Airport and relocation questions

Submitted by ZeBrownRanger t3_za67d4 in newhampshire

My wife works for fidelity and we've decided to take the plunge and relocate here from New Mexico. She'll be hybrid and working in Merrimack a few days a week/month. I'd like to keep her commute to 30 min or less if possible. I'm in a leadership role in sales and travel to major metros weekly/biweekly by air. We will likely be able to afford a house in the 400-500k range. We have a 3 year old daughter. We like dining out, city events, and not being too far removed from shopping, groceries, etc.

Background out of the way, here's the questions -

Does the Manchester airport have a reasonable number of direct flights or can I count on layovers or having to go to Logan? I'm willing to commute ~40 minutes to an airport. If I have to go to Logan, how atrocious is it getting there?

Where would you recommend based on the above and why? Are the schools/daycares good?

We are thinking about Nashua, Salem, Derry, and London Derry. I've done a bunch of research but a lot of info is outdated or vague and it's always best to ask a local.

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nobbyv t1_iykgnod wrote

MHT, after a great initial push, has dialed back flights quite a bit. I’m ~10 miles from MHT but end up flying out of Logan 95% of the time. Granted, I’m booking following the airline; if Southwest can get you where you need to go it might work. Otherwise, you’re better off flying out of Logan.

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gman2391 t1_iykkbzm wrote

As long as you don't have to go to Logan during rush hour it shouldn't be too bad.

$400k is gonna be about the minimum to find a house south of concord these days. You should be able to find something decent in your price range

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iykkjle wrote

That's good to know. I've been shopping and it seems like 450-475 gets you a lot of house for the money.

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CosmicSurfFarmer t1_iyko44p wrote

450K is going to get you a starter house in SNH. I’m not trying to be a jerk, just trying to give you accurate information

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iykq2oh wrote

You aren't. No offense taken. I've been shopping online a bit. I'm seeing plenty of 3-4 bedroom at around 2k square feet in that range. Interiors look nice. Things seem in good repair. Can you elaborate? I'm sure plenty won't show as well but they seem consistent in that range.

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Pristine-Elk-2902 t1_iykr31c wrote

Correct me if I'm out of line, but 2k SQFT isn't exactly "a lot of house"

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lellololes t1_iyly1vp wrote

Depends by whose standards.

It's plenty of space for a family, it's just not huge in American terms.

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Falzon03 t1_iymixtm wrote

2k sqft isn't large by any means. Small bedrooms mid-size living room. You're looking at 3-4 bedrooms, so average family with no office or craft/play room... usable good space, yes, large, absolutely not.

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ILikeCrabbyRobots t1_iym42pc wrote

For you, but for this family it sounds like it is. Everything is relative, not everyone needs a McMansion.

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cyriouslyslick t1_iynnvur wrote

Property taxes will price you out of many homes if that's your full budget.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyoesut wrote

It's not. That's what I can do with 20% down and still have 50k left over for moving, improvements, and appliances. I can spend up if I have to.

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cyriouslyslick t1_iyp0ue4 wrote

Property taxes are a constant monthly/yearly expense and will continue to rise aggressively. Make sure you are accounting for the tax rate in every single town you're shopping in.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyp38uh wrote

They seem to be 10-15% higher than where I live and seem to go up 4-10% a year based on the town.

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pink-peonies_ t1_iylxy7g wrote

You’ll understand better when you start looking into those homes priced in that range. What towns/areas are you looking into? Could be priced lower based on the neighborhood. Could be that there are issues they aren’t advertising.

For example, we bought our house in 2019 (before housing markets went crazy). 2k square footage, needed lots of things done that you wouldn’t see on a search online. It’s a starter home. We paid $350k. Our house is now valued at around $575 due to the housing market insanity. So u/cosmicsurffarmer is correct.

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Falzon03 t1_iymilmj wrote

Yeah, 450 isn't a lot of house for the money our here. At that price, it will need some updating for sure or be small/small property. Just want to set your expectations, especially for the areas that are more developed.

Also, keep in mind there are a lot of houses for sale on double yellow roads here. When we moved, that was an immediate no for us as we had a 3 year old as well.

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DeerFlyHater t1_iykcyyp wrote

I like MHT, but they don't have too many direct flights the last time I looked.

Getting to BOS isn't horrible-expect combat driving and occasional delays, but I've never parked a car there so there is that.

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ILikeCrabbyRobots t1_iym4mhe wrote

Parking is fine, if you're reimbursed for it. You can buy ahead of time for a discount, too.

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Nismotech_52 t1_iykdn7g wrote

Londonderry has a bus that goes to Logan for direct flights. It’s 5 mins from the manch airport. I fly out of both. My mom lives right next to the mall

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyke5dh wrote

What's the bus ride time in your experience to Logan? That sounds pretty good.

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Environmental-Job515 t1_iylc11a wrote

I live in Londonderry and fly MHT when I can, but my wife and I always use the buses when we fly Boston. Service is very good. More importantly have you been studying for your Red Sox exam?

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyog0cr wrote

That's good info! I'm thinking the buses will be the way to go. I have not. Not much of a sports guy unless it's hockey. Looking forward to seeing the Bruins.

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shy-bae t1_iylq9mc wrote

There's also a Boston Express bus stop in Tyngsboro, MA (5-10min south of Nashua). It's the last stop before heading to Logan so it's the shortest bus ride time out of NH.

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Qbncgr t1_iymfknc wrote

The bus from Londonderry takes about 1:15. It stops in Salem and then goes to South Station before Logan.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyog6ix wrote

That's not bad at all. I looked and the schedule and the 1:30 to 1:40 out of Nashua looked rough. An hour is super reasonable

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Qbncgr t1_iyoh43x wrote

I should add that the return schedule is based on terminal A, so add a few minutes per terminal. The noon bus at terminal A is more like 12:10 at terminal C.

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-cochise t1_iykegdf wrote

Of the towns you listed, Nashua is going to be your best bet. Neighboring Merrimack, right on the MA border so closest to Logan. MHT can be great but in general if you’re flying frequently you’re going to be at Logan a lot.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iykkaax wrote

Any areas to avoid? I know all cities have them, but it can be tough to figure out.

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-cochise t1_iykkx1z wrote

I guess “the tree streets” but you’d be able to tell the area is kind of shitty the first time you drove through it. It’s a couple of blocks that are more dirty than dangerous, but they also happen to be right downtown bordering a beautiful Main St.

Looking at a map, it’s the area between St. Joseph Hospital and SNH Medical Center, and honestly like just that road and the streets immediately off it.

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lellololes t1_iylykqb wrote

I would add French Hill to the list.

French Hill is the area around Margaritas heading towards Hudson.

It's nothing horrifying at all, but the bad areas of Nashua are like "Make sure nothing valuable is in your car" sorts of areas, not "don't walk around in the evening" sorts of places.

Northeast Nashua (north of French Hill) is pretty nice, though.

With a 450k budget you're not going to get stuck in a bad area. Whoever said "starter homes are 450k" is exaggerating the housing market here by a fair bit. Things are expensive though.

If you want convenience, go near the highway. If you want a quieter area, Nashua is still pretty damn convenient but you won't be out in the sticks.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyoffi3 wrote

Thanks. That's helpful! I've been watching the housing pricing for months. So I didn't think I was far off. I'm seeing plenty in my take that fit our needs.

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ninjamansidekick t1_iymhu6x wrote

It will throw your Merrimack commute off but have you looked at the western side of state in the Keene area? Bradly International in Hartford is a little over an hour and it is a much easier drive in and out than Logan.

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ilotek t1_iyke8xw wrote

My wife and I are moving from TX to NH. I flew up last month to buy the house and had two airports to choose from: Manchester or Boston Logan. From Dallas to Marlborough through Manchester total travel time was almost 13 hours (ridiculous layover stop and 1 hour travel from the airport to Marlborough). Through Boston total travel was shy of 6 hours (4 to Boston, 2 to Marlborough). Saving 7 hours of travel time was more than worth the extra expense, MHT was $190 round trip, Boston was $400 round trip.

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Apprehensive-Ad6466 t1_iykgclv wrote

Avoid Nashua for schools. The other towns list are substantially better in that aspect.

Driving to Logan sucks in my opinion but I have good friends that do it weekly. I love MHT but only fly a few times a year and would rather the ease of traffic / parking / security vs Logan but direct flights are very limited.

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mikee-nh t1_iykzo3u wrote

We take the Boston Express to Logan Airport for most flights. There are two routes. We use the Western one that stops in Nashua.

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Few-Cable5130 t1_iyknjv9 wrote

It really isn't bad if you avoid rush hour(s), I got there from Concord in just over an hour my last flight out. Also easy to grab a bus there.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyogaqh wrote

Concord to Logan?

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Few-Cable5130 t1_iyoiyvw wrote

Yup you can hop right on the bus in Concord.

Depending on traffic/time of day the drive could be anywhere from just over an hour to 2+ hours. I used to commute to Somerville daily and it was a BITCH.

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The_DMcI123 t1_iykog0r wrote

The Nashua/Salem/Londonderry/Derry/Windham areas will likely be a good middle ground for you both—I used to commute to Boston and Merrimack for different jobs and the commute really isn’t that bad, especially going to Merrimack even during rush hour

I can’t speak to housings costs, but others have already made their recommendations

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iykq5ge wrote

Thank you! That's what we were thinking but verification really helps.

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ILikeCrabbyRobots t1_iym38lf wrote

OK, I travel for work and live in Nashua. Nashua is ~45 minutes from Logan almost always, unless you have to get to or from there in the heart of rush hour. Manchester airport is a UPS hub more than a passenger airport, it has only a few direct flights and as such never has directs to where I need to go (major cities in the US, Europe and Asia).

Nashua is a great place for food, provides easy access to the entire region and will provide an easy reverse commute for your wife's job. Most neighborhoods are great, just avoid living right downtown, south of the Nashua River, and you're fine. Happy to provide more insight, if you want details.

Southern NH has some Real Estate availability issues due to the now-waning covid housing boom, but prices are sliding slowly now.

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Qbncgr t1_iymh6cn wrote

Make sure to check property tax rates!

Derry has a good school system and a great high school (Pinkerton Academy).

Getting to BOS is easy enough if you stay near the 93 or 3 corridor.

I would try to stay on the west side of the river if I worked in Merrimack. Getting from Derry/Londonderry to Merrimack is better now that they built another bridge but it still takes about 20 minutes and Rte 3 sucks at rush hour.

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Falzon03 t1_iymi7ee wrote

Nix Nashua for living. The rest would be fine, but I'd also add Bedford, Hollis, and Amherst to your list. The market here is still kind of high, so hopefully, New Mexico hasnt dropped yet, or they're giving you a decent relocation package.

Keep in mind that pretty much everything you do here is going to be about a 30-minute drive outside of your close to home stuff.

You will end up flying out of Logan 9/10 of the time. Manchester just doesn't have good choices for direct flights and is more expensive.

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justlikeinboston t1_iymvxak wrote

Unlikely to find a home in their price range in those towns, unfortunately.

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Falzon03 t1_iymxgnm wrote

Bedford, maybe Amherst and hollis are less likely, but I was more suggesting adding those to his list. I think derry and londonderry are their best option.

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movdqa t1_iymlvb9 wrote

I live within walking distance of the Fidelity facility and it's still empty most of the time. I also play tennis there in the summer with one of the employees. It's very easy to get to as it's just off Exit 10 on the Turnpike.

Good school districts are Bedford, Amherst, Wyndham, Hollis.

You can find childcare at the Nashua-Merrimack YMCA. They may be the largest daycare provider in the area as they take care of a lot of kids because small childcare operations were decimated during COVID.

Logan is a pain when there's a lot of traffic. I usually try to get really early flights. If I need to go to Boston, I leave at 4:30 AM or after 9:30 AM. There is the option of driving to Lowell and taking commuter rail in. You can park there but it's easiest if you have someone drop you off and pick you up if you're going to be gone longer than a couple of days.

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I_knowwhat_I_am t1_iykhhtf wrote

Funding for schools comes from property taxes, so towns with higher property taxes generally have better schools (generally, not always). All the towns you mentioned are pretty solid. Litchfield is a good choice to consider, as is Merrimack. I'd throw in Goffstown too, there are some really nice areas, good proximity to highway. Amherst / Bedford are the "it" towns with the best schools, but out of your price range for something decent.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyki1tn wrote

That's good info. I don't know that I'm worried about the "it" towns. New Mexico is close to the bottom for education, so anything has to be a step up. I want her to have a good education, but I also don't want her surrounded by kids who get a luxury car for sweet 16. If that makes sense.

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Bobtom42 t1_iykjg4b wrote

Just be aware that towns in New Hampshire have much of the power that counties do in the rest of the country. Everywhere is part of a town. So you might have vastly different zoning, taxes, and as others have mentioned, schools than folks in the next town over. And I do mean vastly different. The town next to us doesn't allow cable or fiber internet because it would "change the character of the town" .

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iykk5lg wrote

That's very valuable info. Thank you. Sounds like my research plate got bigger.

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Economy_Influence_92 t1_iykmmqo wrote

Goffstown is great! Great community as well. There’s a rail trail and a couple Mountains that make for easy hiking.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iykrsm3 wrote

I see where you're coming from. It's my wife and our daughter. So it's plenty. We live in 2k even right now and a few hundred extra or a more open floor plan would be perfect. I've found lots that fit what we are looking for. We could go bigger, but I'm aware that property taxes can be quite high. I also like having a large amount of disposable income.

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cyriouslyslick t1_iynnkj6 wrote

NH isn't worth it. Reconsider. Fidelity has locations in much better places with better education infrastructure and medical care.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iynpvjj wrote

Can you elaborate? Not disagreeing, just curious and want to understand better.

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cyriouslyslick t1_iyntagw wrote

There's no simple factor. Addiction is at the center of multiple factors that currently influence the overall sense of hopelessness people are feeling. NH in particular lacks the mental and physical healthcare resources that might help to prevent addiction. It also lacks resources that would prevent the most vulnerable of NH's population from seeking relief through drug use or suicide (namely the lack of housing access and jobs that pay a living wage with benefits). This article (particularly the second half unrelated to the pandemic) highlights some of the major factors and the influence they have. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/51percent-of-young-americans-say-they-feel-down-depressed-or-hopeless.html

Things like the economy, the climate crisis, and unaffordable housing/education/healthcare are leading to unprecedented levels of depression/anxiety/hopelessness. All stressors that precipitate impulsive relief-seeking behaviors. With opiates currently being more affordable/accessible than cannabis (which is at the very least non-addictive) it's become the drug of choice, sadly. I lost my best friend to opiates in 2018; and many other close friends before and since then. After going to countless AA/NA meetings trying to help my friends find or stay in recovery I learned a great deal. Try attending NA/AA meetings in your area and you can hear many people share the path that lead them to addiction. I hope this was helpful.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyob6pg wrote

Sort of? I empathize with how you feel and recognize this is a real struggle nationally. Nothing stands out as unique to NH though. At least not in comparison to Albuquerque. Albuquerque consistently ranks close to the bottom in everything that matters.

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cyriouslyslick t1_iyp0i40 wrote

Sorry thought this was a reply to a different discussion specifically about addiction. NH has terrible infrastructure (roads, schools, internet quality, cell phone reception, medical quality care, electrical grid). While having outrageous property taxes that vary wildly by town. NH is also close to the bottom of the list in many areas; particularly with salaries compared to cost of living. We have one of the highest Pkwh rates in the country for electrical; anticipate $500+ monthly bills, also anticipate absurd heating costs regardless of the fuel type. Expect to spend significantly more on vehicle maintenance due to bad roads and heavy salting. https://livingcost.org/cost/united-states/nh

The quality of education sounds like it will also be a concern for you: https://www.concordmonitor.com/NEA-New-Hampshire-education-rankings-40170762

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyp4r26 wrote

Interesting reads. Thank you. The lack of income tax makes a huge difference for me. Doing the math based on this, it'd actually be about the same cost of living, maybe a smidge higher.

The education piece tells me it's highly dependent on the town.

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C0ffinCase t1_iyp5mu2 wrote

The lack of income tax is why everything else (including vehicle registration) is more expensive and tends to have lower quality unfortunately. It brings the standards down by divestment.

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ZeBrownRanger OP t1_iyp76to wrote

I won't argue that it's impact will very greatly on income level.

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