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I am interested in moving to NH. My brother and sister in law recently moved from Milford to Bedford NH. Bedford is too expensive for me. I am looking for a home in Hillsborough County that would cost about 300,000 to 325,000 in a SAFE neighborhood with a very GOOD school system. I know I can't afford towns such as Bedford or Brookline where the homes are expensive and the taxes are high. I am not sure what towns are a good option for my needs. Any suggestions from folks in the area would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
My brother and sister in law lived in Milford NH. I have been up to the Milford and Bedford area several times in the past few years. However, since it takes me about 5 hours for me to drive to NH I usually visit for a 3 day weekend which leaves me with a very limited time frame to extensively explore the area.
I live in northeastern NJ. I love NH. Very pretty state and the people were nice too. I chose Hillsborough county because of proximity to family(Its hard being so far away from my nephews who are growing up fast). I am not very familiar with towns in the neighboring counties, but I am open to suggestions there as well. I will definitely research Peterborough, Goffstown and New Boston! Thank you for the suggestions!
You might also consider towns in both Merrimack and Rockingham Counties, as both have some great towns that are considered safe, may have homes in your price range, and have good schools. Will you be looking at HS only, or do you need to consider elementary and middle schools as well?
Other things to consider is that some towns may have services like public water, sewer service and trash pick up. Others may have a mix of the above. Public water/private sewer (septic system) is fairly common.
It's great that you have visited NH often in the past, because many people read about life in NH and move here without considering the reality. I admire that you want to be closer to your nephews We enjoyed a nice quality of life in the St Louis area for a few years, but being so far from family brought us back home again...
Bedford is generally pricier than nearby communities, but some parts of Bedford are more affordable. Alternately, consider the more rural towns to the west of Bedford, particularly Mont Vernon, New Boston, and Weare.
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Originally Posted by Cay818
I know I can't afford towns such as Bedford or Brookline where the homes are expensive and the taxes are high. I am not sure what towns are a good option for my needs.
Keep in mind that towns with low tax rates generally have vastly reduced town services. For example, in the towns I mention above there generally no traffic lights, and not many streetlights either. Residents are expected to maintain their own well and septic, take their own trash to the transfer station (or pay for private pickup), and the police station goes dark by 5PM. There's no "animal control" ; call the police about a coyote trying to eat your dog and they'll ask you why you haven't shot it already (the coyote, that is).
While rural, all three of these towns have good public schools.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cay818
I am looking for a home in Hillsborough County that would cost about 300,000 to 325,000 in a SAFE neighborhood with a very GOOD school system.
With the exception of a few neighborhoods (mostly in Nashua & Manchester), nearly any NH neighborhood is going to be "safe", relative to northeastern NJ.
Thank you all for your insight. Re the schools I am looking for a good school system in hs and grammar schools. The town I live in is middle class (not a rich town) but it is pretty suburban and the school systems are pretty good so I hope to find that in my new town as well.
I have no problem living in Milford. It is a very nice town. I just wanted some suggestions for other areas as well. I will look in Hillsborough, Rockingham and Merrimack Counties.
Thank your for the information about town services. That is something I will need to research/consider when relocating. Right now where I live the garbage pick up for ex is included in our taxes other areas pay for that service separately or have to bring their garbage to the dump themselves.
Re the police. Our police station is notvery large but you can call 24/7. You mentioned the police closing at 5. Are emergency services and emergency medical services available at all hours if needed in most towns?
Re work: I work in a physical therapy office. I wanted to research neighborhoods so I have an idea what job opportunities are available. I am still working and will continue to do so until I find new employment. My concern is that it will be difficult to find a job with an out of state address and phone number. I have never looked for a job in a state outside the one I was living in. Does anyone have suggestions on the best way to go about searching a job in a new state while I still live in NJ? Or do you think I will need to actually physically move first before finding employment? I know people who have been in that situation and relied on a spouse to help with expenses until both were on their feet in their new location.
I will purchase a copy of the DeLorme NH Atlas. The maps would be very helpful in my getting to know new areas of the state and make the process a little less scary. I am excited and looking forward to the move but like anything new I am a little anxious too---but more excited than anxious! Thank you again to everyone for all your insight and your kindness! Cay
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