Buying town house in Reading, Wakefield or Burlington (Boston, Newton: low income, 2009)

[cooldw57]

I've been looking for a condo/townhouse for a few months and so far I think I'm pretty much set on three properties in Reading, Wakefield and Burlington. My workplace is off Rt 2 in Lexington, so commute time to all three cities through 95 isn't too bad (never tried rush hour commute though). All three town homes are roughly the same price (Burlington being slightly more expensive), and so now it pretty much all comes down to the location. I don't have kids so school district doesn't really matter, but it would be nice to have a decent high school in town to retain the house resale value.

So what's your take on these three cities? Thanks!

Also I noticed the tax rate in Reading is a lot higher than Wakefield and Burlington. I did the calculation of the percentage and it even comes out to be more expensive than property tax rate in Newton and Winchester, what's going on in Reading?

[CityGirl52]

Reading's always been high in that department all thru the years & for as long as I can remember. I remember one of my aunts moving there and moving out quick after she realized what she was getting herself in for! Are you sure you want to live there! Burlington sounds like a plan to me as far as getting to Lexington every day, even though what you're looking at is more expensive, it might be worth it in the end for you I bet. Wakefield I absolutely love, so there's no issues with that lovely town at all, it's awesome there. I'm sure others will see your post, hopefully some one that lives in Reading and can advise you more matter of factly than I am here! I have a cousin that can't wait to leave Reading for this reason, with the taxes, so I'm hearing about it recently a lot. Her and her husband don't have kids, so the schools aren't an issue, they just can't take it there another minute, so hopefully they get to sell their house quick! They actually want something in Wakefield to tell you the truth. It's the next town over, but the taxes are cut in half practically. It will be used as their 2nd home as they have another one in South Carolina now....good luck wherever you decide to live, it's a major decision on your hands, hope you choose just the right one!

[holden125]

My dad's sister lives in Reading. The high tax rate is mostly because Reading has a lot less commercial property than the other towns, particularly Burlington, which has the mall and office parks. Most towns have a higher rate for commercial and a lower one for residential. Reading has a single rate that's as high as the one in Lexington, though generally assessed on values that are lower than those in Lexington.

I'd probably go with Burlington in your situation. 128 from Wakefield to Lexington is pretty bad at rush hour and not having to deal with that every single day will make a big difference.

[LadyCale]

I think Burlington could work, but that Reading is also a good town in terms of resale and schools... The Reading high school is brand new and is pretty good. Reading also just finished redoing their downtown area. I think there will be pros and cons to each place and you can do well in either area. Reading's feel is a lot different than Burlington in my opinion. The commute from Reading isn't bad if you time it right. My husband used to work in Lexington and now works in Burlington (we are in Reading). He generally goes earlier and leaves earlier to avoid traffic. Which townhouse do you like better?

[Wilm1965]

I live in the area and think all three are excellent towns. The tax rate in Burlington is low because of the mall and office parks. I believe they are one of the few remaining towns that are still not charging fees for things such as trash, buses, school athletics, etc.

As far as high schools, all three are above average. Boston Magazine just released their rankings for the Boston area for 2009 and had Burlington at 38, Reading at 49, and Wakefield at 50.

[cooldw57]

Thanks guys for your help! As a follow up we ruled out the property in Wakefield, and added in Lincoln, so it's Reading, Burlington, Lincoln for now. So far the town of Burlingotn attracts me the most with the lower tax rate and decent school. Lincoln property was originally designed for low income family but was recently put on resale so I'm not sure about the resale value of this. Reading is still an option but I'm definitely a bit turned off by its tax value (about 2000 dollars more a year compare to Burlington!)