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Due to changes in my personal circumstances, I am now in position to purchase property. However, because I live alone, and am not in a romantic relationship at the moment, I don't want to take on the burden of purchasing a stand alone house. I don't want to buy a house. I've been thinking extensively and think that for many reasons, a condo would be best for me.
I live near Hartford and travel for work to different locations.
I know nothing concerning home ownership, and am doing my part to educate myself concerning the ins and outs.
But, most people on CD seem to be great resources for information and so I thought I'd bring a few questions to the table and see if you can help me out.
I'm looking to get 1-2 bedroom condo with 1-1.5/2 bathrooms.
I can afford either of these in either Glastonbury or West Hartford. But, I'm not sure which town is best to me (I'd like to have a close commute time to Hartford itself due to some work required responsibilities there).
Which is the better city for me? Does one city have a higher proportion of single educated people versus the other?
Also, what is an average/reasonable price to pay for a condo in either of these areas? I'm looking to keep everything under $300k.
Do I need to hire my own realtor?
With owning a condo, what are some things I should worry about and consider aside from the monthly mortgage and condo association fees?
Well West Hartford vs Glastonbury really depends on what you are looking for exactly.
West Hartford is like the Fairfield of Hartford County. It is pretty much an upscale suburb with the center of town a little urban like a small city. One advantage is that it is right next to Hartford, so you can probably even walk to work depending on where exactly is your work in Hartford, and where in West Hartford you live in. Also a little cheaper than Glastonbury.
However if it was me, I would choose Glastonbury by a mile. Glastonbury is more of a rural-suburban town, with the northwest part of it having a mall, and a number of plazas with amenities on the border of East Hartford. But otherwise it is more of a rural town and sort of quiet as well. A lot of parks and lakes are there as well which is something I really like. I love the green there as well.
So overall it depends what kind of town you are looking for, they have different feelings. Not to mention West Hartford is way more diverse. Anyway if you ask me I'd choose Glastonbury, but it really all depends what you are looking for. They are both really good towns and sort of upscale suburbs of Hartford.
$300k will probably get you a good condo in both places. For a regular house the average pricing in West Hartford is about $350k, and in Glastonbury like $415k but again thats a regular house, for a condo it will be less. By the way just to let you know, you are more likely to find Condo's you like in West Hartford. Glastonbury has considerably less, but still has a quite a few.
Well West Hartford vs Glastonbury really depends on what you are looking for exactly.
West Hartford is like the Fairfield of Hartford County. It is pretty much an upscale suburb with the center of town a little urban like a small city. One advantage is that it is right next to Hartford, so you can probably even walk to work depending on where exactly is your work in Hartford, and where in West Hartford you live in. Also a little cheaper than Glastonbury.
However if it was me, I would choose Glastonbury by a mile. Glastonbury is more of a rural-suburban town, with the northwest part of it having a mall, and a number of plazas with amenities on the border of East Hartford. But otherwise it is more of a rural town and sort of quiet as well. A lot of parks and lakes are there as well which is something I really like. I love the green there as well.
So overall it depends what kind of town you are looking for, they have different feelings. Not to mention West Hartford is way more diverse. Anyway if you ask me I'd choose Glastonbury, but it really all depends what you are looking for. They are both really good towns and sort of upscale suburbs of Hartford.
$300k will probably get you a good condo in both places. For a regular house the average pricing in West Hartford is about $350k, and in Glastonbury like $415k but again thats a regular house, for a condo it will be less. By the way just to let you know, you are more likely to find Condo's you like in West Hartford. Glastonbury has considerably less, but still has a quite a few.
Thank you, DannyK, for your helpful advice..
I lived in FFC for a number of years and didn't like it for several reasons, primarily the majority of the people I encountered, as well as the obscenely overpriced nature of just about everything. So, I'm trying not to return to a replica of that environment. Although, I can more tolerate the price adjustments b/c my salary is significantly higher than what I was earning before and I've saved up extensively and have lived well below my means. But still...
Do you or anyone know of a great realtor with whom I can work to find the best condo for me?
I lived in FFC for a number of years and didn't like it for several reasons, primarily the majority of the people I encountered
Yes we have a couple examples of that on here as well. Glastonbury is somewhat less pretentious and more down-to-earth than West Hartford, based on personal experience as well as my fiancee's extensive history as a fine dining server, bartender and restaurant manager in both towns. It's difficult, when you put a bunch of people that are doing well in life together in the same place, for them not to start feeling like they are something special. The attitudes you will find in both towns are nothing compared to FFC though.
I'll add I am partial to Glastonbury for other reasons as well: less densely populated, less traffic (both in town and east of the river in general), better access to nature. It depends what you're looking for, as a walkability-fiend looking for maximum amenities per square mile would definitely prefer West Hartford.
Last edited by FunkOdyssey; 05-08-2016 at 09:16 AM..
I lived in FFC for a number of years and didn't like it for several reasons, primarily the majority of the people I encountered, as well as the obscenely overpriced nature of just about everything. So, I'm trying not to return to a replica of that environment. Although, I can more tolerate the price adjustments b/c my salary is significantly higher than what I was earning before and I've saved up extensively and have lived well below my means. But still...
Do you or anyone know of a great realtor with whom I can work to find the best condo for me?
Your Welcome, I hate to say this, but sorry I don't actually know any realtors in Glastonbury. But ask JayCT, one of our forum moderators. He actually lives in Glastonbury and might be able to help you with that.
Yes we have a couple examples of that on here as well. Glastonbury is somewhat less pretentious and more down-to-earth than West Hartford, based on personal experience as well as my fiancee's extensive history as a fine dining server, bartender and restaurant manager in both towns. It's difficult, when you put a bunch of people that are doing well in life together in the same place, for them not to start feeling like they are something special. The attitudes you will find in both towns are nothing compared to FFC though.
I'll add I am partial to Glastonbury for other reasons as well: less densely populated, less traffic (both in town and east of the river in general), better access to nature. It depends what you're looking for, as a walkability-fiend looking for maximum amenities per square mile would definitely prefer West Hartford.
Glastonbury definitely has more open space and a more rural feel, but it's also more car-oriented and I've met my share of snooty, pretentious people there too. It's not specific to any one town. From my experience, when you're in an area where there's even a smattering of affluence, sometimes people start acting like they're very important people, expect to be treated like they're very important people, and while living in such a town might seem like a mark of success, it doesn't justify this behavior, even though it's everywhere it seems. JMHO.
Anyway, to the OP, you can't really go wrong with either town. Both towns are very nice and have some good restaurants, pubs and stores, and both are home to a well-educated workforce. But in Glastonbury, you'll definitely need a car to get pretty much anywhere. Most of the parks in WH are smaller, neighborhood pocket parks (though we do have Westmoor Park and the MDC Reservoir area which has MANY walking and biking trails), whereas Glastonbury has a much larger amount of parkland and open space. What sold me on WH personally was the walkability and diverse makeup of the town. It's also more reminiscent of a city as it's more densely populated. Some people prefer this, others do not.
I'm familiar with Fairfield County, so I know what you mean by the vibe that you can encounter there. You may encounter a few snobs in either town, but IMO the overall vibe much more subdued here than FFC.
As far as home ownership goes, there's a few things to keep in mind: With a condo, you won't have to worry about mowing the lawn, shoveling the driveway, or fixing the roof. Your condo fees typically cover this. You can absolutely find a nice condo in either town for under $300k, though it probably won't be a brand-new, luxury property, and I think Glastonbury might contain newer properties since it seems most developments in that town popped up in the last 3 decades or so. Property taxes in both towns are a bit on the higher side (though Glastonbury's are a little bit lower). Feel free to send me a PM if you need a recommendation for a realtor. Though it isn't mandatory, it highly recommended you have one especially if you're a first-time homebuyer since they can help you when you're ready to make an offer on a property and negotiate a price.
Glastonbury definitely has more open space and a more rural feel, but it's also more car-oriented and I've met my share of snooty, pretentious people there too. It's not specific to any one town. From my experience, when you're in an area where there's even a smattering of affluence, sometimes people start acting like they're very important people, expect to be treated like they're very important people, and while living in such a town might seem like a mark of success, it doesn't justify this behavior, even though it's everywhere it seems. JMHO.
Anyway, to the OP, you can't really go wrong with either town. Both towns are very nice and have some good restaurants, pubs and stores, and both are home to a well-educated workforce. But in Glastonbury, you'll definitely need a car to get pretty much anywhere. Most of the parks in WH are smaller, neighborhood pocket parks (though we do have Westmoor Park and the MDC Reservoir area which has MANY walking and biking trails), whereas Glastonbury has a much larger amount of parkland and open space. What sold me on WH personally was the walkability and diverse makeup of the town. It's also more reminiscent of a city as it's more densely populated. Some people prefer this, others do not.
I'm familiar with Fairfield County, so I know what you mean by the vibe that you can encounter there. You may encounter a few snobs in either town, but IMO the overall vibe much more subdued here than FFC.
As far as home ownership goes, there's a few things to keep in mind: With a condo, you won't have to worry about mowing the lawn, shoveling the driveway, or fixing the roof. Your condo fees typically cover this. You can absolutely find a nice condo in either town for under $300k, though it probably won't be a brand-new, luxury property, and I think Glastonbury might contain newer properties since it seems most developments in that town popped up in the last 3 decades or so. Property taxes in both towns are a bit on the higher side (though Glastonbury's are a little bit lower). Feel free to send me a PM if you need a recommendation for a realtor. Though it isn't mandatory, it highly recommended you have one especially if you're a first-time homebuyer since they can help you when you're ready to make an offer on a property and negotiate a price.
Good luck!
Thanks a million, Mike! I'll DM you right now.
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