new jersey to cambridge area..advice (Boston, Arlington: school, community, programs) - Massachusetts (MA) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

jerseymoves · 03-04-2007, 06:55 AM

Parsec,
It helps so much that you're familiar with Glen Ridge. I have been concerned about the size of some of the lots ....I wondered if I would ever see a single soul. My husband on the other hand is from the countryside and loves the idea of living on two acres of land ( that might be because he never had to mow a lawn like that!) We also are having trouble letting go of the south shore idea. We are going to try to get up there next weekend and just try to LOOK at some of these towns and get a feel for them. Houses look great online but then when you drive up to them you realize that they sit across the street from the town dump... Also I was curious to know what they housing market is like there. How long do houses sit on the market and do they go for below, at or over list price? Here things move fast ... two weeks on the market is normal. You have your open house on Sunday and you accept offers on Tuesday until 5 pm. Unless the house is in the million dollar range you usually get above your asking price .... often between $25,000-$70,000 sometimes more. There are usually multiple offers and that drives the price up. Does the same kind of craziness exist up there?
Also... what gives with the trash pick up? It seems as though a lot of towns have no garbage pick up... is that the norm? If it is I will have a more serious adjustment than I did coming to NJ and not being able to pump my own gas ... I rather like that one!
What would you put on my list as "must see" towns. Feel free to mix it up... rural, urban-suburban and the shore.... nothing's out of the running at this point.

smarty · 03-04-2007, 03:52 PM

Depending on the price range, most of the properties are not selling except low end. Hence the price is dropping. How long a property sits depends on if it is price correctly or not. In any case, prices are dropping in MA. (bubble is coming?)

Just remember, the closer is to Boston, the smaller the lot size for the same amount of $$$. For example, Lexington lot size will average 0.5 acre vs Boxborough is an acre. Also, you will see many older houses.

Not sure how long your stay is next weekend. Normally, you will not be able to see too many properties in a weekend. Especially, when you are looking at different towns. Just pace yourself.

No garbage pickup is because of budget and rural setting in many towns.

Best wishes.

jerseymoves · 03-05-2007, 02:21 PM

Thanks Smarty,
We will just have Sunday but I am not planning on actually visiting any houses... unless I stumble upon one that's having an open house. We are really going to get a more tangible grasp on the different towns. I want to feel how dense or desolate they are. What sort of shopping... if any. Is there anyone who looks as though they might mug you hanging out on the corner. I need to find a good balance between ALL of the different elements that fits our lifestyle.
Schools and home prices rank at the top of the list but there is certainly more to be considered ... I would not be comfortable in a mostly blue collar area but I also would not be comfortable in an area where I HAD to join the country club. So I just want to see as much as I can with my own eyes and hopefully my visual coupled with this forums recommendations .... well, I'm hoping that we can then make a well researched choice that we can be happy with.
And that reminds me.... what gives with car insurance up there? I read a post where someone called it a socialist system where everyone pays the same ....
Is there any truth to that or is someone just ranting?

Parsec · 03-06-2007, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerseymoves

And that reminds me.... what gives with car insurance up there? I read a post where someone called it a socialist system where everyone pays the same ....
Is there any truth to that or is someone just ranting?

Haha, that's just someone ranting. The average premiums here really aren't THAT high -- somewhere around $900/person. Since you're coming from NJ, it won't be a shocker at all. I remember when I was a teen in NJ, my rate was approaching $10k/yr after I got dropped from my parent's insurance. When we moved here from Atlanta, our insurance went up 250% though -- and that was coverage for 1 less car (2 instead of 3). It just varies from person to person. The rates here are regulated, btw. They put your driving record through an algorithm to come up w/your rate, and it's the same no matter which insurance company you use. The only difference is the amount of discount you qualify for under each company (i.e. Metlife gave us a 8% discount for being a graduate of a certain university, but Liberty Mutual gave us a 12% discount for working for a certain company)

smarty · 03-06-2007, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerseymoves

We will just have Sunday but I am not planning on actually visiting any houses... unless I stumble upon one that's having an open house. We are really going to get a more tangible grasp on the different towns. I want to feel how dense or desolate they are. What sort of shopping... if any. Is there anyone who looks as though they might mug you hanging out on the corner. I need to find a good balance between ALL of the different elements that fits our lifestyle.

I would still suggest you look at towns near Rt2. Sunday may not be best representation of what a town is like. The traffic that you will have to deal with. What you see in a town center may not be represented about the town especially on a cold Sunday. If you want to look at density. I suggest looking at yahoo real estate or zillow or google maps. They all have composite maps (Satellite and map). It gives you a fairly good idea about density.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerseymoves

And that reminds me.... what gives with car insurance up there? I read a post where someone called it a socialist system where everyone pays the same ....
Is there any truth to that or is someone just ranting?

MA is comparable to NJ in terms of car insurance. It is much higher than many mid-western states. Hence, no worry. What ever you pay in NJ is most like what you will pay here. Most likely $1000-$1500 per car depend on your car, driving record, town you live in, and age. Rate is set by the state. Insurance company can give you small discounts ~10% based on your driving record, # of cars you have, business association, ... etc.

LovelyBoston · 03-06-2007, 06:28 PM

Rates are set by the state, but it is not a "flat" rate -- we do not all pay the same. Your driving record matters, and the state sets different rates depending on your driving record. Plus, yes, there are different discounts, including membership orgs and multi-car discounts, etc.

drouhin · 03-11-2007, 10:30 AM

jerseymoves, I just thought of a town that may come close to fitting most of your criteria: Bedford. It's in metrowest, next to Concord and near Rt. 2, though your husband could just as easily drive to another neighboring, town, Lexington, and take public transportation into Cambridge. Bedford is somewhat more reasonably priced than its neighbors, has a smallish but good HS located in the town center, walkable for many students, with an enrollment of 726. I lived briefly in this town, and found it to be friendly and have a strong sense of community. There's a real town center with sidewalks, schools, library, churches, stores, restaurants and recreational opportunities close to the center (a swimming area, if I remember correctly).

jerseymoves · 03-13-2007, 10:26 AM

I just got back from visiting.... ever so briefly. We checked out the south shore and the area around rt 2. I did not get as far as I would have liked (the children can only stand driving around for so long...) but I did see a little of Acton, Maynard, Concord... I really wanted to see Lexington but I'm sure it's lovely if Concord is any indication. The prison was a bit of a suprise so close to historic areas but I guess it's been there a long time. I will look at Bedford online. As I say I loved Concord but it is pretty pricey. It's always the same thing... a great house in a so-so town or a so-so house in a great town...that is the question!

LovelyBoston · 03-13-2007, 10:40 AM

FYI on Maynard, since you mention it: that town's high school is in danger of losing its accreditation this year because the school's facilities are so poor. It's been on probation for 5 years; the town votes down taxes to pay for the renovation year after year, and looks like it is about to catch up with the town in a very big way. With kids, I would not move there.

Lexington is beautiful, but pricey like Concord. Lexington has more of an urban feel to it, though. I think Concord is much lovelier.

jerseymoves · 03-13-2007, 11:26 AM

Good to know. Maynard was a rather random visit on my part after overshooting the discovery museum in Acton. It was cute but a little more run down and rural than I was looking for... I loved Concord and the kids loved the toy store in Concord... everyone was happy!