Why is the housing stock so crappy in Boston metro? (Waltham: purchasing, college)

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by gf2020

I have mentioned this point before in other threads but people seem to forget or ignore the fact that much of the remaining vacant land within 495, for example, is not buildable due to the lack of public water & sewer systems.

Many of the towns within Eastern MA do not have public sewer systems and depend on private septic systems for waste water. Many mainstream suburbs, like Lynnfield, Southborough and Westford, for example, do not have public sewer systems. You might think you can just pop in a few more houses "in the right places" but the geography won't support it. Land that is wet or does not have suitable soils will not support a septic system for a single family home, to say nothing of the ability to support multi-unit dwellings.

Tell me about it. Heck look up the long and complicated debate for water for Brockton.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by gf2020

I have mentioned this point before in other threads but people seem to forget or ignore the fact that much of the remaining vacant land within 495, for example, is not buildable due to the lack of public water & sewer systems.

Many of the towns within Eastern MA do not have public sewer systems and depend on private septic systems for waste water. Many mainstream suburbs, like Lynnfield, Southborough and Westford, for example, do not have public sewer systems. You might think you can just pop in a few more houses "in the right places" but the geography won't support it. Land that is wet or does not have suitable soils will not support a septic system for a single family home, to say nothing of the ability to support multi-unit dwellings.

Hell, you can head much further west and encounter the same issues. I live in eastern Sterling and to the layman, I'm surrounded by hundreds of acres of developable land. The reality, however, is that the bulk of it is unbuildable for a variety of reasons: Wachusett res watershed, wetlands (protected and/or can't perc septic), underlying bedrock (can't perc septic and/or cost prohibitive), grade too steep, contaminated top soil from production farming/industry, industry easements, and so on.

The lots which are available, at this point, are either on steep grade and/or adjacent to wetlands or redeveloped from larger subdivided properties. The only real option for increasing density is to tear down existing SFHs and build multifamilies. It's happening, but slowly.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by gf2020

I have mentioned this point before in other threads but people seem to forget or ignore the fact that much of the remaining vacant land within 495, for example, is not buildable due to the lack of public water & sewer systems.

Many of the towns within Eastern MA do not have public sewer systems and depend on private septic systems for waste water. Many mainstream suburbs, like Lynnfield, Southborough and Westford, for example, do not have public sewer systems. You might think you can just pop in a few more houses "in the right places" but the geography won't support it. Land that is wet or does not have suitable soils will not support a septic system for a single family home, to say nothing of the ability to support multi-unit dwellings.

Which hashes on my whole point on regional planning and cooperation. Pretty much ANYWHERE else; you would have a county or regional body addressing these needs and getting water, sewer, roads and gas lines constructed to meet a demand where it exists. In the Boston area where all control is local, there is little to no incentive for communities to do their part in solving regional challenges.

[FCMA]

Regular people can’t even afford the burned out skeleton of a house anymore! https://www.necn.com/news/new-englan...485716531.html

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by FCMA

Regular people can’t even afford the burned out skeleton of a house anymore! https://www.necn.com/news/new-englan...485716531.html

What struck me the most about that story is that everyone interviewed or shown in the video with the exception of the reporter is a grayhead. They couldn't find any younger people in Melrose to include in the story? It seems to indicate that the suburban Massachusetts housing market is still dominated by aging baby boomers.

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan

What struck me the most about that story is that everyone interviewed or shown in the video with the exception of the reporter is a grayhead. They couldn't find any younger people in Melrose to include in the story? It seems to indicate that the suburban Massachusetts housing market is still dominated by aging baby boomers.

It is.

[FCMA]

Originally Posted by tysmith95

It is.

Dominated by people born in the right decades (~1930s-60s) to buy reasonably, and younger folks who made very economically prudent choices when selecting career paths and can take advantage of the hot employment sectors in metro Boston. The in-betweens get to huddle tightly in crappy rental housing stock or go somewhere else.

[Williepaws]

Originally Posted by tysmith95

This. There are way too many snobby towns surrounding Boston that constrain the housing stock of the region.

Yeah can you imagine that.. people wanting open space and conservation land instead of sitting on top of each other and listening to even more traffic and noise.

[tamajane]

Originally Posted by FCMA

Dominated by people born in the right decades (~1930s-60s) to buy reasonably, and younger folks who made very economically prudent choices when selecting career paths and can take advantage of the hot employment sectors in metro Boston. The in-betweens get to huddle tightly in crappy rental housing stock or go somewhere else.

Like other hot markets. You can stick it out and hope for the best or move on.

[Williepaws]

Originally Posted by tamajane

We move to suburbia to get away from high density, not have it follow us.

ALSo when people move from the cities to more rural suburbia, they think they have the right to tell other people how to live. Chickens, gardens, horses, dogs, farming, etc are all targets of this citified crowd that wants the city in the suburbs and to heck with the people who have been living there for yrs. its a nasty world in suburbia now adays.