[mikerol]

Hello. We might be moving from Jax, FL. My office would be in Avon, so we want to stay west of Hartford, within about 20 minutes drive to Avon. We have 2 little girls (not school age yet), and a great yellow lab. This move would be for 2 years max. So, our thinking is to rent a single family home. We'd like to find something in a nice neighborhood, definitely more of a New England smalltown feel -- not in the city.

First, any suggestions?

Second, maybe you'd be interested in renting your house for a year or two? Perhaps it's on the market and not moving due to this little market correction we're experiencing around the country.

We'd be great tenants -- I'm a landlord myself. We own a rental property in NC.

Let me know.

[yankee.peddler]

Without knowing your budget, I suggest looking at Avon itself, Canton, Farmington, Simsbury, Barkhamsted, and New Hartford. These satisfy your requirements. Avon, Farmington, and Simsbury are largely upper-class suburbs of Hartford with 20,000 to 25,000 residents each. Canton is a growing upper-class suburb of Hartford and a little smaller with about 10,000 residents. Barkhamsted and New Hartford are growing but are much smaller and more rural in character.

I grew up in central Connecticut and I'm still very familiar with the area. However, I defer to someone else to answer your question about renting houses. I think you'll find rental possibilities mostly in the bigger towns.

[joshtpa]

I am in the same situation as far as looking for rentals in Farmington. I have yet to find a place, but will be up on Monday to take a peek.

[mikerol]

Thanks for the first feedback yankee and josh. Hey, Josh, if you don't mind letting me know how your visit goes, I'd appreciate it. We're going up there for a first look around the area in two weeks. I'd love to buy something, but being a max relo of 2 years, I'm scared to death to have it be time to move in two years and I have a house on the market that sits around.
thanks
Mike

[jdhall1]

Talk to realtor up there. I am sure that there are a good amount of single family homes for rent up there to choose from.

[mikerol]

Yeah, meeting with a realtor while we're up there on a visit. I thought I'd be able to find some stuff online to at least get an idea of what's available, but pickings are pretty slim.

[djvaly]

all the above towns are great ... West Hartford and Glastonbury are nice towns to rent as well...

[Jsegarr]

When will you be coming to the area ? I'm planning to rent my house for 1 year or two. It's located walking distance to Bishops Corner, close to one of many shopping area in West Hartford. Schools are great, neighborhood is great. Need to know when your coming up or interested in looking at the house. The rental we are looking for is $4200/month....If interested please reply.

House has 3 bedrooms,2 finished rooms in the attic, a finished basement, a very large back yard with deck. Large family room with open kitchen & eating area. One car garage & expanded driveway that can fit up to 4 cars.

Originally Posted by mikerol

Hello. We might be moving from Jax, FL. My office would be in Avon, so we want to stay west of Hartford, within about 20 minutes drive to Avon. We have 2 little girls (not school age yet), and a great yellow lab. This move would be for 2 years max. So, our thinking is to rent a single family home. We'd like to find something in a nice neighborhood, definitely more of a New England smalltown feel -- not in the city.

First, any suggestions?

Second, maybe you'd be interested in renting your house for a year or two? Perhaps it's on the market and not moving due to this little market correction we're experiencing around the country.

We'd be great tenants -- I'm a landlord myself. We own a rental property in NC.

Let me know.

[AmyBergquist]

If you're going to be here for only two years, I would really recommend against buying. Renting is the right way to go.

West Hartford, Avon, Canton, Simsbury, and Farmington will give you a 20 minute commute to Avon for work. All have a small town feel. West Hartford is the most "urban" and developed. There are various shopping areas and parks. The other towns are more rural with more green space and larger lots. If you need a big yard for your dog, most likely you would find a bigger piece of land in Avon, Canton, Simsbury, or Farmington.

You should be able to find several house rental options on Realtor.com. And working with an agent should also help facilitate the process. Many sellers are interested in renting at this point because they are not necessarily getting the price they want, so they figure renting is better than selling. You'll have a slightly harder time with a dog, but you should be able to find something that will work. Good luck and welcome to the area!