Berkshires vs. Cape Cod for late career move? (Boston, Springfield: to rent, selling a house)

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

Real Estate on the Cape was in bad shape until the pandemic. Don't you think those New Yorkers think they will just sell the place and go back once it ends?

Where on Cape Cod was real estate in bad shape in 2019 and early 2020? Like always, it might be hard to sell a house that needs a ton of work since vacation home buyers are looking for turnkey but the vacation home market was strong everywhere in New England.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by SWDOC

Yes, I am definitely one year too late. I agree with Beachcomber4. I think the real estate market (and the broader economy) is going to shift in ways we can't even know at this point. I spoke to someone in the Hudson Valley and houses are going for $100k over asking. On Long Island, people are getting astronomical prices as well, just random offers even if their homes are not listed. All rentals are taken up from the Catskills to the Cape, because for people from New York City they could rent a large house for as much as a studio apartment. Will they ever go back to the city now that their jobs can be done remotely? I don't think anyone knows. My goal was to find a winter rental, which I think will be a little easier, and then try to buy before the summer market heats up next year.... but I have no way of knowing what next year will bring.

Yesmaybe -- this is not a lot of money for higher earners from New York City, so they could maybe sell, or they could rent, or they could leave things empty. I don't think anyone knows if they will stay or leave these places.

Thanks so much to all of you! I am learning a lot! (clearly a lot of people like Burlington and the Pioneer Valley as well!)

You might try looking in some of the college towns for a Winter rental. If colleges are remote for the Fall, I would think there will be some housing up for grabs. Smith College in Northampton just announced that they will be remote. You might check Williamstown, if Williams College goes remote (I don't know if they are), if you are set on The Berkshires.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by bizcuit

You might try looking in some of the college towns for a Winter rental. If colleges are remote for the Fall, I would think there will be some housing up for grabs. Smith College in Northampton just announced that they will be remote. You might check Williamstown, if Williams College goes remote (I don't know if they are), if you are set on The Berkshires.

I don't think the OP is "set" on anything. They say they have a job where they can work anywhere and that they're looking for a place with a walkable Main Street with all the amenities. Northampton certainly has that. That would be my #1 west of the Connecticut if I could afford real estate walkable to the center. I'm not sure how easy it would be for a single male doing a late career move to meet people.

[SWDOC]

Thanks, GeoffD and bizcuit. Correct, I am not set on anything yet, and I am confident I can find work in any of these locations. I actually have friends in Northampton. The funny thing is, whenever I visit there it seems so crowded to me with a lot of traffic in town. But it actually is a smaller city than Pittsfield. Go figure. Maybe I should reconsider!

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Where on Cape Cod was real estate in bad shape in 2019 and early 2020? Like always, it might be hard to sell a house that needs a ton of work since vacation home buyers are looking for turnkey but the vacation home market was strong everywhere in New England.

We're talking DOM of months typically. Full year population has been shrinking for some time to the point where local boards were starting to have meetings to look into what to do about it. Can't imagine vacation home demand is that high when living in Boston is expensive enough as it is.

Now I can totally buy New Yorkers buying on the Cape just to get away from the virus, but it's only temporary.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by SWDOC

Thanks, GeoffD and bizcuit. Correct, I am not set on anything yet, and I am confident I can find work in any of these locations. I actually have friends in Northampton. The funny thing is, whenever I visit there it seems so crowded to me with a lot of traffic in town. But it actually is a smaller city than Pittsfield. Go figure. Maybe I should reconsider!

One of the nice things about Northampton is, even though there is a busy town center, it is also surrounded by lots of rural area. I moved here from New Hampshire. I moved to New Hampshire from NYC. I feel like I have the best of both (NYC & NH) worlds here. Plenty of downtown with great restaurants, interesting shops, coffee places, music venues, art, yoga, maintained bike paths, etc. but I also have countryside here as well, without having to be in the middle of nowhere. Great internet connection and cell phone coverage, and close to grocery and other necessity shopping.

I feel like Northampton has brought together a lot of the things I've loved about the other places that I've lived. YMMV, of course.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by SWDOC

Thanks, GeoffD and bizcuit. Correct, I am not set on anything yet, and I am confident I can find work in any of these locations. I actually have friends in Northampton. The funny thing is, whenever I visit there it seems so crowded to me with a lot of traffic in town. But it actually is a smaller city than Pittsfield. Go figure. Maybe I should reconsider!

It seems busy because people drive from miles around to use the Main Street. If it's not busy, all those local indie businesses would fail.


How do you envision spending your time other than frequenting the businesses on some town's Main Street? That kind of drives where you should be looking to relocate. You then have to face the reality of housing costs. I lived in Portsmouth NH for a decade. A really nice place to live. I did the retirement math at age 50 as the Great Recession was hitting and opted to bail out. I couldn't have that much of my net worth tied up on my house and the home ownership costs would eventually kill me. Everything is a compromise. Figure out what you want as your lifestyle and then find the place where you can afford it.


Someone was suggesting Burlington VT. I went to college there. It checks all the check boxes you've provided so far. If you haven't lived in a place with a real winter, it might be an adjustment. I ski. I've been a Vermont winter weekender and wintered there quite a bit my whole life. I'd be fine with it since I like winter sports. You might not like hanging out on Church Street in -20F.

[SWDOC]

Oh, and I totally realize the irony of being concerned about traffic in Northampton when I am thinking about moving to the Cape, but the seasonal nature of Cape Cod traffic seemed to offset that for me (at least in my mind).

I am fine with cold winters and like winter sports. I spent a winter in Vermont a few years ago and I have lived in the Rockies. I just don't want the winter to feel like it lasts 10 months like it does in, say, Montana :-)

Good points, GeoffD. When I am not at home I like being out walking, running, biking, and I like being able to walk to a coffee shop or the library or bike to the movies or things like that. In the winter I am pretty much limited to nordic skiing now, or ice skating and I have snowshoes. If I lived near the beach i would like to be out on the beach often. I like to do those things with friends or at least see other people around.

I think any small city/ big small town with a sense of community and a walkable main street area, with access to the outdoors would be okay. I narrowed it to Berkshires and Cape Cod as I know people who are somewhat close or have homes there.

[GeoffD]

You still haven't said what your realistic housing budget would be. The cost of a 1,500 sf house in Massachusetts is wildly variable.

[Highlander617]

Athol is much more affordable than Lexington.