Want to move to New England - Could us advice (Manchester: rent, homes)

[leslieflan04]

I am originally from Baltimore and tried to return to the area after spending 3 years in Northern Vermont. The job market was not that great and I have medical issues which dictate that I be near outstanding hematology clinics. It is true you cannot go back and my family and I are miserable. We want to move back to New England, but are terrified of making the same mistakes we made when we moved to Vermont and then back home to Maryland. We simply did not do enough research or speak to enough people. We have 8 year old twins and education is also top on our list. However, I can no longer work and on disability. So, we cannot afford to live in a very expensive area. However, the beach and the salt air seems to help some of my problems and I would love to be able to live within a reasonable driving distance to a beach. My husband works within the college environment and wishes to remain in that areana. Vermont it OUT of the picture. I need to be close to excellent hospitals, pain clinic, neurologist and most important, hematologist.
Does anyone have any suggestions, I know my list is extensive, but I need to be happy to prevent further internal bleeding as stress, particular the stress of not liking where you live has been causing me great medical problems.

Thanks a bunch,
Leslie

[NH2008]

Sorry to hear you have had a hard time. If you live anywhere near Portsmouth you'll be near UNH in Durham for your husband and the hospitals in Exeter and Portsmouth. I think Dover would be more affordable than Portsmouth itself and most of the towns on the coast. You could also check out Hampton.

[rmcewan]

Yes, UNH in Durham may be the place to center your search on. Cheaper towns in the area are Barrington, Dover, Nottingham, Sommersworth and possibly Newmarket. These are all 20 minutes from the beach.

For schools, the Oyster River school district is thought of very highly.
However, taxes in the the three towns making up the district (Durham, Lee, and Madbury) are very high, except for Madbury which is just moderately high. Durham in fact is always in the top 5 for property tax rates.
I believe Barrington sends kids to the Oyster River high school.

[dubthang]

Originally Posted by rmcewan

Yes, UNH in Durham may be the place to center your search on. Cheaper towns in the area are Barrington, Dover, Nottingham, Sommersworth and possibly Newmarket. These are all 20 minutes from the beach.

For schools, the Oyster River school district is thought of very highly.
However, taxes in the the three towns making up the district (Durham, Lee, and Madbury) are very high, except for Madbury which is just moderately high. Durham in fact is always in the top 5 for property tax rates.
I believe Barrington sends kids to the Oyster River high school.

Just my two cents, but I love Madbury. There really isn't anything there, but it is very nice to drive through. I lived right over the town line in Dover a few years back. Newmarket and Dover are very nice too (lived in both as well).

[fperkins]

Originally Posted by rmcewan

I believe Barrington sends kids to the Oyster River high school.

No, Barrington sends the kids to Dover HS.
Barrington is a very nice area, but has higher prices then just a tad north.

I would say go to the hospitals in Dove or Portsmouth, skip Rochester.
Rochester and Somersworth may be cheaper housing though.
Still close to UNH.

The further south and east you go the more it will cost you for a house.
You pay for better hospitals and schools......so if you want cheaper you will have to sacrifice schools, and drive further to the good hospitals.

Also, a thing to note.
Some towns have volunteer fire and ambulance.
We live in Farmington, and from our section (not down town) if we call the ambulance in the middle of the night, we are talking 40 minutes until they show up!!!
We had to move my sick grandparents out of my mothers for this very reason!

[TheJagMan]

If I were you, I'd take a vacation to Portsmouth and drive around looking the surrounding towns...

[NH2NCMom]

I too highly suggest Dover. My family and I lived in Dover almost my entire life, my family still lives there, while I moved to NC for my husband (although he and I still love Dover and want to move back). Yes Dover schools have Barrington kids in all classes, and even Northwood and Nottingham students are bused for vocational classes (this might have changed - but it was that way back in the days when I went to school). I'm not sure if Madbury goes to Dover still, or if they have been incorporated into Oyster River. I think Dover schools are good, just not exceptional.

The hospitals in the area are very good, including Dover's Wentworth Douglas, Portsmouth Regional and even York (Maine) Hospital. Portland, Manchester, and Boston are all within one hour drive of Dover, so if any of the local hospitals can't handle the trauma, or their specialists don't cover your needs, they will and DO refer to one of the higher end hospitals in those cities. Dover, Somersworth and Rochester have been expanding on specialists in their own separate office buildings - so the extent of care is improving. I saw this on my recent trip to the area.

Would you be purchasing or renting? I strongly suggest renting for the first year to get an idea of the towns. The beach, mountains, lakes, and cities are all within an hour drive radius of Dover and one of the many reasons I want to move there. If Dover doesn't have it, we just went to Portsmouth or any other town around for what Dover lacked (which is even less now than when I lived in the area 6 years ago.)

[notdancingqueen]

Hi Leslie,

Our part of NH probably won't work for you (Sunapee area) because although it's close to universities and good hospitals it's about 90 minutes from the coast.

That said, we lived in Severna Park, MD for 9+ years and just moved to NH so if you need a friendly Maryland face who recently moved to NH, drop me a line.

Good luck - I hope you find what you are looking for!

- jackie

[Rexicana]

If at all possible, you may want to live here temporarily and see how it goes. You could try to swap homes, rent out your current home (or sublet), or simply rent something really small here. I think the town suggestions are great, but you are still entering the unknown. If stress management is a factor, it will help you *greatly* to know that you are on an adventure and exploration, not a permanent life change. Then, if it does work out, you can always make the shift.

Remember that one bad neighbor or experience can sully anyplace, so it is really happy to do your best to fill your life with things that you find meaningful, no matter where you end up.

Best of luck!!

[Valerie C]

I think a visit to the south/east area of the state is in order. The big university in that area is UNH/Durham, but there are many other colleges in the Manchester/Nashua area (Riviera, Southern NH University, St. Anselms, etc.) UNH Durham is but a short drive to the ocean (under 30 minutes is my guess) and there are a number of good hospitals in the area. Of course Boston is just about an hour (or under) depending on time of day. Look forward to more of your questions!