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First, I just want to say thank you for those of you who take time out to help so many of us.
My husband may be getting a new job in Braintree, MA in the future, and I was hoping that I could get some recommendations for towns to live in around that area.
Here is some background:
We currently live in Houston, which has a very low cost of living. We've been spoiled as far as housing goes, but if you've ever been to Houston you can see why we want to be back on the east coast. :P
(I grew up in Maine and my husband grew up in VA).
As much as we want to move back to the east coast, the cost of living is scaring the daylights out of us. My husband makes 70k a year down here, but the new job in MA only starts at 55k. I'm a full-time student. Is that enough to live reasonably anywhere around Braintree? We may have to look at foreclosed houses, which we're okay with.
Also, I've heard that Weymouth is more affordable, but I don't know if that means that there is more crime. It may also be worth mentioning that his current commute is 35 minutes each way, so we wouldn't to live anywhere beyond that.
We're young. He's 28, I'm 26. We just want to live someplace that's within a 30 minute drive to the beach, 30-45 minutes from Boston, and is affordable without being ghetto. We would prefer there to be things to do in the area....perhaps some other young professionals/families around? We don't have kids yet, but we may start soon.
Anyway, any information you can give would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
To be honest, as a fellow Houston resident who will be relocating to MA, the 55k a year will definitely NOT go as far in MA as it would down here. The cost of living is astonishingly higher. For example, a comparable house like the one we currently own in Atascocita, TX, would go for twice in MA what we paid in TX.
That said, you're young and don't have kids yet, so it wont be as big of a hardship as it would for someone with more financial obligations, and if you hate Houston (like I do!) the change and financial difficulties could be worth it for a better quality of life and location... plus, as before, you're young, raises and better employment opportunities will arise, and your future children will be getting a much better education up north.
Welcome to MA! You don't specifically come out and say that you are looking to buy vs. rent or what your budgets are for either. Easy recommendation is to check out craigslist for places to rent for a year, get yourself up here, and then tour around and make an informed choice. I know the coast more than inland, and my initial sense says check out Marshfield.
Yes, I DO hate Houston. Dear lord do I hate it. Don't even get me started. It's hard to grow up in New England with all the history and beautiful scenery and then move to a flat, humid, manufactured metropolis like Houston--which is why I've been trying to get us back to New England ever since!
I don't know when our next opportunity to move back there will be, which terrifies me. We've been looking at jobs for over a year now and this is the closest we've come to it actually working out. I CAN say that the company is VERY large and does a majority of it's promoting from within. So, it's unlikely he'd have to suffer with that measly salary for very long.
Also, I graduate in May. So hopefully I would be able to start teaching the following Fall. Massachusett's is number 1 in the country for teacher salaries. So, our combined salary would be just over six figures once that happens. I know I'm grasping at straws here. I'm just sort of hoping that we could rough it out in an apartment until then and then go from there.
Welcome to MA! You don't specifically come out and say that you are looking to buy vs. rent or what your budgets are for either. Easy recommendation is to check out craigslist for places to rent for a year, get yourself up here, and then tour around and make an informed choice. I know the coast more than inland, and my initial sense says check out Marshfield.
Thank you for your reply!
Yup, renting will most likely be our route at first. I like the way you think. My husband is nervous about taking a step backwards though. Our 1600sqft, 4 bedroom/2.5 bath house with a garage and fenced in backyward was only 108k. We'd be lucky if we could get a trailer with that in MA. But, like I said, he is the only one making any money right now so hopefully once I graduate we'll be able to afford something better. It's a hard decision for sure...I guess we need to figure out where our priorities lie. I'd be fine in a 2 bedroom house if it had a full basement. But I'd also be fine with renting for a while until we can afford something better.
Sometimes you have to take a step backwards before you can take three forward.
Personally, were I in your shoes, I would spend my remaining time in Houston saving saving saving and/or buying things like furniture and appliances at our lower prices, which you can move to your new home in MA. It will make the transition a lot easier and more comfortable.
I would also advise that take the opportunity to move to a place you know you'll enjoy. We have been stuck in Houston much longer than we ever intended, but it has been a great place to get our feet secure, financially. I can't wait to move. Since its just you two, and you will be graduating and contributing financially within the year, I think you could stand to rough it in a small place for about a year.
One more thing that you need to keep in mind:
Massachusetts is a very well educated state, and pays their teachers well, so competition for teaching positions may be fierce. I doubt it will be as easy to get a job there as it would here in TX where they are hurting for teachers most everywhere.
Here in Scituate the teacher hiring is very cyclical. I assume the town and schools figure out what state aid looks like (money from the state given to towns), their own budgets, etc. and then BAM next thing you know there's ads for 20 teachers in our district alone in mid-summer.
Definitely start planning to ensure you can get yourself certified to teach here in MA next fall. I assume you won't be certified in TX as you're just finishing up(?). As you may have already done, the MA DOE web site gives lots (and lots) of info on certification, etc.. I also assume you'll need to take the MTEL(s) appropriate for your level of teaching. Is there any way for you to make professional/district contacts here in MA? I assume all the local Masters' programs must have their contacts; just wondering if you can tap in to anything to get yourself set up.
Well, my aunt and uncle both live in Plymouth. My uncle is the mathematics coordinator for Plymouth public schools and my aunt is an editor for Pearson Publishing. Perhaps they will know someone that I can talk to. Thanks for bringing that up! I hadn't even thought of that. Of course, there is no guarantee, but it is something.
Scituate (by the way, THAT's one beautiful town), I don't plan on getting certified in TX unless we are still living here. My husband was told that the job would start at the end of October, early November. Which means that, if he gets it, we'd be moving to MA before I even graduate. I would plan on staying enrolled through my university by taking online classes. Of course, there is also the chance that our house won't sell right away, which would SUCK, but would also give me the opportunity to stay here a little longer (as much as I won't want to, haha).
The thing is, my husband works for very small mom and pop business. He will never grow beyond the position he is in now, and he works about 60 hours a week on average. Though he's paid pretty good, we have no idea where the money goes. That scares me, especially considering his new job would pay significantly less. We're not in any debt or anything, but we just don't have a whole lot in savings. We do eat out a lot. I think it might be worth it to meet with a financial planner for guidance in that respect. He has taken on a second job where he is paid under the table (he basically works on this really rich guy's fleet of hot rods). We've been saving that money and have managed to accumulate a couple grand. He usually does it once a week or so, but I think he's probably going to start going there more often.
I totally agree that sometimes you have to take a step back in order to move forward. I just feel like we're so young--if we're going to take a chance it should be NOW. I'm easily inspired by success stories in my own family, like my father-in-law giving up his highly lucrative career to open up a corner store in the middle of nowhere (while his wife took care of their newborn 100 miles away). Seemed crazy at the time, but that store was the catalyst to their success and put 2 kids through college.
My husband is more reality-driven. He's very interested in this job, but would prefer to wait for something that will pay him as much as he's getting paid now. It's understandable (less scary that way). At the same time, he went to a technical school and only has one skillset--automotive technology. He doesn't want to be a mechanic, doesn't want to go back to school, and doesn't want to open his own shop (or manage one--his current job). That leaves Fleet Management, and he knows that they are few and far between. I honestly don't know what he will decide if offered the job.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. I'm sorting out my thoughts at this forum's expense. haha.
Welcome back to MA! We were similiar to you guys - bought our first place at the age of 22 (in very affordable WA state). When we sold, even though we made a good profit, we couldn't buy a cardboard box in MA. We rented for almost 3 years. It's tough to rent after owning, but at least we had a place.
We are actually now in Weymouth. I think it's great. I wouldn't say it's very high in crime - mostly petty stuff. More so than other towns though (Hingham, Scituate, Cohasset, etc.) - but I'm not scared to live here. I think it's a very good choice based on what it offers and it's affordability factor. Weymouth has a lot of great neighborhoods. People are generally nice but not flashy. It's def. not "high-class" or anything like that - but I really like the Weymouth/Braintree/Quincy area.
Hope this helps. If you are looking to rent before you settle on a town to buy, your best bet is probably Quincy. Or even Braintree. I'm not really sure what the rental market is like in Weymouth. I know there are some complexes, but we were always a two-family/triple-decker renters. You could probably buy a cape/ranch in Weymouth in the mid to high 200s. It would probably need some cosmetic work. Of course, Weymouth (like all towns & cities) has it's good parts and bad parts.
Hope this helps. Good luck!!
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It's hard to grow up in New England with all the history and beautiful scenery and then move to a flat, humid, manufactured metropolis like Houston--which is why I've been trying to get us back to New England ever since!
