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We recently relocated to Boston and are looking to buy a house in one of the suburbs in south this year. We both work at UMass Boston, and have a preschooler. We'd like to buy a SFH with 3-4 bedrooms and 2-2.5 bathrooms, a decent size backyard with total size of the house about ~2,000 sqrt, relatively easy commute to UMass (45-50 mins) and good school system. Our budget is ~$550K to 600K. So with all these criteria, we figured Braintree is our best option so far. However, we are new to Boston area and don't know much about his town and other suburbs in south of Boston. So we would really appreciate if you could answer any of my questions below or provide any information.
1. The school system is a top priority. So I will start my questions on the school system. We care about the elementary and middle schools in Braintree, not so much about highschool since we don't need it at least for next 10 yrs. We understand Braintree elementary schools are no where near the top (e.g., Newton), but are still pretty good/great. After looking into the ratings on greatschools.org, we found several rating 9or10 out of 10 elementary schools. Highlands, Hollis, Liberty and Mary E Flaherty. But the rating doesn't tell everything. Is any of these schools better than the others? The greatschool system rates Liberty, and Flaherty 10/10. Are both schools really better than the others? How about Highlands and Hollis?
In terms of middle schools, There are only two. East middle and south middle. Any comments on these two middle schools? Is any one obviously better than the other?
2. I've heard east Braintree in general is not as good as south braintree. But I'm curious about what specific areas I should avoid in east Braintree? And what specific areas in Braintree are good neighborhoods?
3. I am also curious about the investment value. With $550k, what are your thoughts on buying a SFH house in Braintree in terms of return on investment in 6-8 years?
4. Lastly, we currently focus on Braintree, but certainly are not ruling out any other town at all as long as it meets our criteria (~50 mins commute, good/great school system, safe) and budget. So if you have any suggestions and recommendations, we'd appreciate that too.
Thank you for your time reading my post and for all your thoughts/comments.
We looked in Braintree quite a bit and came very close to buying there, (we opted for a town a little further south). South Braintree is the preferable area, specifically Braintree Highlands. From my knowledge East Braintree isn't terrible, just a little grittier and something to think about down the road in terms of resale. From what we learned Braintree schools are good and I don't think you would run into quality issues with any of them. Keep in mind Braintree also has probably the best property tax rates on the South Shore and they have a town run electric company that seems to get good reviews.
There are better options in terms of schools etc., on the south shore but they require a longer commute and you may not be able to get the kind of house you want for your budget. Specifically thinking of Hingham, Cohasset, Norwell and Scituate.
Braintree housing market is extremely competitive(sold 4-6% over the listing price). With the easy commute to Boston and handsomely low property tax attracts many buyers. Highlands/South Braintree and Thayer Academy area homes usually get sold before it hits the market. There were few new construction homes in South Braintree sold for the 750K-850k range last year. Having said that, with your budget, you might need to compromise on the size of the house or the location. I moved to Braintree highlands years ago and I appreciate everything about this town. Braintree is a tight net community and it is a town that takes care of itself. The town has its own electric company BELD that keeps the bill low. During the snow blizzard, Braintree was the only town that didn't struggle with the black out. Most of the school admin and teachers are from Braintree and they are highly qualified(Master+ with dual certifications). The town of Braintree is proud of being the inclusion community, which is a great setting for the diversity, ELL, and SPED students.
I laugh at those people who makes a silly comparison with Braintree Public Schools with other public schools like Lexington, Brookline, Belmont and Newton. Obviously, you don't have the budget to move to Lexington or Newton, and the property taxes for those towns are five times higher than Braintree. So, what you see is what you get. If you don't mind the commute, higher property taxes, private sewer(well water), or being the only minority in town, you can try other towns like Higham, Sharon, Dover, or Westwood.
I laugh at those people who makes a silly comparison with Braintree Public Schools with other public schools like Lexington, Brookline, Belmont and Newton. Obviously, you don't have the budget to move to Lexington or Newton, and the property taxes for those towns are five times higher than Braintree. So, what you see is what you get. If you don't mind the commute, higher property taxes, private sewer(well water), or being the only minority in town, you can try other towns like Higham, Sharon, Dover, or Westwood.
I think most of your post is spot on, except they would have to compromise a lot of what they are looking for in Hingham. The cheapest 4/2 ~2000 SFH I see for Hingham on redfin is 695k.
No one knows what the market will be like 6 to 8 years from now. If you like the town now and it has what you need i would just focus on that.
Braintree does seem to be a hot spot right now. It's not a toney suburb like hingham or cohasset but it has a lot of convenient features like the redline, south shore plaza and great places to eat, close proximity to boston. So all that being said i dont know why it would be any different in 6 to 8 years. Maybe youd never want to leave if you bought there.
No one knows what the market will be like 6 to 8 years from now. If you like the town now and it has what you need i would just focus on that.
Braintree does seem to be a hot spot right now. It's not a toney suburb like hingham or cohasset but it has a lot of convenient features like the redline, south shore plaza and great places to eat, close proximity to boston. So all that being said i dont know why it would be any different in 6 to 8 years. Maybe youd never want to leave if you bought there.
Burlington was like that for us. This was supposed to be a 3-5 year house. 23 years later here we are - we love the town and all it offers.
Have friends who live in Braintree Highlands. Huge advantage is that you can take either the Red Line or Commuter rail right to UMASS. I think my friend even backtracks to catch the train at the Randolph stop.....better parking situation and much less in way of rush hour traffic. I have never spoken to anyone who was unhappy with their move to Braintree. One added bonus if you travel is that the Logan Express is also located in Braintree
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