Can a typical middle class family make it in NH? (Manchester: middle-class, real estate)
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I've been enjoying reading all the posts about NH. A bit about me and my family. My husband is a high school teacher, and I am a corporate recruiter. We have two children, 6 and 2. We have been living in Lynchburg VA for four years after relocating from a Maryland suburb of Washington D.C. We purposely sought out a smaller town for our family from the craziness of D.C.
Our mistake was not following our hearts four years ago and going up north to New England where we have ties to friends and family. We didn't think it would be a big deal coming down south to Lynchburg, but it has been a complete culture shock for us. The cost of living is fantastic, but all the other crud you have to deal with is not worth it. Every sterotype of the south has come to fruition here. All I need to say is, "Jerry Falwell," our most famous Lynchburg native, and you probably get some the picture. I won't bore you with all the other details of our misery here, but we are ready to get out of here and go where we should have gone in the first place!
We are focusing our search on NH primarily, as it is a happy mediium for us. We have family in Boston, and great friends in Bangor, and love the whole vibe of New England. We have primarily visited in the Seacoast area, and understand that the cost of living is going to be much higher for us, similar to what we had in Maryland. My husband is applying for jobs in a variety of locations (Keene, Manchester, Nashua, and Seacoast), and I'm doing a ton of research to make sure he applies in good school districts, as I know that can vary from town to town. My job allows me to work remotely, so I don't have to worry about finding a job when we relocate.
After crunching some numbers, my question is this....Can a typical middle class family make it in NH? As a teacher, my husband will never make a ton of money, and although I am not poorly paid for my job, we have to take into account that we will be paying for full time day care, increased property taxes, higher mortgage, higher heating etc. I know there is no "magic" answer to soothe my jitters, but it would be nice to hear from some other middle class, hard working folks out there if NH is realistic for us and if they are making it work. We want the New England life, but we don't want to be in the poorhouse
Yes, middle class families can make it in NH but that is not to say it is easy. The trick is to research the areas you're interested in and be patient in finding a home you can afford not a home that a real estate agent/mortgage company says you can afford. Do your homework and research.
I have a lot of friends and family members who are teachers living in and around the Manchester area. I think it's all about the kind of lifestyle you want to lead. I live in Goffstown, where the schools are not known to be as strong as Bedford and Hollis, but the homes were not affordable there for what we wanted (a family neighborhood, not on a busy road). So we will just try to pay attention to what our kids are learning. I stopped working in Boston so I could spend more time at home. So now I commute to Manchester (20 minutes) and I think my kids will be better off than if I lived in a richer town but was never home. My husband is also a builder, so he built the house with everything in it that we wanted while we downsized to 3 bedrooms vs. 4 (so a smaller house with my dream kitchen instead of a big house with lots of work to be done!). We're trying to make choices, but I know it's not easy! Good luck!
You and I are in the same boat. We too are wanting to relocate (from OH-which is getting to be a cruddy too) and considering NH and MA. We are looking at jobs and trying to figure out how we are going to afford the cost of living change. Houses are twice as expensive as in OH, does that mean we have to make twice as much? The job market is great but the salaries surely aren't paying twice as much. We are interviewing and getting close to salary negotiating and have been looking at houses and land in both states. We don't want to downgrade (housewise) but are noticing that if we want the good schools for our children and less crime, we may have to make that bite! Good luck to you!
Yes, middle class families can make it in NH but that is not to say it is easy. The trick is to research the areas you're interested in and be patient in finding a home you can afford not a home that a real estate agent/mortgage company says you can afford. Do your homework and research.
Good luck!
Annabelle, you hit the nail on the head when working with realtors. When we purchased our home in Maryland, we were shocked by what we qualified for and what the realtor was pushing on us. Both were $50K above our comfort level. We definitely have been down that road before. Thanks for the insight that we may run into it in NH.
I have a lot of friends and family members who are teachers living in and around the Manchester area. I think it's all about the kind of lifestyle you want to lead. I live in Goffstown, where the schools are not known to be as strong as Bedford and Hollis, but the homes were not affordable there for what we wanted (a family neighborhood, not on a busy road). So we will just try to pay attention to what our kids are learning. I stopped working in Boston so I could spend more time at home. So now I commute to Manchester (20 minutes) and I think my kids will be better off than if I lived in a richer town but was never home. My husband is also a builder, so he built the house with everything in it that we wanted while we downsized to 3 bedrooms vs. 4 (so a smaller house with my dream kitchen instead of a big house with lots of work to be done!). We're trying to make choices, but I know it's not easy! Good luck!
2 & Under, we went through the same thing moving to Lynchburg. My husband was a mid-career switcher with a fairly high paying job, and moved into teaching. It's his calling, and he loves it, but what a hit to our pocketbook. Our move to Lynchburg allowed us to go have #2 baby and cut back to work part-time, but moving to New England will mean back to full-time. We are all ready for it :-) We may not be "rich" in money, but we are definitely "rich" in all the important stuff, which matters most to us.
When we purchased our home in Maryland, we were shocked by what we qualified for and what the realtor was pushing on us. Both were $50K above our comfort level. We definitely have been down that road before. Thanks for the insight that we may run into it in NH.
Well, that's because most things in MD are above a sane person's comfort level
Sure a middle-class family can live in NH - the state has lots of them just make sure you check out the taxes for the towns you're looking at as well, to make sure you can handle them. Some towns are really high (usually better schools, but still) and some are much more reasonable. I spent most of a year researching towns and real estate before we put in an offer. Still cracks me up that we'll move to the town I first started in!
The fact is with NH having a $43,000 average annual mean income that the majority of us here are middle working class families. We are not all millionaires nor do we have many welfare recipients. In some cases it does require two incomes depending on your expectant standard of living. It symbolizes the old fashion Yankee work ethnic, work hard-play hard. Take the advice given in other postings in this thread. Do your research and choose your area carefully. Aside for a very few areas you can't go wrong wherever town you choose.
Thanks to everyone for your replies. It seems like we are on the right track with our pursuit of New Hampshire for relocation. My husband has been busy getting out teaching applications. We'll cross our fingers for interviews!
Good Luck! You know, Bedford is opening a new middle school AND a new High School, and they were hiring (not sure if they still are). www.sau25.net . We live in Bedford - in a modest home; our combined salaries don't break six figures - and love it here.
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just make sure you check out the taxes for the towns you're looking at as well, to make sure you can handle them. Some towns are really high (usually better schools, but still) and some are much more reasonable. I spent most of a year researching towns and real estate before we put in an offer. Still cracks me up that we'll move to the town I first started in!
