[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

Rich Lee is correct on the eastern counties of CT
A new home with 3000 square feet in eastern CT will start at about 375K

Aaargh!! Guys, I do not need another 3,000 SF house. Even 2,000 is fine. Heck, even 1,800 is OK if its in a good elementary school district!

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by gnatty8

Aaargh!! Guys, I do not need another 3,000 SF house. Even 2,000 is fine. Heck, even 1,800 is OK if its in a good elementary school district!

There are new homes in Ellington CT east of Hartford, with 1800 square feet, basement, double garage, 3 bedrooms 2 baths, fireplace family room on 1 acre from about 275K and up.

Middletown will be a wee higher. Ellington has very good schools
here is the towns web site Town of Ellington, Connecticut Home Page

The prices above reflect most of Tolland county.

Also in the town I live-Vernon; new homes of around 1700 square feet from 250K

[JayCT]

In Glastonbury, you could get a 35 year old colonial in fair to good condition, 1,800 square feet, 2 baths on a third of an acre in a nice neighborhood for around $300-325k. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

There are new homes in Ellington CT east of Hartford, with 1800 square feet, basement, double garage, 3 bedrooms 2 baths, fireplace family room on 1 acre from about 275K and up.

Middletown will be a wee higher. Ellington has very good schools
here is the towns web site Town of Ellington, Connecticut Home Page

The prices above reflect most of Tolland county.

Also in the town I live-Vernon; new homes of around 1700 square feet from 250K

The commute from Ellington to Berlin would be pretty long. It is a great upcoming town, but it is a bit removed from the highway so commuting could be an issue. Middletown schools aren't the greatest (issues at the high school level). Jay

[skytrekker]

Ellington is a bit off the track-I agree, but catching I 91 in East Windsor / Windsor Locks is easy; and the commute down I 91 to Berlin would be far less arduous then the commute the OP now has in Atlanta. The commute would be about 31 miles one way.

Middletown schools are 'average' for CT- perhaps not up to the standards of the more 'toney' suburbs- but likely superior to most areas of the nation- they also offer diversity and a more real world experience.

Or the OP could fall back on Rocky Hill, Portland or Cromwell-all fine towns. And very close to Berlin

[JayCT]

The commute from Ellington would require a trip through downtown Hartford, which can be slow during rush hour. Since the OP stated he is looking to reduce his commute and there are many towns that fill his criteria, I would stay south of Hartford. Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Newington, Cromwell and Berlin are all very nice towns with very good schools and many homes in the $300k price range. Plus the commute would be minimal (you wouldn't even have to get on a highway). Check them out, Jay

[gnatty8]

Thanks again, some more good suggestions!

[skytrekker]

As a Geographer by training

I understand the bottle neck of Hartford on I 91- which compared to Atlanta is nothing. The goal I have is to take into account economics- plus comparing commute times Hartford as opposed to Atlanta. What is tough for commuting in Atlanta- and what one experiences here is like day and night. Its best to point out alternatives- not the simple obvious.

One can be provincial- and think on terms of only Hartford- and not look at what people must endure elsewhere-there are certainly other realities.

[westender]

If (and only if) the elementary school is the key, the OP could consider West End Hartford. The problem is that the Middle Schools and the 3 High Schools are simply not anywhere near suburban quality (safety or education). The elementary school in the West End, Webster, is decent.

The upside is that the West End has (1) reasonably priced (300K) 3000+ sq.ft. Victorian homes and (2) easy access via Sisson to I-84, which gives fairly quick access to Berlin.

[Rich Lee]

Here is a map of average sale price by town that I hope is of interest...

https://mail.cbmoves.com/exchange/Rich.Lee@coldwellbankermoves.com/Inbox/Price%20range%20maps.EML/CT%20Avg%20Sale%20Map%2007.pdf/C58EA28C-18C0-4a97-9AF2-036E93DDAFB3/CT%20Avg%20Sale%20Map%2007.pdf?attach=1 (broken link)

The place names are where my company has offices and aren't supposed to signify anything else. Some towns, like Plymouth, have been split into sections (Terryville and Plymouth village) to illustrate the difference within the town.