Home selling season in Northeast Mass.: Timing a visit from out of state to look for home to buy

[Remy11]

You are absolutely right. NBPT is probably not the place if you want a large yard as the houses close to downtown with big yards are few and far between. They exist, but they’re the exception, not the rule. We have dogs, not kids, and didn’t want the upkeep of a large yard, so a smaller yard is no problem for us, but I’d feel badly if we had kids as they wouldn’t have a nice, big yard to play in. There are homes with large yards in an area called Turkey Hill, but it’s definitely not walkable to downtown, so you’re basically paying the exorbitant NBPT real estate prices to practically live in West Newbury. It’s literally on the W. Newbury line and way out on the other side of 95.

I think Amesbury would be an excellent bet. It has a great downtown and lovely homes with yards. Oh, and a good school system with just Amesbury kids. It’s also very close to 95 and 495, which makes it extremely convenient. If we didn’t find something in NBPT, Amesbury was a close second on the list.

Groveland is nice as well. You have the small town feel (very similar to Georgetown), and as you mentioned, Haverhill is right next door. I lived in downtown Haverhill for a few years after college and loved it. The downtown has fantastic restaurants and bars and all of the amenities in general are there.

Andover is another fantastic town. It has a great downtown with shopping and restaurants and an excellent high school. It’s an old money town and continues to attract people looking for an upscale place to live. I would have loved to live in Andover, but since my spouse and I both happen to work in the seacoast area, it made more sense to go to NBPT. North Andover is also very nice. The downtown area isn’t quite as happening as Andover, but route 114 runs right through it and there you will find plenty of grocery stores, restaurants, and some big box stores. I don’t think you can go wrong with either of The Andovers, but I personally love the vibe of Andover. It’s similar to NBPT, but just not situated on the water.

Oh and W. Newbury and Newbury are nice, quiet, and very safe, but not much going on at all. I’d say those are both similar to Boxford—in other words, no real downtown area. Just your basic police/fire stations, library, gas station, and maybe one or two pizza shops.