acton or westford or littleton (Boston, Cambridge: buyers, suburbs, racist)
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Just curious, what prompted that move? Proximity to family for child care or elder care?
Mostly the former. And, we have no need for daily proximity to Boston as I commute to Burlington when I’m not traveling. At this point, Westford/Acton is a bit cheaper than Reading apples to apples as those 95 towns have been in such high demand since the recession. But, what you lose in proximity to the city you get back in home size, schools, and ‘natural’ amenities.
We have neighbors that just moved from Belmont. Traded their small cape for a big colonial. They miss the obvious advantages of being so close to the city, but they love it. Think you find a lot of those stories in town.
We have neighbors that just moved from Belmont. Traded their small cape for a big colonial. They miss the obvious advantages of being so close to the city, but they love it. Think you find a lot of those stories in town.
Just curious, what kind of size increase do people trade for distance to city?
I imagine it would have to be at least 1000 sqft(from 1500 to 2500), or do you think fron 1500 to 3000?
Just curious, what kind of size increase do people trade for distance to city?
I imagine it would have to be at least 1000 sqft(from 1500 to 2500), or do you think fron 1500 to 3000?
I'd imagine it would depend on their commute. If they worked in Cambridge, maybe a trade up of over 2000 sq. ft. If they worked in Bedford, maybe 1000. Chelmsford, they would probably gladly take a loss in square footage.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by massnative71
What???
Acton has more residents commuting to jobs in the city (Boston / Cambridge), whereas Westford is geared toward those commuting via I-495 to jobs in Chelmsford, Andover, Burlington, Nashua, Marlboro etc.
Acton is a an upmarket Boston suburb. Westford is a 495-suburb. End of story.
The median incomes and COL suggest otherwise. Westford is a 495/Rt 3 town much like Andover is a 495/93 town. Acton is a 495/rt 2 town, even if 495 doesn’t technically hit Acton borders.
Westford has the lake areas north, which are generally more middle class/starter neighborhoods. And Westford has summer village, which hosts a bunch of summer/vacation 1/2 bed condos for like $200k. Exclude seasonal housing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Westford is actually more upscale.
Just curious, what kind of size increase do people trade for distance to city?
I imagine it would have to be at least 1000 sqft(from 1500 to 2500), or do you think fron 1500 to 3000?
It’s more of a market for those that don’t work in the city, and have a young family. Additional sw/ft plays a role, but QOL is the biggest factor. Why be house poor in a ranch that isn’t updated with kids who are forced to share rooms in one of the least desirable neighborhoods in a town close to Boston if you don’t need close proximity during the week? Trade the $900k ranch in Belmont for a $750k colonial in a very family oriented neighborhood in a town with some of the states best schools... At some point, that translates into extra vacations, extra savings for college, the car you always wanted, etc.
It’s not a move for everyone, and if you have the means via annual income/equity built, I totally get why most would choose a Belmont or Needham. But for some, the pros to living in an Acton or Westford outweigh the cons, and the pros aren’t simply limited to sq/ft.
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