Congratulations, you are thinking about coming to the Bay State, otherwise known as Massachusetts.  Hopefully, this represents an exciting time for you, but it probably also comes with some trepidation, about where to live, and how best to make a home for yourself and your family in a new place.  While not comprehensive or exclusive, this guide is provided to give you some food for thought in helping you make your decision. Your priorities and needs could vary, and that would necessitate other decision making strategies, but this relates to most folks based on my experience.

 

 

Understand Your Commute in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is built around several older cities, most notably Boston, and the Boston Metropolitan area is by far the most dense part of the state. With density comes jobs, and with that comes traffic, and small changes in the location where you work can literally dictate where you should start looking for a home. For example, if you job is located in Quincy, or even South Boston, it makes no sense to be looking North or West of Boston. If your job is in Waltham, I'd focus on being on Route 20, and no further South than I-90 (the Mass Pike). During rush hour, there is no good way to cut through or go around the city.  Trying to do so could add 30-60 minutes to your commute on a good day.  Fortunately, there are plenty of good communities all around (North, South and West) of Boston, so no matter where it makes the most for you to be, you can find a community that makes sense for you. The Boston globe just did a Drive/Ride comparison which you may find useful.

 

Find out if public transportation is possible

Massachusetts has a solid network of commuter trains and, in the city, subways.  Although most people drive to work, if your office is reachable by public transportation, it may make sense to look for communities out by the rail line that is serviced by your office.  Commuter rail towns are more expensive, but that's because of the desirability of these routes, so it's certainly a factor to be considered. The Boston globe just did a Drive/Ride comparison which you may find useful.

 

Home Much Housing Space/Square Footage do you REALLY Need?

Many people are relocating from houses where house prices are considerably less expensive.  If you're living in a 3000 sq foot home, that is 5 years old and costs less than 400K, that's probably you.  Many people moving to Massachusetts have heard its expensive, and by and large it is.  Large, young, houses get very expensive the closer you get to Boston, so set your expectations appropriately, and really examine how much space you need.  You probably have a set budget, and a combination of space and budget will allow most Realtors to begin picking communities that make sense, and talking about the +/- of each town.

How Important are Schools In Your Potential Towns?

A big plus about moving to Massachusetts is as a state we're very committed to our public schools, and have been since the Commonwealth was founded.  What that means is that many communities have excellent schools, and many more have schools that would be top schools in other states.  If you have kids, or even if you don't, understanding the school reputation of a particular town is important, because it can have a huge impact on prices.  Neighboring towns with schools systems that are not similar can have price differentials of 25% or more, and its worth noting that despite the higher prices, it is typically easier to sell in a top ranked school-oriented town than one lower in the pack.  That demand means even folks without children should consider housing in these towns, especially if your relocation may be a short one.

 

Crime Statistics in Your Potential Massachusetts City

Although not free of crime, in general the crime in Boston, and in Massachusetts, trails National averages.  Boston itself has consistently been one of the safest major cities in USA, so in general this is not a huge issue for buyers.  Always good to check though.

Town Types of Massachusetts

I don't know any two towns in Massachusetts that are alike.  Despite their proximity, or perhaps because of it, local differences and flavors abound.  Some towns have a rural feel, with lots of open space, some are very commercial, and many are odd mixes of the two.  Some are community driven, others are not, in some towns the PTA runs the show and in some the local historical societies are in to everything. Some towns have sprawling neighborhoods, and some large malls. Some have lots of activities and some are quite sleepy.  You get the idea.  The question is, what are you looking for in a community?  Churches, Schools, Activities - the more you know about what you want, the easier it will be to find it.  I had a client whose son was all about hockey, and they wanted to make sure they were close to a rink to help facilitate all the skating they would be doing.  Those mornings are early, I can't blame them for thinking ahead!

 

Money is no object, where do I want to be in Massachusetts?

A nice situation to be in to be sure, but I think the above categories are still applicable.  You'll have options, for sure, but you probably still don't want to have a two hour commute when it could be 20 minutes, and even if you can afford private school, and expect to do it, it would probably be nice to live close to that school as well.  It's likely you have a longer list of things you want, and its about getting the right location to meet as many of them as you can.

 

A good list of these items should allow you to really narrow your search and be productively looking for homes from the get go.

 

 

If you'd like more specific help, I'm able to assist your search anywhere in Massachusetts! Even if I can't help you personally, I'm make sure you land with a top agent that fits your personality style, to ease your transition. In general, even if you've already picked a relocation company, you can still choose your Realtor in your new area, just ask me for details!!!!

 

 

 

 

Matt Heisler is a real-estate professional and owner of Heisler & Mattson Properties.  He has been selling residential real-estate for over 10 years.  He has given several talks on real estate, including presentations on first-time buyer tips & tricks, and profiting in real estate investing in Massachusetts. As a Vanderbilt University alumnus, he is proud to serve the communities of Natick, Framingham, Medfield, Millis, Holliston, Hopkinton, Southborough, Westborough, Northborough, Grafton, Marlborough, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Milford, Charlton, Northbridge, Sutton, Hudson, Sudbury, Clinton, Boylston, and West Boylston.  

 

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.