Do you know of other areas similar to Mass? (Boston: how much, lawyers)

[ccsengineering]

before you read further, please note that we are not speaking ill of massachusetts.

my wife and i love it here, but until i finish the college degree, etc. we just can't seem to afford housing in nice towns. we have talked about moving out of state, but have not done so yet.

what we'd like to know is could anyone refer us to another area of the US that is similar to MA in regards to climate? we cannot go to anywhere where it's too hot due to medical reasons.

we figured we'd stay here until i finished my degree, because MA does provide ample schooling opportunities. however i may be laid off again due to yet another manufacturer leaving the area. i do have some college and have done programming and also manufacturing/process engineering the last few years.

but due to escalating prices and medical bills (we are not having issues paying them but they do cut down what we can afford for monthly payments) we are seeking housing eslewhere.

can anyone provide any information from your travel etc?

again we are not speaking ill of MA. I grew up here and we love the immediate area. the schooling and even medical care opportunities are outstanding. however, we are both in technical fields (professionals) and are finding that work is most certainly decreasing in opportunities. everytime we find another company and get excited; that company is bought out and moves elsewhere.

any advice would be much appreciated.

[Parsec]

what about hartford, ct or manchester, nh? it might be harder to find work in manchester, but hartford's definitely looking good in terms of its economy and affordability.

[deerislesmile]

Southern Maine (Portland, South Portland) might be worth looking into. You can still afford a decent home in some of the outlying communities if you are willing to commute in to the city from the "country", and Boston isn't all that far away (maybe 2 hours?), so still easily travelled to for business, health, or pleasure.

[ccsengineering]

everyone, thank you for the replies thus far ...

we're both not fans of CT; not sure why we just aren't.

however if lower ME is looking like a good candidate that would make my wife very happy. she feels very at home there and it's where we vacaton 1 week each summer. can you provide any further information about possible towns in lower maine?

thanks

[Parsec]

in general, housing in maine gets more affordable the further north and west you go. i.e. kennebunkport where george bush vacations is very expensive =)
i'm not familiar w/any towns away from the southern coast though.

[Parsec]

i was just thinking, anything north of Concord, NH off I-93 would get nice views of the White Mountains where you can enjoy weekend trips, and you should be able to find work in Concord, the capital of NH. You'll find the city to be full of scum though -- you know, lawyers and politicians =)

[brightdoglover]

can you provide any further information about possible towns in lower maine?

Bath is about 30 miles north of Portland. I don't know how much work there is in your fields around Portland, but I'd guess it's your best bet. Bath is a charming lovely riverside town, with great housing prices, lots of old sea captain's houses, etc. A fine little downtown. A straight shot down the interstate from Bath to Portland, if that's where your work is.
I lived there one year and found summer very comfortable (and I loathe hot humid weather). Maybe one or two weeks where you would want to roll up your sleeves in the afternoon.
Is your field of work primarily in urban areas, or might it be near older industrial areas?