Markoncarp

Thanks! I'll have a look at that. Luckily, we're in the position to look at places up to $5500 a month. Still not as easy as it sounds... Amazing how small, badly decorated, unkempt places where in that range compared to similar properties in UK when we looked in the Newton and 10 miles out catchment area.

Don't get me wrong, I know we are lucky to be able to afford that budget but I was just suprised at how tired the rental properties were.

Bob

They're tired, because the well kept ones go for even more, because they know they can

When the property taxes are $10K+ in the area though, even a shit hole isn't going to be cheap, but the schools are very good, some of the best in the state in the area.

Haskell field is also one of the best parks I've been too and there is just so much for kids to do in the area, loads of footie/baseball/lacrosse and other kids sports in the area and then walking trails all over the place, the farm in Lincoln, the wildlife preserve on the Sudbury/Stow line etc.

Basically it all depends on what you're planning for a commute into Boston will dictate where you should concentrate your search.

If you'd rather sit on your tod and sleep/read and take public transport, it'll limit the area of search, not to mention generally having a baking car in summer or digging the snow out in winter a bit of a mare and there won't be many places in walking distance of a commuter stop unless you look in Natick, West Concord or Acton.

Either way, taking the commuter will take about the same amount of time getting into Boston as driving in will, though would be a bit quicker during winter and when there is game day on (Red Sox/Patriots/Celtics). Cost wise, would be pretty similar, would all depend whether you get parking validated or free in Boston or not, if you do, it would be a little be cheaper, if not, then that's around $30-45 a day, so would be more pricey.

What's your spouse looking to do? Work? Stay at home? That might change some recommendations too.

I live next door btw, and have lived on the other side too.

N1cky

We have also had similar problems in Silicon Valley. We have recently moved house in the area, and although our budget wasn't quite as high as yours, in my opinion it is still a lot of money.

We saw some real shitholes. We viewed a house for $4,200 with the upstairs ceiling falling down, another for $4,500 with a couple of broken windows among other things, and around 50 properties that hadn't been redecorated or new kitchens of bathrooms for at least 40 years.

It really can be soul destroying. You really do have to be ready to pounce on the right property.

Markoncarp

Well a couple more came on today so fingers crossed one meets the requirements.

Bob, my wife is a stay at home Mum and will probably keep to that. She's a keen horsewoman though so will hopefully have that to keep her amused!

My commute is going to just be to Newton or Logan as mentioned but I commute for between 30mins and 2 hours now so hopefully not a lot will change in the US.

Bob

There are a lot of mothers groups in the area, there's a pretty large knitting and spinning group as well as stuff for kids. There's Together We Can Network based in Marlborough that covers the town as well as Natick Early Childhood Network, that also kind of covers the area, they're both great for things to do for kids.

The library is also great, stuff also goes on in the Whole Foods in Wayland, which btw is the one in the state that sells booze and it's a good collection.

There are a few horse places in the area, especially a few towns over in Hudson/Berlin/Stow.

One thing really to keep in mind is the oil bill. When we last had oil, a couple of years ago, it was a lot cheaper then than now and the victorian place was about half of the size you are looking for and that was $350-500 a month to keep at 62F, which is cold, not so great for little kids. On the flip side, you'll probably spend slightly less on electric cooling that kind of space down in the summer month.

When we looked at a house in Southborough last summer, it was lovely, but the oil bill was the thing that killed it, 1200sq/ft with an average of $500 a month for oil between Sept-April.

Markoncarp

Thanks Bob.

Going crazy right now with the time difference. Agent who we have been working with is fantastic but a nightmare to get hold of and Im SO tempted to call the listed realtor direct - the problem, of course, is that I dont want to go around our agent who has been (up until now) fantastic.

DavidLemon

Do whats best for you. It matters not how good the agent is, if you need the info or the deal and they are not attainable, then go straight to source. If that upsets them, they will pick up the phone in future

hobbes79

I work round the corner in Waltham. Welcome!

Newton itself has great schools. Among the best in the country. But it's VERY expensive as a result.

Good luck with the search.

Bob

If you've signed a contract with them, check the paper work, because it might not matter to them if you find a place on your own as you might still owe them the fee.

But really, don't worry about hurting their feelings because at the end of the day, they don't give a shit about you, they're only doing rentals because the housing market is hurting and they're hoping that you'll use them in the future when you do go on to buy.

Oh yeah, just had a thought, but as you're commuting into Newton, look to avoid Rt9, the couple of miles from Natick to Wellesley takes about a half hour after 7:15 in the morning, though it might be slightly better these days since they finished the bridge project, but not much better.

Rt 20 is a car park in the morning as it's mostly single lane. Getting to I-95 via Rt 27 and then Rt 20 from Sudbury is a good half hour too for those 8 miles.

Rt 30 really isn't that bad in that area, except around the schools in Weston. It does get really bad, but mostly past where you'd get off.