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We're starting to research NH towns - we hope to move sometime within the year.
Auburn is looking very affordable - good school ratings, lower property costs than neighboring areas, lower property taxes... all in all, it looks too good to be true.
Leaving aside the 'southern NH is just northern MA' comments, which I'm well versed in after reading this board for a while now, are there any specific reasons you guys know of that Auburn should be cheaper than other towns in northern MA ... oops, I mean, southern NH?
Maybe I can help...
There are some great values to be had in Auburn, and thank the residents for being fiscally conservative at the voting box. They DO NOT have a Taj Mahal police station/town hall (like Londonderry). It's one of the few towns in southern NH that still has undeveloped land. People still treck their trash to the dump (and sometimes take home more than what they brought in...)
Their elem/middle school system are good (enough) to keep them with a good rating. They don't have a brand new High School (like Bedford and Windham); Auburn buses the kids to one of the Manchester High Schools.
For the most part, people who LIVE in Auburn, OWN in Auburn. I have family (in-laws) there, and they just love it....
Auburn as a whole is not cheap. You may find some "bargains" on busy roads or near the town center. Otherwise, if it seems cheap and is in a good neighborhood, it's probably an older home that may need some work. Auburn is having a hard time providing affordable housing.
Auburn is a rural community and the people that live there want to keep it that way. They constantly vote to conserve land and restrict growth. There is private trash pick-up but you always have the option to haul it to the dump. Currently, the dump stickers are free. One thing that keeps Auburn rural is the fact that Hooksett and Manchester have all the stores. This keeps Auburn peaceful with most stores 10-15 minutes away. There is an industrial park near exit 1 (off of route 101) and there is some commercial development going on near the Derry/Auburn line on 28 Bypass.
Auburn, like most NH towns, has a problem with overcrowding at it's school. They are trying to address this and have purchased land off route 101 (exit 2). They are exploring the possibility of building a new middleschool on the property and having a tuition agreement with the town of Candia. Auburn does not provide public kindergarten. You would have to send your children to a private kindergarten provider. Children attend high school at Manchester Memorial or Pinkerton Academy in Derry. I'm not sure about this but I believe if your child is accepted to Pinkerton, Auburn would pay the tuition amount that it would have paid to Manchester Memorial and the parents would be responsible for the difference. Also, the town does seem to care about the future of the children's education and almost always votes positively for most school improvements or money requests.
Taxes in Auburn are still lower than most southern new hampshire towns but have gone up about 40% over the past 5 years. The average tax bill might be around $4,000. The fire department is mostly volunteer with I believe 2 full time firemen. The police force is well run and has a strong presence in the community. There are no apartment complexes or condominium developments in Auburn (none that I'm aware of). It consists mostly of single family homes.
Each year, there are two main community events. The town fair/duck race and a community gathering at Myles Travel Plaza.
I'm sure there's more to say. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Check out the following link (read the Village Crier to get a feel for the community).
I know Auburn isn't cheap - I should have phrased that better. What I should have said is, we had noticed you seem to get a bit more house and land for your money in Auburn than in some other nearby areas, and the property tax is lower too. We just wanted to see if we got any responses like, "Oh, that's because of the prison / constant flooding / waste dump / crime rate / bad schools / frequent raccoon attacks / etc".
It's hard to get a sense of a community when you're researching from far away, and local info really helps. Thanks again. Auburn is on our 'places to visit' list, now
Just visited there this morning (Sat. Aug 25th). I came in from Chester on RT121. Honestly, not much there. Massabesic Lake pretty much dominates the town. The lake is really nice, but there is a lot of motorboat traffic on it. There is a park entrance on the RT. 28 Bypass on the west side of the lake. Really only twisty country roads and homes. Seems very quiet. Probably a bedroom community for Manchester. There is a market/gas on 121 by a crossroad. Seemed like the only business in town. I didn't investigate too much, just sort of passed through.
Thanks Bryfry! The latest news is that I think we're going to rent a place (possibly in Derry) and start driving around and getting a real feel for the area(s). I'll be reading on here in the meantime!
It's tough to be in the area and driving past Massabesic on a day like today (90+) and know that because it's the reservoir/watershed, no swimming or any type of watercraft where the boater might tough the water (jet ski/sailboat, etc) is allowed. Lots of trails for hiking/biking tho, and it's especially beautiful in about 6 weeks, when fall colors start up...
It's tough to be in the area and driving past Massabesic on a day like today (90+) and know that because it's the reservoir/watershed, no swimming or any type of watercraft where the boater might tough the water (jet ski/sailboat, etc) is allowed. Lots of trails for hiking/biking tho, and it's especially beautiful in about 6 weeks, when fall colors start up...
Those are the oddest rules. Gasoline and oil will find their way into the water supply because engines leak. But no dirty old humans? We've come a long way!
It's tough to be in the area and driving past Massabesic on a day like today (90+) and know that because it's the reservoir/watershed, no swimming or any type of watercraft where the boater might tough the water (jet ski/sailboat, etc) is allowed.
Did you mean there is not motor traffic on the lake? I thought I saw some out there. Maybe not. The boat ramp on RT121 was especially busy, but I didn't stop to see what type of boats they had. On the north side of the lake there was a cove with just sailboats and couple of smaller skiffs. I didn't stop, but you are probably right. Sorry for the misinformation. BTW, it was big time hot and muggy Sat. Probably the hottest I've felt there in a long time. Yesterday on the Cape, it hit 101 for a short spell in Barnstable (at least at my house)!
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thanks guys
