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Hi, and thank you in advance for answering my questions. My wife and I are going to be moving out to RI soon from Northern California. She is an RN and I will be working in Physical Therapy so I believe we can get a decent home. My realtor mentioned that Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket are areas to stay away from. How is everyone's opinion on those towns? I have heard mixed thoughts. Also, how is the area around Roger Williams Park? I know that Cranston would be a good fit for us and that borders the Park, no? According to her, that area probably isn't the best either. Please enlighten us so we know what to look for when we head out there.
If your title infers that you don't trust Realtors, you won't have much luck in any state. There are some excellent Realtors in Rhode Island, and there are some I would not refer anyone to. If you Realtor gave you that advice, why do you have "mixed thoughts"? Could it be because you think that the prices are too high in the areas the Realtor has suggested? Do you think the Realtor is "holding out"? Why would a Realtor give you wrong information?
Rhode Island is not a housing market for the faint of heart or the slim wallet, sticker shock is prevalent, even though prices have come down somewhat, but there are no fire sales going on.
As with any relocation to any state, it is best to do some in depth research for the demographics in an area through the internet. The price ranges in any given area will be an indication of it's amenities.
Here is the public site for the Rhode Island MLS: www.riliving.com
Here is the website for the Providence Journal paper: www.projo.com
Hi - I can understand your hesitation in working with a realtor, particularly in a state you don't know.
To answer your question, I would agree with your realtor that those aren't great areas to live in at all. The area of Cranston right around Roger Williams isn't particularly safe, and I would not choose to live in Central Falls or Pawtucket at all. There are many good communities in RI - the ones you listed are definitely ones I would shy away from.
Does he not trust the advice, or does he not trust the Realtor?
The Realtor gave him good information which he is questioning when he knows nothing about the area and hasn't done any research. I hope he uses the sites to "look around" and study the area. Suspicion is not a good start to a buyer/agent relationship.
its not that i don't trust the realtor. i never said that. it is a simple question that should i trust the opinion. please don't assume that i haven't done any research. i have researched a lot and have visited once; and noticed some areas i like and some i didn't. however, i haven't visited everywhere and would like to get the opinion of others who may have different opinions. so, the question "trusting a RI realtor?" is just a question, not an attack on someone's good advice. if it is good advice, i just want answers that back that up. if it is poor advice, i would like to know that too. ultimately, I am going to make a decision myself and look at every area we can. however, it is good to get others opinions. no? thanks for the replies.
i would never bash anyone on a forum. and never mention names. i'm sure this realtor is a good one. just wondering if the opinion seems to match the general consensus out there.
You can trust the opinion 100%. Without being redundant, it still depends on your price range. However, you did not say what your price range is when you posted the question. There are a few nice areas in Pawtucket [Darlington section 02861 zip], and also a fairly nice area with pretty older homes in Woonsocket [North End - zip 02895 is all of Woons. though], and these would be in the mid $250K range. There are some beautiful higher end areas in Cranston [Dean Estate etc.] $350K plus. If you are in the $400K range and upwards, your research has borne out what we are saying and you will have more options. It's all about the price range. The average home in RI is approaching $400,000 as we speak.
my price range is up to 300K but my wife and I really look forward to renovating and from the looks of realtor and remax, it looks as if we can find what we are looking for in that range. plus, it seems as if the market is falling and or ready to fall as many sub prime lenders are going under and many people who got into bad bad loans are foreclosing because their rates have gone up on their a.r.m. we will see though. at least that is what is happening in california. many people have been stuck with their house for a good amount of time now.
You may be interested then in the Cowesett area of Warwick (is not near the airport) or some nice areas in North Kingstown. Northern RI is very nice, north of 295 from the Mass. line west.
T. F. Green Airport is going to expand and swallow a minimum of 204 more homes, and is a huge project. There will be several consequences of that expansion and if you have not already studied the Warwick area, that is something you should be aware of. If you can open this link, it will give you good info: www.projo.com/news/content/airport_report_03-10-07_B04P18F.384454b.html (broken link) and your Realtor can get you the specifics. There are some nice areas in Warwick Neck near the shoreline, very nice. Otherwise, buyer beware in Warwick.
Best of luck to you in finding a great house in the great small state of RI.
thank you for that. i do hope to find a nice home. ri is very beautiful. i am not into bashing an entire state, but i'll just say how impressed i am with rhode island compared to california. even some of the "bad" areas have really low crime rate to some areas around where we live according to citydata. it is very comforting to read about that.
It all depends on what you value as a "nice" area. If you like sprawling suburban houses miles from anything useful, then western Cranston (Dean Estates) is the way to go. If you actually don't mind urban living then Pawtucket, Central Falls or Woonsocket are great. There are lot's of great old multi-family units being rehabbed in all three communities. Crime is not that bad in any of those either, unless you're into drugs and deal with drug-dealers.
Realtors are very ignorant, so make sure you tell them what you want.
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There are a few nice areas in Pawtucket [Darlington section 02861 zip], and also a fairly nice area with pretty older homes in Woonsocket [North End - zip 02895 is all of Woons. though], and these would be in the mid $250K range. There are some beautiful higher end areas in Cranston [Dean Estate etc.] $350K plus. If you are in the $400K range and upwards, your research has borne out what we are saying and you will have more options. It's all about the price range. The average home in RI is approaching $400,000 as we speak.
thank you
