best place to live Nashua, NH help? (Manchester, Concord: real estate market, 2009)

[meinster]

Hello,

I am new to citi forums - so I am trying to adapt to all the rules.

My wife and I live in TN atm.. Originally from California

Seems somewhere on net -- Nashua, NH came up on the best place to live 2007 or 08.

Not sure how they came up with that, looking for input..

Things that are important to me, listed in order.

1 - Affordable Housing (220-250k for 3bed 2b house with yard)
2 - Safe Neighborhoods & Schools for my young kids
3 - Low Gang Activity or none
4 - Low overall crime rate
5 - Bad Weather - Alot of Snow or Rain ( I love gloomy)
6 - I would prefer summers not to be above 88degrees F.
7 - Moderate to good economy for state for jobs and such.
8 - 75-80% white area
9 - I would prefer no gay marriage areas ( no offense )


thx

We plan on moving around 2/2009

[skytrekker]

Welcome to the forum!

As for your questions- Gangs as a problem here -nearly negligible. NH is the safest state in the nation. The climate is a 4 season humid continental- with warm summers (average around 80) but 90 is not uncommon- and 95 on occasion- south eastern NH near the ocean is milder in the winter then the upstate. The states economy has slowed-but thus far is in better shape then many other areas of the nation. New Hampshire is somewhat diverse- having smaller minorities of AA, Asians, Latino, this is true in Manchester & Nashua. For the ethnic and racial composition of NH- I suggest you see New Hampshire at the city data site for states.

'Number 1' median home price in south eastern NH is around 250K- the closer to Boston and northeastern Massachusetts prices for homes will will increase.

As for Gay marriage- NH has 'civil unions' as a state- no one town or county has laws that prohibit this- the state as a whole has allowed civil unions that allow same sex couples in all of the state to enter into these unions. Some town clerk employees may of course refrain I believe from offering it to consenting couples. But the law itself encompasses the entire state.

However there is no part of the state that may be said to be with 'no gay marriage'- since civil unions are theoretically the same and 'legal' everywhere.

The state law in New Hampshire prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. There are also strictly enforced hate crime laws based on sexual orientation, race, religion etc.

[Valerie C]

Hi meinster
Please visit our NH area of the forum often--Nashua comes up for discussion quite often since, as you noted, it was listed twice by Money Magazine as the #1 best place to live. Skytrekker gives good info which I won't duplicate here but just wanted to mention that Nashua has wide variety of incomes and neighborhoods. What are considered the safest areas of Nashua will be along the borders of neighboring towns (Merrimack, Hollis, Amherst), but there are also some really nice neighborhoods not far from downtown. Beautiful older homes on tree-lined streets. One of my favorite neighborhoods are the side streets along Concord Street.

Of course, there are a few of the "inner city" neighborhoods that will have what you would expect to find in any city--absentee landlords, multi-family homes in various condition, and yes, there is some relatively minor drug and gang activity. There are also many condominium neighborhoods that have amenities such as pools, tennis courts, etc. and are well away from the areas with the worst issues. IMO, by New Hampshire standards, Nashua & nearby Manchester are busy cities with all the conveniences and issues that you would expect. Ask any questions you can think of here--lots of people happy to share their opinions

http://www.gonashua.com/LivingHere/t...5/Default.aspx

[meinster]

thanks for your replies... Ok after 8 hours of more research and frustration, I think I have decided the most part on Nashua, NH...

After a more careful look on our income it would seem we will only be able to afford a house around 150k maybe lil more but dunno.


We plan to move to Nashua on or around 2009 from TN atm

We might have to rent for 1yr before we buy not sure. My wife will be transferring for her work but I will need to search out a paying job and get myself down on paper... Been self employed to long

From what I can find on the internet... Multi Family Dwelling Rentals look dis-tasteful for renting.

However, on the other hand the Single Family homes within the 03060, 03061 zipcodes seem to be nicer and more in my affordability price range.

I could be wrong but thats what I seem to see on the internet.

Cost of Living Index 03060,03061 = 97.58

When I buy a home in Nashua, NH -- I LOVE a neighborhood with alot of trees and land space. But not a drive more then 20 min to work in Nashua... etc

Need input on nice neighborhoods with alot trees. for about 150k - 165k price range if any..

Im thinking of taking advantage of HUD - for buying a house

Homes and Communities - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

input on Hud would be great too-- they are running programs now that offer assistance with downpayment and closing costs on 30yr fixed.



On the other hand... If I have to rent for 1 yr or so when I get there ... I need to know where I can rent a decent apt or condo for no more then 800-900 per month in a nice area... Not to run down of area.


Keep in mind if from Los Angeles, Ca originally and ive seen the worst of worst. So my idea of safe neighborhood might be diff from what you guys are describing.

There are drugs and thugs everywhere, no doubt. But I want to live in an area with the lesser of the 2.

Cant seem to find any weather patterns on Nashua, NH other then snowfall is about 60" per year but thru what months?

Rainfall seems to be about 40" per year but thru what months?

thanks again

BTW**** How far is it from Nashua, NH to the Ocean? is there any beachfront like in Cali? with sand to lay out or ?

I checked the map of highways it seems weird? Do I need to go thru MA to get to beach ?

Also is there a local cable company in the area for cable internet?

[skytrekker]

Rainfall (precipitation) is about equally distributed throughout the year- with a slight summer maximum.

Nashua is about 37 miles to Hampton beach along the NH Coast- and about the same to the Massachusetts Atlantic coast.

[WannaComeHome]

Hi Meinster-

have you looked at the city-data site for Nashua? http://www.city-data.com/city/Nashua-New-Hampshire.html it has about 6 or 7 weather charts listing amounts by month for all kinds of weather. If you're basing on what you're used to in LA - probably pretty much anywhere in NH will be in your 'safe' definition I think the charts on this site can answer a whole lot of your questions - and you can change the url to any town in NH (ok, change the state as well and you can check anywhere in the country).

As to beaches... those living closer in on the beaches can tell you more, but NH only has about 14miles of coastline - some say a bit less Much of that is sandy beach - hey, we gotta take advantage of what little we've got!! - that you can lay out on. Of course so are a whole lotta other people. I'm told the Atlantic is much colder for swimming than the Pacific, so if you haven't encountered that yet... be prepared.

[BF66389]

Walking through the "bad" parts of Nashua with 20 dollar bills as clothing and your arms bound at night is about as dangerous as walking through the bad parts of LA while working as a police officer...

I'm not saying "be stupid"; just that "crime" in NH is of a different scale.

My biggest concern would be housing costs. Nashua's proximity to Boston means it isn't cheap. That said if you are very handy you could probably get a nice fix-er-upper.

NH does have some sandy beaches (though limited), I like them. People here complain about how busy they are but again- different scale compared to CA... I'd suggest using maps.live.com with the "bird" view of Hampton Beach to get a good look at them... It takes me about 40-60 minutes to get to the ocean from where I live in Hollis...about 5 minutes west of Nashua...

One thing you will notice about NH is that it is considered seriously "not cool" to forcefully present your views/opinions to anyone else (regarding politics, religion, etc...). A very "live and let live" attitude.

[seamusnh]

When we moved to NH 13 years ago (from MA), we rented a condo for a year to better determine where we wanted to live. Given the flat real estate market, there is little downside to renting for a year. There are many condos in Nashua... You'll see many for rent on NH.craigslist.com