How do they afford it? (Boston, Cambridge: best neighborhood, sales, real estate)

[SuperGrover]

Originally Posted by toohotinaz

Here is an outside perspective from a foreigner...
the only reasons I can think of that makes one stay in MA (or New England) for that matter is:
- if all your family lives near you and you love to stay close to your family
- you earn either a good income or inherited money
- you like lousy weather
If you do not match these criteria and you're flexible... go somewhere else!
Arizona, Nevada, Carolinas, Florida...it is all better quality of live ...and as expensive at the most and in many cases much much cheaper.

Good advice I think, but Arizona or Nevada? I know they've had tremendous population growth lately, but going from here to there sounds like moving out of the refrigerator and into the oven. To continue a silly analogy, I'd prefer the laundry machine (Atlantic coast) or the dishwasher (shallow South).

[ogre]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

There are as many unhappy former New Englanders living in South Carolina as happy ones. Its cheaper- but the quality of life overall is MUCH lower.

Problem here is that you have no quality of life at all unless you can afford the basics. Until you can afford to put a decent roof over your head, without having to hock your first-born to come up with the cash, all the niceties that so often constitute "quality of life" aren't even on the table for discussion.

[bawstinchick]

Originally Posted by ogre

Problem here is that you have no quality of life at all unless you can afford the basics. Until you can afford to put a decent roof over your head, without having to hock your first-born to come up with the cash, all the niceties that so often constitute "quality of life" aren't even on the table for discussion.

You hit the nail on the head Ogre!!!

[manchester]

agreed.

people move so their quality of life improves I know my health and quality of life got better when I moved .

Currently my in laws are now desperate to leave the state. The working class are now being forced out of massachusetts because of the high high cost of living.

Remember visting massachusetts is a great experience in the summer I might add not the winter but visiting and living there are two very different things.

The culture is being wiped away, take for example the north end, an italian neighborhood and has been for nearly a hundred years, now the elitist yuppies are moving in and slowly wiping away the italian culture.
They have even complained about the feasts which are held there, why well because roads are closed off to them, prices have gone up so much that if you have kids you have to move out now, parks are not being upkept

[LeavingMA]

I guess it depends on how you view or perceive quality of life. From visiting different places around the U.S. i never felt like i was better off being in MA or New England than anywhere else. I prefer a more laid-back atmosphere where people are friendly. Not sure what others prefer for their life.

I do enjoy summer in New England, but it just seems very short. It is already almost August now. Fall isn't too bad, but the problem there is knowing winter is coming closer everyday and you have to wait until June for decent weather.

[manchester]

I hear you there

[ogre]

Originally Posted by ertily

I am curious how young people starting out can afford a home in Massachusetts and many of the New England areas. Can some of the natives explain this? It is one thing for someone to live with their parents well into middle age and then eventually inherit their home, but for others how do they do it? It is another if someone just wants to rent or own a tiny condo, but how do people of moderate income afford to buy and actual home with a yard anywhere in the greater Boston area?

If you're talking about almost anywhere in the vicinity of Boston, the answer basically is that young people DON'T afford an actual home with a yard. Maybe someone can suggest other possibilities, but off hand I can think of four basic strategies for affording a real house with a real yard in Greater Boston: 1) Move there from somewhere else, after you're older and are well established in a profession and making good money; 2) Not exactly the same plan as the original post describes, but somewhat similar, namely, live with parents much longer than most people find natural or comfortable--say, until your thirties--until you're well established in a profession and making good money; 3) Rent, and afford the rent by sharng costs with more roommates than anyone finds natural or comfortable, until you're in your thirties or so, and are beginning to be established in a profession and are starting to make good money; 4) Be born into a wealthy family, and buy your first house with a substantial financial gift from Daddy.

One thing to note, however, is that there is more to MA than Greater Boston. Here are some sample average house prices for towns in the Boston suburbs and other towns in west-central MA, in the Pioneer Valley region, in the general vicinity of Springfield. This is highly unscientific, but I've lived in both areas, and have selected some towns in each area that impress me, mostly from general familiarity with each area, as being either affluent towns or solid regular towns, but no real dives. Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed
Towns near Boston:

Acton: 615,400
Bedford: 636,200
Billerica: 396,100
Burlington: 421,800
Framingham: 399,700
Natick: 484,200
Westford: 530,000
Westwood: 720,300

Towns in west-central MA:

Amherst: 349,600
Easthampton: 210,000
East Longmeadow: 297,000
Longmeadow: 319,100
Northampton: 222,900
South Hadley: 257,200
Ware: 223,400
Wilbraham: 268,700

National average house price: 217,200

This should give some idea that the prices in western MA are much more affordable than those near Boston, though still somewhat above the national average. Of course, the western part of the state may have less of a variety of job opportunities, and certainly has fewer possibilities for nightlife, or urban recreation and culture. It's true that for many people, it's a matter of deciding which tradeoff works best for them when they decide how close they want to live to a large city, with its cultural and recrational amenities, and its disadvantages of congestion, traffic, and pollution. It is unfortunate that many people cannot have the opportunity to make this choice in the vicinity of Boston, since the simple reality that they are unable to afford to live in the area makes the choice for them.

[manchester]

I think the problem lies in that boston is a major hub and everything in the state evolves around it

if they built a bigger airport in worcester, built better conections between boston and worcester, actually if they put more money into worcester and did it up a bit then the area aroun boson wouldn't be as bad as another city would be disirable.

not to mention the western part is beautiful with the hills, woods wildlife an all

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by manchester

I think the problem lies in that boston is a major hub and everything in the state evolves around it

if they built a bigger airport in worcester, built better conections between boston and worcester, actually if they put more money into worcester and did it up a bit then the area aroun boson wouldn't be as bad as another city would be disirable.

not to mention the western part is beautiful with the hills, woods wildlife an all

Yea, the state doesn't seem to care much about anything west of 128 or 495. Everything revolves around the metro Boston area. Maybe the rest of the state of MA should be part of NH or ME. It would be like the early 1800's when MA and ME were the same state.

[Noodle]

Originally Posted by LeavingMA

Yea, the state doesn't seem to care much about anything west of 128 or 495. Everything revolves around the metro Boston area. Maybe the rest of the state of MA should be part of NH or ME. It would be like the early 1800's when MA and ME were the same state.

That's why I always say the western part of the state should secede from the eastern part. Let them pay for their own big dig.
And if Mass was so bad, nobody would want to live here, and housing would be affordable, or even cheap. Supply and demand drove up prices, not a conspiracy or any other thing. As far as taxes go, believe it or not, Mass ranks 28th for tax burden as a percentage of income. However, I think their should be a cap on property taxes, There's so many victims of an appreciating market, people who have watched their tax rate triple or even quadriple just because of the crazy escalstion of property values. A residents tax rate should be adjusted to the number of years they own the property, it's not any of their doing that some greedy land raping developer came in and put up half a million dollar McMansions, and left the long time residenst holding the tax bill. However, I don't expect any Mass politician will ever suggest this in my lifetime. If ever.