[peanuthead]

I moved to CT a year ago and have been renting- now it's time to buy something. I am considering Hartford and West Hartford. W. Hartford looks cool but I wonder if other areas of Hartford might be good options as well. I don't care about school districts right now and the taxes in WH seem high. I work at UCONN and am aware that this is a commute but I also would like to live someplace that is more urban than what the Storrs/Mansfield area has to offer. Any ideas on different Hartford neighborhoods I could consider or would I be best to just look in W.Hartford? Thanks very much.

[DuaneM]

It would depend on what price range you are looking in. Manchester (East of the River is nice too but very different than West Hartford. I just spent Sunday afternoon driving some clients around on the east side and it truely does have a different feel than say West Hartford, Farmington or Avon areas. Now is a good time to start looking for real estate as a lot of homes are begining to come on the market. I live in West Hartford so if you have any questions labout this town or others on the west side let me know either in here or via a message.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by peanuthead

I moved to CT a year ago and have been renting- now it's time to buy something. I am considering Hartford and West Hartford. W. Hartford looks cool but I wonder if other areas of Hartford might be good options as well. I don't care about school districts right now and the taxes in WH seem high. I work at UCONN and am aware that this is a commute but I also would like to live someplace that is more urban than what the Storrs/Mansfield area has to offer. Any ideas on different Hartford neighborhoods I could consider or would I be best to just look in W.Hartford? Thanks very much.

Check out Manchester.

It's affordable, access to pretty much everything and has a younger diverse vibe about it. I moved here about 5 years ago and love it.

[Brent Bell, CRS]

If you have been living in the Hartford area for a year, you are in a good position to begin exploring towns. Your best bet is to work with a strong real estate agent who will ask you the right questions and not try to "steer you" towards one town that they know best or away from a town that they do not know well.

Your agent will also help to dispel the common myths about taxes in one town versus another. The simple answer is that taxes help buy services. If a town like Avon wants to "save on taxes" by not including trash pickup, then every individual homeowner now has the additional expense of contracting with trash hauler individually. Property taxes can be used as a deduction as you file your income tax, garbage collection fees--not deductible. Avon is still a great town; this is just one concrete example of how much homework you may want to do before buying a home.

In considering towns, "where do you work and how far are you willing to commute" is often the starting point. How do you like to spend your leisure time? Some people want to be near a coffee shop, others want a nearby pond for their kayak, or plan to play soccer indoors all winter long.

Economics often drives your choice of town to some extent. If you really want an acre of land and your price range is $250,000 or less, there are several towns in the Hartford area which will work--but not Hartford or West Hartford. The more work you are willing to do on your house beyond basic painting, the more house you will be able to afford and the broader your choices will be within a given price range.

Good luck with your search!