Relocating to Boston Area (Quincy, Weymouth: apartments, rentals, insurance)

[MA. Bound]

After living in AZ all our lives, we are retiring and relocating to the Boston area next May. I'm flying out in a few days and I have a month to check out the area. We are looking for small, quiet and conservative if possible. We know absolutely nothing about Mass. What are the South Shore towns like? I'm an AZ native and can't wait to live near the ocean but we will be living on a retired Teachers income. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[DreamworksSKG]

what would your budget be for a home?

if you dont mind me asking that'd help me decide.

You might also look into the north shore- cape ann.. even up as far as Newburyport - Amesbury area

[MA. Bound]

We are wanting to lease or rent for the time being. I suppose not over $1,000 monthly would be a fair price to pay. What towns are included in the interior lowlands? Our kids are transferring to the S. Boston area (thus the move for us) and we would like to be no more than an hours drive from them. We are also looking for the warmest climate. We look forward to escaping the AZ heat but don't want to freeze to death either

[Valerie C]

MA Bound, you're planning the opposite of what most New Englanders do at retirement! Many here retire to warmer climates, and AZ especially. I hear that dry heat does wonder for backs and knees that have spent decades shoveling snow

I suggest that you venture into the various threads in the MA & Boston sections here on City Data, to get a general feel for the tone of Massachusetts. After relocating to the midwest for 5 or so years, I found that either I or Massachusetts had changed and my somewhat more conservative values were very much out of place in MA... Since you mentioned that you prefer a conservative area if possible, you might consider posting this question in the New Hampshire forum as well. If you're in the southern part of the state, you would still be within an hour of Boston. New England states are so much smaller than the western states that you're coming from--sometimes it's hard to believe that you can drive through 3 or 4 states in just a couple of hours! Of course, being New Hampshire, we tend to have extended cold and sometimes way too much snow....

When researching the various towns, be sure to take into consideration the state taxes (sales & income) and the various tolls, registry & insurance fees, along with rental prices, home prices, and property taxes.

Wish I had info to share with you on south shore towns... From what I understand it's the warmest part of the state

Originally Posted by MA. Bound

After living in AZ all our lives, we are retiring and relocating to the Boston area next May. I'm flying out in a few days and I have a month to check out the area. We are looking for small, quiet and conservative if possible. We know absolutely nothing about Mass. What are the South Shore towns like? I'm an AZ native and can't wait to live near the ocean but we will be living on a retired Teachers income. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[CaseyB]

Towns like Kingston, Plympton, Carver & most of the smaller towns surrounding Plymouth might be what you are looking for. Actually, parts of Plymouth itself are quiet and you'd find more rentals there.

[DarinsMom]

Too funny! I'm looking to leave MA for AZ! :-)

Come to the Cape if you're looking to retire. Right on the ocean, the taxes are lower here and you can get a lot of house for the $ right now. Check out the rental listings on Craigslist...

Good luck!

[urbie]

Originally Posted by DarinsMom

Too funny! I'm looking to leave MA for AZ! :-)

Come to the Cape if you're looking to retire. Right on the ocean, the taxes are lower here and you can get a lot of house for the $ right now. Check out the rental listings on Craigslist...

Good luck!

I grew up in MA, then (after 5 years in Chicago) lived in Flagstaff, AZ for 7 years, found I couldn't make a living there, and moved to RI (just in time for the Great Recession).

This whole chuck-it-all-and-make-a-new-start-somewhere-else idea does not work very well. Recovery programs call it a "geographical cure," and the problem is that it doesn't cure anything!

That said, if the RI economy stays as bad as it is, I may end up back in MA -- there's a lot more work north and west of Boston than there is to the south.

And based on the AZ teachers I knew, their retirement pension isn't going to go very far in Massachusetts! The Plymouth suggestion was probably not bad, though, in terms of where to look....

Urb

[MA. Bound]

Thanks for the suggestions. Our kids are moving to the Quincy area a few months ahead of us, if they can find a place. The on-line thing is a killer for sure! Any good links for finding houses/apartments for them in that area would be great. I have just about memorized everything Craig's List has to offer and need some fresh ideas

[DreamworksSKG]

Try craigslist apartments

and look in the local newspapers for the towns you're interested in also the Boston globe and herald have good apartment rental listings

I would suggest quincy , Weymouth, Kingston or Plymouth as an area to live