A turn key house (Boston, Cambridge: apartment, condominium, neighborhood)

[Martha Anne]

This is probably just a dream, and we don't live in Massachusetts any longer but we would love to return.
Being accessible to Boston is number one in priority. By accessible, I mean that you could drive in to go to the Symphony , for example, in under an hour. We visit, and I attended college and graduate school and lived there years ago, in Boston, Dorchester, Brighton, etc. and I know all about the traffic. Now we are retired and do not want to live in an apartment or condominium. We would like to buy a house on excellent condition, all ready to move in, that has 2 bedrooms and we wonder if it's at all possible to get a house all set and ready to go for $400K. We can pay more but don't want to. The closer to Boston, where it's at, the better. But $400K makes that impossible, right? $500K? More? Thank you.

[imperi33]

What about this one? $349k https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5...59114777_zpid/

However I wouldn’t say it’s a very good neighborhood.

[ashcav]

Outside the city https://www.redfin.com/MA/Braintree/...4/home/8857766

[LoLo4444]

I second buying in Braintree. My co-worker was born and raised in Southie, she's retiring next year and moved to Braintree a few years ago because it's more suburban and because it's affordable. She quite happy there and definitely plans to stay for her retirement. As far as being accessible to Boston, she takes the Red Line to work in Cambridge everyday, so yes, getting to Boston is a breeze.

[Martha Anne]

Originally Posted by imperi33

What about this one? $349k https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5...59114777_zpid/

However I wouldn’t say it’s a very good neighborhood.

Thanks. But, super depressing photo. Yikes. Would never live there. But I still don't mean to not be appreciative. It's an incredible price in Boston, isn't it? However, not a happy looking place...we live in a nice area now, hope to stay living in a pleasant area.

[Martha Anne]

Originally Posted by ashcav

Outside the city https://www.redfin.com/MA/Braintree/...4/home/8857766

That is such a low price for a (small) house in (safe, liveable) Braintree! I had no idea you could get a decent house there for that price! Unbelievable. My friend lives there now! (I know that area, having lived on the South Shore, among other places.) Yes, it's terrifically convenient to Boston. Thank you for the link and suggestion! I thought Braintree was mid 600's for anything decent.

[Martha Anne]

Originally Posted by LoLo4444

I second buying in Braintree. My co-worker was born and raised in Southie, she's retiring next year and moved to Braintree a few years ago because it's more suburban and because it's affordable. She quite happy there and definitely plans to stay for her retirement. As far as being accessible to Boston, she takes the Red Line to work in Cambridge everyday, so yes, getting to Boston is a breeze.

My friend who was born and raised in Braintree and lives there now told me a lot of people have moved in from Southie. Thanks!

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Martha Anne

By accessible, I mean that you could drive in to go to the Symphony , for example, in under an hour.


<snip>


and we wonder if it's at all possible to get a house all set and ready to go for $400K. We can pay more but don't want to. The closer to Boston, where it's at, the better. But $400K makes that impossible, right? $500K? More? Thank you.

What day of the week do you want to go to the Symphony? You can be 50 miles out and easily do a Saturday subscription with less than an hour drive to the Christian Science lot. Midweek, car access to Boston is painful. I used to have a Tuesday BSO subscription when I lived in Portsmouth NH before the Great Recession. I can't imagine driving in now. There would be an awful lot of 90 minute drives.

[Martha Anne]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

What day of the week do you want to go to the Symphony? You can be 50 miles out and easily do a Saturday subscription with less than an hour drive to the Christian Science lot. Midweek, car access to Boston is painful. I used to have a Tuesday BSO subscription when I lived in Portsmouth NH before the Great Recession. I can't imagine driving in now. There would be an awful lot of 90 minute drives.

I know! Midweek would be possible only via public transportation.
The traffic in the metropolitan Boston area has become unrecognizable to me since I lived there. And I lived there for 25 years.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Martha Anne

I know! Midweek would be possible only via public transportation.
The traffic in the metropolitan Boston area has become unrecognizable to me since I lived there. And I lived there for 25 years.

What would you be doing with your time as a retiree other than making use of Boston?