[TheZenienss]

Hi, I have been reading different topics for a while before decided to ask you for a help.

Introduction:
Baby: 1 year old;
Wife: 40 years old and work at home;
Me: 37 years old and work at Terminal Grand Central.
Our Income: $150k/year.
Our Savings account: $200k.

Now we have decided to buy a single family home. We are looking for a place in Connecticut because I think we can have better house, lower taxes and easily commute to my work.

These are our requirements sorted by priority:
1- Near my child's public school (at least score 7);
2- Commute no more than 1 hour from the House to the Grand Central Terminal (Metro North);
3- Minimum of 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms;
4- New construction or at least with renovated kitchen / bathroom;

We are looking for something around $600k. Is it possible to find a place for this price?

Greenwich seems like a good place (fast commute), but the price of houses there seems higher than I expect to pay.

What about Stamford? Prices are good, but the public school does not have good scores (average 4).

We really appreciate all the information you can share with us, thanks.


PS: Sorry for any mistakes. English is not my native language.

[allanny13]

Your budget and income are tough for the towns with great schools, you will need a tradeoff somewhere. You can either go for more middle range schools (I think Stamford schools are decent, just not as well resourced as neighboring towns... next would be Norwalk), get a townhouse or condo rather than a house, or increase the commute and maybe get something decent in Fairfield or Wilton. You might be able to find something in Byram (Greenwich) but the elementary and middle schools will be ranked well lower than the others in town.

[SteveM85]

1 hour door to door to GCT? in the 6's? new construction?
sencillamente imposible

The problem with Stamford schools (and Norwalk for that matter) at the elementary level is the ESL issue. Teachers are spending more time and resources getting spanish only speaking children up to speed on english. At the Middle and High School levels you have the unruly, entitled, disrespectful behavior from the lower income student personnel. Teachers at this level have no power or authority to discipline anymore in CT. (they do have just as many resources and activities available as the surrounding towns though if not more)


Hers's a cute raised ranch in south Wilton for dirt cheap. Updated Kitchen, there are hardwood floors below the carpet.
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-61848?view=qv

[Stylo]

Stamford is really your only option with that commute and budget criteria.

I mean, I've talked to parents there, and they don't say the schools are all doom and gloom. Some are actually quite happy with the public schools.

You're going to have to sacrifice either commute or school rankings for what you want.

If you're willing to sacrifice commute, check out Fairfield and Wilton as others have mentioned.

[kidyankee764]

If you can push out your commute by 30 minutes each way, I’d suggest Wilton. But it borders on an unbearable commute, IMO.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by Stylo

I mean, I've talked to parents there, and they don't say the schools are all doom and gloom. Some are actually quite happy with the public schools.

No no no, doesn't matter who you talk to. In today's CT where the inmates run the asylum now, you DO NOT use public schools in Stamford and Norwalk, even though they are expensive. Live there and send the kids over to a Country Day or GFA, plenty do that, that's fine.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by TheZenienss

Hi, I have been reading different topics for a while before decided to ask you for a help.

Introduction:
Baby: 1 year old;
Wife: 40 years old and work at home;
Me: 37 years old and work at Terminal Grand Central.
Our Income: $150k/year.
Our Savings account: $200k.

Now we have decided to buy a single family home. We are looking for a place in Connecticut because I think we can have better house, lower taxes and easily commute to my work.

These are our requirements sorted by priority:
1- Near my child's public school (at least score 7);
2- Commute no more than 1 hour from the House to the Grand Central Terminal (Metro North);
3- Minimum of 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms;
4- New construction or at least with renovated kitchen / bathroom;

We are looking for something around $600k. Is it possible to find a place for this price?

Greenwich seems like a good place (fast commute), but the price of houses there seems higher than I expect to pay.

What about Stamford? Prices are good, but the public school does not have good scores (average 4).

We really appreciate all the information you can share with us, thanks.


PS: Sorry for any mistakes. English is not my native language.

I am originally from Stamford but now live in Trumbull.

This is a very tough order to fill:
1 hour from the House to the Grand Central Terminal (Metro North)
$600,000 House
Good Schools

Here are a few condos in Greenwich. All the houses I am seeing in your price range need tons of work.
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/...t/pid_28350236
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/...2/pid_32224989

The only place in Stamford where you might be able to find a house with decent (OK but not great) schools is in North Stamford. You would have to live near the Long Ridge side and near the Merritt Parkway to get to the train station fairly quickly. Frankly on some days it could take 20 to 30 minutes and then you have to factor in the train. My brother still lives in Stamford and he says the daily traffic in Stamford is TERRIBLE. I am looking up the schools in that area and frankly they are not great.

You can not afford Darien plain and simple......but take heart few can. That is why I am in Trumbull lol.

Now that puts you into Norwalk with schools a little better than Stamford in the more northern sections but then your commute will be way over the 1 hour.

But......here is a thought.

My cousins lived in the Rowayton section of Norwalk. The schools are better than the rest of Norwalk, in fact they are pretty good. Here is the area where they lived and you might be able to get a small house and you would be near the train station. It appears you can just get into Rowayton.
The schools are Rowayton Elementary School (Pretty Good)
Roton Middle School (Pretty Good)
Brien McMahon (Not Good...they would have to go to a different high school)
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/...t/pid_28449496
The commute will be over an hour but not sure how much. Maybe not to bad.

My cousins from Rowyaton went to a trade school for High School. They studied Electrical. They have their own business and I am guessing they have at least a million dollar net worth. My cousin who is the main owner also has a farmhouse in Vermont. He probably has more money (net worth) than the doctors, lawyers and accountants in the family.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by allanny13

Your budget and income are tough for the towns with great schools, you will need a tradeoff somewhere. You can either go for more middle range schools (I think Stamford schools are decent, just not as well resourced as neighboring towns... next would be Norwalk), get a townhouse or condo rather than a house, or increase the commute and maybe get something decent in Fairfield or Wilton. You might be able to find something in Byram (Greenwich) but the elementary and middle schools will be ranked well lower than the others in town.

I think this kind of lays it out. The OP is not going to find everything they want within their budget and commute time. No one can tell you which of your wants to give up on. It’s your choice. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I think this kind of lays it out. The OP is not going to find everything they want within their budget and commute time. No one can tell you which of your wants to give up on. It’s your choice. Jay

Yep. Generally, in SW CT, it’s commute, cost, or schools. Pick two.

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Yep. Generally, in SW CT, it’s commute, cost, or schools. Pick two.

So true. I figure that people with young kids tend to put schools first, so it usually comes down to commute vs. cost. I will echo the other recommendations of Wilton and Fairfield. Ridgefield can also be an option using the Harlem line on Metro North.