[Lintu]

Hi all!

I live in Stratford. I love it here. I was walking around a particular neighborhood with my daughter yesterday that I really love. It has such a great feel...the homes are well-kept, there's a neighborhood feel to it, lots of families. That said, we have been thinking about moving to Fairfield for the better schools. I know Stratford's aren't awful, especially at the elementary level, but the high schools seem only mediocre.

Now, my daughter is only just about to turn 2, so things can change dramatically before she's even in grade school.

What do you think the future of Stratford is like? Do you think it's going to be a place that educated families move to for the lower prices, or become more of an extension of Bridgeport? Do you think the schools will improve over time or have more and more challenges?

[Stylo]

I think Stratford, Shelton and Milford have potential moving forward.

I see it in Milford with a lot of tear-downs, additions, renovations and new construction despite the bad economy.

I think what's happening is as the less affluent, aging population of these towns moves away or dies out, you'll see younger, more educated families moving in as they get so much more for their money than towns westward. It's impossible to predict the future, but at the current trajectory I do not see any of these communities declining. They provide a respite from crazy FFC home prices and are commutable to Norwalk/Stamford, especially by train. They also have a lot going for them.

A lot of lesser income people in these towns bought a while ago, when property was very cheap. Some of them don't maintain their homes well and are just sitting on potential and too stubborn to move. Moving forward, Stratford is too expensive for a poorer demographic from Bridgeport to start flooding in.

[Lintu]

Stylo, that's what I've been seeing. The older population is moving or (sadly) passing away and young families are moving in. Older homes all over our neighborhood are being bought up and improved.

[nish2006]

To me, Stratford is like two very different towns joined together. The North, encompassing Oronoque and Main St/Putney has a large number of expensive homes (regrettably, with humungous property takes) and very nice neighborhoods. The South (and by this I mean the region southwest of Mill River CC, towards Paradise Green and Town Hall) has a multitude of nice neighborhoods too, but with smaller & cheaper homes which tend to bring down the median home value for this town quite significantly, in comparison to Trumbull and Fairfield.

Our kids are very young so I do not have first-hand info on the two high schools, but I hear Bunnell can hold its own in comparison to Trumbull and Fairfield, regardless of what the CMT scores might indicate. We have no complaints whatsoever with the elementary school system.

Outsiders tend to base their opinions of Stratford on the median home prices, proximity of certain regions to Bridgeport, etc. I see that time and again on this forum, when a poster will list a bunch of desirable towns along the coast from Greenwich right up to Milford, but leave Norwalk, Bridgeport and Stratford out. It just shows me how little they know about this town.

[Lintu]

Originally Posted by nish2006

To me, Stratford is like two very different towns joined together. The North, encompassing Oronoque and Main St/Putney has a large number of expensive homes (regrettably, with humungous property takes) and very nice neighborhoods. The South (and by this I mean the region southwest of Mill River CC, towards Paradise Green and Town Hall) has a multitude of nice neighborhoods too, but with smaller & cheaper homes which tend to bring down the median home value for this town quite significantly, in comparison to Trumbull and Fairfield.

Our kids are very young so I do not have first-hand info on the two high schools, but I hear Bunnell can hold its own in comparison to Trumbull and Fairfield, regardless of what the CMT scores might indicate. We have no complaints whatsoever with the elementary school system.

Outsiders tend to base their opinions of Stratford on the median home prices, proximity of certain regions to Bridgeport, etc. I see that time and again on this forum, when a poster will list a bunch of desirable towns along the coast from Greenwich right up to Milford, but leave Norwalk, Bridgeport and Stratford out. It just shows me how little they know about this town.

I live in the Paradise Green section and really adore the neighborhoods surrounding Brewster Pond.

[nish2006]

Originally Posted by nish2006

To me, Stratford is like two very different towns joined together. The North, encompassing Oronoque and Main St/Putney has a large number of expensive homes (regrettably, with humungous property takes) and very nice neighborhoods. The South (and by this I mean the region southwest of Mill River CC, towards Paradise Green and Town Hall) has a multitude of nice neighborhoods too, but with smaller & cheaper homes which tend to bring down the median home value for this town quite significantly, in comparison to Trumbull and Fairfield.

Our kids are very young so I do not have first-hand info on the two high schools, but I hear Bunnell can hold its own in comparison to Trumbull and Fairfield, regardless of what the CMT scores might indicate. We have no complaints whatsoever with the elementary school system.

Outsiders tend to base their opinions of Stratford on the median home prices, proximity of certain regions to Bridgeport, etc. I see that time and again on this forum, when a poster will list a bunch of desirable towns along the coast from Greenwich right up to Milford, but leave Norwalk, Bridgeport and Stratford out. It just shows me how little they know about this town.

I've got to be careful not to hit "Submit Reply" before I'm done...

What I meant to add was that a future influx of young, upwardly mobile long-term residents to Stratford seems unlikely, as long as the property taxes are at these levels. Also, Town Hall is making the homeowners with higher property values pay disproportionately more taxes, which is a huge turnoff. Our home is currently assessed at way more than its market value, and the taxes I pay on 70% of that with this mill rate are ridiculous - my boss pays less in White Plains, NY for a more expensive home.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by nish2006

I've got to be careful not to hit "Submit Reply" before I'm done...

What I meant to add was that a future influx of young, upwardly mobile long-term residents to Stratford seems unlikely, as long as the property taxes are at these levels. Also, Town Hall is making the homeowners with higher property values pay disproportionately more taxes, which is a huge turnoff. Our home is currently assessed at way more than its market value, and the taxes I pay on 70% of that with this mill rate are ridiculous - my boss pays less in White Plains, NY for a more expensive home.

They are a bit on the high side but there's no way White Plains is lower for a more expensive property.

I'm looking at a house that sold for $240,000 recently in Stratford and had taxes of $6,775.

In White Plains, a house that sold for $248,000 and had a tax bill of $7,746.

[nish2006]

Originally Posted by Stylo

They are a bit on the high side but there's no way White Plains is lower for a more expensive property.

I'm looking at a house that sold for $240,000 recently in Stratford and had taxes of $6,775.

In White Plains, a house that sold for $248,000 and had a tax bill of $7,746.

My home in Stratford that I bought for $565K has annual taxes of $12,600
The home in White Plains was bought 2 years earlier than mine, for $695K. Taxes are currently $11,700.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Lintu

Do you think the schools will improve over time or have more and more challenges?

This is a very difficult question to answer. The fate of Stratford's school system is most impacted by, of all things, what happens in Bridgeport. Historically, most new Stratford residents come in via Bridgeport. Stratford's test scores have taken a noticeable hit in recent history. The primary reason is believed to be that it's the newer students whom are coming in from a school system that is so dysfunctional that the state attempted to take it over. If Bridgeport's system continues to flounder, the burden on Stratford will inevitably increase. And, even though the state acknowledges that Bridgeport's system is abysmal, and it's the primary feeder for Stratford, we still continue to get severely shortchanged by the state on ECS money.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by nish2006

My home in Stratford that I bought for $565K has annual taxes of $12,600
The home in White Plains was bought 2 years earlier than mine, for $695K. Taxes are currently $11,700.

I guess they have a low assessment. Houses in that price range recently sold in White Plains have taxes between ~$15,000-$20,000.

Still, your taxes are surprisingly high. Here I thought Milford and Stratford were comparable tax wise, but I guess not. It's interesting how towns just manipulate the mill rate and assessments to get their tax income.