Thinking of moving to Bedford (Manchester, Amherst: sales, car insurance, condo)

[baruchel23]

We are considering purchasing a property in Bedford and from the research we've done so far, it essentially reminds me of my small home town.

1. Small population size
2. Low crime
3. Very good education system
4. Median household incomes are pretty good
5. Home valuations are good

Advantages:
1. Lower Car Insurance
2. No state income tax (I will be working in NH)
3. No sales Tax
4. Lower Priced Homes for similar homes in other states (Mass/NJ)

Disadvantages:
1. Higher Property Taxes
2. What else?

However, I am not from NH so are there any extra precautions or advice that we should know about (NH and perhaps more specifically about Bedford and/or surrounding areas)? FYI, we are used to cold weather (mass) and Bedford is fairly close to Manchester and major highways. Would you consider Bedford a nice area to live?

[Valerie C]

Bedford is considered a very nice place to live, with a wide variety of housing options. Starter-condo units, older homes on modest lots, or million-dollar homes in exclusive subdivisions, and everything in between. Have you had the opportunity to visit Bedford to see any property in person?

Keep in mind the possibility of noise/low-flying aircraft in certain areas. While the eastern side of Bedford borders Manchester and the commercial district (convenience, shopping, restaurants, highways, etc) the northern/western edge is decidedly rural.

Since you will be working in NH, I don't have to caution you on the traffic issues that continue to plague southern NH drivers. However, even Route 101 (the east/west route through town) can get backed up in the afternoons, with long wait times at the intersections. Will ANYONE in the family be making the trek down to MA during commute times? Rte 93 and Rte 3 can easily get you to points south in the off hours, but can be fairly problematic during the AM/PM 'rush' hours.

[seamusnh]

Bedford if very nice. When we were looking 15 years ago we did not consider Bedford as it did not have its own high school, but it does now. Amherst and Hollis are very nice as well....
BTW, my car insurance dropped 50% when I moved to NH from MA.
While the property tax rate may be high, look at the actual dollars. If you took my house and transplanted it to a nice town in MA (Westford, Sudbury), the rates would be lower in MA but the valuations are much higher so the dollars paid are in the same ballpark....

[rizzo0904]

I agree, Bedford is nice. Personally, I prefer Hollis though.

[lisa g]

Please research education in Bedford. There is much hype about education in some S. NH towns, Bedford included, which is unfounded. The entire state of NH has Outcome Based Education. This style of education has been rejected in other parts of the US in the past because it is not substantial academically, instead focusing on outcomes which include mere competencies, values, attitudes and behaviors. The delivery of OBE in NH varies a bit from town to town, and each town attempts to hype its variety of OBE. Bedford has implemented IB education in its HS, which should be thoroughly evaluated, for multiple reasons. This website is a good start: Truth About International Baccalaureate