[mlo1982]

Hi,

I was recently accepted into the University of Bridgeport and my family and I will be relocating from West Springfield, Ma. We would be purchasing a home for no more than $130,000, possibly a foreclosure. We are looking to buy a "fixer-upper" to keep us busy, for we will not know anyone when we move. We also are looking to live in a quiet laid back town. I have heard a lot of bad things about the city of Bridgeport and don't wish to relocate there, but I am not sure what surrounding towns are good for families with children under 10 years old. We are hoping to find a good elementary school to place our kids in. Right now they are in a title 1 school in West Springfield, Ma. It is a small school with 2 classrooms per grade. I will be commuting to school, so I don't have to live in Bridgeport. Is there anyone who could help give some advice to us, we have no clue where to begin.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

You're not going to find what you're looking for in a town that is within commuting distance to UB. I seriously doubt that you could find a handyman in a decent part of Bridgeport for that $$$$ also. I'd rethink the move if i were you, or up your budget to at least 150K. Sorry.

[JayCT]

When I saw your price range ($130,000), I thought there is no way you will find a home in the Bridgeport area for that price. I did some quick checking on realtor.com and was surprised to find a few listings in Stratford and West Haven. Milford had nothing under $177k. Forget Fairfield, Trumbull or Shelton. You might check the Naugatuck River Valley towns of Derby, Ansonia, Seymour, Beacon Falls and Naugatuck. I am not sure what you are looking for for that price but I would not expect a lot. Good luck, Jay

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by mlo1982

Hi,

I was recently accepted into the University of Bridgeport and my family and I will be relocating from West Springfield, Ma. We would be purchasing a home for no more than $130,000, possibly a foreclosure. We are looking to buy a "fixer-upper" to keep us busy, for we will not know anyone when we move. We also are looking to live in a quiet laid back town. I have heard a lot of bad things about the city of Bridgeport and don't wish to relocate there, but I am not sure what surrounding towns are good for families with children under 10 years old. We are hoping to find a good elementary school to place our kids in. Right now they are in a title 1 school in West Springfield, Ma. It is a small school with 2 classrooms per grade. I will be commuting to school, so I don't have to live in Bridgeport. Is there anyone who could help give some advice to us, we have no clue where to begin.

Well, for that price, you may have to reconsider Bridgeport. The city of Bridgeport has MANY homes for under $150,000. Prices have literally plummeted over the past year. Some homes selling for $299k in mid 2007 are now on the market for $150k. Major price reduction. I think Bridgeport is worth a look. Look at homes in Brooklawn, the North End, or Black Rock. Brooklawn may be your best bet. There are some GORGEOUS old homes there--and a couple of streets on the edge of Brooklawn have tremendous potential. Find a bargain, fix it up, and wait for the market to rise again. I think Bridgeport will slowly get better in time.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by JayCT

When I saw your price range ($130,000), I thought there is no way you will find a home in the Bridgeport area for that price. I did some quick checking on realtor.com and was surprised to find a few listings in Stratford and West Haven. Milford had nothing under $177k. Forget Fairfield, Trumbull or Shelton. You might check the Naugatuck River Valley towns of Derby, Ansonia, Seymour, Beacon Falls and Naugatuck. I am not sure what you are looking for for that price but I would not expect a lot. Good luck, Jay

The problem with realtor.com is that often times the status isn't updated(active listing/sold) and info tends to be incomplete(Is it an attempted short-sale? Is the plumbing system frozen? Etc.) There are 3 house listings in North Stratford under 150K, i know that 2 of them have major i$$ue$ that need to be corrected. If it sounds too good to be true....

[mlo1982]

We actually have found homes within our price range, we are not looking for someone to do the work for us, we would be doing it ourselves. My biggest concern is the elementary schools. I have found several homes in Waterbury, Ct and some in Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, Stratford, West Haven, East Haven and North Haven; to name a few. Could anyone give advice about the school systems in these areas?

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

The problem with realtor.com is that often times the status isn't updated(active listing/sold) and info tends to be incomplete(Is it an attempted short-sale? Is the plumbing system frozen? Etc.)

REALTOR.com pulls data from Multiple Listing Services (MLS's). MLS's have fields for listing status. The listing status is broken down into two categories: Active or On-Market / Non-Active or Off-Market. (Technically, there are other categories for closed, canceled, withdrawn, etc.)

Active or On-Market has => Active, Show, Hubbard, New
(will appear on REALTOR.com and other websites)

Non-Active or Off-Market has => Deposit
(won't appear on REALTOR.com or other websites)

Sometimes, a buyer will call XZY Realty to inquire about 123 Main Street only to be told that it's "no longer available." The agent on the phone might be making an assessment for the caller, when, in fact, the property is on "Show" status and could be shown.

Because it's on "Show" status, the listing will still appear on REALTOR.com and other websites.

There is nothing unethical about this. Because contingencies still have to be met, the seller is afforded the opportunity to continue to market his/her property during this time in the event that the two parties cannot come to an agreement regarding the inspection, financing, and/or closing date.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by mlo1982

We actually have found homes within our price range, we are not looking for someone to do the work for us, we would be doing it ourselves.

Have you physically looked at any of these homes? I'm not trying to rain on your parade and be a sourpuss, but the odds that you will find something that you can inhabit while fixing it, are really, really slim.
Let me show you a sample of what i'm getting at here:Single Family Home - Stratford, CT, 06614 - Realtor.com (http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?zp=06614&mnp=19&mxp=18&typ=7&si d=c6809256a0124365a62942736aec41b1&lid=1102781223& lsn=8&srcnt=11#Photo - broken link)

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by mlo1982

We actually have found homes within our price range, we are not looking for someone to do the work for us, we would be doing it ourselves. My biggest concern is the elementary schools. I have found several homes in Waterbury, Ct and some in Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, Stratford, West Haven, East Haven and North Haven; to name a few. Could anyone give advice about the school systems in these areas?

Some of the towns you listed have school systems that perform poorly. You can find information on them at the web sites listed below:

Strategic School Profiles by District

Strategic School Profiles by School

I generally look at school systems that have class sizes near or below 20 students per class and that perform at or above the state average on the Connecticut Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance tests.

Of the towns you mention, Stratford is the closest to Bridgeport. It has good schools and a lot of very nice neighborhoods. But as noted by others, the homes in your price range will be in need of a lot of work or may be located right on I-95 or other less desirable place.

North Haven is a very nice town with very good schools. I am surprised that there are any homes in your price range there. Ansonia, Meriden and Naugatuck are older mill towns with some issues. Waterbury is a large city (large by Connecticut standards) and is known to have issues typical of large urban areas. East Haven and West Haven are nice towns but are not known for having the best schools (I never understood why though), but still have a lot of nice neighbors. Be aware though that the commute from East Haven to Bridgeport will require you to travel through New Haven which can be difficult during rush hour. I hope this helps, Good luck, Jay

[steph3kids]

Originally Posted by mlo1982

We actually have found homes within our price range, we are not looking for someone to do the work for us, we would be doing it ourselves. My biggest concern is the elementary schools. I have found several homes in Waterbury, Ct and some in Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, Stratford, West Haven, East Haven and North Haven; to name a few. Could anyone give advice about the school systems in these areas?

I don't know what you can find in that price range. CT is very expensive and regions w/good school usually have very high taxes too.
Bridgeport has both high taxes and not very good public schools.
From the town you just listed you'll find better school I would say in Stratford(depending on the area)& North Haven. i don't really know about East Haven,Naugatuck and Meriden.

Steph