[CTartist]

Originally Posted by NUHuskies01

Wife's job is pretty close to Union Station in New Haven, but she has to drive to other sites, so train for her is not going to work.

House budget, we are looking at around $500K-550K. Loan officer has us right at the amount where it flips from conventional to jumbo mortgage, not looking to do jumbo. I have been told I can keep my job when I move, maybe not permanently, but minimum 3 months. They are not looking to get rid of me. I know the job market is not hot right now in Connecticut, but I work in finance, have an accounting background, and have done sales comp work, so I can adjust to multiple roles if I need to look.

We are interested in Guilford, wife is from the Cape and likes being near water, but we also want to join a Conservative temple, and there is not one near there. Trying to be within a town distance of one. Same issue with Madison and Milford.

Wife is looking to keep her commute under 30 minutes.

If you work in finance, Stamford in western Fairfield County would have a lot of job options for you. It might not be a bad idea to look at Fairfield, Trumbull and maybe even Monroe. Your wife would have a good reverse commute to New Haven. I live in Trumbull and I have many neighbors that work for Yale in New Haven. They tell me the commute is not bad at all.

The job market is very good in the Stamford area, the best in the state. I am from Stamford and it has always been that, especially for finance workers.

Guilford is a beautiful town, IMO one of the most picturesque in the state. When I retire I want to be near Guilford because they have a great art center. The only problem is in Guilford you would be limiting your work prospects. But that is not to say you could not find a job. New Haven has a strong job market too, just not as strong for finance workers as the Stamford area.

Maybe another poster can tell you how the finance/accounting job market is in New Haven.

[NUHuskies01]

My wife has been staying in Oxford and has grown quite fond of it. It has made its way onto our list of towns this week.

I am a finance manager, but for a medical device company, also spent close to 10 years in biotech, with a quick stops working for a prominent sports franchise and another spot working for a well known silicon valley company. I can pretty much into any industry, great to read about Stamford though, thank you.

Does anyone have any recommendations on inspectors for houses/water/septic NOT to use. Tiger home inspections is popular up here, but they dont do such a hot job. Never had to get water checked before. Seems like a ton of companies, and I try not to use the ones the real estate agents suggest, as their priorities do not always align with mine.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by NUHuskies01

My wife has been staying in Oxford and has grown quite fond of it. It has made its way onto our list of towns this week.

I am a finance manager, but for a medical device company, also spent close to 10 years in biotech, with a quick stops working for a prominent sports franchise and another spot working for a well known silicon valley company. I can pretty much into any industry, great to read about Stamford though, thank you.

Does anyone have any recommendations on inspectors for houses/water/septic NOT to use. Tiger home inspections is popular up here, but they dont do such a hot job. Never had to get water checked before. Seems like a ton of companies, and I try not to use the ones the real estate agents suggest, as their priorities do not always align with mine.

I'm in finance (FP&A). The Stamford area (Greenwich to Rt 7 Norwalk/Wilton being the sweet spot) is pretty much it for that field in Southern CT, then Westchester and NYC. It's almost non-existent further up in southern CT, maybe some in Shelton and other companies scattered about like Milford (Schick, Bic) but that's about it. You don't want to be driving from places like Oxford or Guilford to Stamford everyday, you couldn't even pay me enough to do it from Milford/Trumbull. Compromise on home sq footage, be as close as possible. NH is an easy reverse commute from the south.
Rent until permanent employment then look to purchase.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by NUHuskies01

My wife has been staying in Oxford and has grown quite fond of it. It has made its way onto our list of towns this week.

I am a finance manager, but for a medical device company, also spent close to 10 years in biotech, with a quick stops working for a prominent sports franchise and another spot working for a well known silicon valley company. I can pretty much into any industry, great to read about Stamford though, thank you.

I think you will be OK in the New Haven area. My cousin was a cancer researcher at Yale but I believe there are quite a few biotech companies in the surrounding area. There is a lot of research going on at Yale and that attracts the companies.

[SeaDoo342]

Originally Posted by laulob

You might want to look at Oxford. Your budget is perfect, schools are great and you are not far (10-15 min) from conservative synagogues in Woodbridge, Orange and Newtown. There are also many neighborhoods that are very social with their own block parties, book clubs, carpooling and even phone lists. Our taxes are even fairly reasonable for the state.

I also agree.... Oxford is a booming town, good schools, low taxes, well managed...very family friendly.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by CTartist

I think you will be OK in the New Haven area. My cousin was a cancer researcher at Yale but I believe there are quite a few biotech companies in the surrounding area. There is a lot of research going on at Yale and that attracts the companies.

Are there a ton of biotech firms in NH with recurring openings in their Finance/ accounting departments?

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by Raider111

Are there a ton of biotech firms in NH with recurring openings in their Finance/ accounting departments?

Read what the OP says in #22. He has worked in quite a few different industries with biotech being one of them.

I do think The Stamford area would be the best for him but I think New Haven should be OK too. I am thinking about my dad's advice who was an accountant. "Make sure you get some accounting/bookkeeping skills as a back up before you go to art school, every company needs bean counters". The OP also has more skills on top of accounting/finance.

I do think the advice that you gave in an earlier post is a good one. To rent until the OP sees the lay of the land in regards to where he can find the best finance employment opportunities.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by CTartist

New Haven has a strong job market too

As much as I love the city, I can't agree with that statement. It is strong for a couple industries. Namely education and healthcare. It is nowhere near as robust as Stamford/Norwalk. Not even close.

If it was even close, New Haven would be a powerhouse. It just isn't. It's a great small city but I wouldn't hype up the job market.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by CTartist

Read what the OP says in #22. He has worked in quite a few different industries with biotech being one of them.

I do think The Stamford area would be the best for him but I think New Haven should be OK too. I am thinking about my dad's advice who was an accountant. "Make sure you get some accounting/bookkeeping skills as a back up before you go to art school, every company needs bean counters". The OP also has more skills on top of accounting/finance.

I do think the advice that you gave in an earlier post is a good one. To rent until the OP sees the lay of the land in regards to where he can find the best finance employment opportunities.

Corporate finance (reporting & planning) is pretty similar across all industries. Every recruiter call I get to this day is either for WCC or GSN. In my entire career i might have got maybe two calls for the NH area.

[Bakes]

I loved living in Milford!


Small town feel with a terrific downtown and green. Lots of mom and pop restaurants, art fairs, concerts, and the Milford Oyster Festival. The harbor is right in downtown with a transient dock for visiting boaters as well as a launching ramp nearby. The sandy beaches are clean and safe.


Property values and taxes are reasonable with good schools and safe neighborhoods. Whether you are commuting to New Haven, Stamford, or even NYC you have good access to highways and Metro-North rail. The downtown is served by bus lines from New Haven, Bridgeport, and Norwalk(Coastal Link). I believe Milford still has its own bus system as well.