I have $900k. Need good schools & commute to Longwood Medical (Boston: sale, condos)

[kingeorge]

OP can look in many towns with this budget with an understanding that what OP gains on bigger space, yard, or better updates, OP loses on commute. That 20 minutes drive is not going to happen in many of suggested towns. Hence my "pick your poison" comment. Also this is weird time of the year with many RE spring/summer leftovers, and not necessarily the best RE market sample for e.g Newton and such.

Good luck.

[semiurbanite]

Cant buy much for 900k? You guys are high brow eh? https://www.redfin.com/MA/Arlington/...6/home/8455261

https://www.redfin.com/MA/Newton/4-C.../home/39890948

[wolfgang239]

Originally Posted by semiurbanite

Cant buy much for 900k? You guys are high brow eh? https://www.redfin.com/MA/Arlington/...6/home/8455261

https://www.redfin.com/MA/Newton/4-C.../home/39890948

Renfrew is a 45 minute car commute on a good day, and an hour with 2 buses and a train transfer.

Cragmore is a bit better by car, and great on the Green. Unfortunately, only a fence separates it from Route 9. Not just a busy road but a state highway.

Still a pick your poison situation as Kingeorge pointed out.

[Partial Observer]

Originally Posted by semiurbanite

Cant buy much for 900k? You guys are high brow eh? https://www.redfin.com/MA/Arlington/...6/home/8455261

https://www.redfin.com/MA/Newton/4-C.../home/39890948

You don't understand. It has to be a detached single-family home, close to public transportation, on a side street, preferably a cul-de-sac, with a privacy fence and a large yard, modern updates, and at least 3500 square feet. Oh, and there has to be municipal trash pickup, because that's the only thing that truly separates us from the animals.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by kingeorge

OP can look in many towns with this budget with an understanding that what OP gains on bigger space, yard, or better updates, OP loses on commute. That 20 minutes drive is not going to happen in many of suggested towns. Hence my "pick your poison" comment. Also this is weird time of the year with many RE spring/summer leftovers, and not necessarily the best RE market sample for e.g Newton and such.

Good luck.

One could buy a pretty nice house in Needham in that budget. It won't be the Taj Mahal but it will be nice. In Natick, you'll get a really nice house for that price. However, I would tend to doubt you could get to Longwood in 20 minutes from these places. Closer in locations like Brookline will be much more expensive. As you imply, one's budget only allows for a certain set of attributes. If you want to shorten your commute, then you'll need to make some kind of trade off.

Maybe the OP would be willing to live in a condo in Brookline? There are lots of parks in Brookline. IMO, it's not a huge deal if you don't have your own yard in such a place.

[karen_in_nh_2012]

Originally Posted by Partial Observer

You don't understand. It has to be a detached single-family home, close to public transportation, on a side street, preferably a cul-de-sac, with a privacy fence and a large yard, modern updates, and at least 3500 square feet. Oh, and there has to be municipal trash pickup, because that's the only thing that truly separates us from the animals.

Not helpful at all. The OP certainly didn't have those demands. I understand you were making fun of those who do, but the OP isn't one of them. Why be a jerk?

[Ninotchka P]

Originally Posted by karen_in_nh_2012

not helpful at all. The op certainly didn't have those demands. I understand you were making fun of those who do, but the op isn't one of them. Why be a jerk?

+1

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by karen_in_nh_2012

Not helpful at all. The OP certainly didn't have those demands. I understand you were making fun of those who do, but the OP isn't one of them. Why be a jerk?

Some people just have a need to complain and whine. Online forums/discussion groups seem to attract a lot of them.

But, it is sad when 900K just barely gets you into the market. If you have a job in a certain location, if you don't want your life taken over by the commute, you have a limited geographic area in which it is feasible to live. There are many areas in the country where 900K would get you an incredible dream home. It's just unfortunate that the inner ring of Boston suburbs are not at all such a place.

[G-fused]

The desire for a 20 minute commute puts Needham and Natick out of the picture, unless the OP commutes at very off hrs. And even then, it's cutting it close. I'd go with Newton. yeah, it's expensive here but 900k isn't a tiny budget by any means. A home in one of the Newton Neighborhoods can be had for that.

I feel your pain OP. We have a super active boy and are in Brookline. We used to own a home but are now in a condo, I'm not complaining. There are many benefits to condo living - many. And the house we owned had a very large yard with a big old oak tree and was all fenced in. I do miss it (certainly not the upkeep though) but we’ve adjusted well.

There are tons of families here with active kids and live in a condo. THat's why the parks in Brookline are so utilized. It's a nice atmosphere actually. The parks are like disco clubs for kids. My kid always see’s someone he knows, usually many others and enjoys the buzz of the town. We thought a yard was what he needed but now, we think he’s happier with the parks because with a yard, it would have been just him but with the park, he gets an outdoor experience rather than just the outdoors – kids exchange bikes and scooters, they play football or soccer or throw the frisbee around, etc. When we go to one of the parks or schools (after school lets out) in the burbs, it’s usually a dead zone. Go to one of the Brookline schools (Lawrence or Devotion will do) at 5pm, the place is packed with crazy kids doing crazy kid things. Giving up a yard hasn’t been as hard as I thought and I absolutely underestimated the awesomeness of an atmosphere like Brookline where people spend a lot of their time in public spaces rather than their home – I’ve even just thought of a new slogan: Public Space – it ain’t just for poor people anymore.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

[Partial Observer]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Some people just have a need to complain and whine. Online forums/discussion groups seem to attract a lot of them.

But, it is sad when 900K just barely gets you into the market. If you have a job in a certain location, if you don't want your life taken over by the commute, you have a limited geographic area in which it is feasible to live. There are many areas in the country where 900K would get you an incredible dream home. It's just unfortunate that the inner ring of Boston suburbs are not at all such a place.

THIS is the segment that my snarky posts are targeting, because they're perpetuating the myth that $900K "barely gets you into the market." Wrong. Even in Newton, the median price is in the $600-700K range. $900K only "barely gets you into the market" if you start with lofty presumptions about what a minimally acceptable home is.

What I'm doing is not complaining and whining. What I'm doing is pointing out how out-of-touch many of you are. Sure, it's class resentment with a touch of shaming, but there's a purpose. Although most of this demographic will brush it off as jealousy and trolling, the hope is that some will at least pause before making sweeping generalizations that about how $X won't even get you a shack, when the reality is that half the town is living in those shacks.

The complainers and whiners are the ones making comments about how it's "unfortunate" that $900K doesn't get you that "incredible dream home." Maybe you should recalibrate your expectations.