appreciation potential of buying in Natick? (Boston, Cambridge: rental, loans, high income)

[rethcir]

Don't fixate exclusively on the big name software companies. In addition there are hundreds of smaller tech startups in the Boston area that have to offer huge salaries, great benefits and equity plays as well to keep people from fleeing to san fran.

[mmyk72]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

People travel from all around just to eat at the Natick Mall food court!

I thought people who live in the northern part of MA would more likely go to NH for tax free shopping. Maybe Natick mall food court is that good

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by mmyk72

I thought people who live in the northern part of MA would more likely go to NH for tax free shopping. Maybe Natick mall food court is that good

Maybe she only bought clothes so there wouldn't be any difference. Still seems like a long way for her but it sure paid off.

[danjmac]

Originally Posted by panchilly

Spending 850 will likely work out just fine. Inflation will wear away at the mortgage balance and in 10 years you’ll look back and the difference between 700 and 850 will seem like peanuts. You’ll be glad you got the better house.

Agreed - stretch a bit now and don't lease that shiny new car

[Nobodybody]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Needham was always a desirable town, Natick - not so much until very recently. That's why you are seeing such an increase in the price of homes there.

This is a key point, and exactly why I believe Natick has been (and still has room to be) one of the faster-appreciating towns.


It's surrounded by the W's, Needham, Dover, etc., yet has only more recently become desirable in the sense that it ticks a lot of the boxes that make it comparable to these other areas. While it's never going to become more expensive than these surrounding towns, the disparity was significant and it stuck out as having a lot of room to increase in value and 'normalize' to the surrounding areas.

[JohnS5457]

Is natick more desirable than burlington ma? I guess no commuter rail at Burlington and think natick has better schools ? Thanks

[robr2]

No no no - delete, delete, delete. We're trying not to encourage him.

[panchilly]

Originally Posted by JohnS5457

Is natick more desirable than burlington ma? I guess no commuter rail at Burlington and think natick has better schools ? Thanks

Burlington vs natick. That’s a very close call. I’d say they are equivalent in terms of desirability. They each have their own advantages. Natick has the 2 commuter rail stops, a better town center, and a more central location offering huge commute opportunities from 495, 128, 90, Boston via commuter rail. Burlington is a few miles closer to Boston as the crow flies and also has quicker access to 95. Burlington is a little more optimized for 128 commutes.

I don’t think you can go wrong either way.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by panchilly

Burlington vs natick. That’s a very close call. I’d say they are equivalent in terms of desirability. They each have their own advantages. Natick has the 2 commuter rail stops, a better town center, and a more central location offering huge commute opportunities from 495, 128, 90, Boston via commuter rail. Burlington is a few miles closer to Boston as the crow flies and also has quicker access to 95. Burlington is a little more optimized for 128 commutes.

I don’t think you can go wrong either way.

This is the truth. I would pick Natick over Burlington if I was working in the city, and Burlington if I was working along 95.

Schools are probably pretty close at this point.. As more affluence pours in to each, those test scores will continue to increase, and you'll see both climb higher in comparative lists.

[r_p]

Originally Posted by JohnS5457

Is natick more desirable than burlington ma? I guess no commuter rail at Burlington and think natick has better schools ? Thanks

Desirability is subjective.

Natick, however, is surrounded by some of the richest ZIP codes in the entire country. Weston (11th), Wellesley (32nd), Dover (55th), Sherborn (96th) all make it to Bloomberg's 2019 top 100 list. See https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...hest-zip-codes (scroll down for the actual list).

Commute to Boston (Back Bay/South Station) is significantly better than Burlington.