Help find Waterfront location for move (Boston, Newton: foreclosures, condo, new house)

[LoveThatDirtyWater]

Hi,

We're moving back to Boston after twelve+ years away. I grew up in Newton and love the suburban Boston-area feel (can't wait to get out of the big city of LA!). BUT, I am looking for a waterfront location if possible... ocean, lake, pond, river, anything. We live on the beach in LA and it's going to be hard to give that up!

Some constraints:
- close as possible to Newton, Bedford (work), and Boston
- budget: goal $250,000; realistic $500,000; stretch - $800,000
- close to T or commuter line

Any advice you can give on good towns to check out would be great! I've been checking out the South Shore and the North Shore, and all the little ponds and lakes I can find on a map of Mass.

Go Sox!
LTDW

[scarletfire]

Are you looking for a quiet area for passive recreation (swimming, canoeing, etc) or motorized recreation?

Also, will you be commuting into Boston & if so do you need public transport or driving?

[bgrasser]

You will get the most punch for your Buck in North Weymouth.

[holden125]

Tough one.

Can't think of anything on the ocean that's convenient for a commute to Bedford. It would take quite a while. And while the commuter rail would be good for access to Boston, it's really of no help for getting to Bedford. To get there from the coast would require going into Boston and back out, and the nearest stop is in Concord and probably not accessible from your workplace very easily either. I think you're stuck driving to work in Bedford.

A lake, pond, river, etc. is a different story, but there are so many of them (and the situation involving access to the water is so different for each house). You'll pay more for anything with water access, so the target price range of 250K to 500K poses a problem also (though the total range you cite is enormous).

There are houses near Lake Cochituate and Dudley Pond in Wayland and Framingham, but I have no idea what they'd cost or if any on the water ever come available.

In addition to scarletfire's questions, I'd ask: what kind of place are you looking for (condo, house), how big, how nice and new, etc.? Do schools, etc., matter? 250K for waterfront anything may be quite tough in eastern Mass.

[brightdoglover]

There are nice little lakes in Littleton (easy drive to Bedford) and your price range is fine, assuming something became available.

[bluewatergirl888]

You can get a waterfront in MA for $250,000. The only problem is that the body of water is a puddle!

[LoveThatDirtyWater]

Thanks for all your ideas--I'll definitely check out the areas recommended. As for answers to your questions: definitely looking for passive recreation (swimming, kayaking, sailboat, etc.); looking for a single-family stand-alone house with a yard; a nice, new house would be great but we'll take what we can get; same for schools (no kids yet); probably commuting to Bedford (but not definite). I know the price range is tough but I've seen a couple of options so far (foreclosures, etc) and as the market goes down, I think there might be a few more. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Any ideas of locations greatly appreciated!

[jayrandom]

If you're really after any waterfront (pond, stream, ocean, etc.) your best bet is to look at lots of towns around Bedford and see what pops up. Towns on the ocean are easy to identify, but most all towns have one or two small lakes so it just becomes a question of which individual properties are on a body of water, which will almost certainly depend on who is selling in a particular town.

There are some bigger lakes in the area, though, so you might want to focus on those town. Wakefield has a big lake that is popular in the town, you might want to check that out. Alternately, Arlington, Winchester, and Medford have a fair amount of water--although I don't think that lakefront Winchester will be in your budget. I'm sure there are dozens of other larger ponds and lakes, but those are the ones I'm familiar with.

Good luck.

[SDG]

Lived in South Bay area of SoCal for several years and moved to MA. As you know, outside of a major body of water, there is nothing in MA that remotely compares to the beach scene there (weather aside). As stated earlier, 250K for a SFH puts you in a questionable neighborhood within 95 beltway - you might find modest condo's for that. When looking at areas with Ponds do not forget the volume of bugs they produce...namely misquitos! That said, one possible North Shore town that hasn't been mentioned and is 25 miles from Bedford and 23 miles to Newton is Swampscott. Its got a neat coastline, has a little of that strand feel to it, offers homes with a little property and provides access to city and country with 'relative' ease. You will however go closer to your realistic range but could probably find something in the 350-450k within 1800 sq ft range or 450-500K up to around 2200 sq ft - generally speaking.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by SDG

That said, one possible North Shore town that hasn't been mentioned and is 25 miles from Bedford and 23 miles to Newton is Swampscott. Its got a neat coastline, has a little of that strand feel to it, offers homes with a little property and provides access to city and country with 'relative' ease. You will however go closer to your realistic range but could probably find something in the 350-450k within 1800 sq ft range or 450-500K up to around 2200 sq ft - generally speaking.

Swampscott is a great town, but it will be more expensive for anything actually right on the water than for a house elsewhere in town, and forget about a commute to Bedford. 25 miles or not, it will take you half an hour in the morning just to get to the parking lot on 128.

Totally true about the mosquitoes in the ponds.