Working in Medford MA (Boston, Newton: crime, big house, new construction)

[Calcbunny]

If my husband got a job in Medford MA, what is a decent area for a family with children as much as 45 minutes out. We will go further out for a bigger home.

Is there any new construction? Can this be had for $500,000 to $600,000? We can go more, but I haven't any idea. Are the property taxes in MA high? I lived in NJ up until 2007 so I am prepared for high taxes.

Thanks for your help!

[holden125]

It's a little tough to respond because "a decent area for a family with children" could mean "any safe town that isn't a ghetto" or "an affluent town with some of the best public schools in the world." One very nice town that should be within about 45 mins of Medford, even with traffic, is Andover. There are some pretty big houses, I believe, in that price range but I'm not sure if they are brand new. Of course, I am not coming from Georgia and in my world 2500 square feet is mighty big.

Depending on where you lived in NJ, you might be pleasantly surprised by the property taxes. My experience is that they are higher in some of the exclusive towns near Boston, but rarely approach the $15,000 and $20,000 level you see in comparable towns in north Jersey. In Andover the average 2006 tax bill was like $5,400, but that's on a median house of about $400,000.

The problem is that 93 and Route 2 are parking lots in the morning, so 45 mins doesn't allow as much latitude and a lot of the towns closer in are expensive and have many older homes. If you're set on bigger and particularly on new construction you may need to pay more or go further out.

[Calcbunny]

Thanks for your reply. By nice area, I mean good schools, they don't have to be number 1 on the list though. Also a crime free area, maybe even slightly rural. I lived in the Pines on NJ, so I love nature.

[Celticz617]

I would check out Arlington, Stoneham, and Melrose there all 15 minutes away from medford and are 10000x more safer than medford

[Coastal_Queen]

Originally Posted by Celticz617

I would check out Arlington, Stoneham, and Melrose there all 15 minutes away from medford and are 10000x more safer than medford

Kid, you need to get a life, seriously. Almost all of your posts pertain to "gangs, violence, etc." Explain why, at your young age, you would deem the aforementioned cities/towns "safer" than Medford?

[jumbolaw]

I went to Tufts and lived in Medford for a year after. I've never known anyone to describe it as an unsafe town, but I wouldn't recommend it as a sterling school system. I haven't looked at the prices, but you might want to check out Brookline and Newton if you're looking for the greater Boston region. Andover would definitely be a good option, as would Acton and Lexington. Good luck!

[momoffive]

don't forget lynnfield!! suburban, great schools and about 15 min ride to medford ..