Relocating?

Submitted by Loose-Connection-935 t3_ysk2vq in massachusetts

Hello,

My wife and I are pondering relocating to the Northeast, perhaps to a Boston suburb or something similar, and wanted to hear from people about areas we can look at as well as great things/challenges about living in Massachusetts.

We'd be looking for a house on a bit of land (up to an acre) with woodsy views. Not sure how viable that is in Boston suburbs but thought I'd throw it out there. We're open to other areas as well, but proximity to shopping, restaurants, and a major airport are a consideration.

Our house budget would be about $900k.

Thanks in advance!

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wolf95oct0ber t1_ivzijdm wrote

There’s been a few TX to MA posts in the past year and some with comments you might find relevant just about moving to and living in Mass. Here’s one to start if you scroll through not too far.

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Loose-Connection-935 OP t1_ivzjf8y wrote

Just to elaborate a bit, one of the reasons we want to leave TX is the political climate/atmosphere which is part of the reason we're looking at the Northeast.

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Ilikereddit15 t1_ivzzftr wrote

You might like the political climate better, but it’s an expensive state. $900k doesn’t go that far if you want to live within 20mi of the city. for $900k with an acre you’re going to need to move further out from Boston. Electricity, car Gas, Natural Gas, food etc. is far more expensive. Real estate taxes are brutal and we have a state income tax. Just make sure you look at the total package because it’s a lot.

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sunnybcg t1_iw2w3k2 wrote

Do not blame you. My sister lives in Austin, so we actually relocated there in December 2020, but once I experienced the political climate there, you couldn’t get me back to MA fast enough. We came back here in April. Zero regrets.

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Illustrious-Mix9904 t1_iw1ink7 wrote

I think you have to either forgo the large yard or the proximity to the airport. Both of those are not possible unless you can stretch that 900k to about 1.8 or so. Cost of living is much much higher than most other places.

Traffic really blows, but if you work from home, that shouldn't be an issue. Parking can be pretty expensive in Boston (about 25-50 a day). Most people take the train.

The good thing is that there is a half decent transit system (commuter rail and the T) if you can be close to one of these, then it shouldn't be too bad to get to the airport. Driving to the airport is def not recommended.

If you're moving away because of the political climate, I'd also look to see how the areas here are voting. There are some areas where you can see the same sort of people here as well. Look into how the town votes and that should give you an idea.

Most people are nice!

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show_me_that_upvote t1_iw3a1e1 wrote

You’re making an awesome choice it may be expensive but the quality of life is so much better.

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Late_Effect_6116 t1_iw09x2l wrote

I would look north of the city - Topsfield, Georgetown, boxford, Middleton, North Andover, would all be good options on your budget

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WinsingtonIII t1_iw2z4tp wrote

Agreed. I'd throw Hamilton, Ipswich, and Wenham in there, but these are the sort of towns that will have the woodsy factor while also being close enough to Logan Airport and the city to access them reasonably well. I wouldn't recommend south or west of the city simply because access to Logan seems to be a priority and you don't want to have to go through Boston to get to the airport if you need to access it regularly.

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Seaworthiness222 t1_ivzfg52 wrote

Do you have kids?

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Loose-Connection-935 OP t1_ivzg7bt wrote

Our kids have 4 paws and a tail :) two dogs and a couple cats

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Seaworthiness222 t1_ivzhvox wrote

OK, well if you plan to have kids the answer is a lot different than if you will not need to rely on a school system.

Our house values are tied into how good the school is.

I guess other big question is -- like 30 minutes to the airport?

I live in central Mass. I'm with 1 1/2 hours from 4 good airports -- but not less than 50 from any. It works for my husband as he only flies a couple times a month, but may not be good for a frequent flier.

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Loose-Connection-935 OP t1_ivzj1i7 wrote

Not planning on any kids.

30-45 min to airport would work perfectly. We sometimes travel for work and do a good bit of traveling for pleasure but not anything too frequent.

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Seaworthiness222 t1_ivzk5dg wrote

30 minutes to Logan can make it tight on budget and land.

If you can get your head around more like an hour - hour and 15 minutes? It really will open things up for you.

That's a short commute to Boston and the houses will be priced accordingly.

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LadyGreyIcedTea t1_iw0q56t wrote

I live within Boston city limits and 12 miles from Logan. It has only ever taken me 30-45 minutes to get to the airport if I'm going in at 3:30am for a 5am flight.

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SLEEyawnPY t1_iw3lu0x wrote

Sharon is the type of town you're looking for on that budget in that driving range (assuming favorable traffic conditions of course) to the airport

>We'd be looking for a house on a bit of land (up to an acre) with woodsy views. Not sure how viable that is in Boston suburbs but thought I'd throw it out there

Pretty viable e.g.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/66-N-Main-St-Sharon-MA-02067/57507064_zpid/

Historic home within walking distance to several restaurants in the town center, the town library, and the commuter rail to Boston/Providence RI. (No financial affiliation)

>great things/challenges about living in Massachusetts.

One of the restaurants in the town center is a vegan restaurant.

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therealblakmark t1_ivzucgm wrote

I’d look along route 2 past Leominster. I’ve always felt like the northern part of the state has better woods but as some others have said, you’re going to need to be an hour or more outside of the city for 900k and some land. Maybe like westminster, ashburnham or Pepperell. Good luck with the move!

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LadyGreyIcedTea t1_iw0pyam wrote

I was just in Pepperell yesterday for a work appointment as well as nearby Tyngsboro. The families I work with who live in these towns have to go to neighboring towns for pharmacies because their towns are legit the boonies. When I drive through I always think how nice the houses are and how much land they have compared to my tiny yard but there's no way I could be an hour + away from Logan, Fenway and Gillette.

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WaketheDeadDonuts t1_iw24hp0 wrote

Move to Western Mass. Easthampton is 35 minutes to Bradley airport. We’ve got bears, beers, and bud

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threenamer t1_ivzmmpp wrote

Arlington here. My kids’ baseball coach moved up here from Dallas. We’re a walkable neighborhood (tree-lined streets with sidewalks on both sides) close to downtown and transportation. You won’t get an acre, but you can get a nice single family (or double-decker for rental income) for 900k. The two-family across the street from me just sold for that price. We are walking distance to grocery stores, drug stores, hardware stores, Starbucks, restaurants, and parks. I’m never going to leave. It’s perfect.

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Sheeshka49 t1_iw0cpk2 wrote

Try Western Massachusetts or Northern Connecticut—you can get more for your $900K out here.

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WinsingtonIII t1_iw2yxli wrote

I mean sure. But with $900k they can go somewhere between the 495 and 128 belts and get what they want. That's a very reasonable budget. Especially since OP wants "woodsy" so it's not like they are going to be looking too close to the city, probably outside 128 at a minimum, and further than that if we're talking metrowest.

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goPACK17 t1_ivzgp3p wrote

You would be much better off asking what neighborhoods to maybe avoid. Literally 90% of the Boston area is an absolutely lovely place to live. Some places are more lively, some more peaceful, all of which wonderful in their own way.

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Puzzled_Transition48 t1_iw0bwyh wrote

Place is expensive - taxes are tough - you should really take a deep dive into the fiscal application of the move.

That being said I live in natick - about 20-30 from Logan in a ranch - single floor 3bed 1 bath that was just valued at 730k on .20 acre

My parents live the town over in Framingham 4 bed 3 bath with a Basement 1/2 acre and it would go for about what your budget is maybe even more.

There are more wooded towns like holpkinton and holliston which is very nice but again your money really doesn’t go as far here as it would in the south

You will get into a bidding war as the market here is crazy so honestly I would start looking in the 600k listed price.

I was looking to rehab a home a few months ago listed for 399k it was unlivable and needed everything done to it - it sold within a day for 576K riddle me that

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Reeey t1_iw0us5n wrote

Boxford is just about what you’re looking fo. 45 min. To Logan without traffic (prob 90 on average). MHT is 45 min as well

2 acre lots and lots of state parks & woodsy trails.

https://redf.in/o3pgK5

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sunnybcg t1_iw2vqs7 wrote

We recently moved to Ashland and LOVE it. We’re about 40 mins from Boston and surrounded by farms. Some of the swankier towns in MetroWest (Sherborn, Natick, Wellesley) border us, but we have the benefit of paying cheaper taxes than those towns. We bought a beautiful home for around $700k. Like you, we have a bunch of dogs and no kids, so schools aren’t an issue. Ashland has some awesome state forests to take the pups. 10/10 recommend. Feel free to DM me with any questions!

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modernhomeowner t1_iw38ub3 wrote

Plenty, we have a great place that's both in a city and in the woods... just watch the operating expenses of a house here. Depending on where you are from, a $900,000 house month to month will feel like a $2.2M house, with our property taxes, high electricity rates that are 300% the national average, not to mention it costs more to heat a home than cool it and at least my town, water rates are 4x where I came from. Depending on your living budget, you may need to consider a lower priced house, so watch those expenses!

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Loose-Connection-935 OP t1_iw3coj6 wrote

Good to know about the OE! I know all about property taxes, people think TX is tax friendly, but that is for corps rather than residential home owners. We lived in SoFla and when we moved to TX I was shocked by the size of the tax bill and how much it can get YoY

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EtonRd t1_iw3dv9j wrote

West of Boston, try Harvard, Bolton, Berlin, Hudson, Stow. These are nice towns with a lot of open space and big home lots. But not so rural that you can’t find a fancy coffee place easily.

No proximity to the airport but With your budget and desire for land, you can’t get that within a 30 minute drive to the airport. Frankly a 30 minute drive to the airport would be coming from Arlington maybe, if you were lucky with traffic. And you have a postage stamp yard. So it’s just deciding what’s important to you. If you want an acre of land, you’re going to have a long drive to the airport. You have to get pretty far from Boston to find houses with that type of land for that price.

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_ivzg2qf wrote

Where would you be moving from?

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Loose-Connection-935 OP t1_ivzgzwv wrote

North Texas

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_ivzi58w wrote

You will love new england and have enough cash to live the good life here. Any home in any state in the $900 thousand dollar range will be mighty pleasant. Come ahead. Green lighted.

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nebirah t1_ivzj08f wrote

You want to spend up to 900k for a house in the woods with access to a downtownish area and near a major airport.

The woodsy part is confusing to me because that implies wilderness or remote areas which are limited to a few areas of the state that might be an hour from major airports but they aren't near Walmarts. From Boston, you want the 495 belt or further.

Not knowing your age and whether you want to be near people that age, but based on the attached link of 2021 median house prices, here are my top three suggestions:

  1. Milford / Bellingham / Hopkinton area
  2. Carver / Rockland / Bridgewater area
  3. Burlington/ Billerica area

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/property/single-family-home-price-chart-2021/

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WinsingtonIII t1_ivzy4ei wrote

It depends on how woodsy they want. There are places on the North Shore like Hamilton, Wenham, Topsfield, Ipswich, or even the northern part of Beverly that can get pretty woodsy and are within an hour of Logan. These are not full rural areas of course, but they are woodsy for a suburban area and many houses have woodsy areas abutting their property. I would suggest North Shore or up towards the Merrimack Valley if getting to Logan is a priority. You don't want to be going to Logan regularly from west or south of the city.

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RealtorInMA t1_ivzmonp wrote

There are a lot of great suburbs that still have good access to Boston. One question I'd have is whether you will prefer access to Boston by train or by car. A lot of towns have both, but it will help you narrow your search. Also think about how close to Boston you want to be and set up a radius. You say you want a fair amount of land, just plug in a search with filters for lot size and everything else and see what you can get. I find that 93 South of the city commute sucks these days, but there are several train options.

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Loose-Connection-935 OP t1_ivzpz8c wrote

We'd prefer both to give us the flexibility.

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RealtorInMA t1_ivzys10 wrote

A lot of towns will check those boxes. Wakefield, swampscott, Norwood. I suggest looking at traffic patterns, because a lot of places are twenty minutes away at midnight but two hours away at 5pm.

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Essarray t1_ivzmv5w wrote

Haverhill area would put you between Logan and Manchester.

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Oiggamed t1_iw059n8 wrote

I grew up in the south shore of Boston. Somewhere between there and cape cod. Love it there for so many reasons. Lived in other parts of the country but will be staying here. AMA.

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SupermarketOne948 t1_iw05bhj wrote

With $900k you should be able to find something nice along the 495 beltway.

Milford, Hopedale, Bellingham.

For commuter rail: maybe Hopkinton, Westborough, Southborough, Franlin would be possible.

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madogblue t1_iw0ay54 wrote

I would reccomend for land and your budget that you look close to the rt 495 belt

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hopeful_soulful_life t1_iw0b4fr wrote

Just want to share that we moved from MA to NY last year. We lived in Norwood (excellent town BTW). It was 35-45 mins to the airport on a good day. We sold our 1050 sq ft home on 4,000 sq ft of property for 512,000. Most houses with decent square footage (16-1800 aq ft) and maaayyybe 1/2 acre of land will run you into the 7-800,000's easily.

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hopeful_soulful_life t1_iw0bytb wrote

Just to add...good traffic days were few and far between... sometimes it took me 10-15 mins just to get the 3 miles up to 95🙄

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Apprehensive-Hat-494 t1_iw1hv19 wrote

Westwood/Canton/Norwood/Dedham has housing stock under 900K, and abt 30 min to Logan. You can def get somewhat "woodsy" views there (probably not too much land though) and close to shops.

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Public-Pirate-6832 t1_iw2deht wrote

My family (2 kids, 2dogs) did well in that price range in Framingham. Just shy of an acre, woods and centrally located.

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WhiplashMotorbreath t1_iw70kyn wrote

I would wait 6 months to a year, the housing market and prices are going to drop ALLOT.

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OriginalMenace t1_ivzi5rz wrote

I don't think that's gonna happen, with that budget.

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You could be further away, sure, but then you're not really near shopping, Logan, etc etc.

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Seaworthiness222 t1_ivzjbo2 wrote

Wont be near shopping?

Come on. 900K is fine. There are a zillion places with lots of good restaurants and near by shopping.

He can go to central Mass and be within one hour of like 3 airports. There's TF Greene, Hartford (which I used all the time), Manchester, Worcester, and Logan.

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OriginalMenace t1_ivzjnre wrote

The only major airport here is Logan, IMO and so also have an acre?

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goPACK17 t1_ivzy299 wrote

Logan is the biggest ya, but TF Green is also a practical option as well. When I grew up in Canton I used to check flights both out of BOS and PVD and fly out the latter at least 30% of the time.

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goPACK17 t1_ivzigfq wrote

What do you mean? $900k can easily buy you something with woodsy views within 30 min of Boston. Maybe not Dover or Weston, but you can finding something in Canton, or Norwood, and several other towns.

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hopeful_soulful_life t1_iw0cfde wrote

A woodsy view maybe, but prob not a decent house AND a full acre of property

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goPACK17 t1_iw0defo wrote

OP said "up to an acre", and I imagine they're a bit unfamiliar that average lot sizes in MA are way smaller then what may exist in other states. $900k is plenty to find what they're looking for in a ton of different neighborhoods.

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