[Ellelon]

Is there anywhere in CT that would be afforable (for a single Mom) I mean extremely affordable. I sometimes see people posting an affordable house priced at 500k and think "That's affordable???" I know this is pretty much the impossible dream here, but yea hoping for something cheap, decent schools, low crime rate, with plenty of stuff to do, parks etc. Is there anywhere like this in CT??? I'll need at least a 2 bedroom for under 150k. Schools are very important because my youngest son is autistic. I'm from FL, originally Miami, north FL now, and know absolutely nothing about CT but would love to have a real change of seasons and the kids want to live where it snows. I know this is a lot to ask for, but any help would be greatly appreciated

[Uconn97]

Have you thought of maybe a townhouse or condo? I think that would certainly open up some options for you. I would recommend Newington for both affordability, safety and for programs for your son. Remember that not even the "best" school districts in CT neccessarily have the best programs for kids with special needs so you'll need to do your homework. Districts are required to provide a certain level of services, but that may mean you are up for a battle depending on whichever town you end up living in. I would recommend finding a town that already has a good program in place. Good luck!

[mlassoff]

I have seen condos in Vernon, which is near Hartford in the price range you are requesting. However, I don't know much about the schools. My brother teaches in neighboring Manchester where the schools do have some urban issues, but overall are not bad...

[brasscitybluenwhite]

I would look into bristol or waterbury for ur price range. however, both of them are cities, you should compare the stats for individual schools in individual cities. For example, comparing bunker hill school in the west end of waterbury and then comparing walsh elementary in the walsh neighborhood, you should expect drastic differences in schools because one is in a poorer neighborhood than the other. In connecticut, schools statistically score low when they are in bad neighborhoods. Thats why connecticut schools score so high on tests, because there arent to many bad neighborhoods in CT.

bristol overall has better schools than waterbury, but i think they homes are a bit more expensive. you might want to look into naugatuck too.

waterbury may have more for ur child though. good luck to u in parenting I have alot of respect for single parents. (my mom is one)

[Jessica Beganski]

In Central CT...If you can squeeze into a Condo, under 1200 sf w/ 2 bed 1.1 baths, you may be able to find something in Newington or South Windsor - both have lots to do for kids and families and close to everything and low crime. May also want to look at Windsor & Bloomfield. Manchester, Vernon, Bristol - you can find more in your price range and probably a bit larger but these are small cities with more of the small city problems. I agree with Uconn97 - your choice of school district should be paramount. I'd start with Newington, South Windsor, Windsor and Bloomfield and find out what they offer as they are your best chances in Central CT as far as affordability.

[usmcfamily]

Originally Posted by Ellelon

Is there anywhere in CT that would be afforable (for a single Mom) I mean extremely affordable. I sometimes see people posting an affordable house priced at 500k and think "That's affordable???" I know this is pretty much the impossible dream here, but yea hoping for something cheap, decent schools, low crime rate, with plenty of stuff to do, parks etc. Is there anywhere like this in CT??? I'll need at least a 2 bedroom for under 150k. Schools are very important because my youngest son is autistic. I'm from FL, originally Miami, north FL now, and know absolutely nothing about CT but would love to have a real change of seasons and the kids want to live where it snows. I know this is a lot to ask for, but any help would be greatly appreciated

My heart goes out to you - you have a lot on your plate! Ct is a very expensive place to live and it can be very tough, especially for single parents. I would not only price the real estate, I would look at real estate/property taxes, state tax (Florida doesn't have this), homeowners insurance, and check to make sure your medical carrier has local providers. Expect to pay more for food and utilities. We moved here 1 1/2 years ago from the south and expected to pay more for our home but were shocked at how much more everything else was. It just never seems to end. We are happy with the schools. Good luck!

[JViello]

Take a look at Manchester. You can find a home for that price. Probably a decent 1200-1300sf cape. It won't be the best of the best, but it will be a decent home.

The schools by CT Standards are average, which means they will be above average from where you come from.

There is a Christian Private School in town that works on a sliding scale based on family income, that may be an option for you too.

[Ellelon]

Thank you for all of your suggestions! I have somewhere to start now which is great. After reading , I'm thinking it may be best to start off renting. I was wondering if anyone knows any place online to look for rentals that is legitimate and up to date. Thanks a bunch!

[TouchOfWhimsy]

To rent from a private landlord, your best bet is to look at the local newspapers online, or even craigslist. To rent in an apartment building, you could try apartments.com or the like.

[60Nomad]

If I were you I'd forget Connecticut. Ct. is #3 on the highest taxed states in the US. NY is #1 and NJ is #2. Housing is out of sight especially in Fairfield, County. Ct. is looking at a 6-10billion$ debt in the next 2 yrs. The legislature does not have the stomach to lay off the unionized bloated state work force or privatize it to reduce the debt. The unions control this state and do not make concessions. Connecticut had a debt in 1990. Instead of cutting Govt, they instituted an income tax. Income tax rate is now 5% on federal gross with no deductions. Sales tax is 6% on everything except food and heating oil. Local property taxes are out of sight especially in the large and medium sized cities. They consistantly go up 3% each year due to the greed of the local teachers unions and school districts. School districts average budget increases of 5% each year.
The local school boards buckle under to the teachers unions because they fear mandatory binding arbitration. Everytime a school board elects to go to binding arbitration they loose big time to the teachers unions. The result is higher property taxes. The state is currently 1billion in the hole this year. For the next 2 years they predict a 6-10 Billion $ deficit. Taxes are going up. Expect a 2-3% increase in the income tax, a sales tax increase from 6 to 8% and the re-introduction of tolls. Every fee the state imposes from car registrations, drivers licenses, and professional fees will go up. If it wasn't for the depressed housing market, I would be out of here in a NY minute.

The state legislature is not business friendly either. They tax businesses to death with no end in sight. I've lived in this state for all my 57 years except for 4 years when I went to college in Wyoming. It was half the cost in tuition compared to Connecticut schools. I'd go back to Wyoming except for the brutal winters and short summers. Wyoming is #48 on the most taxed states list. The best N.E. state to live in is New Hampshire. It has no income or sales tax but a high property tax. Lots of people from Connecticut move there. They have the 4 seasons you desire and that quaint N.E. charm. The winters are a bit rougher. The one nice thing I can say about Connecticut is that it is easy driving distance to NY City and Boston.

As far as schools the best public schools are in Madison and Cheshire. Check out the CAPT test scores web site. The better the school system, the more it will cost to live in that town. Your best bet is catholic school. The school systems in Bridgeport, Hartford, New London and Waterbury are a disaster. The only inner city school system doing extremely well is New Haven. They spend a lot of money on education in this state with poor results. Bridgeport, Hartford and New London have graduation rates of only 30%. STAY OUT OF CONNECTICUT.