Cost of living in Amherst/ Northampton?? (Springfield, Franklin: rent, houses, teaching jobs)

[organick]

Hello,

We are considering a move to the area. Is it an expensive area?? I know thats very relative, so can 200k get you a few acres and a house somewhere thats commutable?? We like to live rural. Any other info woul be great. We've lived in Asheville nc, Missoula Mt, Eugene Or. Just to give you a feel of what we like in an area. Thanks

[in_newengland]

You'd have to live very far out from anything to get that much for that price. Commutable to what? There aren't many jobs in that area. Problem is there are FIVE colleges all close together and the graduates tend to stay and take the jobs. There might be teaching jobs or hospital jobs or--the most common job=working at one of the colleges. I've know people to move up around Conway and commute part time. I still don't know if Conway is that cheap though. Sorry.

It's a great area if you are an artist or a writer or a retiree -- then there is no need to commute.

I think the area would have what you are looking for though -- alternative lifestyles and everything that goes along with it -- artsy, fun, lots of things to do. It's not a cheap place to live, however.

[ScituateAl]

College kids automatically take up a lot of off-campus housing, raising demand for housing. That said, if you move just outside the college area, prices drop off dramatically.

What type of work are you in? The area doesn't have the best job-density, but there opportunities in Springfield as well.

[organick]

We would be moving because my wife is a professor and has a job offer so its not the job. We just want to know if we can afford to live there. Thanks.

[Wingfoot]

Yes,about same as Eugene.

[Pioneer Valley Girl]

200K won't get you much (if anything) in Northampton or Amherst proper. Branching out a little from Amherst/Norhampton... maybe... but whatever you're able to fetch will probably need work unless its in a more urban area.

I know a lot professors chose to live in some of the cheaper towns nearby like South Hadley, Williamsburg, Pelham, Shutesbury, etc. Going north, east, or west of Amherst, the towns tend to be more rural and less expensive but you may not have the convenience of many stores, highways, etc. The towns south of Amherst are more suburban and urban and lose some of that rural charm but you will have easy access to a lot of things.

If you truly enjoy rural living and want a detached house with a few acres I would recommend looking into the Franklin County area. Very pretty, rural, cheaper housing than Hampshire or Hampden Counties and close enough to Amherst to make a commute fesible. Just keep in mind those country roads can be a pain in the winter. Good luck!

[organick]

Originally Posted by Pioneer Valley Girl

200K won't get you much (if anything) in Northampton or Amherst proper. Branching out a little from Amherst/Norhampton... maybe... but whatever you're able to fetch will probably need work unless its in a more urban area.

I know a lot professors chose to live in some of the cheaper towns nearby like South Hadley, Williamsburg, Pelham, Shutesbury, etc. Going north, east, or west of Amherst, the towns tend to be more rural and less expensive but you may not have the convenience of many stores, highways, etc. The towns south of Amherst are more suburban and urban and lose some of that rural charm but you will have easy access to a lot of things.

If you truly enjoy rural living and want a detached house with a few acres I would recommend looking into the Franklin County area. Very pretty, rural, cheaper housing than Hampshire or Hampden Counties and close enough to Amherst to make a commute fesible. Just keep in mind those country roads can be a pain in the winter. Good luck!

We want to live rural and outside of town. From what I have found on realtor dot com there are like 50 plus houses on over 3 acres within 20 miles. Of course I am very unfamiliar with the area. We would rent for a year first to learn the area. As for the winters, how bad are they??? We lived in montana for 3 years so....Just wondering . Thanks a bunch.

[ScituateAl]

Excellent decision on just renting and learning the area - you'll definitely be able to find something. Your biggest cost increase will be based on how good you want/need the local school system to be (either for your own kids or for resale value on the home).

I doubt winters can be considered as bad as Montana. Temp-wise MA can get a cold snap with overnight lows of 10 below for a few days - but that's "bad". A week of high temps in the low teens is also considered "bad". Snow-wise, 2-3 times a year we may be at risk of the 18" storm - but the year-to-year variation is huge.

[scanz]

Check out South Deerfield and that area. It seems a little less expensive. It's further away though too ...

[in_newengland]

Try Williamsburg and Haydenville. They are gorgeous & fairly close in. I don't know what you can get for your price range though. Hatfield too but it's expensive now.

The hilltowns are gorgeous too but you are kind of stuck out there in the winter -- it's colder and the driving can get bad -- starting with Westhampton which is nice in summer but not a good drive in the winter. Same with Chesterfield, Ashfield and anything out that way in the hills -- there may be land there but you wouldn't want to be out there in the winter.