Buying home in Bellingham,MA (Milford, Blackstone: renting, crime rate, credit)

[daveharris]

I am planning on buying a house in Bellingham. I want to know your opinion good or bad(is there anything). I see that the schools are not that great, Are they going to imporve? How much is the property tax? Is there a good public water system and sewerage system? How about crime rate, Water quality?
What is the average single family house cost? How is the resale going to be in 5 years incase I need to sell the house.
I greatly appreciate if you can give your prompt opinion.

Thanks,

[CaseyB]

Do a search on this forum for Bellingham. Here's one of the previous threads:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/massa...ellingham.html

[cory30]

I actually lived in Bellingham for a while and loved it there. Bellingham is one of the last town around 495 that has room to develop. The surrounding towns are already crowded and overpriced. There has been a few home developments in last few years drawing young professionals into the area. In my neighborhood, there were many SAHM's with young or school aged children and those who sent their kids to the public schools were happy with their choices. There were also parents who happily sent their kids to nearby private schools. Parents of public school kids have only good things to say about the school. From all three sides of my house, there were children under age of 5. All the kids play together and especially in the summer, they were out and about in each others yards. The homes and large and lots are decent in comparison to what would get elsewhere.

Water and sewage is public and is excellent.

Air is great, wide open spaces so very fresh.

Crime rate - I'm not sure, but no issues for my neighborhood.

Values have dropped in current market, amazing prices, I can't imagine it not improve as houses are such great value.

In my neighborhood...houses start at 500K, and some costs 700K to 800K to build. So it really depends of the neighborhood.

[tuteishungry]

Originally Posted by cory30

I actually lived in Bellingham for a while and loved it there. Bellingham is one of the last town around 495 that has room to develop. The surrounding towns are already crowded and overpriced. There has been a few home developments in last few years drawing young professionals into the area. In my neighborhood, there were many SAHM's with young or school aged children and those who sent their kids to the public schools were happy with their choices. There were also parents who happily sent their kids to nearby private schools. Parents of public school kids have only good things to say about the school. From all three sides of my house, there were children under age of 5. All the kids play together and especially in the summer, they were out and about in each others yards. The homes and large and lots are decent in comparison to what would get elsewhere.

Water and sewage is public and is excellent.

Air is great, wide open spaces so very fresh.

Crime rate - I'm not sure, but no issues for my neighborhood.

Values have dropped in current market, amazing prices, I can't imagine it not improve as houses are such great value.

In my neighborhood...houses start at 500K, and some costs 700K to 800K to build. So it really depends of the neighborhood.

I live in the town over from Bellingham and the crime rate is low. Just a lot of little hooligan kids, but nothing major. Blackstone and Woonsocket is different though. Sewage system is in Milford.

[Concepts]

Actually, average list price in Bellingham right now is $320,000. You could certainly pick up a starter home for even less.....and if you're a first time homebuyer, there's that $8000 tax credit. Taxes are only $10.00 per thousand which is on the low side for this area.

As far as re-sale in 5 years.....no one can really answer that. I believe prices are at the bottom right now as not much has declined in past 3 months.

But look at it this way, if you're renting you are giving your money away every month - even if you only got what you paid for it 5 years down the road, you are still ahead of the game.