Come Out of Your Clam Shell in Maryland
When you’re ready to buy a vacation home, Chesapeake Bay in Maryland should be at the top of your list for places to consider. Activities range from boating, fishing, and camping to sitting on the beach with friends at a clam bake, swimming, or just enjoying in the sun or taking in the stars on a cloudless night.
In Maryland, you can bake your cake and eat it, too, but only if you’re from Chesapeake! Famous for the Smith Island Cake, Chesapeake residents keep their recipe very private. The cake is constructed of eight to ten very thin layers, cemented together with another very thin layer of icing – usually chocolate. The cakes can be any flavor, though – chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cherry, coconut, red velvet, or caramel – limited only by the imagination of the baker!
If the cake won’t pull you in, consider taking part in a famous New England clambake. If you want to dig for your own clams, be sure you have proper permission from local authorities before you start. Once you get the clams, dig a hole (again with proper authority) and line it with big stones. Then build a fire that will burn for at least two hours to heat the stones. Rake off the fire, and then cover stones with seaweed before adding a wire basket with your food. Once the wire basket is placed, you cover the food with more sea leaves and cook for about two hours.
View the real estate market snapshot for Maryland to stay on top of the average home value, market value changes, mortgage rates and more in Maryland at Banks.com. Maryland Mortgage Rates
Once you’ve eaten your Smith Island Cake and licked the butter from your fingers after the clam bake, you might want to start looking for a permanent place to live in this gorgeous area. Don’t expect real estate to come cheap, though. You’ll be paying for the location with prices ranging from the hundreds of thousands to the millions of dollars.
When you pay these types of prices, though, there is no shortage of upgrades that come with the houses. Typical are water views, lots of square footage, gas cook tops, and other modern conveniences that include tile, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and custom built walk-in closets.
Home styles range from numerous Victorian and Colonial houses to condominiums and high rises. All these homes and more can be found in the numerous communities that dot this wonderful bay of the Atlantic Ocean.
In Maryland, you can bake your cake and eat it, too, but only if you’re from Chesapeake! Famous for the Smith Island Cake, Chesapeake residents keep their recipe very private. The cake is constructed of eight to ten very thin layers, cemented together with another very thin layer of icing – usually chocolate. The cakes can be any flavor, though – chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cherry, coconut, red velvet, or caramel – limited only by the imagination of the baker!
If the cake won’t pull you in, consider taking part in a famous New England clambake. If you want to dig for your own clams, be sure you have proper permission from local authorities before you start. Once you get the clams, dig a hole (again with proper authority) and line it with big stones. Then build a fire that will burn for at least two hours to heat the stones. Rake off the fire, and then cover stones with seaweed before adding a wire basket with your food. Once the wire basket is placed, you cover the food with more sea leaves and cook for about two hours.
View the real estate market snapshot for Maryland to stay on top of the average home value, market value changes, mortgage rates and more in Maryland at Banks.com. Maryland Mortgage Rates
Once you’ve eaten your Smith Island Cake and licked the butter from your fingers after the clam bake, you might want to start looking for a permanent place to live in this gorgeous area. Don’t expect real estate to come cheap, though. You’ll be paying for the location with prices ranging from the hundreds of thousands to the millions of dollars.
When you pay these types of prices, though, there is no shortage of upgrades that come with the houses. Typical are water views, lots of square footage, gas cook tops, and other modern conveniences that include tile, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and custom built walk-in closets.
Home styles range from numerous Victorian and Colonial houses to condominiums and high rises. All these homes and more can be found in the numerous communities that dot this wonderful bay of the Atlantic Ocean.
Horse Farms and Beauty Abound in Maryland
When you think of thoroughbred horses, the Kentucky Derby is but one arm of the famous Triple Crown horse race. Like its southern counterpart, Maryland’s rolling hills are gorgeous and its barns are often described as being even nicer than homes.
If you want to play with the ponies, however, you’ll have to pay. Prices range from $400,000 to millions of dollars – depending on location, size, and facilities. Of course, when at least a billion dollars annually is generated by the horse industry in Maryland, owners can well afford the more expensive homes.
It’s not just the horse owners who benefit from the equine industry. Jobs are plentiful for experienced equestrians ranging from full-fledged trainers to the less glamorous jobs of shoveling out the muck from the stables. In addition, groomers, veterinary work, Ferrier positions, and more are available.
While you consider a move to the magnificent state of Maryland – with sweeping views from the gorgeous South Mountain communities to the quaint and charming Fredericksburg – stay overnight in one of the many bed and breakfasts. Many offer stables for horse lovers who travel with their mounts.
One historic bed and breakfast is the Cascade Inn near the Blue Ridge Summit. If you’re not into horse riding, you can go tromping through some of the most beautiful vistas in the nation searching for the delicacy provided by morel mushrooms. If your preference is to be treated like royalty, perhaps a visit to The Castle Bed and Breakfast is more suited to your tastes. Besides vigorous outdoor activities, you could also just settle down for a massage, a day of antique shopping, or a ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
Once you decide you do want to stay forever in this beautiful state – but if you can’t afford to buy a full-fledged horse farm – consider there really are affordable homes throughout the state. The average price of homes is about $260,000, a drop of just a bit more than 6 percent since this time last year.
Buying real estate in Maryland would be a good investment, not just for your wallet, but also for you soul.
Maryland Mortgage Rates
View our real estate market snapshot for Maryland to stay on top of the average home value, market value changes, mortgage rates and more in Maryland at Banks.com.
If you want to play with the ponies, however, you’ll have to pay. Prices range from $400,000 to millions of dollars – depending on location, size, and facilities. Of course, when at least a billion dollars annually is generated by the horse industry in Maryland, owners can well afford the more expensive homes.
It’s not just the horse owners who benefit from the equine industry. Jobs are plentiful for experienced equestrians ranging from full-fledged trainers to the less glamorous jobs of shoveling out the muck from the stables. In addition, groomers, veterinary work, Ferrier positions, and more are available.
While you consider a move to the magnificent state of Maryland – with sweeping views from the gorgeous South Mountain communities to the quaint and charming Fredericksburg – stay overnight in one of the many bed and breakfasts. Many offer stables for horse lovers who travel with their mounts.
One historic bed and breakfast is the Cascade Inn near the Blue Ridge Summit. If you’re not into horse riding, you can go tromping through some of the most beautiful vistas in the nation searching for the delicacy provided by morel mushrooms. If your preference is to be treated like royalty, perhaps a visit to The Castle Bed and Breakfast is more suited to your tastes. Besides vigorous outdoor activities, you could also just settle down for a massage, a day of antique shopping, or a ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
Once you decide you do want to stay forever in this beautiful state – but if you can’t afford to buy a full-fledged horse farm – consider there really are affordable homes throughout the state. The average price of homes is about $260,000, a drop of just a bit more than 6 percent since this time last year.
Buying real estate in Maryland would be a good investment, not just for your wallet, but also for you soul.
Maryland Mortgage Rates
View our real estate market snapshot for Maryland to stay on top of the average home value, market value changes, mortgage rates and more in Maryland at Banks.com.
