[amyrob4]

Originally Posted by KH02

He must be one hell of a karate instructor for you to be able to afford a million dollar house.... since my friend is a medical assistant and they dont make much at all.

anyhow i agree with PP, clinton, westport, madison, and maybe even greenwich (though the house would be small)

I hope im not getting a taste of what CT people are REALLY like. I didn't know I was being judged! Im just looking for information.

[Slipperman]

Originally Posted by heather121

Uncasville is not on the water, it's on Thames River...I doubt that is the kind of water the OP is looking for.

well, then it is on the water. it's just not on the sound. but it's a quick jaunt down to New London or Groton which is what i was getting at.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by amyrob4

I hope im not getting a taste of what CT people are REALLY like. I didn't know I was being judged! Im just looking for information.

You will find all kinds of people in Connecticut, just like anywhere else. Please don't let the remarks of a few make you judge the enitre state.

As for where to live, with your budget you could live almost anywhere in the state. It just comes down to what you expect to get for that amount. In Greenwich you would get a somewhat modest home. In Fairfield, the home would be significantly nicer and in the suburbs east of New Haven you will get a very nice upscale home. the choice is yours.

One thing to understand about Connecticut, the cities here are pretty small area wise. New Haven itself is about 19 square miles and is surrounded by a number of similar sized independent towns that are the suburbs. Connecticut is divided into 169 towns. Counties are just geographic designations and there is no county level of government, just towns and the state.

New Haven is a small city but it has many of the problems you would find in a bigger city. Think of it as the core of say Jacksonville and New Haven's suburbs are the outer areas around that core. I hope this helps. Jay

[amyrob4]

That really helps Jay... Thanks. What about the taxes? I have heard the taxrs are really high.

[usmcfamily]

Originally Posted by amyrob4

I hope im not getting a taste of what CT people are REALLY like. I didn't know I was being judged! Im just looking for information.

I think you are blowing that comment way out of proportion. I doubt anyone was doing any judging. I viewed it as an attempt at humor. A karate instructor up here does not earn much more than minimum wage!

I have lived here a 1 1/2 year now and I have nothing but good things to say about the people here. Hopefully, you will be as happy as I am here! Good luck.

[amyrob4]

I am excited aboout being around people that are NICE. The people down here are just rude! Everyone seems to out for one thing...themselves! I just want to make sure I choose the right town. Young families with kids and great schools. Oh yea, shopping should be close. Ya know those runs to the drugstore at 3 am to get cough medicine. BTW...do you guys have a 24hr. CVS?

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by amyrob4

I am excited aboout being around people that are NICE. The people down here are just rude! Everyone seems to out for one thing...themselves! I just want to make sure I choose the right town. Young families with kids and great schools. Oh yea, shopping should be close. Ya know those runs to the drugstore at 3 am to get cough medicine. BTW...do you guys have a 24hr. CVS?

I'm absolutely surrounded by CVS stores in my area, but oddly enough, none are 24hrs. There's no shortage of Walgreens stores either, and they do tend to be 24/7.

[JayCT]

Yes, CVS seems to have blaneted this state like every other one. We have three here, one of which is less than a mile from the other two. They tried to build a fourth but was turned down because they refused to make it smaller and have less impacts to the site. I am waiting for them to return though.

As for taxes, they can be high. I would suggest picking a town and then look at homes in your price range to see what the taxes are. Jay

[njohnson]

You can do a quick tax estimate by looking at homes online, viewing their assessed value, and using the town mill rates provided in the state or local government website. Just use the basic mill rate formula to get the amount. That way you won't get a shocker. They can be very high, especially on a $1mil home.

Branford, Guilford, Madison and Clinton make the most sense to me. Good schools, on the ocean, along the 95 / route 1 corridor, easy access to New Haven for a night out, and pretty quick access to other fun locations such as the casinos or Rhode Island.

Not sure if you'll get waterfront for $1mil but you'll get pretty close.

[Connecticut Pam]

For AmyRob04

I love Connecticut, and am sure you will too. It is very pretty here and there are some gorgeous towns along the coast/near the ocean. Unfortunately ocean property is fairly expensive so your best bet would be to find a place close enough for a short drive to the ocean. Some of my favorite towns near the ocean would be Durham which is a fairly short drive, Killingworth, Madison, Clinton. Madison and Clinton are right on the ocean and near Hammonassett State Park which is actually Long Island Sound.

You may also want to look at the Fairfield County area which again is expensive but super nice. My husband's family lives in Fairfield County and loves it. Westport is beautiful.

One of the best parts about living in Connecticut is that it is close to both New York City as well as Boston Massachusetts so if you were inclined to go spend the day in either city, you can catch a train and spend the day there.

Welcome to Connecticut and good luck with whatever you decide to do.
CP