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I have learned quite a bit about Fairfield County communities on this forum, but I still am struggling with what is right for my family. Only one parent works at the present time. We have kids in highschool and elementary. We are looking for recommendations on communities with excelent public school system. I realize most of these communities come with home price tags of over $1M. Is there any suburb in FC with reasonable commute (daily) to NYC (Grand Central) where we could own a home for $500-$600K? Is it too much to wish for? Thanks for any feedback.
I would recommend Fairfield. The schools are excellent and there are many nice homes in your price range. The only question is if what you get is what you expect for your money. If you expecting a 3,000 square foot house on 2 acres, forget it. That type of house in a town with excellent schools that is within an hour or so of NY just does not exist. This is one of the most expensive parts of the country and there are a lot of people willing to pay a lot more for what you are also looking for. Jay
Location: Danbury CT covering all of Fairfield County
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You can find an excellent colonial up the New Fairfield/Danbury/Brookfield area and the train town from Brewster. Most homes in Ridgefield would be about 50 year old raised ranches.
That was my fear too, that we may not get much for the money. Not sure if you have recommendations on NJ. I looked into Fairfield, but the commute seems like over 90 min each way. Not sure if that is conducive for a daily basis - although I did see other posts that say people do commute to NYC from that far east and beyond. Even if the house is smaller, I would really like a big yard with some privacy. We currently have neighbors on all sides and this is definitely not what we want in our new home.
You can find an excellent colonial up the New Fairfield/Danbury/Brookfield area and the train town from Brewster. Most homes in Ridgefield would be about 50 year old raised ranches.
That was my fear too, that we may not get much for the money. Not sure if you have recommendations on NJ. I looked into Fairfield, but the commute seems like over 90 min each way. Not sure if that is conducive for a daily basis - although I did see other posts that say people do commute to NYC from that far east and beyond. Even if the house is smaller, I would really like a big yard with some privacy. We currently have neighbors on all sides and this is definitely not what we want in our new home.
It is about 90 minutes door to door. The train itself is about 70 minutes. That's the best you're going to get for your budget without having to go further, like the Danbury area or Milford where you're adding another 10+ minutes each way.
I have learned quite a bit about Fairfield County communities on this forum, but I still am struggling with what is right for my family. Only one parent works at the present time. We have kids in highschool and elementary. We are looking for recommendations on communities with excelent public school system. I realize most of these communities come with home price tags of over $1M. Is there any suburb in FC with reasonable commute (daily) to NYC (Grand Central) where we could own a home for $500-$600K? Is it too much to wish for? Thanks for any feedback.
The Byram section of Greenwich.
As i always point out though, you'll have to decide for yourself about the aesthetics of the neighborhood.
Fairfield seems most realistic to me. However, I *personally* wouldn't be willing to commute to NYC from any further than Darien, especially with a job not near Grand Central. Not that Darien is affordable...though a friend recently bought a short sale there in the 500s.
As i always point out though, you'll have to decide for yourself about the aesthetics of the neighborhood.
Definitely doable in their budget if they are willing to have the postage stamp lot and an older home.
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Thanks for any feedback.
