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Wow! That was some amazing info CTartist. Thank you so much! And wow, that home price in Fairfield...crazy!
There’s a home in Black Rock I just saved tonight which looks to be about 50k overpriced too...people be cashing in!
I forgot Shelton which borders Trumbull and Stratford.
Shelton average price is $435,000 and $167 a square foot. Shelton used to be a little more blue collar and not as progressive as you might like but it could have changed recently. Maybe others on here can shed some light on this. A lot of people I know in Shelton are on the conservative side.
Do you have any suggestions in Litchfield? Reason we are mainly looking in Fairfield is due to the FHA home price limits. In Litchfield its $357k...but ill take some tips!
Now I see what you are referring to. You know with what is going on with the prices going so high in Fairfield County (and pushing up the prices in Litchfield and New Haven counties) these limits are now too low. It's putting lots of people in a tight spot.
Look at these limits.
Here is the thing in the other counties...you will get a lot more for your money.
Great friends of mine, who are gay and had similar desires in the same price range, ended up in Norwalk. I think that’s a perfect place for you.
If you don’t need top notch schools and want to be as close to the city as possible, yet still a decent distance into the burbs, Stamford and Norwalk is where you want to be. You can get a small home with a small but nice yard in your price range.
Hahaha! Steve your post has me cracking up. Man, I know it’s a sellers market up there right now. We are just part of the huge wave of people fleeing town right now. But hey, we are in no rush. We definitely want to buy soon but get inventory is low and prices are a bit inflated. Just started the process to see what we got pre approved for and now am just starting to look.
Do you have any suggestions in Litchfield? Reason we are mainly looking in Fairfield is due to the FHA home price limits. In Litchfield its $357k...but ill take some tips!
Well, first off, you don’t necessarily need to do an FHA loan with a smaller down payment. IMO FHA is just not the deal it used to be. The costs are pretty high. Some of the bigger mortgage companies (Rocket, Better.com to name a few) do PMI mortgages that are usually more competitive. Even my local credit union (Mutual Security) offers as little as 3% down.
But even then, many of the towns mentioned (Stratford, Shelton, Milford) are affordable enough where you can find a very respectable house like you want in the 300’s, no need to stretch your budget.
As for Black Rock, it’s an awesome area. Harborview Market is another great local neighborhood spot to check out. The downside is high property taxes, but it’s a great neighborhood otherwise.
If you wanted that vibe with lower, more stable taxes, you could live in/around downtown Milford. It has a similar historic coastal vibe, plus the area in general has lower crime and a direct 90 minute (in normal times/non-COVID) train. I always suggest this site for information on the town.
I also agree with suggestions like Stratford (slightly higher taxes, but affordable), Shelton, Trumbull. Shelton is great, though leans slightly more conservative. That said, conservatives in this area tend to be more moderate, often a bit more socially liberal.
One nice thing about these towns north and east of Bridgeport is easy access to the coast, areas like Black Rock, and New Haven—which has tons of culture and dining to enjoy when you want that city experience nearby on a smaller scale. New Haven also has a strong LGBT community.
Fairfield and Norwalk are definitely great and possible for your budget, though you start to make major sacrifices in home as they are quite a bit more expensive. If the commute doesn’t matter, you’ll have to decide whether that premium is worth it.
Litchfield is beautiful, but rural. Train access is not as good as other towns mentioned so you’ll need to drive a ways to the Harlem line to grab a train.
You should be able to get conventional financing with a smallish down payment, and lower costs than an FHA loan.
Taxes will be significantly lower in Litchfield County than in the Fairfield County towns you are considering, which helps with affordability, but unfortunately, as you have seen, there is very limited inventory in the area right now.
As far as towns to consider -- Washington is very LGBT friendly and occasionally has options in the high 300s, but they move quickly. Bethlehem and Morris have options in the high 200s to mid 300s and the market is a tiny bit slower in both towns, but they are both very rural and even further out from NYC.
One other thing about Litchfield, many homes physically located in one town are actually closer to the amenities and business district of another town, so if you are interested in Washington, houses in certain parts of Woodbury or New Milford or Bethlehem may give you great access to the center of Washington but at a lower price.
Last edited by hvexpatinct; 09-04-2020 at 02:58 AM..
Do you have any suggestions in Litchfield? Reason we are mainly looking in Fairfield is due to the FHA home price limits. In Litchfield its $357k...but ill take some tips!
You had a Litchfield thread going so I was just curious.
Yeah, you can’t really look at average because one high sale will skew the numbers greatly. A quick look shows there are plenty of modest homes available in good areas in the OP’s price range. For me, it and Stamford would be my number 1 choice, followed by Fairfield.
Yeah, you can’t really look at average because one high sale will skew the numbers greatly. A quick look shows there are plenty of modest homes available in good areas in the OP’s price range. For me, it and Stamford would be my number 1 choice, followed by Fairfield.
I would nix the rest.
Yes, The Sound skews the numbers. Shippan, Southport, Rowayton, Penfield, East Norwalk.
Really great job by the both of you. The S-N-F trifecta is stupendous. For me the S-part is #3 by a long shot.
Not a fan, not in the slightest.
CCB should note though that the 3s and 4s are in denser single-multi family neighborhoods here which is Stamford below the Merritt, Norwalk's middle sections, and Fairfeld's eastern parts. The turnkeys in nicer single family hoods are 5s and up, way up.
Saluti a la familglia, Artist
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