Buying a house in Boston area (Quincy, Newton: 2013, apartment, rent)

[djnaulty]

Hey all,
I am just looking for some advice. I will be buying a house in the boston area. I work in Back Bay. I would like to keep my transit commute to under 45 min. I currently live in Melrose. We are looking for a house that is under 228000. Preferably under 200000.

What towns would you recommend looking at. We would like somewhere that

Safe to live
Easy transit commute to back bay (maybe orange or red line)
over 1000 sq foot house(no condo)
nice downtown area

What towns would you recommend

[Richled13]

Hello,

I am also currently looking at places in the Boston area to buy, and from what I have seen you will be extremely hard-pressed to find anything for that kind of money. At least for a single family on the subway. If you're willing to take the commuter rail, I would suggest maybe Natick or Framingham. That will probably get you to Back Bay Station in 45-50 minutes, and your money goes a lot further out there.

Otherwise, I think you're looking at maybe Quincy, Revere, East Boston if you're set on the subway.

Good luck!

[pennyone]

If you are looking at under 200000 or even 280,000 on the T in Quincy, you will be looking at a very very small little house, most likely a major fixer upper, and in a bad neighborhood of the city. I have never seen a nice house in the nice neighborhoods of Quincy anywhere near that price range. I think it's the same situation for Natick and Framingham...

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Richled13

Hello,

I am also currently looking at places in the Boston area to buy, and from what I have seen you will be extremely hard-pressed to find anything for that kind of money. At least for a single family on the subway. If you're willing to take the commuter rail, I would suggest maybe Natick or Framingham. That will probably get you to Back Bay Station in 45-50 minutes, and your money goes a lot further out there.

Otherwise, I think you're looking at maybe Quincy, Revere, East Boston if you're set on the subway.

Good luck!

I don't think he'll find anything in Natick or Framingham either in that budget.

[mmyk72]

I had to check the posting date in OP's message because I thought it came from 1998 or something. 200K, no condo, 45 min to Backbay.... Don't know if OP is serious but in 2013, that money can probably afford a cheap hut if you can find one or buy a trailer and live in someone's parking lot.

[Richled13]

I guess I assumed he was looking for a tiny fixer upper based on the price range?

[Boston_Burbs]

Find a new job outside the city.

[sharencare]

You might want to look in Roslindale, which is gentrifying and relatively safe. The orange line at Forest Hills will get you right into Back Bay in 15 or so minutes. You can get a nice 1300 sf condo for $249K (albeit closer to train tracks). If that is beyond your budget, you probably can rent out a room to help you cover the HOA fees (which is what my friends do).

You might be able to swing a studio condo in Nonantum Newton, which can get you to Back Bay if you are near the commuter lines, for under $250K but it will be around 800sf.

If I were you, I would consider looking into a condo, or waiting for a down payment.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by sharencare

If I were you, I would consider looking into a condo, or waiting for a down payment.

Agreed. I looked in Melrose, where the OP lives in an apartment. There is one SFH under his price range and it is a tiny 800 SF one. I think the criteria are a bit unrealistic if he wants a reasonable commute and a safe area. For example, if you go up to $250K, there are a few bungalows in Saugus that would be nice locations.

[AnonChick]

The OP has already specified - no condo, and it must be 1000 SF or bigger. I don't think that's going to happen anywhere near Boston, nor in most areas of Massachusettes that have "nice downtown areas," for the price he's expecting to pay. If he has a budget of only $228,000, he won't be able to afford a fixer-upper because he'll still have to pay to live in it, and that will put him over his budget.

For 1000+SF in a safe area near Boston, that isn't a condo, you're going to be looking at around $270k and up, with the $270k being 2 small bedrooms and 1 bathroom, with no yard, and possibly no garage and maybe just a shed instead of a basement.