Originally Posted by jeremai

Unfortunately Maryland lemon laws don't apply to used cars, only new ones. How stupid is that? The seller finally called us back and claims she had no idea it had been in an accident, and gave us the number of the place that passed it's state inspection.

My parents and sister/brother-in-law are all sending money to help us out. Makes me want to be back there even more!

Originally Posted by cov kids

I am so sorry to hear your news. You have just got to think of your family and keep your chin up. I feel really bad about asking you this after all the crap you are going through, but on a whole how did you find the experience of living in Baltimore. Don't reply if I have done your head its just we are thinking of moving to Baltimore. :)

Originally Posted by jeremai

I don't mind you asking at all. I personally adore Baltimore, but I know it's not to everyone's taste. Of course it has the notorious honor of being Mob Town, the drugs capital of the USA. However, the city is leading the nation in the rate of reduction in violent crown, and there is SO much new development going on it's astounding.

I hear a lot of people who talk about Baltimore's "bad neighborhoods" and how they are too scared to venture anywhere in the city except the Inner Harbor and would never consider living in the city. That really bugs me because things can't change with those kind of attitudes. Obviously there ARE still areas with big drug problems, but I peronally see a city with beautiful housing stock, red brick rowhomes with smart cornices in neighborhoods that HAVE already changed. I believe a house in Baltimore is a great investment as prices will keep increasing.

If you're thinking more about suburban areas then you'll find plenty of nice places too. Our house is right on the city line, so pretty suburban really, and I like the area. Traffic flows well here even in rush hour, unless you're heading towards DC. Public transport to DC is underdeveloped but it does exist and will get better. The hot and humid summers can be pretty bad! Let me know if you want to know about other subjects I haven't touched on.

Please take a look at some of my personal photography of Baltimore. These tours touch on the touristy Inner Harbor but will also take you deeper into some neighborhoods. :)
Summer around the Inner Harbor
From high up and around town
Fell's Point
Locust Point
Harbor East

Originally Posted by jeremai

Advice on how to keep my sanity please! It seems like everything has gone wrong for us this year. I won't go through the whole list, but a couple of weeks ago, five days after Jesse was born, somebody rear-ended our car and it was written off. We got the insurance payout and bought another car from a classified ad by private seller, only to find out it was apparently in an accident and needs $3000 of work to get it roadworthy (not even to fix all the problems). We don't have another three grand but the father of somebody at the body shop may take it off our hands for $500. I just can't believe we will have lost all that money. I feel so gutted - and stupid - right now. We left a message for the seller saying we want our money back or will take legal action, but the car was sold "as is", as noted on the bill of sale, so I don't think we have a leg to stand on. I can't believe people would screw over a family with a new baby like that. She told us that the car passed inspection back in May and would be just fine.

I just want to cut my losses and get out of this country. I know that there are plenty of crooks in the UK too but I just can't keep going through all these problems with hardly anyone around to help. My SIL goes back to Germany on Friday and my MIL abandons us for Arkansas on Saturday. I know my wife is going to feel really lonely with only her dad left here. In the UK we would have both my parents and my sister's family around to help with the kids and all.

Sorry to complain so much; just feeling really low right now. I guess I need to keep focusing on the move, maybe even start selling stuff to make it feel like I'm taking steps in the right direction.