Moving soon - job in Waltham (Boston, Newton: rentals, condos, houses)

[AWM]

My husband and I will be moving from Georgia to MA soon, as he just got a job in Waltham. I grew up in MA and my whole family is still up there, so I'm excited about the move. My question is about where to move to. My husband doesn't want a long commute to work and we have a little one on the way, so I would like to look for a town with a good school system. I know the towns surrounding Waltham have some good schools, but the problem is the housing prices. We were hoping for a single family home, but our budget is really tight - under 300K. Any thoughts or ideas on good towns near enough to Waltham where we could find a house for that price?

[seldomseen]

With a budget that tight...Waltham will probably price you out for any of the better homes, and sections of town. My advice would be to just do a search on Move.com and to just search the nearby towns within a 15-20 radius to see what yields.

[airedaly]

I think you're smart to look for a house close to your husband's job, especially with a little one on the way. Unfortunately, prices in the area are pretty high. I would certainly consider looking for a small 'starter home' in Waltham. Waltham is a city, and comes with some city problems, but overall, it's a great location with some amazing resources including a wonderful theatre, terrific restaurants, excellent shopping and proximity to the highway. It's next to Lexington, Belmont, Watertown, Newton and Lincoln, so you can take advantage of what they offer. There are houses for under $350,000 that are in nice family neighborhoods. It is important to visit the area and check out the neighborhoods, since there are some yucky areas of Waltham. There may be some small homes in Watertown worth checking out.

You can start off with a small house in Waltham and move up when the baby starts school. Good luck with the move.

[AWM]

Thanks for your posts! I appreciate the help. I think you are right about perhaps not needing to worry about the school systems yet. When the baby is ready for school, we will porbably be in a position to buy a bigger place and will be able to afford some of the towns with better schools.

[slang75]

Can't you rent? I think buying in a poor school district and then upgrading when the kids are ready for school is a bad idea. Especially what all the uncertainty in the housing market. You should probably do some in person house hunting and see what you can get for that price point in a 30 minutes commute to Watham. I think you will be surprised how little that will get you around there. What about Condos? Again, if you're willing to upgrade in 4-5 years, why not buy a condo to start?

Good luck. We made a move last year when my wife was pregnant. Be sure to let your husband do all the stressful stuff!

[Jefferino]

On your budget you might consider renting in Watertown to start. I live in W'town and commute 7 mi to Waltham. My daughter is graduating from WHS, and we've been in the school system since kindergarten. Belmont is also close, and it's schools are highly regarded, but much fewer rentals in Belmont, although possible.

[goyguy]

It's definitely a buyer's market now. Don't rule out Newton as far as owning a home, since some areas (Nonantum and West Newton) are relatively affordable. You might be surprised at what you could find in Lexington if you watch the listings there carefully. Ditto for Belmont. All three of those communities border Waltham and have some of the highest-regarded school systems. Watertown would offer a broader selection of dwellings, but its schools are more along the lines of "good, not great," although it's a friendly town with some "flavor" thanks to its being the hub for Boston's Armenian community. Arlington I'd steer clear of, despite good home selection, because the voters keep turning down property-tax cap overrides and the schools are the worse for it.