Thinking of moving east (Plymouth, Clinton: for sale, real estate, new home)

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

It wasn't *that* long ago that the then-governor of Connecticut (John Rowland) was impeached and served time in federal prison (and he's been found guilty of more charges since getting out) - never a good sign for a state being well run.

Three consecutive house speakers in MA were federally indited (Flaharity to Dimasi). Talking about corruption in CT is like the pot calling the kettle black.

[mdovell]

Right but the difference here is at least Mass has some laws in place for policing.

The vast majority of municipal positions in CT are civil service. While that might make sense for police and fire it makes little sense for administrative assistants, town clerks etc. Then add in a test and extra points simply for being there. Heck Hartford has a residency requirement that's the most restrictive of all of new England. You have to be a resident upon application. I can understand a month or more to find a place, some even give a year. But to have someone move there prior to the job even starting reeks of constitutional violations under the equal protection clause, full faith and credit and potentially interstate commerce.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by Boston_Burbs

Agreed.

I often long for living in the woods in VT or Western, MA, then I check the housing prices near Burlington, VT or Hanover, NH or Amherst, MA with decent schools and say.. might as well just move to Princeton. Similar housing prices but with a top national economic center close by (not close enough to commute daily but Princeton feels more economically safe than VT or even western, MA). Also, it looks like they will get internet figured out in the near future as well.

While I agree, as a resident of Sterling, I would say retiring in a town such as Princeton, Sterling, Harvard, Bolton, etc. generally requires a durable soul and an equally durable body. The estates tend to be large (with equally large drives) and the winters, though beautiful, are rather unforgiving.

My elderly neighbor seems to get by; however, the average retiree might not have his capital - a fleet of commercial grade JD power equipment or the beautiful four car garage in which they're stored is neither cheap to acquire nor cheap to maintain.

My 34 year old frame is feeling a bit worn after clearing 40" of frosty stuff this week and I won't be surprised if this upcoming 'rain event' is more snow for the Worcester hills. I lack the stamina, physically and mentally, to keep our modest estate functioning for another 30-40 years. If by the time I'm 60 I'm not in Little Compton or somewhere nearby, I'll be hanging rope from the ceiling.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

While I agree, as a resident of Sterling, I would say retiring in a town such as Princeton, Sterling, Harvard, Bolton, etc. generally requires a durable soul and an equally durable body. The estates tend to be large (with equally large drives) and the winters, though beautiful, are rather unforgiving.

My elderly neighbor seems to get by; however, the average retiree might not have his capital - a fleet of commercial grade JD power equipment or the beautiful four car garage in which they're stored is neither cheap to acquire nor cheap to maintain.

My 34 year old frame is feeling a bit worn after clearing 40" of frosty stuff this week and I won't be surprised if this upcoming 'rain event' is more snow for the Worcester hills. I lack the stamina, physically and mentally, to keep our modest estate functioning for another 30-40 years. If by the time I'm 60 I'm not in Little Compton or somewhere nearby, I'll be hanging rope from the ceiling.

Snow and ice don't get any easier to deal with as we get older, but there are cheaper solutions than owning your own heavy duty equipment - can always contract snow clearing out for your driveway. Now, getting the walks and porch done is more difficult to find help with, but there do seem to be some people that will do that more time consuming/finicky work too for the right price.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

While I agree, as a resident of Sterling, I would say retiring in a town such as Princeton, Sterling, Harvard, Bolton, etc. generally requires a durable soul and an equally durable body. The estates tend to be large (with equally large drives) and the winters, though beautiful, are rather unforgiving.

My elderly neighbor seems to get by; however, the average retiree might not have his capital - a fleet of commercial grade JD power equipment or the beautiful four car garage in which they're stored is neither cheap to acquire nor cheap to maintain.

My 34 year old frame is feeling a bit worn after clearing 40" of frosty stuff this week and I won't be surprised if this upcoming 'rain event' is more snow for the Worcester hills. I lack the stamina, physically and mentally, to keep our modest estate functioning for another 30-40 years. If by the time I'm 60 I'm not in Little Compton or somewhere nearby, I'll be hanging rope from the ceiling.

More retirees are moving into communities as opposed to large estates. There are some recent 55+ developments in Lancaster and Lunenburg, to name a couple; as well as stuff like the converted mills in Clinton. All low maintenance living.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Snow and ice don't get any easier to deal with as we get older, but there are cheaper solutions than owning your own heavy duty equipment - can always contract snow clearing out for your driveway. Now, getting the walks and porch done is more difficult to find help with, but there do seem to be some people that will do that more time consuming/finicky work too for the right price.

Regardless, it requires capital as the Worcester hill towns receive around 70" of snow annually. My neighbor plows roughly 400 feet of my shared drive - no detail work, no garages, just straight pushes into the woods. It runs about $500-700 a season per head, or roughly $1000-1,400 a season. Detail work and path clearing will bump costs higher. Additionally, lawn services for a 2 acre lot are going to run in the $3K-6K at the low end.

One can spend $10K in a blink given labor rates here, if they were to contract out all maintenance.

[rranger]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

In other threads, the OP was talking about a boat and sailing.

The OP is also talking about semi-rural with a larger lot and medium house. A boat in Westport Ma harbor and the Adamsville part of Little Compton RI or Westport Ma gives you that. Those are both extremely low property tax towns compared to anything in Connecticut that's not a Fairfield County gold town with the enormous tax base. Route 88 is a 50 mph straight road with wide shoulders to I-195. Providence is 25 minutes. Boston is an hour-ish outside of rush hour. You'd have to take a hard look at all three states with respect to state income tax burden. Depending in income and sources of income, the tax bill can be quite different. Mass doesn't tax Social Security or state/local pensions in states that have reciprocity. RI has a means-tested exemption for a chunk of both Social Security and "regular" income (pensions, IRA distributions, etc) at age 65+. I'm not aware that Connecticut has any retiree tax breaks other than a recent bone to state/local workers with Massachusetts-style exemption for Connecticut pension income.

Massachusetts has far less of an unfunded pension liability issue than Connecticut. Connecticut has been handling public school teacher pensions at the state level and hasn't funded properly. There's really big risk that they'll punt the problem to the towns so you could face a double-whammy of spiked local property taxes and spiked state income taxes. It's kind of ironic that Taxachusetts is now middle of the road for tax burden and quite reasonable once you get outside the I-495 belt where sky-high property prices make for high property taxes.

Great post, and a great deal of what you mention in the first paragraph is precisely why I'd recommend RI or Southeastern MA. Of course, Little Compton, Tiverton, Westport, et. al. are very spendy, so the OP would need to have a lot of money (which is precisely why I suggested South County, lots of beach access and much cheaper).

Of course, as I guess a number of other posters will tell you, those places don't hold a candle to the charms of Voluntown, Norwich, Putnam or New London, not to mention Holden or Fitchburg (all of which, I'm told, are all the rage with the retirement set!). C'est la vie, I guess! I think the OP should probably look elsewhere for quality information. Too much dreck here.

[Boston_Burbs]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

While I agree, as a resident of Sterling, I would say retiring in a town such as Princeton, Sterling, Harvard, Bolton, etc. generally requires a durable soul and an equally durable body. The estates tend to be large (with equally large drives) and the winters, though beautiful, are rather unforgiving.

My elderly neighbor seems to get by; however, the average retiree might not have his capital - a fleet of commercial grade JD power equipment or the beautiful four car garage in which they're stored is neither cheap to acquire nor cheap to maintain.

My 34 year old frame is feeling a bit worn after clearing 40" of frosty stuff this week and I won't be surprised if this upcoming 'rain event' is more snow for the Worcester hills. I lack the stamina, physically and mentally, to keep our modest estate functioning for another 30-40 years. If by the time I'm 60 I'm not in Little Compton or somewhere nearby, I'll be hanging rope from the ceiling.

Totally agreed. I moved from Townsend to Marblehead in my late 20's and LOVE my postage stamp yard and little snow.

Though if I was retired in central MA my snow removal would be more leisurely and not at 430am.

But the OP was interested in the Berkshires which is worse in many respects.

[AK-Cathy]

So after looking around and seriously considering areas from RI to NH, we have an accepted offer on a home with some acreage 10 miles inland from the coast north of Guilford/Madison CT area. We looked seriously at a view property in Plymouth MA but it was going to need whole house renovation and we just didn't feel that it was what we wanted to do for 5 years even though there was tremendous upside potential. We have no heirs so there would be no point really other than the amazing high bluff view. I appreciate the insight and commentary on this and the CT forums. We are excited to come to New England. Feels like coming home to a place we've never been before.

[brightdoglover]

Originally Posted by AK-Cathy

So after looking around and seriously considering areas from RI to NH, we have an accepted offer on a home with some acreage 10 miles inland from the coast north of Guilford/Madison CT area. ...We are excited to come to New England. Feels like coming home to a place we've never been before.

Hearty congratulations! Please keep posting about your move and settling in. New England is a wonderful place overall. I will see it as my second home when I leave for Colorado.