Houses around $300000 price (Boston, Lynn, Newton: sales, 2015, renting)

[Gsq4784]

Hi, I work in Boston. We have been renting a house and now decided to buy a house. Which cities should we consider to buy? Our budget is 300000$. I would like to stay as close as possible to work near to Park street.

Below are our needs:
3+ bedroom
1.5+ bathroom
Safe for families
Less crime rate

Average school districts are fine for now. My baby is too young to go to school.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Get in line behind everyone else. Houses for that price in the greater Boston area are rare to nonexistent. If you do find one it'll no doubt need a crap ton of work if it's not a tear down.

(we have friends looking for the same and they're coming up empty, btw)

ETA: I apologize if I'm coming off as flippant. I've lived here all my life and frankly, if we hadn't inherited our house we wouldn't be living here because we couldn't afford it. the rule of thumb is the further away you're from Boston, the cheaper the rents/prices. Unfortunately that's no longer the case in some areas.

I have a friend who moved here from NYC two years ago. She says that, in some respects, living in NYC is cheaper than here.

[alidmc]

$300K is tough. I looked in Revere and Everett, but 300K will get you a house on a highway or a 2 bedroom. There are a couple in Chelsea. That's about as close to Boston as you can get in this range.

Lynn seems to have a lot of inventory to choose from under 300K. Lynn has a bad reputation, but I have a couple of friends that live there and they are happy. There seems to be a lot of community involvement recently and the city is really pushing for revitalization. In addition, Charlie Baker and Seth Moulton have focused on Lynn as an area of economic development. This is no guarantee that anything will happen, but this effort combined with the city's own efforts to attract artists and make Lynn an attraction may put Lynn on the upswing.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business...HlI/story.html
Moulton discusses Lynn's future - News - The Swampscott Reporter - Swampscott, MA
Lynn Happens | an independent publication in Lynn, Mass.
You will need to do your research. There are areas of Lynn to avoid due to crime, but it may work for you.
On the South Shore, I found some houses in Weymouth and Abington. These towns will put you on the commuter rail or you can drive to the red line. Abington isn't mentioned much in this forum, but I haven't heard the greatest things about Weymouth. Maybe some others can chime in.

[Debg1]

If you are willing to consider a longer commute you should be able to locate housing at the far end of the MBTA about thirty miles from Boston in that price. The Attleboro area is an example. Some towns such as North Attleboro and Franklin have highly rated schools. These areas are suburban and family centric, plenty in the way of restaurants and shopping but you need to travel into Boston for city life.

[gf2020]

Are you sure your budget is only $300,000? Have you met with a mortgage representative to see what you actually qualify for?

You're renting in Newton now, right? I'm sure you understand that the median sales price for homes in Greater Boston is now over $400,000, so trying to find something decent for well below that figure will be a challenge.

[robr2]

You could look further south. There seems to inventory in the $300-350 range. You can catch the commuter rail right in town and be at South Station in less than an hour.

My niece and nephew just bought there and had their first child. I don't know what the schools are like but I'm sure they'll decide what to do when it's time for that.

[jan0105]

You can get something in Weymouth or Abington for $300,000. Neither town has amazing school systems, but they're safe and close-ish to Boston and still a good deal.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by alidmc

Abington isn't mentioned much in this forum, but I haven't heard the greatest things about Weymouth. Maybe some others can chime in.

Both Abington and Weymouth are better than Chelsea, Revere or Lynn. Of those two, I would pick Abington. Out of Weymouth, Rockland, Holbrook, Randolph, Whitman, etc. I'd say Abington is the nicest. And yes, the Attleboros (as well as Plainville, Norton) would be another good choice. Also look at Middleboro. Stay south of the city for a commute to Park St.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by gf2020

Are you sure your budget is only $300,000? Have you met with a mortgage representative to see what you actually qualify for?

You're renting in Newton now, right? I'm sure you understand that the median sales price for homes in Greater Boston is now over $400,000, so trying to find something decent for well below that figure will be a challenge.

I think it's bad advice to push people towards a mortgage outside their comfort zone. I wound up taking a mortgage that was barely half of what they would approve me up to, and looking back now there is no way I would have been able to manage by borrowing the max. It's a mistake people in the Boston area make many times over, and it often isn't pretty. There are plenty of options around $300,000 still, you just need to be flexible and understand you won't have a 15 minute commute. That is just not realistic in Eastern MA anymore, one of the reasons I got out.

[ormari]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I think it's bad advice to push people towards a mortgage outside their comfort zone. I wound up taking a mortgage that was barely half of what they would approve me up to, and looking back now there is no way I would have been able to manage by borrowing the max. It's a mistake people in the Boston area make many times over, and it often isn't pretty. There are plenty of options around $300,000 still, you just need to be flexible and understand you won't have a 15 minute commute. That is just not realistic in Eastern MA anymore, one of the reasons I got out.

Very well stated.