Family friendly towns near Waltham (Arlington, Watertown: apartment complexes, rentals, relocation company)

[Aaoct80]

We are relocating to Mass from CT due to my husband's new job. Can anyone tell me what towns are commutable to Waltham MA and have good schools? We have three kids 5, 4 and 1. Looking for a 4 br for hopefully under 600k. Is this possible? We will be working with a relocation company but I'd like to get an idea ahead of time. Thanks for taking the time to answer!

[superleggera]

What is your definition of commutable? Do you like urban or suburban lifestyle?

[timberline742]

My first response was Belmont, then I saw the budget. That is a lot of bedrooms for 600k.

[495neighbor]

I live in Acton. You can still afford a house that size here or for a bit higher budget. There are some new detached townhomes recently built and other nice homes in your range. Acton is popular for schools. Very commutable to Waltham (about 20 to 30 min anywhere along the 128 edge of Waltham).

[lrmsd]

Also check out Maynard. [I'm not sure what the commute would be like in reality; on paper it's okay.]

[hken]

You can squeeze into Sudbury for $600K with 4 BR. Might take a while and slightly older home but commutable to Waltham. I would go 3BR and make a couple kids share a room and you open up your options substantially

[Bob Lanata]

I would pick Waltham as it is a neat town and may fit your needs. I lived in the Cedarwood section near rte 128/95. Cannot say enough great things about that city. Good luck and welcome to the area

[Aaoct80]

Thanks for taking the time to respond! We are looking for a suburban area. My husband's current commute is about 30 minutes but we would increase that for the right area. It is going to be difficult to sell our current home and we will likely be covering two mortgages after the initial 60 day grace period from the new company which is why I was hoping to not go over a 600k price tag. Another option we are considering is renting for a while near Waltham until our ct house sells. My main concern is schools (our current public school system is awful which is part of the motivation to move). Ideally I would like where ever we move to in June be the final town destination so the kids will not have to transfer schools again. Renting in a suburban town under one hour commute to Waltham for a few years until we can afford to buy in that town may be the way to go. Wondering if there are towns with town house or private home rentals with a park or community pool nearby. Kids will be giving up a big yard with a pool and swing set when we move.

[kvader]

You could rent in Belmont or Arlington. There are lots of parks and things to do. I think the pool in Belmont was closed last year but there is a pool in Watertown. Belmont has a nice water park open in the summer.

[tribechamy]

If I may ask, what would your budget be after you sell your current home - would it be higher than 600k?

Belmont and Lexington are great for commuting to Waltham (right next door!) and have excellent schools, both have *some* rental options, mostly in homes although Lexington has some apartment complexes. Lexington is more suburban, Belmont is more thickly settled. However as others have said you may need a larger budget than 600k for a 4BR in those towns. If the 4th BR is negotiable you have more options looking for a 3BR in that range.