Job in Marlborough, where to live if single, early 30's, professional (Boston: homes, neighborhoods)

[FCMA]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Fair enough. I've just never seen the best New England / Mass brews on at Hudson (Hills Farmstead, Treehouse, etc) on there. I might have just missed them. While AA seems to have at least a few good ones regularly.

nobody gets those on the regular, even Armsby rarely does. Even the best beer bars in the state rarely do. Horseshoe is impressive for a relatively small milltown. They lean toward sheer quantity and in the process get some quality, but not the top. Hudson is getting a brewery called Medusa Brewing, this year.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

So people other than you = low. Ok, I get it.

Now, on my way to MickeyDs hopping in my gas guzzling suburban car. I'm going to make a night of it.

You joke, but that's me - the opposite of Timberline, I suppose I routinely stuff my face with $10 worth of stuff off the dollar menu while sitting in my gas guzzling pickup truck. I don't know why I'm still so skinny

[Louisville Slugger]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

At $250K, you're largely priced out of the 495 belt. Lancaster, IMO, is the last remaining "value" ... Nashoba school district, relatively easy access to 2/495/Devens, and a decent ranch can be had for mid-200Ks. The town is quite desolate though.

Maynard prices have jumped some, but an older fixer upper can still be had for under $300k. It will be on a postage stamp lot though. $250K will only buy you a townhouse/condo in Maynard or a serious fixer-upper.

Thanks. Her boyfriend is REALLY into cars and would like a garage. Or at least the ability to add one on if necessary. Proximity to work is probably something else to consider as well. Hudson and Ayer would be where they would be commuting to. Not sure which towns would fit their price requirements as well as their commuting requirements.

I think they're going to be in for a real wake up call when they try to find properties close to their jobs. Real estate in MA is not any cheaper than CT.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by Louisville Slugger

Thanks. Her boyfriend is REALLY into cars and would like a garage. Or at least the ability to add one on if necessary. Proximity to work is probably something else to consider as well. Hudson and Ayer would be where they would be commuting to. Not sure which towns would fit their price requirements as well as their commuting requirements.

I think they're going to be in for a real wake up call when they try to find properties close to their jobs. Real estate in MA is not any cheaper than CT.

Personally, with their jobs located where they are, I would focus on the 190 towns (assuming long term stability).

Towns like Sterling, Lancaster, and Holden are some of the few towns left in central/eastern MA which provide affordable housing and quality school systems. I also believe these towns offer better long term price stability compared to Lunenburg or Townsend due to their proximity to Worcester (which continues to expand it's higher-ed and healthcare services).

[Louisville Slugger]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Personally, with their jobs located where they are, I would focus on the 190 towns (assuming long term stability).

Towns like Sterling, Lancaster, and Holden are some of the few towns left in central/eastern MA which provide affordable housing and quality school systems. I also believe these towns offer better long term price stability compared to Lunenburg or Townsend due to their proximity to Worcester (which continues to expand it's higher-ed and healthcare services).

I'll let her know, thanks for the info. She just got an offer on her house in CT! We'll see how this goes.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by Louisville Slugger

Thanks. Her boyfriend is REALLY into cars and would like a garage. Or at least the ability to add one on if necessary. Proximity to work is probably something else to consider as well. Hudson and Ayer would be where they would be commuting to. Not sure which towns would fit their price requirements as well as their commuting requirements.

I think they're going to be in for a real wake up call when they try to find properties close to their jobs. Real estate in MA is not any cheaper than CT.

No kids, I would look in Ayer or for a small home in Groton with good bones that needs updating. The prices in Ayer can't go any lower. Better spots for an unmarried couple than Lancaster or Sterling which lean ultra-married and religious right. Maybe one of the nicer Worcester or Lowell neighborhoods.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

No kids, I would look in Ayer or for a small home in Groton with good bones that needs updating. The prices in Ayer can't go any lower. Better spots for an unmarried couple than Lancaster or Sterling which lean ultra-married and religious right. Maybe one of the nicer Worcester or Lowell neighborhoods.

Ayer prices are already over valued, IMO. I currently rent in Ayer and I can assure you that the town does not provide long term value for SFH buyers. Despite being positioned between some moneyed towns (Groton, Harvard), the housing stock remains renter-oriented and is generally decrepit. While it has proved to be safe, it certainly has a fair of amount of disparaged souls wandering the streets. Perhaps 15-25 years out the town will transition, but for now it remains in it's past military-town form.

Lancaster is certainly religious conservative; however, Sterling, Holden, and the Boylstons are merely sleepy 'burbs of Worcester. I myself am hoping to close on a home in Sterling and while I'm a millenial who enjoys cultural breadth (of which Sterling has none), down town Worcester is only a relatively short drive down 190.

As for Groton, having looked at SFHs in town for some 3 years I can say finding a home for $250k is a challenge. They do exist, but they will be older (19th century), tiny (under 1,500 sqft), and in West Groton (which is 15+ minutes from any highway). I really wanted to buy in Groton/Dunstable ... Sterling simply provided better value and a more tolerable commute for my fiancee (who works for a Worcester college).

It is ALWAYS good business to buy in a good school district, whether the one has children or not, because this is the primary driver of resale and long term price stability west of Boston. For this reason, I cannot recommend towns like Leominster, Ayer, Shirley even though they all contain some very nice homes/neighborhoods.

[Atomicdoug]

I spent an evening in Hudson, and while its not the city, if you are working in Marlborough it could be a good choice. Its a decent size small town and has several eateries. Notably, the rail-trail flatbread pizza is great. Sit at the bar, order up a microbrew (they have about 20 different ones on tap) and you will meet people in their 30s and 40s.. 50s too

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by Atomicdoug

I spent an evening in Hudson, and while its not the city, if you are working in Marlborough it could be a good choice. Its a decent size small town and has several eateries. Notably, the rail-trail flatbread pizza is great. Sit at the bar, order up a microbrew (they have about 20 different ones on tap) and you will meet people in their 30s and 40s.. 50s too

Glad you liked it. I suggest staying at the bar though. The waiters are all high school kids and service isn't that great.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by Atomicdoug

I spent an evening in Hudson, and while its not the city, if you are working in Marlborough it could be a good choice. Its a decent size small town and has several eateries. Notably, the rail-trail flatbread pizza is great. Sit at the bar, order up a microbrew (they have about 20 different ones on tap) and you will meet people in their 30s and 40s.. 50s too

Glad to hear you had a positive experience.