Getting the beaten-old-house fatigue...now what? (Boston, Newton: apartments, to rent, houses)

[syracusa]

We have spent this week (the only one we have in MA before moving here) looking at places to rent. By now we have seen more than our share of beaten, old, un-renovated, crammed, incompatible-with-modern-life places and we're certainly getting the fatigue.

For now, we will be renting - so the choices are even more limited than for buying. We could probably DEAL with a couple of years in a far from ideal place. However, I am downright frightened at the thought of buying for the long run.

In a nut-shell, where do people with a budget of up to 500,000 go to get NEW CONSTRUCTION (meaning houses built AFTER the 1970's), 4 BR, 2BA, 1600 square feet minimum, in a good schools district (NOT GREAT, as in Lexington, Newton, etc), north shore, 20 miles radius of Reading?

I kind of got the impression that Westford, Chelmsford and maybe North Andover might fit the bill. Am I correct? Any other towns we should keep in mind for the future? Thanks again!

[ThinkingThinking]

A big thing you need to do is TELL your realtor what you want to see. Tell them I do NOT want to see older homes, I want to see new and recent construction, OR completely rennovated turn-key properties."

If they do not listen to you, you need to find a new agent. These homes are out there, I just dont believe they're being shown to you.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by syracusa

In a nut-shell, where do people with a budget of up to 500,000 go to get NEW CONSTRUCTION (meaning houses built AFTER the 1970's), 4 BR, 2BA, 1600 square feet minimum, in a good schools district

Georgia??? Sorry, couldn't resist.

Mass. is the halfway house between Europe and the rest of the U.S. Homes here tend to be older. I've lived in plenty of homes built before the 1970's that were beautiful and well-built. Generally they are the ones built before 1940.

[lrfox]

Check out Franklin, Lakeville, Mansfield, Easton, or any town along those lines.

While Massachusetts has plenty of older homes, there still a good number of newer constructions on your budget available. I'm surprised you haven't seen any yet.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Check out Franklin, Lakeville, Mansfield, Easton, or any town along those lines.

While Massachusetts has plenty of older homes, there still a good number of newer constructions on your budget available. I'm surprised you haven't seen any yet.

The commute's to Reading so it's more North Shore.

A problem is that they don't like towns that are too woodsy. The more densely populated towns tend to be closer to Boston, and have older homes.

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by syracusa

In a nut-shell, where do people with a budget of up to 500,000 go to get NEW CONSTRUCTION (meaning houses built AFTER the 1970's), 4 BR, 2BA, 1600 square feet minimum, in a good schools district...

They move out to the outer 'burbs, syracusa. Your question hits EXACTLY the reason why people move out of trendy-and-desirable-but-expensive dense urban areas and go to the (supposedly) soulless suburbs (suburbs that really aren't soulless, of course, but some people think they are becasue they are the 'burbs and, hey, all suburbs are filled with dull people, right?)

[holden125]

Originally Posted by syracusa

I kind of got the impression that Westford, Chelmsford and maybe North Andover might fit the bill. Am I correct? Any other towns we should keep in mind for the future? Thanks again!

Westford may be a bit too much like Carlisle for you. North Andover's a pretty good choice. Chelmsford is somewhere in the middle, geographically as well as in terms of density.

Perhaps Beverly? Peabody or Danvers? All of those would come with a commute on 128, but I don't know if 93 South or 3 South are much better in the morning.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by professorsenator

(suburbs that really aren't soulless, of course, but some people think they are becasue they are the 'burbs and, hey, all suburbs are filled with dull people, right?)

They're not soulless because they're filled with dull people. They're soulless because THEY'RE NOT FILLED WITH PEOPLE. And the people that are there are in cars, not driving around. There's no street life to stimulate.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by holden125

The commute's to Reading so it's more North Shore.

A problem is that they don't like towns that are too woodsy. The more densely populated towns tend to be closer to Boston, and have older homes.

Whoops. I assumed the commute was to Boston. If you're in Reading and you don't want "woodsy," then scratch my suggestions. They're both southern and woodsy.

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by holden125

Georgia??? Sorry, couldn't resist.

Mass. is the halfway house between Europe and the rest of the U.S.

I will respectfully disagree.
Many European apartments and houses are built with extremely sturdy materials, impeccably renovated and made to look like they belong to the "21st century". Even at prices accessible to "mere mortals".

Unfortunately, I think old American houses are at a disadvantage when it comes to renovation because they are made of wood, and to get an old place in sparkly shape again, you pretty much have to razor the whole thing to the ground. Wood is simply not as durable as stone, cement and other very hard construction materials, which Europeans tend to use.

I am definitely not qualified to discuss construction, but this is my impression.