Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: used car, down payment, packages)

[yesmaybe]

https://wwmt.com/news/local/pfizers-...vid-19-vaccine

Haven't really paid attention to the vaccine progress but it looks like Pfizer is gearing up now (the article mentions a plant in Michigan) and they are planning on trying to get approval at the end of October. Of course they may be mainly after that sweet, sweet Trump cash and not actually serious about starting then.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by mdovell

There goes the housing market in Hingham. No ferry. I don't know as nyokne in Hingham that wants to drive to Boston let alone take a train in.

The vast majority of those I know in Hingham who commute to the city take the train because it runs more often and the train stations are more convenient. I love the ferry and took it for many years, but unless you live super close to it, it's just not as convenient as the train.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by msRB311

not necessarily. If remote work continues past the pandemic (whenever it 'ends') then more people might want to move to a place like hingham because they won't have to commute into boston.

Well I'm seeing it normalized of working 90+ miles away so why even bother paying Hingham prices for anything at this point.

An old job of mine in the Berkshires was taken by a guy in Eastern CT. A women in my complex in Springfield works for the City of Poughkeepsie NY remotely. I would not surprise me at all if someone was in Portland Maine or maybe even Albany working for an employer in Boston.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Well I'm seeing it normalized of working 90+ miles away so why even bother paying Hingham prices for anything at this point.

An old job of mine in the Berkshires was taken by a guy in Eastern CT. A women in my complex in Springfield works for the City of Poughkeepsie NY remotely. I would not surprise me at all if someone was in Portland Maine or maybe even Albany working for an employer in Boston.

Many of us who are still working remotely don't know if we will be expected to go back in the office in some capacity next year. I, for one, would love to sell our suburban house and move to a lake in NH, but the reality is 1.) We are parents with children in public schools and that is still a major consideration and 2.) we don't know if we can WFH 100% of the time once this ends.

I have a feeling that many parents in the 'burbs are in the same boat: the idea of moving farther away is appealing, but still not realistic.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

I have a feeling that many parents in the 'burbs are in the same boat: the idea of moving farther away is appealing, but still not realistic.

It's on our mind. Wife and I are currently trying to narrow down where we would go exactly, but realistically this is 2-4 years out once we see the long-term plan for WFH policies. I am getting spoiled by my newfound 17-20 min commute over the last 6 mos, after a decade of 50-70+ min commutes.


However, another thing i'm watching is the state of our economy with regards to the amount of money being pumped into it by the fed. At some point, the music will have to stop and I want to make sure we have a cushion ready just in case.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

It's on our mind. Wife and I are currently trying to narrow down where we would go exactly, but realistically this is 2-4 years out once we see the long-term plan for WFH policies. I am getting spoiled by my newfound 17-20 min commute over the last 6 mos, after a decade of 50-70+ min commutes.


However, another thing i'm watching is the state of our economy with regards to the amount of money being pumped into it by the fed. At some point, the music will have to stop and I want to make sure we have a cushion ready just in case.

Same discussions happening here: what areas fit our needs...not for consideration right now, but possibly after the dust settles. We're honestly using the region more than ever before due to the lack of traffic, which has been really nice.

I'm very anxious about the long-term effects of the economic decisions that are being made. But I'm a Nervous Nelly about money generally. Now I'm worried about losing jobs, and the long term effect on unemployment + inflation. Even some discussions at my company have shifted to which competitors we think will not make it through (key factor being debt). Seems like those companies with cash will be the ones to make it, but it's a very depressing discussion to have.

Obviously there are still many more short-term things to focus on--when will there be a vaccine? What are the holidays going to look like? When, for the love of God, will my kids be back in school?

But there will be some very interesting long-term effects of this pandemic. What will businesses look like in a few years? Will there be an ongoing migration out of cities? When will the most hard-hit industries (like travel) recover?

[msRB311]

I know a few people who have moved to NH. They were already working from home and got permission from their jobs that they could stay remote even if everyone else returns. I will note that these folks don't have kids.

I imagine some places will allow work from home but will still want folks in the office once a week or even once a month. People will have to decide if they want to commute two hours for whenever that one day is.

[id77]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

Same discussions happening here: what areas fit our needs...not for consideration right now, but possibly after the dust settles. We're honestly using the region more than ever before due to the lack of traffic, which has been really nice.

I'm very anxious about the long-term effects of the economic decisions that are being made. But I'm a Nervous Nelly about money generally. Now I'm worried about losing jobs, and the long term effect on unemployment + inflation. Even some discussions at my company have shifted to which competitors we think will not make it through (key factor being debt). Seems like those companies with cash will be the ones to make it, but it's a very depressing discussion to have.

Obviously there are still many more short-term things to focus on--when will there be a vaccine? What are the holidays going to look like? When, for the love of God, will my kids be back in school?

But there will be some very interesting long-term effects of this pandemic. What will businesses look like in a few years? Will there be an ongoing migration out of cities? When will the most hard-hit industries (like travel) recover?

We went through the same thought process and chose to stay in Boston. It’s the best option out there that fits our needs and wants. We don’t work in Boston; we just like the walkability it offers.

I don’t see a huge net population out of cities since there’s a lot of demand to live in one — if some leave sufficient to lower the cost a bit, others who’ve been waiting for a chance will move in and stabilize costs. This process will continue until balance is restored.

[mdovell]

As for schools I've heard of some taking way April vacation and I highly doubt snow days exist anymore. I'm starting to think that we are going to have another shutdown. Numbers keep going up. I just filled at $1.85 a gallon which leads me to think people still aren't going out. I'm thinking like 1918 that we will see a second wave sometime in November and maybe close up around Thanksgiving.

[porterhouse]

As for people moving out of state, there will be tax considerations for the employer unless they are already operating in that state. I’d expect many people will need to “prove” they are working at least 50% of their hours in MA (this could be done by using a relatives address), or some employers will force out of state employees to work via 3rd party staffing agencies.