[Lintu]

Ha! I have no idea about the cape thing. It was a consideration for us as my husband is 6'3". (We have a colonial and are moving to another.) The ones that are bumped out would probably be okay. I've seen a good number of ranches (not raised) and colonials though in your price range. It mainly just depends on the age of when the neighborhood was developed.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by starshrike

A good thing to know, but hopefully we can live west of Fairfield Metro if possible. One miserable commute is better than one and a half. I probably could deal with Fairfield -> Norwalk fairly easily seeing as I used to deal with 1+ hr each way commutes back in California. My partner's commute in CA is already 1.5+ hr each way. When the BART (public transportation) strike happened it became 3+ hours each way.



Fairfield felt like a kindred spirit. Stamford felt a bit rough on some edges and had a few choice houses with more bustle on the street, but of course, its a city. Norwalk maybe I'll get a hang of the sharp right turns someday, but otherwise had the most woodsy outdoor feeling. All three of these towns had lots of construction activities, and varying amenities that would work for us. I'll definitely look into the east part of Fairfield if Stamford or Norwalk does not pan out in a few months. It is more than likely we will not live in this first house forever (<10 yrs) so we want the best variety of job choices for my partner, which includes access to NYC. With two dogs, and my travel schedule out of the area, he needs to be able to get two and from work in <12 hours.

Sidebar - how do tall people (6 ft+) deal with Capes?! After checking some out, it seems like my dream of getting a cute Cape is not practical as my partner is 6 ft tall :/ . I am not really a fan of the raised ranches either, and that seems to be a good portion of the available stock.

In the $400s, it will be capes, split levels, ranches, and raised ranches.
Stratfield has a good deal of those small 1920's colonials which are also tight.
Lower western Fairfield and lower East Norwalk will be pretty much just small capes for that price but you can possibly be walking distance to the train stations there.

[Lintu]

Something like this seems nice

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...2-16508?row=73

or this

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...9-67346?row=74

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by CT_Yank

Jay,

No idea where you got this from my reply. You must have wrong person.

Sorry about that. My bad. Jay.

[starshrike]

Originally Posted by Lintu

Something like this seems nice

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...2-16508?row=73

or this

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...9-67346?row=74

I saw the Lockwood lane one - went through it. It was one of the Capes where in the bathroom he would probably hit his head from the toilet. Otherwise it was beautiful and met most of our needs.

I do not think we liked the Dry Hill one, but thanks for the quick searches

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Raider111

That was me that said stratfield is the northeast part of fairfield which it is. I dont see how its anywhere near convenient for a NYC commute or Stamford for that matter. I know people there who commute to Manhattan as well and they dont get home until 8 or 9 pm, get up at 4:30 rinse repeat. Better home for the price though i agree.

Stratfield is more than just than just the northeast corner of town. It extends along a good portion of the east side of town. I also don't agree it is that much more difficult to commute from than other parts of Fairfield especially with Fairfield Metro Center station now. Plus you can find parking there and there are so many very nice homes there.

[Lintu]

Originally Posted by starshrike

I saw the Lockwood lane one - went through it. It was one of the Capes where in the bathroom he would probably hit his head from the toilet. Otherwise it was beautiful and met most of our needs.

I do not think we liked the Dry Hill one, but thanks for the quick searches

Got it - sounds like you have a good handle on the search. I think your budget is reasonable and hopefully something just right will pop up soon.

[CT_Yank]

Originally Posted by DairyGodmother

Starshrike - I wanted to chime in as I'm from CA originally, and lived in Stamford for 6 years before recently moving to Fairfield. I also know people in most of the towns you mentioned. I didnt read the whole thread carefully, so I can't tell how important schools/kid things are for you. I can tell you the time passes in a flash, so if you can get yourself set sooner than later you will be glad. I'd plan to rent and get to know the area for a couple of years then buy a home (that's just me though.)

Stamford - well I did not like it, not one bit. I lived in Shippan, by the beach, which is pretty, and the train is convenient to the city but I found the people super unfriendly, regardless of income (there is a range). It's also not the most attractive town, but it does have a large concentration of restaurants and bars for younger singles. The schools are a messy magnet system that has chopped up a lot of the area, and they are always talking about redistricting, overcrowding, etc. We left for this reason.

Norwalk - I have a love/hate relationship with Norwalk. It has some great spots, a great beach, kids attractions, tons of practical shopping (Costco, Hope Depot, etc) and some very attractive neighborhoods. But it is super congested, I always get lost, endless construction, etc. I have a friend who lives in East Norwalk and he loves the schools, like you he has been on the fence about staying into middle/high school but loves the elementary. You won't go wrong living here a few years.

Fairfield - I"m madly in love with the place, and I believe it connects with my California soul. The beach, the hills, such a strong community, completely kid focused, lots of restaurants and shopping (OK 'strong community' not very California!). It is pricey in areas but you can get a place for 450K. There is a great cape on an awesome street in my area west of the University for 525K as we speak, and other areas are cheaper. I think because this is a college town it brings a certain laid back yet vibrant vibe. Its very healthy and active too.

Other areas have been mentioned, and who knows what you'd prefer, but for me the towns along the water bring a certain connectivity that are nice when you are new in the area. Good for NYC commuting too. We commute to NYC from Fairfield and its not the greatest but you get the hang of it.

Dairy,

Can I ask which home was for 525k that is west of University? I feel like I have exhausted most of them. Is it yellow one on Lawrence? I saw it. Cute but major work. Basement has some issues. There was plastic lined around it. Felt like they were trying to hide something, like water damage.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by starshrike

Sidebar - how do tall people (6 ft+) deal with Capes?! After checking some out, it seems like my dream of getting a cute Cape is not practical as my partner is 6 ft tall :/ . I am not really a fan of the raised ranches either, and that seems to be a good portion of the available stock.

You don't have to be 6' to bang your head.

After you bang your head a half-dozen times, you learn how to acclimate to it. In all seriousness, if it has a full dormer in the back and doghouse dormers in the front, your problems will be minimal.

[SailCT]

After reading through all of this I think you should rent in ROWAYTON, use the ROWAYTON station. Explore from there. You will love it and commute won't be bad for either of you once you learn the back roads north up to get on Route 7. The village of Rowayton is completely walkable with all the things you mention. You can even rent Kayaks or launch your own easily near the Rowayton market and paddle out to Long Island sound. Once you are here for awhile and can think about other jobs etc, you should check out Madison, CT. which is the closest thing to the CA. beach vibe in CT. It is up east of New Haven but by then your job situation could be completely different. I think for the long term the Madison, CT. or Old Saybrook, CT. area is the absolute best along the CT. coast. You can still get into Manhattan a couple times a week or for a day trip pretty easily. Schools and beach are awesome. I have lived near exit 10-11 off 95 for over 20 years now and if I could do it all over I would settle in Madison. Good Luck!