Catonsville/Arbutus Among Maryland's More Affordable Places to Buy Homes

The Catonsville market is the 13th most affordable place to buy in a home in Maryland, according to a new survey released this month by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

The average four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Catonsville is $336,885, according to the firm’s survey, which ranked Maryland’s most expensive and most affordable markets that were listed between September 2010 and March 2011.

Homes of that size in Arbutus, which wasn’t officially among the 32 areas listed in the residential and commercial real estate firm’s survey, are priced on average at $275,000, said DyAnn Moree, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker.

“I’m pleased with it,” Moree said of the ranking.

Moree said the Catonsville and Arbutus areas both have had stability in the market, as both areas can’t grow anymore because there is little to no land available for expansion.

“We haven’t had land in the last 20 years like Owings Mills and Reisterstown. We are what we are,” she said. “We have so many people like myself who grew up here. … We’re still that small-town feel. You go to the local bank and everyone knows each other."

Annapolis was ranked as Maryland’s most expensive market, with the average four-bedroom, two-bathroom home listed at $688,232.

Cumberland is the least expensive market, according to the survey, with a home that size going for $160,497.

On average, that size home in Maryland costs $381,314, according to the report.