[beachouse]

Hello all,
Looking at Shelton houses online and it appears they are very reasonably priced,based on lot size and square footage of house.
Have read all the posts here regarding Shelton and have not seen any negatives,except some neighboring towns have higher rated school systems.
Any reason not to move here?
We do not have to commute to work.
We do not need the school system, but wouldn't want it to be a negative to drag homes values down in the future.
I would have to travel to Bergen county NJ for work once a week or maybe less.
Thanks for reading.

[Stylo]

The schools not being as good as other towns is already priced in. They’re not so bad that families avoid the town. They’re slightly better than average.

I’d rank the schools in that area 1. Orange/Trumbull, 2. Milford, 3. Shelton, 4. Stratford, 5. Derby. Middle of the pack IMO.

Shelton has low taxes and is a nice town overall. Some neighborhoods near downtown can appear rough around the edges, but overall it’s a nice, safe town. Huntington is a nice, rural-ish area.

I’d certainly spend some time there and surrounding towns before making a decision.

The Bergen drive will not be fun, easily 2 hours with traffic at rush hour, but as long as you know that, I don’t think there are any reasons not to buy in Shelton.

[kidyankee764]

I lived in Shelton for a time. If you don’t need schools, then it’s a great place to be. Houses are reasonable for Fairfield County, commute is tolerable to major employment centers and it’s close to amenities. The only downside may be the rundown areas surrounding downtown/Howe Ave that had started to clean up a bit a decade ago, but stalled. As long as you avoid that immediate area, you should be just fine. The commute to Bergen shouldn’t be terrible if it’s only once a week. Merritt Parkway traffic can really be tough though.

You may want to also consider the Danbury area (Danbury, Bethel, etc) for what may be an easier Bergen commute.

[hvexpatinct]

If you may need to be in north NJ every week, look arc Bethel, Danbury, New Milford, or even parts of Newtown before Shelton. The commute to Bergen will probably be easier, or at least more predictable.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by beachouse

Hello all,
Looking at Shelton houses online and it appears they are very reasonably priced,based on lot size and square footage of house.
Have read all the posts here regarding Shelton and have not seen any negatives,except some neighboring towns have higher rated school systems.
Any reason not to move here?
We do not have to commute to work.
We do not need the school system, but wouldn't want it to be a negative to drag homes values down in the future.
I would have to travel to Bergen county NJ for work once a week or maybe less.
Thanks for reading.

I live in Trumbull which borders Shelton. Shelton is a nice town and the taxes are some of the lowest in the state based on the value of house. The school system is solid/good but not as highly rated as some of the other area towns. A lot of Trumbull residents buy in Shelton for the lower taxes after their kids are finished with the schools in Trumbull.

I think Shelton house prices might have gone up more than Trumbull's over the past year. I think it's a good bet but let's check.
https://www.williampitt.com/communit.../market-report

Shelton House
Median: $423,000 (up 32% from September 2020)
Average: $424,000 (up 26% from September 2020)

Trumbull House
Median: $438,000 (up 12% from September 2020)
Average: $458,000 (up 19% from September 2020)

Shelton looks good. I am originally from Stamford. Some retired people in the Stamford area are selling houses and moving up to the Shelton, Milford, Oxford areas etc. My brother is retired and has a house in Stamford and he is thinking of doing the same thing.

[beachouse]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I lived in Shelton for a time. If you don’t need schools, then it’s a great place to be. Houses are reasonable for Fairfield County, commute is tolerable to major employment centers and it’s close to amenities. The only downside may be the rundown areas surrounding downtown/Howe Ave that had started to clean up a bit a decade ago, but stalled. As long as you avoid that immediate area, you should be just fine. The commute to Bergen shouldn’t be terrible if it’s only once a week. Merritt Parkway traffic can really be tough though.

You may want to also consider the Danbury area (Danbury, Bethel, etc) for what may be an easier Bergen commute.

We went to Danbury.
I didn't like the downtown.one of the chain eateries had the bathroom door locked and there were a few people standing outside who appeared to be on something.
Went to the Panera Bread in the shopping center and it was nice.
Was looking for a town close to the highway so the weekly drive would be easier.
Thanks for your reply.

[beachouse]

Originally Posted by Stylo

The schools not being as good as other towns is already priced in. They’re not so bad that families avoid the town. They’re slightly better than average.

I’d rank the schools in that area 1. Orange/Trumbull, 2. Milford, 3. Shelton, 4. Stratford, 5. Derby. Middle of the pack IMO.

Shelton has low taxes and is a nice town overall. Some neighborhoods near downtown can appear rough around the edges, but overall it’s a nice, safe town. Huntington is a nice, rural-ish area.

I’d certainly spend some time there and surrounding towns before making a decision.

The Bergen drive will not be fun, easily 2 hours with traffic at rush hour, but as long as you know that, I don’t think there are any reasons not to buy in Shelton.

Thanks for the info.

[beachouse]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I lived in Shelton for a time. If you don’t need schools, then it’s a great place to be. Houses are reasonable for Fairfield County, commute is tolerable to major employment centers and it’s close to amenities. The only downside may be the rundown areas surrounding downtown/Howe Ave that had started to clean up a bit a decade ago, but stalled. As long as you avoid that immediate area, you should be just fine. The commute to Bergen shouldn’t be terrible if it’s only once a week. Merritt Parkway traffic can really be tough though.

You may want to also consider the Danbury area (Danbury, Bethel, etc) for what may be an easier Bergen commute.

Is this because driving on Route 7 is preferable to 95 east of Norwalk?

[hvexpatinct]

Originally Posted by beachouse

Is this because driving on Route 7 is preferable to 95 east of Norwalk?

Yikes - please talk to a realtor who knows western CT and please take your time to familiarize yourself with traffic patterns and routes before considering a move. Route 7 basically has nothing to do with a commute to Bergen County.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by beachouse

Is this because driving on Route 7 is preferable to 95 east of Norwalk?

No. From Danbury, you would take 84/684/287 (or Sawmill) over Tappan Zee. Danbury area provides an easier commute to lower Westchester and Rockland, and traffic isn’t as bad as coming from Shelton on the Merritt Parkway.

If you didn’t like Danbury, definitely look at Bethel. It’s a tad nicer than Shelton, IMO. But Shelton is a good place to look, too.