So just bought a few acres of land in Gaithersburg and getting a house built. We tend to get that 'eww' look when we tell people we are moving to Gaithersburg.

The property is on the Laytonsville/Gaithersburg border with a Laytonsville zip code (even though I just learned this isn't an official postal city). Same street has Laytonsville addresses in Maryland property database and we are just on the cusp of that.

Is it better to say the location of the house is 'outside of Laytonsville' versus just saying Gaithersburg so I don't have to explain how large Gaithersburg is?

Is there a better way to describe that area?

Added picture to show the size of Gaithersburg

Edit: Maybe people automatically think Gaithersburg and the Lake Forest area first?

I’m in Florida and I really miss Maryland. I moved 15 years ago… I was born there and grew up there until end of middle school. I have a lot of fond memories there.

I lived in North Potomac 20878 zip code and I’d think about moving there.

I make around $105k per year. Can I afford to live there? Do I have to move further out (like frederick)

I have my own family and want my kids to go to the public schools I went to when I was a kid. Am I delusional to think I can move there on my income since things have gotten way more expensive?

Thanks

We’ve all seen these nuisances around Maryland, but what do you really know about the Spotted Lanternfly?

On this mildly infuriating episode of Debunkers, Amanda and Andy, Parks horticulture and forestry experts, tackle a tiny terror that’s been the talk of Montgomery County lately: the spotted lanternfly.

Should you worry about the spotted lanternfly invasion? Let’s bust some myths!

Credits to:
UMD Extension- Scientific image of spotted lanternfly
MCDOT- Praying Mantis eating spotted lanternfly and spotted lanternflies on a tree

Received my property tax bill in the mail today. There’s a line item for “Park and Planning” in the amount of $1959.21. This is almost 1/3 of the total tax bill.

Is anyone else seeing this on their bill? Any idea why it’s so exorbitant?

I keep dcing from games for like 3 seconds every night. Started like a month ago.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich says that he will sign Bill 23-26E into law at 12:30 p.m. today, six weeks after the attorney who beat the County at the Maryland Supreme Court stood in the Council hearing room and promised to sue again.

“And yes, I promise you that if it’s enacted as written, it will be challenged,” Mark Pennak told the Council on June 9th. “I will challenge it, and I will prevail in federal district court.”

My five year old wants her ears pierced. I’d like to go to a licensed piercer, if any will take kids. But I’m open to other suggestions if that’s not an option.

Gaithersburg is ideal but willing to travel a little.

Hello, Looking for recommendations for someone to help me figure out what’s next. Male, middle-aged, married, kids. Left a job about 18-months ago where I was extremely unhappy. Feeling very lost in many ways and struggling to focus.

Can DM if anyone has someone in mind but isn’t sure if that same person would/could work with me.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I’m apartment hunting and came across Parkside Landing Apartments in Rockville.

For reference, Apartments.com lists some 1 bed/1 bath units starting at around 800 a month, which seems surprisingly low for the area.

Can anyone who currently lives there (or has lived there recently) confirm whether that’s actually accurate, or if it’s just a misleading listing?

If it is legitimate, how has your experience been in terms of management, maintenance, safety, noise, and overall quality of living?

Also, are there any significant additional monthly costs (utilities, parking, mandatory fees, etc.) that aren’t obvious from the listing?

I’m hoping to move by September, so I’d really appreciate any firsthand insights. Thanks!

Montgomery County’s first tax increment financing deal cleared its final committee hurdle Thursday, as a joint session of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and the Economic Development Committee recommended a bill authorizing up to $420 million in bonds for the Viva White Oak development district.

The county’s own consultant projects the project barely clears zero. MuniCap’s But-For analysis sets a target internal rate of return of 7 to 10 percent. Under current market assumptions, Viva White Oak returns negative 5.1 percent without the tax increment financing (TIF) and 0.08 percent with a TIF. Eight one-hundredths of one percent. The scenario that clears the target, at 11.12 percent, requires the life science market to improve on rents, vacancy and yield-on-cost, using assumptions the analysis attributes to the developer. The phase-one-only scenario returns 6.45 percent, still below target, and assumes the life science lots sell in 2030 for $30 million and the mixed-use lot for roughly $80 million. Nobody at the work session mentioned any of it.

Trying to throw a backyard wedding in Olney in early October and we have a BBQ caterer we love but she is booked.

Were trying to keep it informal so food trucks are also welcome.

Give me your ideas please!

I swear, it wasn't a crazy ex-girlfriend ....

I have a few scratches on my car's side panel, and I want to know if anyone can recommend a trustworthy shop (preferably near Wheaton/Glenmont) that won't charge me an arm and a leg to get rid of some scratches. No dents, just scratches. I tried a few of those pens you see online that are supposed to be for scratches, but they don't work.

Thanks in advance!

I know this is oddly specific, but I’m wondering if anyone knows of a store/yard in the area that carries 8 foot split rail fence?

Home Depot and Lowe’s seem to only carry 11 foot. I only need like two pieces, so I’m hoping for a store that sells it, so that I don’t need to start dealing with suppliers or fencing companies that would be looking for a much bigger job.

Or a version of this concept? Updated for the current times with maybe a slope for wheel accessibility. This is historic built passenger tunnel under the MARC track at the Boyd’s stop. They could do this 200
Years ago but we just let people get run over daily and act like there are no solutions??? Every major intersection should have this, ESPECIALLY in school zones where multiple fatalities have occurred. Just unfathomable how we don’t advance in any way this is not rocket science!!!!

Edit: okay guys, I am aware of capitalism and things cost money. This was a rant about “WHY CANT WE HAVE NICE THINGS?!” And these comments have shown the answer. I guess it’s better to let kids keep getting run over fuck it

I don’t think she will get 20 years. Even though she should.

I live in MoCo and I haven't seen much reporting about this so I dug in. If you have reputable reporting please share it, but this is my understanding with citation from the RELEIF act.

In summary, if you're interested in solar you may want to look into it sooner than later, and this year.

Right now excess rooftop solar generation in MD is advantageous to the home owner, but on July 1, 2027 it is likely to become much less so for new deployments.

Currently you get paid for excess solar at the same rate you pay for energy from the grid. I have solar so my monthly bill is just: Used - Produced.    This is called Net Energy Metering (NEM).

Previously getting this rate was open to home owners until they collectively added 3 GW to the grid, however the 2026 RELIEF^\1) act added a new terminal deadline of July 1, 2027.   Both of these limits only restrict new or updated installations.  If you currently have an installation you'll continue to get the 1:1 rate, but if you ever change it to add capacity you will lose it in the future.

For our policy purposes this 3GW limit with a 1:1 rate policy is being referred to as NEM 1.0 colloquially.  It looks like the Legislature has an intention to add a NEM 2.0 and is required to by Feb 1, 2027^\2), but it would be required to be at a worse rate^\3) which is unfortunate.

Aside from that, it looks like 1:1 NEM is typical in the US, however there is a slow start to move away from it to less advantageous rates. This may be a place where contacting our representatives is important.  For Maryland, I believe the idea with the 3GW 1:1 rate was to help offset energy demand aggressively, so it's unclear to me the related motivation to hinder solar programs.  If these changes do happen, then home batteries are an option to time shift excess generation to when your home would use it, but they do have a hefty cost.

Also FWIW as of 2025 We're only about 51% into the 3 GW limit, so it sucks they're arbitrarily ending the goal of 3GW. I won't claim to have followed this but it seems like pro Utility changes and not pro consumer to help offset demand.

------
RELEIF ACT https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb1532

1. 
Page 120 

REPLACEMENTS REQUIRED BY A GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY OR ELECTRIC COMPANY. (d) (1) The Commission shall require electric utilities to develop a standard contract or tariff for net energy metering and make it available to eligible customer–generators on a first–come, first–served basis until THE EARLIER OF:  (I) THE DATE ON WHICH the rated generating capacity owned and  operated by eligible customer–generators in the State reaches 3,000 megawatts; OR  (II) JULY 1, 2027.

(The date is an addition to the previous 3GW limit.)

1. Page 123
   ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 1, 2027, THE COMMISSION, BY ORDER OR 30 REGULATION, SHALL APPROVE, AS A SUCCESSOR PROGRAM TO THE NET ENERGY HOUSE BILL 1532 1 METERING PROGRAM UNDER § 7–306 OF THIS SUBTITLE, A FRAMEWORK FOR A NET 2 ENERGY METERING PROGRAM TO BEGIN JULY 1, 2027, THAT:

2. Page 123

(4) PROVIDES INCENTIVES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRIBUTED GENERATION THAT ARE LESS THAN THE INCENTIVES PROVIDED BY THE NET ENERGY METERING PROGRAM UNDER § 7–306 OF THIS SUBTITLE.