Moving to Boston need advice!
 

Hi,<BR><BR>We are moving to Boston area due to hubbys job transfer..... Suburbs we are considering are:<BR><BR>Wayland<BR>Westin<BR>Wellesley<BR>Lexi ngton<BR>Sudburry<BR>Dover<BR><BR>Does anyone have any thoughts on these towns? You can only get so much from reading about it. It seems like Wayland has the best schools, Westin has the most expensive real estate and I dont know much about the others, but from what I read they sounded nice. Any thoughts out there?

All these towns are affluent towns with reputations for good school systems. There used to be a Mass. Department of Education web site that would give info on each school district, with things such as SAT scores, % going to college, etc. Sorry, I do not know the site, but it could not be too tough to search out.<BR><BR>For me, the commute would also be an issue - these towns are west of Boston, and I would check on a map regarding routes and commute from each - distance does not automatically translate into length of time on commute.<BR><BR>If you are doing any internet searches on these towns, correct spelling is Weston and Sudbury.<BR><BR>And as far as Wayland having the best schools, I am guessing you could get a good argument on any of these towns having the "best" schools.

I have spent most of my life in Ma. They are all lovely towns. Dover is the most rural, but may not be the best choice as far as raising kids, since it seems a bedroom community. Obviously, you are looking for a highend place to live. If schools are important you may also consider Milton. Boston Magazine recently looked into the schools in our area, this may be helpful.<BR><BR>For me, I'd suggest doing a driveby of all of these and getting a feel of the town. I myself live in Sharon, a wonderful town with trainline, lots of conservation land and right off the highway.........my cousin lives in Wellesley and loves it. Rent a place and then hit the road. You have specked out some wonderful towns, some may be snooty, it is all in the eyes of the beholder........so get out there and enjoy.....rent shortime and decide.<BR><BR>Good Luck

Do check housing prices before going any farther in choosing a community -- some of the towns you named have the highest housing prices in the US. (Just plug their zip codes in at realtor.com.) Not surprisingly, this correlates with quality of public schools! <BR><BR>We chose to live in Milton rather than in the moer-affluent lily-white burbs, we prefer to live in the real world. Plus, it's much more accessible to public transit. Finally -- we're currently rebuilding every school in town!

My recommendation would be to find a rental and then shop for a home. Chances are, your final choice will be determined once you start serious home shopping. All the towns you've mentioned are very, very nice (my favorite is Lexington for a myriad of reasons) and there are others just as nice. In Massachusetts, everything varies from one town to another, particularly the real estate taxes. Boston Magazine does a comprehensive study every year. They have a website. You might want to give them a call and order a copy of the most recent one.

I grew up in Wayland, and my parents still live there. I graduated from WHS in 1976, and at that time 15% of the class (45) went to Ivy league colleges. I'm guessing that the percentage is about the same. Weston and Lexington also have excellent school systems. One barometer you might use for school systems is the MCAS. Sudbury does not have its own high school, it is a regional high school shared with Lincoln (another nice town). Dover is also very prestigious, but I don't know anything about the school system. Wellesley is mixed -- there are some very expensive neighborhoods, and some moderately priced ones, however, the closer you get to Boston, the more expensive the real estate.<BR><BR>All of the towns are reasonably accessible to Boston, either by driving (parking is grossly expensive) or by the commuter rail or bus.<BR><BR>What's your price range? I can recommend a few good brokers that cover Wayland, Weston and Sudbury. Check out DeWolfe or Hunneman -- both have websites.<BR><BR>There are also some very nice neighborhoods in Framingham. Framingham abuts Wayland and Sudbury.

I'm surprised you haven't investigated whether the "transfer" is economically feasible to you and "hubby". All depending upon where you're relocating from, you could be in for some serious Sticker Shock. Those suburbs are among the most expensive in the country. You had better find out before you even THINK of packing whether you and "hubby" can actually afford to live in any of those towns on "hubby"'s salary. Have you even checked out the rents or prices of homes? Real estate prices, taxes, utilities (heat!) are positively exhorbitant compared to just about anywhere else. And, you haven't mentioned where "hubby"'s new office is located. Commuting in the Boston area is a positive nightmare. And, that's AFTER you've overcome registering your car and paying for the car insurance (which varies enormously from town to town as well). You've go some serious researching to do!

All that has been said about these towns is true, but one town you've forgotten is Newton. Especially if you value a more urban experience (i.e. on the Green line of the T, a more ethnically mixed population, closer to Boston) this might be a great choice. Our schools are right up there with all the towns you've mentioned, but the commute might be easier, depending on where you need to go. I think the idea of renting and then looking for the right place makes lots of sense, especially with the prices in eastern MA. It would be a really costly mistake to choose a town that you're not happy with.

The problem with renting first is that if you have school kids (as the OP apparently has), then you might be committing them to changing schools twice rather than once. Better to have a good first-guess, especially since the towns the OP named have few rentals. And since prices are climbing so quickly, a year's rental will be quite costly, not only in terms of rent paid but also in a higher mortgage.<BR><BR>Missy, where are you? Please give us a hint about your kids' ages and the location of hubby's new job. In the Boston area, commuting is such a pain in the neck, it would behoove you to start with his worksite and follow the handiest public transport outbound, choosing the most appriate suburb that's readily accessible!<BR><BR>Also, not to be too personal, but what's your budget?

Thanks for the feedback guys. <BR><BR>To answer some of the questions hubbys job is in Waltham. We're hoping to get away with paying around $300K for a decent house. No palace, but no leaky roofs, either. We've got two kids in grade school now.

Be careful in deciding who has the "best schools." As others have pointed out, housing prices are strongly correlated with school "quality," especially when it is measured by numbers like test scores. This is not only because of demand in the towns with better schools, but also the opposite: Kids from wealthier families tend to score higher, regardless of school, so wealthier kids will score better even if the schools are no better than another town's. <BR><BR>If you do have kids, look at details like whether the town schools meet your special needs and interests, whether this might be music programs, sports, tutoring, etc. etc. If possible, visit the schools to see if they "feel" right. When I was looking at towns, I eliminated a couple of them just because the guidance departments and other school staff were rude or incompetent.<BR><BR>Finally, if I were buying a house and had school-age kids, I would try to find one within easy walking distance (perhaps half a mile) of the public high school. This will eliminate a lot of transportation headaches, ranging from begging for a car to missing the bus in the AM to wondering how to get home from an afterschool sporting event or play rehearsal. Independence means so much to teens!

I have lived in that area all my life. All the towns you mentioned have excellent school systems. All are semi-rural or have semi-rural areas. Sudbury and Dover have partially regionalized school systems which are excellent. A decent house in any of these towns will cost you $1,000,000+. If one of you has to commute into the city, ease of commute becomes an issue. Needham would be another choice - good schools, commuter rail stations in town and a center with shops and supermarkets. Real estate prices about the same. Good luck.

Missy,<BR>I hate to burst your bubble, but 300K will not go far in the towns you have mentioned.<BR><BR>You may have to look west of 495. Have you contacted a realtor, yet?

A decent home in these towns will be at least double what you want to pay. Dover and Sherborne are very pretty "country" towns that share the same school district, but are very pricey. You'd be lucky to find a tiny fixer-upper for $300K. At least the interest rates are low right now. From where are you coming?!

Oh, boy, missy, I'm so sorry, but you really must do more research rather than starting with school quality. With that budget, you will not be able to get into the towns you listed.<BR><BR>Just for kicks, I went to realtor.com and checked for you. I realize that not all houses are listed with them, but here's a clue for you, in terms of the CHEAPEST (not average) house listed with the MLS in the following towns:<BR><BR>Wayland: $325<BR>Weston: $539<BR>Wellesley: $429<BR>Lexington: 399<BR>Dover: $519<BR><BR>Sudbury has listed a 4-room bungalow at $259, then the next house is $319.<BR><BR>

I have seen 2 bedroom/1 bath small townhouses in Waltham selling for $350k. You really do not want to live in Waltham as the school system there is pretty poor (at least it used to be). I honestly don't think that you'll find a garage for $300k in those towns. <BR><BR>You will probably have to look further north or west. My boyfriend would like to buy a house for no more than $300k, but for a decent one, he's having to look in Southern NH. Nashua, NH to Waltham is about 33 miles. However, during rush hour, that 25 minute drive would take you about 1 1/2 hours.<BR><BR>Lots of our friends have had to move towards the Worcester area or Northern MA/Southern NH. <BR>You really do pay for the commute.<BR><BR>Good luck!

Watch out for new hampshire. As mentioned, the commute can be a lot worse than it would seem by just looking at the mileage. Also, even though NH has no income tax, they have very high property taxes and their schools are not so good, reflecting their low tax income.<BR><BR>One good strategy would be for hubby to consult with his future co-workers about the towns they live in and what their commutes, regrets, recommendations, etc. might be.

Missy - Guess by now you've got the bad news on housing in Mass. You would be lucky to find a home in even the sketchiest of towns on that budget. But if schools are important, then consider towns with charter schools. Some towns like Everett and Malden are less desirable but do have the option of the charter schools. They are a new phenomenom here in Mass and therefore somewhat unproven but may provide you with the quality you are looking for.<BR><BR>

Wow all the negative responses just now have really brought me down. We were so hoping not to have to move out past 495.<BR><BR>Oh well.

Bennie,<BR>Let's not scare the bejeesus out of her. "Sketchy" and "far from Waltham" are not synonymous. <BR>She can find good housing with excellent schools in towns such as Westboro, Northboro, Hopkinton, Grafton, etc.<BR><BR>Eastern Worcester County should fill the bill. The bad news is that the commute to Waltham, from anywhere but Waltham, s!@#s.<BR><BR>Also, I echo the New Hampshire warnings...traffic is bad, especially with the rte 3 construction, property taxes are bad, and syou need to do a thorough analysis of each town's school system.<BR>jmho