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I think its the congested area with seemingly short ceilings. Most of them don't have any foyer. Don't see any brick houses. Houses are very expensive as compared to many other areas with proximity to Boston like places.
You'll probably have better luck outside of the downtown areas. E.g., here's a new house in south Dover with a foyer and at least partial brick (it's new construction, so you may be able to get all brick):
The whole area (Dover / Durham / Exeter / Portsmouth / etc.) is nice, and the schools are well rated, so I wouldn't be too concerned about that. But the homes are mostly older, and not all of them are well maintained, so finding one anywhere in the area that meets all your criteria is just a matter of legwork. Newer construction outside of the city centers is probably your best bet. Keep in mind that will probably mean well and septic rather than city water / sewer, if that matters to you.
Howdy & sorry for the slow reply. I've been away from the forum for awhile and trying to respond to the different threads that I've missed.
So... I see that you are looking for a town recommendation that is more or less equidistant to Dover, NH & Andover or Lowell, MA. I don't kniw where you are moving from - but IF POSSIBLE please do consider renting before buying. Yes, moving 2x is a big inconvenience - but buying in the wrong community is even more inconvenient...
That said, some of the towns that I would recommend putting on your list would include Exeter, Stratham or Newfields, any of the 3 Oyater River District towns (Durham, Madbury or Lee), North Hampton or Hampton Falls. All of these towns have highly regarded school districts, easy to Rte 101 and Dover (which you said is more important to be closer to than the MA towns).
If we were working together, I would also be asking about some of your preferences on amenities, important considerations like public water & sewer vs. private well & septic system; municipal trash & recycling availability or self-transport to the transfer station (aka the dump) and even oil vs propane vs natural gas availability. Do you prefer a walkable neighborhood with sidewalks or a home on a large lot with privacy?
I would also ask what types of local amenities do you prefer within 10 minutes, 30 minutes and 1 hour from home. Locally owned coffee shops & restaurants? A Whole Foods, Trader Joes or Costco? Fitness center or theater? So many considerations... I look forward to seeing some additional posts from you and what others have answered
Really check the tax implications of living in NH vs MA. I don't know if things have changed, but MA charged taxes based on combined income, so even the NH would be included to set the tax rate. Also, due to the fact that NH has no income taxes, it has a lot of fees and really high property taxes.
I agree to rent before buying. We've lived in 4 very different communities in the area and knowing what I know now, I would have never bought where we are (Exeter area). There's nothing wrong here, it just we don't get the community vibe and the town policies. It's personal.
Last edited by Merjolie8; 10-04-2021 at 02:21 PM..
Reason: typo
Maybe I didn't explain it correctly. MA doesn't charge taxes on the NH income, but takes it into account to set the tax rate.
Disclaimer: This is a fictional example, so the numbers are not real, only explaining the issue. So let's say you make $50K in MA and $50K in NH. The tax rate in MA for $50K is 6%, but for $100K is 8%. MA would charge you 8% of your $50K MA income.
Maybe I didn't explain it correctly. MA doesn't charge taxes on the NH income, but takes it into account to set the tax rate.
Disclaimer: This is a fictional example, so the numbers are not real, only explaining the issue. So let's say you make $50K in MA and $50K in NH. The tax rate in MA for $50K is 6%, but for $100K is 8%. MA would charge you 8% of your $50K MA income.
Again, no, please stop.
Massachusetts has a flat tax of 5.1% on both earned (salaries, wages, tips, commissions) and unearned (interest, dividends, and capital gains) income.
Maybe I didn't explain it correctly. MA doesn't charge taxes on the NH income, but takes it into account to set the tax rate.
Disclaimer: This is a fictional example, so the numbers are not real, only explaining the issue. So let's say you make $50K in MA and $50K in NH. The tax rate in MA for $50K is 6%, but for $100K is 8%. MA would charge you 8% of your $50K MA income.
If I'm reading this correctly, the tax rate in MA is a flat 5%:
I've never lived there, so maybe there's more to it than that, but that's how I read it
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