New Hampshire Questions (Windham, Plaistow, Kingston: insurance, bad credit, homes)

[boogs61]

My husband & I are planning a move to the New England Area later this year. It is looking promising that he will be working in Danvers, MA. We are looking at New Hampshire for living. I do not know where I will be working at this point.

I am looking for town suggestions and towns to stay away from. We do not have children and no plans for any, so schools are not a concern. We would love to be slightly rural, with small acreage (1-3?) for some chickens and a garden. BUT, we would like to be fairly close to major grocery stores, a Target, mall, etc.. (within 30 min max). I would LOVE to get a home for under 300k, even a "fixer-upper."

I love farmers markets and being able to support local farmer's and growers. Does this area have that? Also, this may seem like a funny question, but is high speed internet available? garbage service (do you burn it?), etc..

Any info would be great...thanks!

[Valerie C]

New Hampshire to Danvers... doable, as long as you're not too far from Rte 95. Maybe one of the towns along Rte 101, or along the west side of Rte 95 might offer what you're looking for. NH doesn't have many Target stores, most are further West than I think you want to be. However there is one in Haverhill, MA and Haverhill, being on the NH border, might be close enough, if you were in the Plaistow/Newton/Kingston area.

Sounds like you're looking to be somewhat rural, but not totally "in the sticks". Since school systems aren't a concern, definitely concentrate on the towns with the lower tax load. Here is a PDF of taxes by town (www.snhhome.com/2006NHTaxRates.pdf) but keep in mind this is from 2006.

You'll also want to consider some of the cost factors of living in NH while working in MA. You'll be paying non-resident income tax to MA, and NH's high property taxes. Some, but not all, think it's worth it. Auto and home insurance is more $$ if you live in MA, but the cost to register your car *may* be higher in NH. So much to consider!! Hope you find some of this info helpful...

[sullivanIF]

I echo Valerie C's comments - there are some wonderful areas in and around Haverhill, MA. Haverhill itself has a lot to offer, including rural areas with land and you don't have to give up being close to malls, the ocean, Boston is 45 minutes away (on a good day), rail service to Boston and points south, plus you can be in the lakes region of NH within an hour and a half! Valerie also listed my other favorite places in Rockingham County NH - Newton NH is a great rural small NH town right over the boarder, as well as Plaistow. You can't lose moving to this area be it NH or MA.

Valerie was also correct about the insurance, the cost is slightly lower in NH, especially so if you have a high credit score (as this allows maximum discounts), although home insurance in some rural areas can sometimes be expensive because the area doesn't have a full time fire department, fire hydrants or pumper trucks. For instance, Windham, NH is actually more expensive to insure a home than in Haverhill, MA (in some cases almost twice as much). Auto and home insurance in NH can be very costly if you have bad credit. In MA, there is no credit scoring on auto insurance, and for home insurance they do look at your credit scoring, but only as a qualifying event. Either the insurance company will offer you coverage or they won't if you have a low score - it has nothing to do with your cost.

The real key about insurance (either in MA or NH) is the place all your coverage with one agency - this will maximize your discounts. Also, shop around (unless the agency is luck us with access to over 43 carriers - then the agency can show you all the options you need). Most importantly - make sure you look at the "Total Cost" of your insurance (home & auto premium added together). Any agent/carrier can get you a low auto or home rate by cutting your coverage without your knowledge, etc. - but you want to maximize your discounts and ensure you are properly covered. Case in point: Geico or Progress has slightly lower Auto Rates in NH, but their home rates are generally much higher than if you place your home and auto insurance with an independent agent (sometimes hundreds of dollars more). Also, independent agents have multiple carriers not just one, and we work for you, not the insurance company. So don't make the mistake of thinking you are getting a great deal on auto insurance only to find out that you are paying way to much for home insurance - shop around and ensure the agency provides and goes over all your options!

If you move to Massachusetts, please make sure you file for Homestead Protection by filing a Homestead Declaration at closing. You can visit the Registry of Deeds (www.salemdeeds.com) to learn more (or contact me and I will email you our information sheet on Homestead Protection). The Homestead Act provides up to $500,000 of protection on the value of your home - it is like putting a $500,000 brick wall around your home. Sadly, about 60% plus of the people we speak with either have never filed or didn't know about it. It only cost a ONE TIME payment of $35 to the Registry of Deeds, and all you need is to have someone notarize your signature - it is that easy. In NH, every home is provided up to $100,000 of homestead protection automatically when the deeds is registered. Not as robust as MA Homestead, but at least NH doesn't have a separate filing fee! Given the economy, maybe NH will opt for a fee in the future.

Best of luck with your move and selecting a city/town! Welcome to our community!

Kevin