Off topic.......Living in New England

[justApilot]

To make a short story long....We have been considering moving to back NE this past year. I am pretty familiar with Southern NE, but not with anything north of CT. We are thinking about NH, to take advantage of the lack of taxes. But it doesn't have to be NH.

Must haves are: (not necessarily in order of importance)

-good school system
-nice,safe town for the family, with all the necessities close by...movies, mall, entertainment, restaurants (good Mexican a must), etc
-a town that doesn't "shut down" after the fall season
-on the coast (read: surf)
-decent skiing within a few hours drive
-within 60-75 minutes of Boston Logan



Thanks

 

[sky37d]

My kids lived in SE Coastal Maine for years. My youngest also lived in Northern NH for a while. Maine was better. Portland (PWM) is a very cool town.
Don't know about commute to Logan though.

 

[ilinipilot]

I was born and raised in RI. Its a beautiful state.
Some communities that come to mind are
East Greenwich, RI excellent schools, but expensive properties and houses. I grew up in EG and I loved it, very very safe.

Barrington, RI same as EG
Warwick, RI more affordable housing and good schools
Lincoln, RI not sure but a nice town
North Kingstown, RI affordable housing and good schools

--Anywhere in RI will give you a 3 hour drive to skiing in NH, 4 hours to maine or VT
--the beaches in RI are amazing at most about 45 minutes from the farthest point in the state
--Most towns are within an hour and a half to BOS logan on the highway. The drive is very easy as long as you dont do it during a rush hour.
--Also there is a service called Logan Express which leaves from towns around BOS every half hour for about 20 round trip.

PM me if you need any additional information.
I consider myself a RI ambassador

I am moving to MKE for a job, and MKE seems like a nice city, but I know I will miss the ocean
Good Luck

D

 

[justApilot]

I appreciate the info very much, I/we will be researching these and other places. Thanks again.

 

[alvin]

I lived in Southern NH for a year about 10 yrs ago.. Town called Plaistow. It was just over the boarder from Haverhill MA right off 495. About an hour to logan.

Nice area close to the coast. Out away from major congestion, but it was building up quickly. Some of the areas around there had reasonable housing, others were out of sight.

No sales or income taxes in NH but watch out for property taxes...

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

I'd try the southern NH coastal area and southern Maine. Portsmouth is a great town. Anywhere outside of Portsmouth wouldn't be too bad. Stay away from the Boston area unless you want to pay 350k for an average 3 bedroom that needs work and has minimal land.

I'm actually hoping to move away from here!!!


Mr. I.

 

[mizzouguy]

I grew up in Mass and lived in NH for about 8 years in southern NH and the upper Conn valley. Wish i was back there but the cost of living is pretty prohibitive. Id say the Portsmouth/Stratham/Durham area or sw corner of Maine would be ok. Portland is real nice too.

 

[N49185]

My dad builds houses in North Kingstown- Im not sure exactly what is considered "affordable," but I do know that the most inexpensive houses out there are at least 300K. The schools are good, or at least as good as public schools can get. The people are very nice, and it is very safe.

 

[icarus74]

Or you can try halfway between ocean/airport. NE corner of CT is beutiful, still fairly affordable, less than an hour from CT/RI beaches, and with the new tunnel, just over an hour to Logan. Try (Thompson,Pomfret,Woodstock) All with exc. schools.
Cheers

 

[mainah]

Grew up in Maine and Loved it. Beautiful state and great schools. Southern Maine is nice. If I were able to move back I'd move to Falmouth or Yarmouth, both in the Portland area. Easy drive to Boston and ski resorts nearby. Coast is right there and you're only down the road from L.L. Bean. Also, Maine has the lowest crime rate in the nation. Best of luck with your search.

 

[justApilot]

thanks guys

 

[Cardinal]

I'll second the Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cumberland area just on the norht side of Portland, ME. Nice, next to the ocean, but minimal tourist trappings. I dunno if New England is really the place to surf, however. The surfers pray for hurricanes. York (southern coast of Maine) is probably one of the best areas for it, and within your specified distance from Boston. You'll find that in Maine property gets cheaper with every mile traveled north. By the time you get to Eastport, Houlton, and the like you can buy 4 bedrooms and land for less than 100,000. However in the First World (Southern Maine) the same house is a more realistic 300,000. As for taxes, Maine put a Democrat in the Governor's Mansion. I needn't say more.

 

[navigator72]

Maine

I am sitting in Falmouth, Maine as I type this message. Falmouth is nice but very expensive and the property taxes will eat you alive. The drive to BOS isn't too bad, they are widening the Maine turnpike so when the Massholes come to visit in the summer the traffic shouldn't be too congested.
It is 105 miles from the Portland Jetport to Logan airport in Boston.
Home prices in southern Maine have skyrocketed in the last few years. If I were you, I would try to find a home in the Saco/Biddeford area. It's close to the ocean, close to the highway and on the outskirts of Portland.
Goodluck......

 

[mckpickle]

Maine is great. Grew up there and it only took me a few years to shake the accent. A-YA....But if you move to NH you would be giving yourself a 6% pay raise. I live in Manchester, no income tax, no sales tax. I rent to I also save on property tax. Even if you buy its really not as bad as many places in CT or MA.

Southern NH is pretty expensive. A little more central and the prices go way down. Outlying areas from MHT are reasonable. Plus Flight Line, an van service, gives crew members a fare of 17$ for MHT to BOS or vice-versa. Very handy with the commute.

 

[mainah]

After some of the other posts I thought I'd add to what has been said. I grew up in Central Maine, (Augusta, Waterville area, specifically Oakland), much cheaper than southern Maine. Extra hour on the commute, the way I drive. Pretty area, great schools, and cheaper real estate. Also, better cheer on the Red Sox if you move here. Don't won't Yankees fans.

 

[justApilot]

thanks guys....anyone know what the property taxes are in ME, MA, NH?

Thanks

 

[mainah]

A LOT!

 

[amaineiac]

I'll jump on the Maine is great bandwagon. I've lived in NY, FL, TX, OH and Maine is by far the best place I've ever lived. The scenery is beautiful, the people are nice, and the prices are reasonable (compared to other parts of NE). I'm 5 minutes from the beach, 60 minutes from the mountains, and under 2 hours from downtown Boston.

I live just south of Portland and commute to Boston a few times a week. The drive is easy, unless you're going south on a summer Sunday afternoon, or north on a summer Friday afternoon. Driving "with traffic" (80ish) it takes me 1:45 to get to Logan.

Like most parts of the country, real-estate prices have gone nuts, but you can still find a pretty good place in the upper 100's. I'll second the Saco/Biddeford area. The prices are less then the Portland area, yet you're still close enough to the city of Portland that a drive in for dinner isn't such a big deal. Plus, you're that much closer to Boston.

I know a good realtor that can help you out if you'd like more info. PM me if you want the number.