've been 'hooked' people, and "kristy" is reeling you all in.

Oh. And still no response from "kristy".

$3750 a month?

I make more than that and I wouldn't want a mortgage more than half that.

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

$3750 a month?

I make more than that and I wouldn't want a mortgage more than half that.

That is 33% of their $135,000 income, $44550, divided by 12 to get an estimated maximum monthly mortgage payment of $3750.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

If I may ...


That is 33% of their $135,000 income, $44550, divided by 12 to get an estimated maximum monthly mortgage payment of $3750.

I've always thought those recomendations were crazy, started by realtors to get house prices higher for higher commissions.

 

[UglyBear]

If I may ...


That is 33% of their $135,000 income, $44550, divided by 12 to get an estimated maximum monthly mortgage payment of $3750.

The “take-home” income is 2/3 of that.
So $135,000 x 2/3 (take-home) X 1/3 (suggested housing cost) / 12 (monthly) = $2,475 .
That should give a decent mortgage of approx $500k house, if one has 20% ($100k) down.

 

[HemiHauler]

Sheesh, leave it to the mouth breathers here to turn an innocent question into tribal politics.

 

[Gilligan]

....and now appears Mr. Irony...

 

[kristiy]

Hopefully, coming from GA, you and yours are Red?
We don't need anymore blue in this state.

By the way, Welcome to MD.

LOL, thank you! We are, but I do not get into politics. My husband is another matter and loves the topic.

 

[kristiy]

Funny... we moved here in the 70s from 'uban life' and have yet to regret it. Welcome, Kristiy! Would love to hear about how your mom decided to grace you with an extra 'i' in your name one day...

I actually chose to spell it that way. lol

 

[kristiy]

One income or two?

That is pretty decent, but there are a lot of couples that each make that, so there are quite a few houses in the $500k range.

Renting is a good idea, about half of the new employees we get hate it and are gone within a few years. The crime is high, traffic sucked before covid, all the disadvantages of urban life with none of the benefits. Also none of the benefits of rural life with the disadvantages.

Not as rural as it once was. It exploded when everyone started moving here for their jobs. Is that why you're here? There are areas in the county that are still very rural.

Yes, job relocation. We are just trying to figure it all out now.