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My family and I are looking to move out of Northeastern PA due to rising crime in and around our town. I love the New England area, but my husband doesn't want worse winters than we already have. He doesn't mind staying the same, just doesn't want worse. I realize I might be pushing the envelope heading up this far north, but I've heard some of the New England states have a bit of a microclimate near the coast and don't have quite as harsh weather in the winters. Is this true of NH? If so, what ares would you recommend within about 20 minutes of the ocean that are good, safe, affordable neighborhoods to raise a family? By affordable, I would say no more than 200k for a house. Being near jobs would also be a plus! Is this even a possible scenario? Thanks!
Houses are affordable, but the property taxes are high. You'll probably have to find decent paying work in MA though. Stick to looking at housing in southern NH.
My husband is an electronics worker for the federal govt. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a degree, but does have a lot of experience. I have mainly been a stay at home mom, but do have an old degree in medical office that I have slowly been updating and have been doing data entry from home. I am also in the process of trying to get into a physical therapy assistance program, depending on how quickly we move. Are there any areas that are better than others in S. NH? I love the quaint small town feel....definitely don't want to be in the heart of any cities.
I suggest a winter visit to the seacoast area from Cape Cod MA to Portland ME. These places have a relatively mild climate and are really nice and un crowded without tourists. I also suggest at least arranging interviews before you move.
We would never make any move without having a job secured first. I just fear that it is going to be very difficult to get a job out of state. I would think an employer would be hesitant.
You'll probably have a real hard time renting with dogs, I'm sure you're aware of that, but keep it in mind. Places that will rent to you may tack on pet fees or deposits, work that into your budget.
Winter-wise, most of New England seems to cycle, we get a few good years with mild temps and fluffy snow (great for insulating gardens/lawns, and filling reservoirs in the Spring), then a few years of harsher, colder winters. And differences can be pretty severe in relatively small areas, I recall when I attended school in VT, there would still be snow there when we left for summer break, and in NH, things were getting green again. What most not familiar with the area struggle with is not severity, but length of winter. Chill weather generally starts in November and can last into late April, so don't worry about one storm, worry about everything being cold and brown for months.
Not specifically sure about Easterly pricing, but I know in general, home prices in southern NH tend to run a bit higher, in the 250-300 range. You may have to trade location for pricing and commute times. Pretty much same story as the rest of the US, jobs means population center, which means higher prices and higher crime. Figure out what's important and what you can be flexible with.
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