Queen Anne's County occupies a unique position in Maryland housing: an Eastern Shore lifestyle, connected to Annapolis by the Bay Bridge.
Stephen P. Sinnott
Chief Inspector
Water is the central inspection consideration in many Queen Anne's County properties. Crawlspaces, grading, groundwater, flood exposure, waterfront structures and salt-air corrosion can all matter.
Many properties also rely on private wells and septic systems. These are not reasons to avoid a home; they are reasons to understand exactly what you are buying.
Queen Anne's County has a much smaller conventional new-construction market than the large suburban counties. That is meaningful growth for a smaller county, but it is not mass suburban development.
A home inspector’s perspective, by Stephen P. Sinnott.
Kent Island communities such as Stevensville and Chester can provide an Eastern Shore lifestyle while remaining directly connected to Annapolis and the Western Shore by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Centreville and other inland communities offer a more rural version of the county.
For many buyers, the Bay Bridge is what makes Queen Anne's County possible as a primary residence. Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and portions of the Baltimore-Washington employment region remain within commuting reach, although bridge traffic is an everyday practical consideration.
Buyers are often attracted by schools, lower-density communities, boating and access to the Chesapeake Bay. The county has a very different feel from the suburban jurisdictions west of the Bay.
Queen Anne's County should continue to benefit from buyers seeking space and Eastern Shore living without moving too far from Annapolis and the Western Shore. Waterfront and water-access properties form their own market, and condition, flood exposure and infrastructure can have an outsized effect on value.
Real estate markets change, but the fundamentals of a community usually change much more slowly. My approach is to look beyond a monthly sales number and consider why people want to live in the area, what supports employment and what buyers are actually purchasing when they walk through the front door.
Stephen P. SinnottChief InspectorCentury Home Inspections
Market and economic information should be reviewed periodically as new public data becomes available. Commentary regarding property condition reflects the author’s professional experience inspecting residential properties in Maryland.
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