[wevie]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

It will be difficult to find a decent 200k home in a town with good schools here. If that's your price range, you'll have to settle for a condo or you'll have to buy a home in a town with mediocre schools. If you can up your budget even by 50k, you'll start finding entry level homes in towns like Glastonbury and Wethersfield. That being said, you can expect your taxes to double (or even triple, depending on the town).

As others have said, the cost of living in CT is one of the highest in the country - and we have cold, snowy winters. Just keep that in mind.

Right now we could easily afford $300k. We bought our home when good interest rates where around 5% and we also had less income then.

If she would take that job, she would see at the very least a $25k raise so that would mean we could afford even more if my salary would remain about the same.

No way would I live in a condo. Between being too small and noisy neighbors, we couldn't handle it. Our home now is just under 3000 sq feet. What size home are we talking about in that price range up there.

We have been in NC now for almost five years. The last winter we lived in VA, by the time it finally stopped snowing mid April, I had about 7 feet of snow piled up on each side of the driveway from shoveling what seemed like every day when I came home from work. That I do not miss.

Oh and I still have a four wheel drive pickup. Don't need it here but old habits die hard I suppose.

[ctwhitechin]

3000sq foot home in Glastonbury would be newer construction, probably $400k at least taxes probably $10k? Go to prudentialct.com and look around, I can recommend an excellent realtor if you want, sold my home quickly. Car taxes in ct, in Glastonbury, I haave an 04 F150 4x4 wife has a 2010 ford Escape awd. Between the two vehicles, in 2013 the bill was about 850.00. Registration for my truck was about $190 bi annually because it was classified as a truck. Wife's was about 1/2 that. Gas is also very high compared to rest of country. Also try and find a home with gas heat, oil is absurdly priced.

Again, we liked our stay in ct, but it is pricey. If I had to move to that area again, I would go to glastonbury for sure..

[wevie]

Sounds like we need to stay put for sure. Those prices and taxes are crazy! Even the registration for a truck is more than twice what we pay here.

[ctwhitechin]

Originally Posted by wevie

Sounds like we need to stay put for sure. Those prices and taxes are crazy! Even the registration for a truck is more than twice what we pay here.

not a retirement friendly place either. Nice place to live, but taxes are not so nice. I looked at a new F150 in 2011 and I was told my taxes for the first few years would be about $1200.00 That is disgusting.

[NewJeffCT]

South Windsor has good schools and is a little cheaper than Glastonbury. That could be an option as well.

4BR, 3bath home, 2,700 square feet for $299,000. Property tax is $6,900
301 Deming St, South Windsor, CT 06074 is For Sale - Zillow

Here is a 5BR, 3 bath home in Glastonbury, 2,400 square feet, for $285,000. Property tax is $7,400.
104 Ash Swamp Rd, Glastonbury, CT 06033 is For Sale - Zillow

[ctwhitechin]

South Windsor is very nice as well. Would be my 2nd choice for that area, with Hebron 3rd

[wevie]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

South Windsor has good schools and is a little cheaper than Glastonbury. That could be an option as well.

4BR, 3bath home, 2,700 square feet for $299,000. Property tax is $6,900
301 Deming St, South Windsor, CT 06074 is For Sale - Zillow

Here is a 5BR, 3 bath home in Glastonbury, 2,400 square feet, for $285,000. Property tax is $7,400.
104 Ash Swamp Rd, Glastonbury, CT 06033 is For Sale - Zillow

I know these two are just examples but wow! One of them as baseboard heat and the cooling is other? What is other I wonder? I would also thing that 5 bedrooms in a 2400 sq feet house means very tiny bedrooms. Also, they are 60 year old homes.

Is this the norm for homes in that area?

[JayCT]

In addition to those towns mentioned, the OP could consider Marlborough, Bolton, Andover, Mansfield and Tolland. There would be a number of homes in the OP's price range in these. As for taxes, the OP needs to remember a couple of things like we do not pay taxes on groceries here like they do in NC. Also there are no tolls. Still only they can determine what is best for their situation. Good luck, Jay

[wevie]

Originally Posted by JayCT

In addition to those towns mentioned, the OP could consider Marlborough, Bolton, Andover, Mansfield and Tolland. There would be a number of homes in the OP's price range in these. As for taxes, the OP needs to remember a couple of things like we do not pay taxes on groceries here like they do in NC. Also there are no tolls. Still only they can determine what is best for their situation. Good luck, Jay

Upon looking further into Glastonbury, that place is not for me. I found what looked like quite a nice home for $400k. It has not A/C and has baseboard heating. Other than that, most of the homes are old and one of them even had a wood stove.

I will look at this other towns but from what I have seen so far, we need to do whatever it takes to avoid moving up there because I don't think we would be the least bit happy.

We have no tolls either, at least where we live.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by wevie

I know these two are just examples but wow! One of them as baseboard heat and the cooling is other? What is other I wonder? I would also thing that 5 bedrooms in a 2400 sq feet house means very tiny bedrooms. Also, they are 60 year old homes.

Is this the norm for homes in that area?

Knowing some people in the home building industry, a 60 year old home in this part of the country (New England/the Northeast) is often a very well built and sturdy home. You might not get 9 foot ceilings and huge walk-in closets you get in new homes, but the home itself should be very well constructed. (A couple of my friends have moved to Texas, Georgia and Virginia over the years, and they'll complain about how they're afraid the homes down there won't survive anything more than a stiff breeze...while they may be exaggerating, they'll all say that most homes in the region haven't had as many corners cut while being built...)

While home warranties are pretty common in just about every other region of the country, they are rare up here and a few of the bigger companies don't even offer home warranties in the region. They're usually not needed.

Not saying there won't be issues with homes - I'd do a home inspection on even a new home - just that if you buy a 50 or 60 year old home, it's not something that's going to fall apart in a year or three.