Moving back to New England and need help! (Boston, Cambridge: real estate, houses)

[AWM]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on this board. I just found it tonight and have eagerly read through tons of the postings. I grew up in MA (lived about 30 from Boston for 15 years) and then have bumped around to other states for school and work. I'm looking to move back up North in the next year (living down South right now and really miss New England) and am looking for suggestions. My husband and I are planning on starting a family soon, so I want some place where the school systems are very good. I have checked out the MCAS ratings and have some ideas, but would love to hear first-hand accounts and other suggestions. My husband is in IT and would like to avoid a long commute, so I'm trying to factor that in as well. Since he isn't from the area, I'm trying to do some of the investigative work, but since I'm not in IT, I'm not sure where the hotbed of IT jobs are in New England. I have been focusing on southern NH and northern MA because the cost of living seem to be much better than closer to the city, but would love to hear what others have to say.

Thanks!

[2KidsforMe]

A lot of the IT companies are clustered around the 128 (Waltham/Burlington area) and a fair number are in the Metro West areas of Westborough/Marlborough and even Southborough by the 495. We live in Southborough and my husband is in IT as well. He works for a Toronto based company, and has to travel a bit. If you could give us some more specifics (ie. how far you would like to be from Boston/price range) then maybe we could offer more suggestions.

[SuperGrover]

You'll need to provide more info to get help. What you can afford, and what kind of population density and town services you' like, to start.

Welcome back.

[AWM]

Thanks for your input! I think we are looking to find something under $350,000, which I know limits the options significantly, especially in MA. That is why I have started looking in NH as well, but I am concerned about the educational systems - I don't know that much about NH school systems. I think we would like to be within about an hour and a half of Boston (closer would be great, but with the budget constraints, probably not that feasible). We are also big fans of home improvement, so we would certainly be okay finding a fixer-upper and putting some hard work into it.

I have looked at the Portsmouth, NH area, but would love to hear if anyone has experience up there. In regards to the IT job issue - I, too, had thought of the Burlington area and thought that a commute from Southern NH might not be bad. I'm really just on a reconnaisance mission right now. Trying to gather as much info as I can to start narrowing down our search.

Thank you guys.

[brightdoglover]

I have looked at the Portsmouth, NH area, but would love to hear if anyone has experience up there. In regards to the IT job issue


Unless the job was in the Portsmouth area, it's a no-go to commute down from Portsmouth to tech jobs. I95 doesn't go there. As someone said earlier, the jobs are clustered in the 128 corridor and around Marlborough (I495/Mass Pike). There are also a lot of jobs directly in Cambridge, although they might be more specialized (biotech, etc.)

Remember that, even though houses are cheaper in southern NH, the real estate taxes are a shocker, as it's the only tax available.

The area I live in, Acton/Littleton/Westford/Chelmsford, has older modest homes under $350K, and good school systems. Littleton specifically is very much a small-town environment, with immediate access to Rts. 2 and I495. Very good town for kids.
Good luck!