Towns in Mass? (Boston, Worcester, Springfield: mortgage, homes, high schools)

[ogre]

Originally Posted by MovingForward

You should easily be able to find something nice in your price range west of Boston or in Central Massachusetts.

West of Boston:

Look in Stow, Littleton or Bolton (all a bit more rural, but just lovely), Acton (GREAT school system, beautiful town), or Westford.

Central MA (within one hour of Boston):

Clinton, West Boylston, Lancaster: not as nice as above towns, but very decent places to live.

ACTON:

Dutch Colonial / True Americana / Heart of Acton (broken link)

3br, 3 ba, mint, waterview! (broken link)

LITTLETON:

4 BR house near Littleton Common (http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/rfs/409114014.html - broken link)

WESTFORD:

JUST LISTED! 4 Beds, 2.5 Baths Colonial on Cul-de-sac! (broken link)

Westford 4 beds 2.5 baths colonial for sale (broken link)

BOLTON (more upscale, like Acton, but more rural). This house is really cheap for Bolton (who knows what it looks like inside--lol--but you never know. . . )

Great Cape - Truly Great Schools! Quick Close Available (broken link)

Lovely 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home in Bolton on 3.5 acres (broken link)

CLINTON (further out, more rural):

Clinton, MA Real Estate MLS # 70494874 (broken link)

LANCASTER (further out, more rural):

Lancaster MA Real Estate MLS # 70576725 (broken link)

Also, this house recently came on the market in CONCORD (a VERY upscale town, next to Acton) and is a GREAT deal:

Great Opportunity to Own a Home in Concord, MA (broken link)

Finally, seriously consider Sudbury (also a lovely, upscale town with great school system):

NEWLY UPDATED!! 4 BED/2BATH COLONIAL (broken link)

Eastcoaster, I think you mentioned Bedford as one of the towns you thought might be above your price range. You might want to look a little closer at Bedford, which is a nice town, and probably less pricey than Lexington or Concord. In addition to the towns to the northwest of Boston that MovingForward suggests (Stow, Littleton, Westford, Acton, Bolton, Sudbury), you might also look at Boxboro (Boxborough?). This is a beautiful area, basically exurban in character, so it does have a rural feel but is not totally in the sticks.

As for Clinton, West Boylston, Lancaster, they are getting a pretty good way away from Boston. There's really beautiful countryside in that area, but I don't think these towns are really quite as close as an hour away from Boston, especially not if you'd be traveling during commuting hours, when you'd have to expect some serious traffic. This area is also very rural. When you say you want something that's not too urban but also not too rural, I'm guessing this area may be more rural than you would prefer. One reason this might not be the case is that these towns are just north of Worcester, a smaller city where you could find most of the basic city activities, like restaurants and everyday entertainment. Shopping and restaurants right in the town you would live in would be sparse in these towns, however. Maybe a little more in Clinton than the other two, but generally the area is pretty rural. If you do want to consider this area, another town to check out is Sterling.

One town worth at least giving a look is Wayland, an affluent suburban town west of Boston, a convenient distance from the city. The median housing cost there is above your desired range, but if some digging turned up something workable in the half below that median, Wayland might fit your needs very well.

[Eastcoaster2]

thanks...also what is the story on Milford? Looks like there are some nice homes a little more affordable and close to most stores..is there a catch?

[MovingForward]

Milford's okay, but schools aren't that good.

I agree with Ogre: Clinton, Lancaster, etc. might be a bit too far out.

[MovingForward]

Also, yes: check out Bedford, but you probably won't get much land. It is, however, a very nice town--next to Lexington, and like Lexington, easy access to Route 2.

[mkal]

Acton is a lovely town. Schools are fantastic. Nice parks. I'm sure you will find something for $500,000. Maybe not something too big.

[rnc76]

Shrewsbury is a nice town that is a mix of suburban/rural areas. It is between Worcester and Marlborough on I290. It has all the big box convienent shopping plus a very historic nice town center area. It would be pretty central to all the areas you need to drive for work. All the other areas mentioned are nice as well, when I read your description of your wants in a town, Shrewsbury is the first place I thought of.

[scarletfire]

BTW, I believe the reason the house on Sugar Rd in Bolton is so inexpensive is that there is considerable highway noise there. It's right off the highway.

[Eastcoaster2]

that makes sense Scarletfire....looks like there are 2 primary areas I should focus on 1) just inside 495 along Rt 2 (Stow, Littleton, Acton, Sudbury) 2) south of Mass Tpke (Hopkinton, Holliston)...also will keep in mind Bedford but sounds like may not be able to get the house I want in my range...and the other suggestion was Shrewsbury...is that much more rural than the other 2 areas or comparable, schools in comparison? thanks.

this gives we at least a starting point and of course would ahev to visit the areas a bit for making a commitment to buy. thanks

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by Eastcoaster2

that makes sense Scarletfire....looks like there are 2 primary areas I should focus on 1) just inside 495 along Rt 2 (Stow, Littleton, Acton, Sudbury) 2) south of Mass Tpke (Hopkinton, Holliston)...also will keep in mind Bedford but sounds like may not be able to get the house I want in my range...and the other suggestion was Shrewsbury...is that much more rural than the other 2 areas or comparable, schools in comparison? thanks.

this gives we at least a starting point and of course would ahev to visit the areas a bit for making a commitment to buy. thanks

I can't speak for the schools in Shrewsbury, but I would say that Shrewsbury is less rural feeling than most of those other towns, particularly Stow.

[geminijinx]

I was born and raised in Walpole, lived in North Jersey/NYC for 10 years. Walpole is a GREAT town to grow up in, very family and sports oriented. The high school field hockey team has been # 1 in the state for many years, and the Walpole Little League went to the LL World Series. Definitely a place to raise a fam in a GOOD town.