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Old 07-10-2013, 11:07 AM
 
76 posts, read 106,574 times
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In a few weeks my wife is starting a new job at Gov Ctr; I'm starting a job in Lowell. We plan on renting for a few months, then buying. We think we'll live somewhere in Middlesex County.

How much availability is there at commuter rail stations? For example, if we mortgage ourselves to the hilt to live in Winchester, thinking my wife will have an easy commute to North Station, it's all fubar if it turns out it's impossible to park there.

Similarly, are there restrictions I need to be aware of? Right now the single family house rental market looks a little thin (which isn't surprising). I just saw an OK looking house in Burlington for rent. But could my wife actually drive to a Winchester station and park there? ISTR that there was some weird "residents only" restriction on parking at at least one of the Winchester stations.
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Old 07-10-2013, 11:15 AM
 
Location: Needham, MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by relocate37 View Post
Similarly, are there restrictions I need to be aware of? Right now the single family house rental market looks a little thin (which isn't surprising). I just saw an OK looking house in Burlington for rent. But could my wife actually drive to a Winchester station and park there? ISTR that there was some weird "residents only" restriction on parking at at least one of the Winchester stations.
The MBTA's website actually lists the parking capacity of every commuter rail stop. Just click on the name of the station for further information like number of spaces, parking rate, hours, etc.

I'm not aware of any lots being "residents only." Generally speaking, I know tons of people who drive from one town to another to park and pick up the train. I've never heard anyone say that they couldn't park in a lot because of residency. Some lots will fill up faster than others though.

The best advice I can give you is to try and start your search by figuring out ideally one or perhaps two towns that you'd like to live in. Then do some research to figure out if the town works for you. It's too hard to cast such a wide net and be able to know all the towns well enough.

Lastly, single family rentals are slim pickings in the 'burbs (not just right now but in general). I can only imagine it's because the amount you'd have to invest in order to create a single family rental unit is so high.
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Old 07-10-2013, 11:26 AM
 
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MikePRU,

Thanks for the informative reply. Your comment was quite helpful---while not specific, it does mostly allay my concerns and puts them in the "probably not a big deal" category.

The reason I asked about restrictions is that the two Winchester stations say "Town Issued Permit" and "Town Permit." Of course, that could merely mean that the town owns the lot and issues the permits, not that it issues them only to residents.
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Old 07-10-2013, 11:31 AM
 
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MikePRU

Yeah, re single family house rentals---it's definitely a niche market in many places. Since you have "Real Estate Agent" listed under your handle, could I ask you what you think is a reasonable approach to finding a place?

Problem is that we're in DC now and don't really have time to fly up just to find a place. If I come up at the end of July, would there still be a little stock available immediately or soon? Right now there does seem to be stuff (admittedly not much) available on realtor.com.

I guess I could just start contacting real estate agents; obviously, in particular those associated with those listings. I'm a tad bit uncomfortable with that, insofar as it's pretty hard to gauge the quality of the agent. (That's not a slam of RE agents; it's just that it's pretty hard to find reliable quality info about any kind of service industry.)

Cheers, and thanks for having replied,

S
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Old 07-10-2013, 12:38 PM
 
Location: 42°22'55.2"N 71°24'46.8"W
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The availability of parking at certain lots depends by town. For example in my town Natick, you need to be a resident and buy an ANNUAL parking pass which is only good for 1 small lot which fills up before 7am. The pass also gives you the right to park on the street for more than 2 hours, but then you have to drive around for several minutes looking for a spot - not something you want to do if you're trying to catch the train on time. That's the reason why I end up driving to Wellesley where parking is plentiful and where you can prepay on a daily or weekly basis. It's best to hone in on the towns you are looking at and look at the parking situation for each individual town.
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Old 07-10-2013, 01:11 PM
 
Location: Massachusetts
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I use both the West Acton and West Concord commuter rail stops. Both of these have a mix of resident only parking requiring stickers and non-resident parking requiring payment at the meter.

If you are renting at this point, I would look to rent on the other side of Winchester (Melrose, Wakefield, Stoneham) rather than Burlington where there are fewer rentals. I would think the trip to the commuter rail stop in Winchester could take longer than imagined from Burlington, and at least, your wife would have more options of using the commuter rail or MBTA stops in and near these towns.
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Old 07-10-2013, 01:16 PM
 
Location: Needham, MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by relocate37 View Post
Thanks for the informative reply. Your comment was quite helpful---while not specific, it does mostly allay my concerns and puts them in the "probably not a big deal" category.
I really don't have specific information in regard to Winchester. I don't have a lot of experience with the town. If you're concerned about the lots in town, I'm sure there has to be someone at town hall who issues the permits that you could speak with. Most towns in MA have pretty informative websites as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by relocate37 View Post
Yeah, re single family house rentals---it's definitely a niche market in many places. Since you have "Real Estate Agent" listed under your handle, could I ask you what you think is a reasonable approach to finding a place?

Problem is that we're in DC now and don't really have time to fly up just to find a place. If I come up at the end of July, would there still be a little stock available immediately or soon? Right now there does seem to be stuff (admittedly not much) available on realtor.com.
There will be rentals available later. Likely still limited amounts. I would definitely advise finding a local agent to help you with your search. One who regularly deals with rentals if you can find one in the Winchester area. I would also check Craig's List as well. Be very wary, many rentals on Craig's List are scams. Don't send anyone any money without looking them in the eye first.

Quote:
Originally Posted by relocate37 View Post
I guess I could just start contacting real estate agents; obviously, in particular those associated with those listings. I'm a tad bit uncomfortable with that, insofar as it's pretty hard to gauge the quality of the agent. (That's not a slam of RE agents; it's just that it's pretty hard to find reliable quality info about any kind of service industry.)
Actually, there are plenty of bad and mediocre agents out there to wade through in order to find a good agent. Being so far away only makes it a more difficult task. I'd love to give you a name of someone who covers that area, but I don't know anyone. Perhaps someone with rental experience in Winchester will chime in.

The larger problem you face is that single family rentals are extremely scarce. I would definitely suggest opening up your search to townhouse communities as well. Certainly a compromise that will give you a lot more options to consider.
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Old 07-10-2013, 02:08 PM
 
Location: Massachusetts
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There is a very large condominium complex on Swanton Street in Winchester. It is about a mile walk to the Winchester Town Center and train. As I recall, walking distance to the grocery store as well. Some of these have to be available for rent if you are determined to be in Winchester and need something temporary while you are looking for the dream home. I would call the property management office of that complex, if this sounds like an idea for you.
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Old 07-10-2013, 02:49 PM
miu
 
Location: MA/NH
17,765 posts, read 40,091,372 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by relocate37 View Post
MikePRU,

Thanks for the informative reply. Your comment was quite helpful---while not specific, it does mostly allay my concerns and puts them in the "probably not a big deal" category.

The reason I asked about restrictions is that the two Winchester stations say "Town Issued Permit" and "Town Permit." Of course, that could merely mean that the town owns the lot and issues the permits, not that it issues them only to residents.
Why don't you just call up the Winchester town hall and ask them this very question?
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Old 07-10-2013, 08:05 PM
 
8,913 posts, read 6,210,896 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by relocate37 View Post
I just saw an OK looking house in Burlington for rent. But could my wife actually drive to a Winchester station and park there? ISTR that there was some weird "residents only" restriction on parking at at least one of the Winchester stations.
Anderson RTC and Wilmington stations are both an easy drive from Burlington and have ample parking. Anderson RTC is the next station stop after Winchester.
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