Moving To Boston area (Newton, Brookline, Watertown, Melrose, etc)

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by bugelrex

820k in newton. From the photos alone, it looks ok.

https://www.redfin.com/MA/Newton/66-.../home/11493526

Originally Posted by mwj119

OP, to put into perspective the housing market in the inner ring, look at the views on this 9 hour old post.. 500+. I'm not sure if houses are still going over asking price, but in recent years, this would likely go over asking price by $30k.

The issue with that house is, at that price point, you're going to be competing with developers who will knock that house down and put up a 2 story house that they'll sell for $1.5M+. They can pay all cash and close quickly, with no inspection, etc. But you might get lucky -- it's definitely worth a look. That's where the real competition is, though.

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Even if you somehow magically got that Newton house for 800k, the commute to Copley would still be convoluted and take up to anywhere between 45 minutes and 1 hour 20 minutes on worse days, which definitely happen, especially in winter..

My husband commutes to Copley and it's usually 30-40 minutes. The very worst days are an hour. And that's about as good as you're going to get in the Boston area. Only Brookline is going to be better to Copley. So I certainly wouldn't rule out Newton based on commute, because almost everyplace else will be worse. (Unless you change the calculus to commute of under 30 minutes being the number one priority and nothing else matters much.)

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

My husband commutes to Copley and it's usually 30-40 minutes. The very worst days are an hour. And that's about as good as you're going to get in the Boston area. Only Brookline is going to be better to Copley. So I certainly wouldn't rule out Newton based on commute, because almost everyplace else will be worse. (Unless you change the calculus to commute of under 30 minutes being the number one priority and nothing else matters much.)

Newton is a big place and it's not all connected equally.

As far as I can tell, there is an express bus near that address, it just doesn't go to Copley so you'd need to transfer or walk later. So I'm sticking by my estimate.

[breezy1]

I would highly recommend Watertown for your situation. It should be a 30-40 min commute via driving or via express bus (which leaves right from Watertown center going to the Pru/Copley area). I used to live in Newtonville and now live in Watertown, commuting via car previously into Cambridge and now to Boston Seaport area downtown. If I leave my house ~7:30a, I can generally make the commute into the Seaport area within 30-40 minutes. I could probably get to Copley/Pru area in less time since that is closer. (I drive through Allston in the morning and pick up the Pike into downtown at the Cambrige/Allston exit, bypassing having to get on the Pike at Newton Center which is always a big mess of traffic. I come home via Storrow Drive instead of the Pike, again to avoid having to get off Pike at Newton/Watertown Exit 17, which is always another big mess.)

Newton is a big town and traffic patterns vary tremendously going into the city. Newtonville area was very central and made a big difference for commuting via other areas of Newton. Watertown is even better for commuting into Boston/Cambridge than Newton. It's not always about the distance; a few bad intersections with traffic flow problems can really tie you up, increasing your commute time and frustrations. There are some really nice neighborhoods in Watertown; prices better than in Newton. Lots of young families are moving into our neighborhood, which is mainly single family older homes built in the 1920s/30s.

You may want to find out your parking options in the Copley/Pru area, in particular whether your company will subsidize some of the cost (which could be upwards of $400/mos). That may determine whether you drive or take the express bus.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Newton is a big place and it's not all connected equally.

As far as I can tell, there is an express bus near that address, it just doesn't go to Copley so you'd need to transfer or walk later. So I'm sticking by my estimate.

The OP indicated a likely preference to drive, as he isn't familiar with public transit. That's not to say he won't decide to use public transit (or end up forced into it.)

My point is that no matter where you are in Newton, it's going to be closer and less time commute wise than from most other suburbs, especially suburbs that are further out. On the worst days when it's an hour commute to Newton, it's two hours to the further-flung suburbs.

[G-fused]

Originally Posted by redplum33

There are several single family houses available in Newton for around 800k. Most need work.

You can get a small condo in Brookline for 800k. If schools and commute time are top priorities, that may be the way to go.

This sums it up nicely. If good schools and owning a decent home are the priority I would advise looking for something near a commuter rail station.

Best of luck and welcome

[sawyer2]

Originally Posted by Alakowe

Ok. Commute time to downtown Boston near Copley center preferably within 30 mins. Havent lived in the north east before so the concept of getting around other than a car is foreign. Have a young kid and he is 4 so a good school area is a must. Based on what ive been seeing, any budget i had in mind (capped at $800K) is a joke. Is it just better to suck it up and rent even though it may cost an arm and 2 legs. We had a 2200SFT house 20 mins from downtown atlanta (about 10 miles) with all its crazy traffic and the house was about $300K. Does this help you appreciate our dilemma?

We are in Belmont and my wife drives to Copley frequently during rush hour - typically 30-35 mins door to door, usually 30 mins.

There are no SF houses for 800K or under on the market in Belmont, and only 19 sold in that price range in the last 12 months - most of which were small, poor location, needed work or come combination. However, it would be a good rental option if that would work for you short term. Schools and amenities are excellent.

Watertown is a good option too as others have suggested. It would probably be around 5 minutes closer, depending on where you live in either town. For comparison, there were 85 SF houses sold in Watertown for 800K or less in the last 12 months. Population of Watertown is about 50% greater than Belmont and it is about 10% smaller in area.