Allergies, hockey, new housing, taxes, etc...

[Apple Annie]

There are several new condominium "developments" in the works. Many are in reabilitated old textile mills in towns like West Warwick, Coventry, Woonsocket.

However, if you are looking for 2500 to 3000 sq. ft. of living area, you most likely will not find that in a condo or townhouse. Also, in RI the term townhouse only means more than one level attached housing. Condo and townhouse legal terms vary state by state. There may be some large condos in towns like East Greenwich, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Westerly, Bristol and Narragansett -- closer to the ocean where the market will bear high end prices. Also, check the Providence Journal. www.projo.com for news and classifieds.

Not knowing what you are looking for, it is difficult to give you advice other than check the RILiving.com, that is the barometer. The only other online (and hard copy) publication I would recommend is the Rhode Island Real Estate Journal. www.rirej.com (broken link) and you have to register to page through it.

San Diego to RI will be a culture shock no matter how you slice it, unless you live near the ocean. Simply a different kind of population density than you have now, and still culturally diverse.

[skytrekker]

I agree

moving from sunny San Diego will be a shock as Apple Annie said.

Some differences visually; California has a harsh light- I have been there more then a dozen times- and although the climate is very benign- the light burns your senses after awhile- it is green here- while southern California seems perpetually Terra cotta and brown. A two season climate might bore some people- Although the wine country north of San Francisco offers much more seasonal variation then southern California.

People here tend to tell you what they feel, instead of the breezy light 'have a nice day' attitude of California.

Weather wise- well Providence has the most mildest climate of a major city in New England- but it will still be colder in the winter, and more warm and humid in the summer- though the sea breeze does moderate the climate some in both winter and summer.

Providence has much in the way of arts, culture and a diverse population, which a Californian would desire.

The ocean and wonderful beaches and resorts are nearby- Cape Cod, Watch Hill, Newport, the Islands- that will easily satisfy a X Californian- and the water is a wee warmer in the summer.

We also have wineries here that produce excellent quality vintages.
Boston is nearby- as is the Maine coast, Mystic in CT- and eastern CT gems- plus Vermont is a mere few hours away.

[rockfisherman]

Originally Posted by HockeyFan

4) Exactly how bad are the infamous property taxes? What would the rate per $1,000 be in most cities? Does anyone have a chart of various RI cities?

I can't answer your other questions, but there's a chart on the riliving site.

http://www.riliving.com/TaxRates.asp

[HockeyFan]

Thanks for the info, everyone. As far as culture shock.. I've only spent five years in California, and the rest of my life has been spent in cold climates, typically a lot colder than Providence. To me, cold is 30 below. :-) I also tend to be more "speak my opinion", rather than the "have a nice day" stereotype west coast attitude -- interestingly, it's amazing how many people say "it's nice to be able to speak your mind around you!" So I guess you'll draw people with similar personalities no matter where you live.

I think I'd enjoy Rhode Island, but housing would seem to be the biggest issue. I'm really looking for a new home, 2,500 square foot range (but very flexible), one story is preferred, on a smallish lot. Next best bet would be a new townhome in the 1,500-2,000 square foot range. By small lot... meaning a few feet from the neighbors, certainly the 1/2 acre lots I'm seeing would be too big -- too much time for upkeep and too much allergy issues. I'm generally a city person, not big into being in the country, and the amount of urbanity in the Northeast is a huge plus to me. As a result, I'd much rather be in a more dense environment -- not necessairly Back Bay-density, but not country living either. I'm just not sure there's any new housing like that in New England generally, unfortunately. Resale housing would work if I could be sure there were no smokers or pets in there in the past couple of years, otherwise, the health effects could make it unliveable for a while... and that's not a fun way to move to a new place!

Thanks again!

[Apple Annie]

When you get to the point of coming east to take a look, you need to get up with a good Realtor. Make that an experienced, seasoned, good Realtor. Feel free to PM me if you need a reference. Check out Cumberland, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Smithfield etc. (north of Rt. 295) for newer homes; there is growth there, and closer to major highways for quick access to airports etc. Best of luck to you!

[rockfisherman]

Originally Posted by HockeyFan

I'm generally a city person, not big into being in the country, and the amount of urbanity in the Northeast is a huge plus to me. As a result, I'd much rather be in a more dense environment -- not necessairly Back Bay-density, but not country living either. I'm just not sure there's any new housing like that in New England generally, unfortunately. Resale housing would work if I could be sure there were no smokers or pets in there in the past couple of years, otherwise, the health effects could make it unliveable for a while... and that's not a fun way to move to a new place!

Thanks again!

Housing IS a big issue. It is expensive. Take a look at the East Side. (Providence) sounds like it could be a good fit for you.
Also look at East Providence. And Barrington, if your pockets are deep.

[HockeyFan]

Thanks Rockfisherman... do any of those areas have any new construction?

[traceyr13]

Barrington does have some new construction - Almeida is the big contractor/builder in Barrington, and he is steadily buying old homes, leveling them, and building a new home on top of it. It's a big bone of contention in Barrington right now. But it's not cheap - to give you an example - my next door neighbors (before we moved this past June) bought a new Almeida construction - a nice Colonial that was about 2400 sq. feet, 4 bed, 2 1/2 baths on a smallish plot (1/4 of an acre or less) and they bought it in the summer of 2005 for 450k, and when we left in summer of 2006, it was marketable for 600k.

[Lula]

Townhouse & condo search results
http://www.riliving.com/PropSearch/c...rderByDir=desc

[HockeyFan]

Sorry to jump this thread, but more questions... the more I think about it, RI really appeals to me. Generally, what is the smallest lot you can get there for a new house, and does anyone have any more links to new home construction? In several internet searches, I keep coming up empty -- I know RI does not have a lot of new home construction, but my understanding is there was at least 1200 new homes built last year... so there has to be some.

Another question... climate-related... when is the first and last frost generally (as much allergy as climate related)... and what would a typical (when it's not a cold snap or warm spell) winter day be like for mid-day temperature?

Thank you for your patience with me, everyone!!