Maynard, schools, resale, good idea? (Waltham, Woburn: houses, neighborhood, homebuyer)

[FirstTimerBuyer]

My husband and I are looking to buy our first place, and found a single family in Maynard that we really like a lot. The commute to work is good for both of us, and the house is move-in ready. We have no children, but might want to in a couple of years. The house would be very kid-friendly (enough space, a yard, etc.), and is surrounded by houses where the owners clearly care for their properties.

The point that nags on me is the schools -- the pre-k through grade three school seems fine enough, but the high schools have some problems.

My idea is that we would stay in the house and use that school (maybe live there for 8 years?), and move on once we build some equity. Is this a reasonable plan? What is the resale for Maynard, just in general? It seems like it would be desirable because it is surrounded by higher-income towns (Sudbury, Concord, Wayland), but is this wrong for me to assume?

And finally, are there other issues I should be thinking about, like the commute? (I would be on Rt. 2E, him on Rt. 2 to 95N.) Thanks for reading, and any advice.

[NY'er lost in MA]

concerning the resale issue related to schools...

If you were to stay there 5-10 years, that is a good amount of time. It is possible that the town budget can change alot and the school system probably would as well. If the neighborhood is good and positive as you mentioned, then that is a step in the right direction. Alot of people base their decision on the school system, but alot don't.

The other issue is the commute- Rt 2E to 95 North.....probably not ideal from Maynard. Where exactly do you both work?

[FirstTimerBuyer]

I would commute to Waltham, him to Woburn. It's all back roads for me, and he was told it would take about 30 minutes for his drive; this estimate came from a coworker who works a little farther out west than he does. I think he doesn't mind a slightly longer commute.

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Originally Posted by FirstTimerBuyer

I would commute to Waltham, him to Woburn. It's all back roads for me, and he was told it would take about 30 minutes for his drive; this estimate came from a coworker who works a little farther out west than he does. I think he doesn't mind a slightly longer commute.

There is no way he will make it from Maynard to Woburn in 30 minutes unless he commutes during off-hours. The good thing is from Maynard, you will get to bypass the Concord rotary which could save another 10-15 min in rush hour.

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Oh, btw, Maynard has rejected overrides for their school system for a long time and even for basic maintenance. They recently approved an override to renovate some town buildings, but that was only after several years of rejecting the override even though they were falling apart. In general, it's a pretty depressed area, but if you don't care too much for town services and doing things around town and you like your immediate surrounding neighborhood, then it might be a good buy. I think many people on this forum would say they personally wouldn't live there though.

Tell your husband to try the morning commute one day to see how it is. Rt-2 can be brutal merging onto I-95, but I-95N between Rt-2 and Burlington area isn't bad. It will start backing up as he approaches I-93, so it really depends on where in Woburn he works.

[FirstTimerBuyer]

The responses have been helpful, if a little alarming.

Does anyone know anything specific about the Green Meadow Elementary School? That school has the best ratings of the town's three schools. Also, does the town just have a universally ehhh reputation? We have been house-hunting for a while, and had such an immediately positive reaction to the property. Surely someone else will feel the same when we're ready to sell? Or will the town's reputation overshadow everything? Thanks.

[FirstTimerBuyer]

I read a builder is going to rehab the Digital building downtown (used to be a large computer business in its heyday); it was approved in a town vote, and I think specific site plans need to go through P&Z. Shouldn't that help the town? If anyone knows more about that project, I would be grateful to hear about it.

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Originally Posted by FirstTimerBuyer

The responses have been helpful, if a little alarming.

Does anyone know anything specific about the Green Meadow Elementary School? That school has the best ratings of the town's three schools. Also, does the town just have a universally ehhh reputation? We have been house-hunting for a while, and had such an immediately positive reaction to the property. Surely someone else will feel the same when we're ready to sell? Or will the town's reputation overshadow everything? Thanks.

Like you said earlier, different people look at different aspects of a town when purchasing a home. Some people will not care about the school system and just look for a the best sq.ft. for the dollar in a quiet and pretty neighborhood. I think Green Meadow is the only elementary school in Maynard -- 1 elem, 1 middle, and 1 high school. It's a very small town. They restructured the grades in the elementary and middle school so they didn't have to build a 2nd elementary school. If more young families move into Maynard because of it's affordability, that might overcrowd the elementary school. I don't know what the consequences would be, but that's just a thought to keep in mind.

If you really like the property though, don't let our opinions sway you from purchasing it if you think it's right for your unique situation. Most of the regulars on this forum aren't first time homebuyers and seem to be pretty affluent, so they tend to steer visitors to the rich towns. They bought their first homes before 2000, so they have a lot of equity to purchase more expensive homes when they upgrade.

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Originally Posted by FirstTimerBuyer

I read a builder is going to rehab the Digital building downtown (used to be a large computer business in its heyday); it was approved in a town vote, and I think specific site plans need to go through P&Z. Shouldn't that help the town? If anyone knows more about that project, I would be grateful to hear about it.

I haven't heard about that. Are you talking about Clocktower Place? Digital left town ~15 years ago and left Maynard as an economically-depressed place, but the building has since been re-leased to almost full occupancy, with Verizon being one of their largest tenants. I don't know why they would rehab the mill if they already have many tenants.

[CaseyB]

Here's a site with some information on the 3 schools: Search Results - Massachusetts Public Schools - SchoolMatters