Single Family, Reasonable Commute to Cambridge (Boston, Waltham: real estate, rent, condo)

[elijahwilliams]

We currently rent in Arlington and are looking to buy our first house, $460,000 being the max. We'd love to stay in Arlington but are looking at a tiny dump or a condo in that price range. Our kids will be attending school in Cambridge until HS so we're not that concerned with elementary schools but want a place with a good high school. We will also both be working in Cambridge. I've looked in West Medford (but the HS has a bad reputation) anyone have any experience with the HS? Wayland has some properties we could afford but it seems way out for a daily commute, what do you think? How about Watertown? Waltham? We might could squeak by with a fixer in Lexington or Concord. Are there any towns I'm overlooking? Any help would be appreciated as I'm feeling overwhelmed with all this. Thank you.

[willdufauve]

It's a gamble, but rent for 2 or 3 years. Real estate is sinking like a stone (along with the value of the dollar). In 2 years it will be a whole new world.

[smarty]

Every town has advantages and disadvantages... your towns along Rt2 is fine... Even Wayland is fine if you are willing to pay tolls using Rt90. Sometimes, it is faster than going to Concord or Lexington using Rt2 during evening rush hour. Your price can buy a low end of some community or high end of others. Only you can decide what you want.

Just beware you are buying a house and not a school... School can change fairly fast... a new principal... a prop 2.5 override failure can change the dynamics quickly...

[elijahwilliams]

Originally Posted by smarty

Your price can buy a low end of some community or high end of others.
Just beware you are buying a house and not a school...

Thank you. You've given me something (else!) to ponder. Your point about the school system is a good one. As an educator myself I also know that how people define "good schools" is often not what I think of as a good education.

So since I'm asking for advice here, what are the advantages/disadvantages of buying at the low end of a community or at the high end?

[smarty]

I would not buy anything above the median price of home in any town. Price of home is determine by supply and demand. During a down turn, it is much harder to sell when you're competing with so many. It is especially bad if you're top 10%. There are plenty of choices in other towns. The bottom end of "good and expensive" towns are the one sold first... The prices also goes up faster, earlier and sold easier during recovery in the expensive town.

[CityGirl52]

I saw some beautiful homes on the realtor site in your price range in the City of Melrose. The schools were always very good here and the city is filled with all kinds of beautiful colonials and victorians, it was always a very nice city. There were 3 that I saw in your particular price range that were colonials and quite nice. The 4th one was a Victorian for $469,000 and stunning. It was always fairly easy to commute from Melrose with the MBTA orange line right there ("Oak Grove".)

Here's some more interesting information about Melrose from their site:

City of Melrose, Massachusetts - Home Page

Melrose is a small city located approximately seven miles north of Boston with a geographic area of 4.76 square miles and a population of 28,150 people. Since its settlement in the middle of the 18th century, Melrose has offered its residents a desirable compromise between the crowded metropolis of Boston and the frontier of rural exurbia. Melrose is predominantly residential with exquisite Victorian homes dating from the late 1800s, but beyond being a city of homes, Melrose has a long-standing tradition of being self-sufficient, to support residents' housing, education, employment, health, shopping, entertainment, recreation and leisure needs.

Melrose is proud of its excellent schools, its cultural facilities, including the 83-year old Melrose Symphony Orchestra, Melrose Massachusetts Television, the very active local cable channel, and its Victorian downtown area which is supported by a Chamber of Commerce and dates back to 1900. Another vital component of the quality of life in Melrose is its varied open space and recreation facilities. Ell Pond is a large natural feature in Melrose's center, trees line Melrose streets and parks and open spaces are dispersed through and around the city. Melrose is the true implementation of the notion of a garden city with a commercial/institutional downtown surrounded by housing of varied densities. In addition, the city is ringed by a "green belt" which includes the Middlesex Fells Reservation to the west, and this belt buffers it from surrounding communities. Melrose's recreational facilities include two golf courses, Pine Banks Park and Morelli field, a state-of-the-art baseball facility.

[elijahwilliams]

You are giving me good things to think about. I've expanded my search to Stow and Maynard but know very little about the school systems or the towns (other than our annual apple picking trips).

Anyone have any insight or experience?

[Tinawina]

Do your kids have to go to public high school? The hubby and I currently live in West Medford and we all commute to Cambridge for work/school/daycare. West Medford is great. I think Watertown might be a good choice as well. Seriously though, there are so many good schools in the Boston area that you may be able to find a good option for high school that can work financially, especially if they offer aid.

[brightdoglover]

Stow is a lot more upscale than Maynard, a former mill town. I don't think there's a real comparison. I suspect Maynard schools aren't so well regarded. The town itself is very modest, and the entry roads into it are lined with auto supply places, etc., and not very attractive. Yes, the former Digital building (one of the first rehabbed mills) has recovered from the Digital era, but there is still a lot about the town that's quite downscale.
Stowe seems more like Harvard, rural history, historic houses, well off without being snooty.
Not sure about the commute to Cambridge, though. Normal business hours could be tough.

[elijahwilliams]

Thanks everyone for your advice. We're still debating being closer to the city vs. moving further out, getting a yard more house etc. You all know the deal!

I had one last question. A while back I used a website that allowed you to find out what homes sold for, didn't have to join and it was simple. I can't remember the name of the site. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Thanks again.