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My company is relocating me to Woburn MA and my wife and I are looking at Southern NH to move. We were up there last weekend and looked at Salem and Hudson and were less than impressed but I wanted to get other people's opinions as to the best places to live up there. We have a 18 month old and will have another in January. We are looking for a town that will offer a reasonable commute to Woburn, good schools, and a family oriented community.
Some of the homes I've seen are not what we are used to in the means of upkeep, etc... so I want to be sure I'm looking in the right towns and neighborhoods.
Hello there. I have some suggestions but first, I have to ask why you chose those 2 towns in particular to look at during your visit, and the types of amenities that you are hoping for. Reasonable commute, good schools and family-oriented community is a little vague...
Did you just visit the towns to see the amenities that each offers, did you drive through neighborhoods in your price range, or did you have opportunity to get inside a few homes (meaning that you likely have been assigned a relo agent). The reason they may have shown you those particular towns is because they are 'border towns ' with the easiest access to I93 and Rte 3...
What area of the country are you coming from? Many folks relo to New Hampshire, seeking planned neighborhoods that are commonly found in other areas of rhe country. Subdivisions with caommunity playgrounds, pooks, clubhouses, etc. These are few and far between in this area...
I have a whole questionnaire that is geared toward peoole who are relocating, things like what you are wanting to be walkable to, 30 minutes from, etc: (coffee shops, restaurants, public transportation, shopping, dining, etc). Public water & sewer or is private ok?
Any suburban town in Southern NH is safe and "family oriented". If you are set on border towns, you may as well check out Nashua. It's right next to Hudson and is a major population center in NH. Not sure about the schools but you could always send them to private.
I'm not sure a budget of $400K will go very far in Windham. Moreover, Windham to Woburn is 30 miles each way, that could be an ugly commute.
If you're working in MA, you still have to pay MA income tax even if you live in NH. The southern NH towns are not as much of a bargain as they once were. With 2 little children I think you would be better served ratcheting down your housing expectations and living closer to work.
Thanks guys. Valerie, I am working with a realtor and chose those towns due to proximity and commute to my office. We drove through Londonderry, Derry, and a couple others but were either in the wrong areas or they were just not as clean as we'd hoped for. Derry is out because the taxes are higher. You are correct that we were expecting more communal neighborhoods as we are coming from North Carolina and are not accustomed to the no HOAs where it can cause some neighborhoods to appear dingy and trashy. I'm on this site hoping to get real answers that legally my agent cannot provide me. If a town is dirty or has hidden issues I'm hoping the candor here will guide us in the direction we are looking for. Nashua seems okay but I have read reviews that it's dirty and trashy and I can't always count on what I've read so really want honest opinions and experiences.
Thanks guys. Valerie, I am working with a realtor and chose those towns due to proximity and commute to my office. We drove through Londonderry, Derry, and a couple others but were either in the wrong areas or they were just not as clean as we'd hoped for. Derry is out because the taxes are higher. You are correct that we were expecting more communal neighborhoods as we are coming from North Carolina and are not accustomed to the no HOAs where it can cause some neighborhoods to appear dingy and trashy. I'm on this site hoping to get real answers that legally my agent cannot provide me. If a town is dirty or has hidden issues I'm hoping the candor here will guide us in the direction we are looking for. Nashua seems okay but I have read reviews that it's dirty and trashy and I can't always count on what I've read so really want honest opinions and experiences.
"We drove through Londonderry, Derry, and a couple others but were either in the wrong areas or they were just not as clean as we'd hoped for... Nashua seems okay but I have read reviews that it's dirty and trashy"
What do you mean by "not as clean"? In terms of urban planning?
Nashua was on the list of best cities to live in America. People who live in the middle of nowhere up north like to pretend that Nashua is a crime ridden cesspool. Well, it is compared to a village of 2000, 30 min away from the nearest grocery store. Maybe you heard this from them? Because of the opioid crisis, any town/city you are looking into in S. NH will have that blight. https://www.google.com/amp/s/patch.c...?client=safari
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