emigrating to new england (Boston, Seabrook: for sale, real estate market, rental)

[autumn03]

We are in UK and looking to move to New England. My husband is an adv/wedding photographer and has had his business for 20 years but with 3 young children we are looking for a better quality of life! We married in Vermont in 1995 and fell in love with New England as we travelled the areas. Getting into US is very hard we know but we are seriously looking into it and wondered if anyone has info on good towns near Boston for schooling, families etc. Thanks in advance!

[ScituateAl]

What kind of a town do you want (what is or is not important)? Are you looking to rent or own? Are you looking to be self-employed or are you able to look for work?

Cheers & good luck!

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by autumn03

We wondered if anyone has info on good towns near Boston for schooling, families etc. Thanks in advance!

Need more info. -- what's your budget? How urban/suburban/rural of a community? How close to Boston -- within an hour's drive or further? Or closer?

BTW, have you done an initial perusal at Real Estate Listings, Homes for Sale and Rental Property Listings – REALTOR.com® to get a feel for the real estate market?

[maxxoccupancy]

It depends, really, on what you're looking for. Seabrook, New Hampshire, is 45 minutes from Boston (more, during rush hour), and the state is one of the lowest taxed states in the nation. If you stay within two miles of the ocean, you can avoid some of the worst of New Hampshire's winters.

If you want a lot of public services, however, you might consider Connecticut or even Rhode Island. Mass state government, to be 100% forthright, is corrupt, and it suffers from the highest crime rates and taxes in New England, bar none.

I'm no expert on southern New England, but it does offer a milder climate than the north. Some of the properties down there are quite expensive, but you may be able to find something reasonable in this market.

[autumn03]

Thanks for the replies re moving to New England. We would be looking to buy a place with budget around $450000 hopefully with decent sized garden for the children. A place with good community spirit, safe and with access to good public schools. (Children aged 4 and 6.) As mentioned my husband is a comm/wedding photographer so he would need to access Boston readily by car/train. He does not have a job offer and we were considering setting up his business from home once we have researched further within this field. Any further input on any of these points would be great from your side of the pond! Thanking you in advance.

[London Girl]

You really need to ascertain your eligibility for obtaining a visa before you worry about where you want to live.

You might have seen it already but this is a useful link:

Pulaski's Ways: How to Live and Work in the USA : British Expat Wiki