Where you live and Race (Boston, Worcester: section 8, real estate, apartment complexes)

[Whatsnext75]

People are so against segregation and where you live but I'm sorry Boston is kind of a segregated city in many way. I guess most places are like this, but it's sad that home values are so highly based on this. Most places that are expensive to live are all white and then the poorer areas people are black or hispanic. People try to act so high and mighty like they are so open and accepting of others, but at the end of day those people preaching that do not want to LIVE near those people they claim to be so accepting of. People complain so much about the price of housing in 'nice' neighborhoods, but they'd never just think to move to a neighborhood that is more affordable because they're too good for that. so they complain and live paycheck to paycheck.

I am astounded by how much homes cost in this area. It seems like a good deal on a house is 400k and this would be in an area like Dorchester or Mattapan. It's really sad. We have friends who bought a house in needham 5 years ago, it's small, ranch style, not much to look at and it's now worth a million dollars. THey bought it for 800k something...and they send their kid to private school even though the public school is one of the best.

It feel like middle class are basically poor in this city...most people i know are house or rent poor. I'm trying to be smart and i'm looking to buy in a not so great neighborhood because i refuse to be suckered into these prices. Am I alone here? What is up with real estate here? i get it that boston is nice, but is it THAT nice?

[timberline742]

Yes, it is that nice.

Any my neighborhood is a incredible mix of asian, hispanic, white, etc.If there is any majority, I would say perhaps it is Indian. It's quite the melting pot, and I can't afford to buy in it. That's fine. It's a great place to live, but to buy I'm looking to Worcester.

[Whatsnext75]

Indians and Asians often make a lot of money. I'm talking Black and hispanic neighboards like Mattapan, Roxbury, Dorchester, Revere, East Boston, Hyde Park, even part of Southie-that no one wants to live in yet it's still expensive!! It's nuts.

[missionhill]

Good questions, Whatsnext, but I could say the same of any city in the country. It's a racist society.

[Whatsnext75]

Oh and Missionhill, there's another!

It's frustrating. My husband and I found a beautiful old victorian in Hyde Park that was in a quiet neighborhood last year. IT was beautiful, not in a desirable neighborhood, but was safe enough. The house was like, 420k and needed about 70k of work at least...also there was no backyard. Here we were, willing to live in a not so great neighborhood and we still couldnt see spending and investing that kind of money on a house. Hyde park is sketchy, but it's also a bit boring. Not many restaurants, there's just not a cool scene. It is near JP and west roxbury which are ok...but again way over priced.

[Dm84]

Take race out of the equation and focus on price. Houses are worth what people are willing to pay for them. If houses in Boston and the surrounding area are too expensive the only viable solution is to move to a less expensive area.

[lucky4life]

The areas you speak of aren't expensive because they're predominately white; they're more expensive because there is far less crime in those areas. Why those areas have far less crime is another conversation, but this is why people will pay more to live there.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

Indians and Asians often make a lot of money. I'm talking Black and hispanic neighboards like Mattapan, Roxbury, Dorchester, Revere, East Boston, Hyde Park, even part of Southie-that no one wants to live in yet it's still expensive!! It's nuts.

Plenty of hispanics and brazilians in my neighborhood too. Lots of Brazilians actually.

But if it is expensive, then someone wants to live there. If they didn't, prices would fall.

[Guineas]

Ever been to Chicago? It's even more segregated. Boston has far more public housing spread around wealthier parts of the metro compared to many other cities. Dorchester gets a bad rap in the Boston area but is bounds safer than any South Side neighborhood in Chicago.

The metro area is expensive because there are very few apartment complexes for its population. There are still cheaper pockets in Quincy, Braintree, Watertown that you should look into. If you have kids under high school age I would stay far away from Boston Public Schools.

People also are more likely to be two income households here, which amps up their buying power.

In the South, you can keep developing rural land for cheap housing. That land in Eastern Mass is largely tapped now.

[Whatsnext75]

'Boston has far more public housing spread around wealthier parts of the metro compared to many other cities.'

I think every town/city in MA HAS to have section 8 housing. So even a town like Weston or Wellesley must provide it. I could be wrong...but I think that's the case.