Worst places in N.H. (Manchester, Concord: property taxes, condo, travel)

[30apples]

cheyennah-- What town/state are you coming from? I think that makes a difference in your reaction. Do you live in VT or were you just driving thru there? I'm also gathering info on NH, chosen somewhat because of the favorable tax situation, and the availability of "small cohesive" towns. But I'm doing this research from another state, so it is helpful to know what a person's comparisons are. What areas in NH did you find so ill-kept? It's unfortunate to find towns where the residents don't appear to care about their living environment.

[jthibodeau]

Originally Posted by 30apples

Jthibodeau: Your post of Sept 07 is a good one. Do you have any recommendations for a place w/ a small-town feeling (could be up to 30,000 pop.), cultural activities, water nearby-lake, ocean or river, good library,libraries,peaceful atmosphere, beautiful architecture???

Hi 30apples,
Thank you and, BOY, that could be quiet a few places. How about I generalize and instead of towns, I'll give you geographical areas. But, please remember that I am a life long native of New Hampshire who enjoys a very peaceful existence to say the least. You very well may find that what I think may be peaceful and beautiful may mean a strong bout of cabin fever for most of you.

OK, here goes....along the Merrimack River north of Concord. Towns to the NE side of Lake Winnipesaukee like Alton, Moultonboro and Wolfeboro. Towns surrounding Great Bay like Durham, New Market and Greenland. Towns along the Connecticut River such as Keene and north to Claremont and Lebanon. Newport and surrounding towns will get you close to Lake Sunapee and ski area. Up North there's Littleton with Moore Dam and towns along the Conn. River once again but, that's up there. I know I've left out many places.

New Hampshire is very lucky to have all these lakes and rivers. There are many that are just little hole in the wall ponds but very attractive also like silver lake in Hollis or the Souhegan River which runs through Wilton, Milford Amherst. I wish I could just point at a town and say, "That's what your looking for" but, heaven is a little bit different for everyone, isn't it. I know I haven't helped you very much but, if there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know.

[paradiddle]

Originally Posted by fords18

After reading all the posts in this thread I am now afraid to move my family to Manchester from the Medford/Arlington mass area!

I had a house in Portsmouth from 2002 to 2004 but wanted to move to Florida for the weather and sold it, as much as I regret it. I moved back after only a year in South Florida because I felt there were too many illegals and it was to expensive.

I now have a wife, 2 children and a 3rd on the way and I want to move to a safe and affordable area with all the amenities and public services I am used to. I cannot come close to affording the Portsmouth area anymore and I was hoping to buy a 2 family in Manchester and rent one unit to help with the mortgage.

Is Manchester really that bad? I visit Manchvegas often, am I just blind?

I'm in South Florida now after living in Manchvegas over 10 years. I grew up outside Boston.

I do miss Manchester even though it's going through a little crime spurt. I wouldn't worry. I think Manchester is at the crossroads to everything you need. Close proximity to Beaches, Mountain, Country, City, VT, Mass, Maine.....

I would live in Fla and NH if had the money....

I would live on the outer rim of Manchester, not inner city. West side is good except some areas near West High. Center city forget it. North End is all Nice. Some real estate people will tell you north of Bridge st. is North end (not really), but generally good.

We were landlords had (2) 2-family houses side by side. The Duplex idea is a good one if you can handle it. Join New Hampshire Property Owners Association
We went to monthly meetings with fellow landlords to learn and get support.

Another good area to look at is Dover, close to Portsmouth but cheaper. I lived there too.

[moonshine14]

I have been reading the various posts and actually joined this board because of all the information on NH.

My family and I moved from NYC in 1999 to the Hudson Valley (Upstate NY) particularily Orange County. We loved it!! We are private people and are content with our own company and have no need of outside entertainment (but no - we do not eat bear meat or deer for that matter) we just like peace and quiet. When we moved to OC there was farmland and it was beautiful. When you went to sleep at night there was not a light on anywhere. Now 8 years later every peice of land has several McMansions. Filled with transplants from the Bronx and Yonkers. The excellent school district (my daughters are in HS and one in elementary) is now over crowded of course. Yes, I know - we moved here from the City and others would like the life as well. Well that is just not true. A lot of the people that moved here were looking for more house for less but are unhappy with the country roads and generally peaceful life and are creating all kinds of problems. My husband and I heard so many wonderful things about NH and feel this is the state for us. However we are unable to make a move for about another 3 or 4 years (we are big planners though - so we are starting our research early) and are considering sooner than later though purchasing land for our future home. We will only have our one daughter with us and she would be in middle school when we moved.

Wow - I am babbling - aren't I? Anyway, we want no less than 10 acres, small town, good school district. Oh, by the way - we pay high taxes in OC compared to other counties in the region so we are no stranger to high taxes - but we do have an excellent school sytem.

Basically we want peace and privacy. Do not want to see the neighbors, not looking for big shopping malls (I do all my shopping on line - so who cares?) but I don't want to be somewhere where my daughter would suffer as a newbie in town.

Any thoughts? I promise you we will not bring the state down. We will fit right in! Thanks all.

[DareToDream]

Hello moonshine14 - We relocated about 1-1/2 years ago from Dutchess County in NY - a bit north of where you are. I know people in New Hampshire feel the taxes are high, but coming from NY, I have a feeling you will think the opposite (I know we did).

I don't know what area you want to live in New Hampshire - We live in northern New Hampshire, in Littleton. We love it up here, especially compared to NY.

What kind of jobs would you and your hubby be looking for? I "brought mine with me" and my hubby went from being an IBM systems analyst to a woodworker <g>. Obviously there was a big cut in pay, but we continue to survive and even thrive in our little "slice of heaven" up here.

We didn't have to worry about schools and such, as our children are all grown. I suspect (maybe I'm wrong) that your jobs may be a pretty good deciding factor on where you end up.

In any case, we love it in New Hampshire. Take a trip to the region and look around after you get some suggestions from others on this forum - there are people here with invaluable information that they will share with you. Good luck in your search!

[nhyrnut]

Originally Posted by 30apples

nhyrnut: I'm reading this long series of posts re: good and not so good towns in NH. Do you and the realators you've spoken to, still say that the housing prices will fall 15-25% by the spring of 2008? I notice your post was in oct 2006. I'm considering moving to somewhere between Concord and areas south and am interested in knowing how the market is fairing. Thanks.

A couple are buying now. And 3 are saying wait till next fall. But one of them that is buying now is good at the market he says buy now as come spring prices will rise but fall bad in the fall. He buys for long term 5 or 6 year investmants.

[lostinmyhead]

Franklin is got to be up there
I bought a house here 10 years ago at 90k and it has been assessed twice in the last 4 years putting the value at 310k for taxes but I can't sell it for anything above 250k. I made the mistake of having them come in to reevaluate it to lower the assessed value and they up'd it.
Plus look at our schools here all these kids know is how to pass a state test nothing more. Read the news of how the town had a surplus of 700k last year and when they thought they were going to lost it, instead of spending it on school supplies or teachers, they spent it on resoding the football field,. A field the will get ripped up by plays of the games anyway. I can go on about everything I hate about this town but I live here so I am just as dumb as the town. I do not send my kids to public school and don't work there of associate there

[moonshine14]

Originally Posted by windchimes03561

Hello moonshine14 - We relocated about 1-1/2 years ago from Dutchess County in NY - a bit north of where you are. I know people in New Hampshire feel the taxes are high, but coming from NY, I have a feeling you will think the opposite (I know we did).

I don't know what area you want to live in New Hampshire - We live in northern New Hampshire, in Littleton. We love it up here, especially compared to NY.

What kind of jobs would you and your hubby be looking for? I "brought mine with me" and my hubby went from being an IBM systems analyst to a woodworker <g>. Obviously there was a big cut in pay, but we continue to survive and even thrive in our little "slice of heaven" up here.

We didn't have to worry about schools and such, as our children are all grown. I suspect (maybe I'm wrong) that your jobs may be a pretty good deciding factor on where you end up.

In any case, we love it in New Hampshire. Take a trip to the region and look around after you get some suggestions from others on this forum - there are people here with invaluable information that they will share with you. Good luck in your search!

Thank you for the welcome and the feedback! I actually drive up to Beacon everyday to catch the train into Grand Central. My commute is 2.5 hours each way (of which 45 minutes is spent driving). I could have a part time job for the amount of time I spend commuting!!

My husband retired from the NYPD a couple of years ago and has been working on a part-time basis for the PD in our town. He also does construction on the side - he has his own equipment (dump truck, etc.) that he would bring to NH. I was an associate for a top marketing firm about 7 years ago but gave it up when we moved so far away from the city. I do admin work now (secretarial) which pays great in the city and the hours are better for me and my family. When we do relocate we hope to go in without a mortgage so a significant cut in salary would not be a burden. If I had to drive about an hour to and from work that would be fine. I am not sure how harsh the winters are in NH but coming from Dutchess you know they are fairly brutal upstate as well. Every winter I drive through ice storms, snow storms, strong winds, etc., so I am hoping to not be too shocked by the weather in NH.

The really important factor though would be the schools. We are in a very good district now and I would not want to compromise that.

I have read some nice things about Littleton.

[s2bmanchy]

I understand the hostility many people from Northern NH has towards a city like Manchester. Manchester is the anti-NH city and I understand. But I feel many of you give it a bum wrap. Any city that has over 100k people in it is going to have crime and crime spurts.

I am currently selling my home and planning to move to Manchester hopefully soon. My wife and I have already found the house we want but who knows if it will still be there when we finally sell. We are prepared to park ourselves in Central Manchester in the Hanover Hill area and yes we visited and loved the cultural and citywide opportunities the area provides. The house we are leaving is in a city in MA(dont fault me for where my parents raised me ) that has a slightly worst crime index factor than Manchester and it has half as many people! We have never felt unsafe in the city we live in and I am sure we will not feel unsafe in Manchester. We have visited the city, walked the streets, and enjoyed the area.

The area is growing and the city of Manchester appears to actually care about their patrons for many reasons. They are converting old buildings instead of letting them get run down. They give rewards to citizens that report crimes. They have set up a call lines to report graffiti that they will promptly wash away. They have many citywide events that encourages its citizens to participate.

I have done a lot of research and have walked and visited the area of this city on numerous occasions since this is where I plan on packing up my family and moving them. It provides many things for many people. People that live in northern NH live there for a reason. They enjoy the woods, quiet, and serenity that the coutryside provides. Some people may not want to mow their lawn for 3 hours or drive for half and hour to get to the grocery store, or 2 hours for a good doctor. Manchester is the fastest growing and developing city in Northern New England and will continue to be one of the nicest "big" cities to live in.

I have many experiences with small towns that make me dislike them. The police/govt/influential citizens are corrupt (this happens everywhere but effects people more in a small community). The kids dont have enough to do so they turn to drugs, alcohol, crime and debauchery. One town that was recently voted as one of the best places to live in the country has a huge issue with Heroin addiction amongst high school kids. But the people of the town keep this so hidden nobody would really know their is anything wrong. The town meetings are ruled with an iron fist, you speak out against the popular opinion, you are promptly assaulted by the police and removed. The local Real Estate Tycoon works out corrupted deals with the town to purchase million dollar buildings and land for pennies on the dollar.

So say what you like about small towns, I am taking my chances with the "mean streets" of Manchester.

[DareToDream]

Originally Posted by moonshine14

Thank you for the welcome and the feedback! I actually drive up to Beacon everyday to catch the train into Grand Central. My commute is 2.5 hours each way (of which 45 minutes is spent driving). I could have a part time job for the amount of time I spend commuting!!

My husband retired from the NYPD a couple of years ago and has been working on a part-time basis for the PD in our town. He also does construction on the side - he has his own equipment (dump truck, etc.) that he would bring to NH. I was an associate for a top marketing firm about 7 years ago but gave it up when we moved so far away from the city. I do admin work now (secretarial) which pays great in the city and the hours are better for me and my family. When we do relocate we hope to go in without a mortgage so a significant cut in salary would not be a burden. If I had to drive about an hour to and from work that would be fine. I am not sure how harsh the winters are in NH but coming from Dutchess you know they are fairly brutal upstate as well. Every winter I drive through ice storms, snow storms, strong winds, etc., so I am hoping to not be too shocked by the weather in NH.

The really important factor though would be the schools. We are in a very good district now and I would not want to compromise that.

I have read some nice things about Littleton.

Hi moonshine - Last winter was our first winter up here. We didn't really have much snow until February. We would have flurries frequently, a 3-4 inch snow, but nothing major until Feb. (We didn't have a white Christmas but we did have white Easter <g>) It WAS cold - we had about a week where it was between 20 and 30 below, but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Up here, the wind can be strong, very strong, but it didn't really have much impact on us. One thing that impressed me IMMENSELY was the way the roads were taken care of - MUCH better than in NYS. We didn't experience any ice storms that I remember....we did have them in Dutchess County, quite frequently.

My husband was a volunteer fireman in NY. Littleton has paid firemen and police - the firemen are unionized, not sure about the police. Littleton either has formed or is in the process of forming an "Economic Task Force"...I haven't been able to keep up on that much due to "family things" going on, so I'm not sure what all is going on, I need to check that out a bit more. The minutes of the Board of Slectman meetings are on the town website now.

Anyway, I digressed - I can't answer any questions on the schools, since our kids aren't school age.

Lancaster is near here and there used to be a frequent poster from that town (nhyrnut), but I haven't "seen" him around lately. He has a wealth of info on most of NH.

We have met "transplants" from many areas up here. Quite a few are from Long Island and last weekend we met one from Mississippi, which REALLY surprised me - talk about "weather shock!"

Today we were actually in the 70s up here. Actually, last winter, except for when we were in the 20 to 30 below range, our temps were about 10 degrees colder than Dutchess was. Our summers are an absolute delight compared to Dutchess. Summer 2006 and summer 2007 we needed the A/C 3 times each year. In Dutchess County we would usually need the A/C from the end of May until the middle/end of September. The summers more than make up for the winters up here - you can always throw on more clothes, once you get down to skin, you can't take off anything else

Anyway - once again - good luck in your search. I would definitely recommend that wherever in the state you decide to go, take at least a week to visit the area - it will be well worth the trip.