Suburbs That are Affordable on One Income? (Boston, Malden: mortgage, houses)

[Ivoryangel323]

My husband and I are trying to leave Long Island in hopes of buying a cheaper house and therefore have a better lifestyle in general. While we know Boston is certainly not "cheap," a job opportunity might come our way from BU that would seem unwise to pass up on. However, I am a stay at home mother to our one son and the biggest reason we are looking to relocate (besides the insanely unaffordable homes on LI) is to continue this one income lifestyle. We'd have to wait to see if this job offer comes through, but we need to be prepared ahead of time. Is this recipe possible in a Boston suburb at all and if so, what towns fit the description:
A single family home for $300,000 or under in a suburb that would provide a commute to BU no longer than 45 minutes. Decent school district, family oriented, enough kid activities (storytimes, play areas, playgrounds, libraries, preschools, parks, etc) that is nearby?
Is there hope for us?

Thanks so much

[scarletfire]

Hi there - You could find something in a nice neighborhood in Holliston - Good schools; cute little downtown with a children's playground, tennis courts, cafe, general store, antique shops, etc; one of the only French immersion programs for elementary school children in the state; plenty of family activities (my sister-in-law is very active in the newcomer & young mom groups and has met lots of nice people). I have friends in town who say they take back roads and get to Boston in 45 minutes but I'm guessing it's more like an hour in traffic.

[Ivoryangel323]

Thanks! We'll see what pans out with the job. Is there anything closer to BU/the city that might be cheap enough? The main goal of leaving Long Island is to alleviate the burden of having an enormous mortgage without money left over to actually enjoy life. I would hate to make the decision to move elsewhere only to have a similar feeling. We'd like to continue with an at-home parent as long as we can.

[readymade]

Malden, Woburn, Medford all have houses for under $300K.

[scarletfire]

Woburn? Did they ever clean up the water there?

[Urban Peasant]

Why not the close by Boston neighborhood of Brighton. Just find a house in the single family home side of Brighton. Houses there tend to run in that range and property taxes in Boston proper are cheaper than the suburbs. There are plenty of parks and playgrounds in Brighton as well as two excellent branch libraries (three if you count the one in neighboring Allston and that one is gorgeous!) to choose from. I definitely know that many families raise there children there because I had many classmates in high school who lived in Brighton.

People always say that the Boston Public Schools are horrible and there is a grain of truth to that but most of the horrible activity and low standards happen in the secondary (middle and high school) level. By then, most families with competitive children send them to the examination schools such as the renowned Boston Latin (the Stuyvesant High School of Boston and my alma mater), enroll them in a charter school, or opt to participate in the METCO program which buses city kids out to suburban schools. That last option is very competitive though and the waitlist is long.

I am pretty sure there are good elementary schools in Brighton. Check out the Winship, the Lyon, the Garfield, and the Hamilton elementary schools in Brighton. The Farragut School over by the Longwood Medical Area isn't bad either. Most of the lousy elementary schools are in the bad areas of Boston such as those in the East Zone. Brighton is I believe in the West Zone which is much better.

Of course, there are the West Zone neighborhoods of Roslindale and West Roxbury which are just as decent but further away from BU. You might be able to find a $300k home in either one. There are tons of single family homes and of course families in both neighborhoods but both are slightly less diverse if you don't mind that.

[readymade]

Originally Posted by scarletfire

Woburn? Did they ever clean up the water there?

Um, yeah. About 30 years ago.

Apparently Woburn has some of the cleanest water around. They don't want that ever happening to them again. They also have a decent school system, & public transportation into the city.

(I'm looking into Woburn, myself)