Cities North of Boston Advice (Lynn, Beverly: townhomes, school districts, price)

[Jlmcinn4]

I am having trouble narrowing down my choices of places to move North of Boston.

We are selling our home in Bradford, MA. We need a city with a good school system including special education services. We also need a good layout for my daughter who is in a wheelchair. That limits our choices of a great percentage of homes on the market...she needs a 1st floor full bathroom and room for her bedroom in the 1st floor.

Our price range is up to $500K.

My husband works in Boston and another reason for moving would be a better commute. With traffic it easily takes him 1 to 1 1/2 hr commute to Boston both ways.

We are considering:
Wilmington: found that there are not a lot of houses in our price range on the market and the ones that are don't have the right set up. There is one new development but it is on a busy road.

Billerica: has one home that would be very nice near the tech. and a few others, but I am worried about hearing that the city is not very nice. Also, how is the commute to Boston? I also have been told to choose Chelmsford over Billerica if at all possible?

Chelmsford: Has a few homes that would work but how is the commute? Is it even longer than Billerica?

Danvers: I loved Danvers and even Beverly but the homes are very expensive for very old homes and none that would work.

Reading, North Reading, Woburn, Wakefield: No houses that can work in our range. I can't tell you how hard it is when most homes on the market have a half bath first floor and full only on the 2nd floor. Especially colonials, which we like and are are willing to use a dining room as her bedrooms. In those cities we do not have the money to renovate the bath.

Melrose: too expensive, older homes and we want somewhat of a yard.

So we recently started looking at:

North Andover and Andover: Lots of choices on homes in our range. How is the commute from homes out near smolac farms? Commute still long for my husband. Found out Andover is having a hard time with special education services?? Despite this, we may decide this is the place for us.

Any other suggestions?

Really need to know how the commute is from Billerica and Chelmsford to Boston and if these cities are better or comparable to andover and North Andover.

Thanks for any assistance...

[Bedford1776]

I would also consider looking at Bedford and Burlington. I am not sure if you would find what you are looking for in your price range, but both of these towns are right on 128 and have good school districts.

[gf2020]

I don't think North Andover is much of a better commute than Bradford; the communities border one another after all.

Have you looked in Georgetown or Ipswich?

[kmann-sherborn]

Could your husband take the train to work? That might make the commute easier (and more predictable) from places like Andover, which I don't think would be a easy drive into Boston.

A few ideas re: finding a home with a first floor bedroom & bath.

- If you find the right layout you might be able to retrofit the space to work for you. For example, I've had clients turn a first floor office, half bath & laundry room into a first floor bedroom suite.

- There are also some new homes being built in Wilmington where I suspect the builder would customize the space for you.

- If you're open to townhomes, there are new ones being built in Andover with a 1st floor bedroom suite.

[kmann-sherborn]

Lynnfield - ranked #40 in Boston Magazine's top high schools in the state. There's a home in your price range w/a first floor bedroom & full bath. You could drive or zip over to the train nearby & get to North Station in less than an hour.

Other nice options would be Hamilton & Wenham - also have train access & very well ranked schools. They're very quiet towns & very pretty.

[Jlmcinn4]

Thanks, I will look into all those suggestions. I like the idea of making the 1/2 bath and laundry a full bath. I need to ask about those homes in Wilmington. The ones I saw were to high for us.
Thanks Again

[Nanseev]

I also was going to say Ipswich or Wakefield. And maybe Essex, which goes into Manchester schools???

For me..I'd just get a good realtor that is familiar with the entire north shore, and let the realtor lose....they should be able to find homes with a bedroom on the main floor. There's got to be single stories somewhere!!

On a side note...I'm in Special Education...what's your issue?

[benbargold]

Ok all I am saying is it is north of Boston and doesn't have a bad commute to and from Boston
Gloucester, MA beautigful city if you mOve there you will fall in love