Moving to New England from NC. (Boston, Springfield: appointed, for sale, mortgage)

[dogsandart]

We'd like to move to New England and currently live in NC. Empty nesters, income of 107K (husband in IT, I'm an artist). I just can't take the heat and want a totally different lifestyle (had enough of the South). We don't want the big city so Boston is out. We would expect to make a little bit more but know the cost of living will be significantly more than here and the salary increase won't make up for the difference. I know taxes are higher, also. I'd like recommendations on areas where we could live comfortably on this income. Safe area, nice house, but nothing fancy, etc. We're only spending 15% of our income now on our house because we don't mind the simple life, but we do want something nice, at least 1400 sq. ft for about $225K which would make the mortgage be about 25% of net income.

He's in touch with an IT recruiter, who mentioned a job in Billerica? Thoughts?

Maine is our first choice, but jobs are scarce, so we're also looking at Vermont and Massachusetts, as well as up-state New York, near the Vermont border.

[gf2020]

I think you need to re-evaluate your housing budget.

The median house price for Greater Boston is $370,000. With a family income of approx. $100K you could usually qualify for a mortgage of $300,000. 25% of gross income is pretty typical.

[dogsandart]

Thank you, and while we know that 25% of gross is more typical, we'd still prefer to stay closer to 25% of net with a 15 year mortgage, which I forgot to mention (we're about 10-12 years from retirement). Which is one reason we've ruled Boston out (also we'd prefer a smaller or medium sized town). I guess you're saying Billerica is considered Greater Boston and housing would be as high there? Any towns within a 30 minute commute of Billerica which would be our desired pricing range? Any recommendations of mid sized towns, like Springfield?

[Dm84]

$100k household income is fine but your housing budget is probably not going to cut it. Also understand that while MA is not that big, most jobs are clustered in the greater Boston area. The further away from Boston you go, the harder it is to find a job. Vermont and the part of upstate New York you mentioned are very rural.

It sounds like what you want is to live like you do in NC but in New England, which will probably be difficult to achieve.

[magicshark]

Many, many towns in central Massachusetts are in your budget. I am not thinking of any within thirty minutes off of the top of my head but they do exist, especially if schools are not an issue.

The problem with this board is it is very Boston centric. Move out of Boston suburbs and it get very affordable, very fast.

Ok I will throw out South Lowell and the Belvidere section. Lowell is next to Billerica, it's rundown in some neighbourhoods but absolutely beautiful in others.

[masshawk]

I see one 1400sq ft+ house in Billerica for $225k: 12 Comet Ln, North Billerica, MA 01862 is For Sale - Zillow

Looks like a few more pop up if you bump up to the $250-300k range. Otherwise you might have luck looking in Lowell (maybe a little too urban for you), Pepperell, Ayer, Marlborough, Framingham. Lawrence and Fitchburg have lots in your range, but require a little more tolerance on the "safe, nice" scale.

[dogsandart]

Dm84, thanks, that's pretty accurate. I know it will be difficult, but I hope it's possible.

magicshark, good information, thanks. I guess the big question we'll have to pursue is - is there a job in one of those affordable towns? Nice to know that Lowell might be a possibility if the Billerica pans out.

[gf2020]

Now that we know a few more details, in addition to Lowell, I might suggest Ayer, Leominster and Tyngsboro, MA, and Hudson and Pelham, NH. The commute to Billerica is closer to 1 hour, however.

I have an office in Billerica and most people try to live closer (and consequently pay more) to avoid a longer commute.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by dogsandart

Dm84, thanks, that's pretty accurate. I know it will be difficult, but I hope it's possible.

I don't know if you've looked at a cost of living calculator to get a sense of what things cost here, but there's more to it than just "things are more expensive in New England."

For instance, heat is a major expense for a lot of people, and you'll probably find that most of the cheaper homes are old, poorly insulated, and use oil; this can cost you thousands of dollars a year.

You should be able to live comfortably here, but you are going to have to readjust your expectations to make it work.

[MidwestRedux]

Honestly, as someone that loves New England for many reasons, I would say don't do it. Unless you can make substantially more money here than you can there, you may be disappointed by the net result. IT is one of the handful of fields where many people probably do make considerably more here than they do elsewhere in comparable jobs. That could make it worth your while to move here.

New England is a wonderful place to visit but not the easiest place to live, especially without roots here. If your tethered to Boston/495 area because of jobs, you will find that it takes quite a bit more money to live comfortably here. You may also find that the stereotype that many New Englanders are closed off and difficult to connect with to be true.

I moved from Milwaukee, WI to Greensboro NC as a young adult. I found it to be boring and a little too southern for my taste, but very affordable. Yes, affordable compared to Wisconsin. I left and moved to Boston not too long after. As a 20 something, I found it to be quite exciting and incredibly expensive. Now that I have a wife and daughter, we're packing up and moving back to the midwest. Its just not worth it for us to be here anymore.

Taxes, housing, gym memberships, a pint of beer, a gallon of milk, they all cost more here. In order to have a similar standard of living, you would probably need to make 30%-50% more than in NC.

If you do decide to move here, southern New Hampshire is going to be your best bet. You might need to go a few towns over the border for affordability. The nicer towns that border Mass. aren't that cheap. Somewhere like Milford, NH might fit your budget, but that's 40 minutes from Billerica without traffic. NH doesn't have state income tax and you will find that many things are a tad less expensive than in Mass.

If you can, try and spend some time exploring and getting to know the areas you would be likely to move to. Do things that locals do to get a feel for it. Then decide.