Bostoners: geography help needed please!

[LA98]

Can anyone tell me what towns would be near or around Marblehead, MA? I'm guessing from its location near the water that it is outrageously expensive, so I'm trying to figure out what would be nearby in a commutable distance. I'm not even sure if it's a T stop or not? (I'm busy looking up general Boston web sites, but thanks for your help too!)

[slknight]

Yes, Marblehead is outrageously expensive. Did you or your spouse get a job there? (I might have missed a thread).

As far as commuting there, depending on where you're coming from, it could be the reverse of traffic. I would look at Peabody, Danvers, or Beverly.

http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?addr=&csz=marblehead%2C+ma&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=

[LA98]

Thanks! I just took a quick look on realtor.com and, um, holy COW. I better look much further away. :( :( (No job yet, but I found one online that sounded great. I'm just trying to come with possibilities in case I lose my job this week or next. Know any publishers in Kennebunk? :( )

[Gracie]

Marblehead is as expensive as it is quaint and lovely. It also takes a minimum of 25 minutes to reach the closest highway (rt. 128) from anywhere in Marblehead so if you live there and are commuting to Boston or just need to get out of Marblehead in order to go somewhere else, plan on 25 minutes +.

Are you thinking of moving there or working there? I also must have missed a previous thread. If you are going for vacation, that's a different story.

Susan gave you the immediate towns next to Marblehead and forgot Salem. I live in Danvers which is 1 town over like Peabody is (everyone has to go through Salem to get to Marblehead). Salem has mushroomed into quite the little metropolis and is also hard to get through quickly. Both Beverly and Salem stand in the way of getting on the highway from Marblehead.

Give us more details and we can help answer your questions!

Loren

[LA98]

Thanks, Loren. I'm sort of in desperation mode here: I may be losing my job in the next two weeks. DH and I love the Boston area (all of MA, actually). So I'm sitting here at work, surfing the net (in protest ;) ) and found a great-sounding job at a company in Marblehead. But, I think this pipe dream is busted from the way you've describe the location, and what I'm seeing on realtor.com. I will never complain about North Jersey real estate again! It seems much worse up there...

[Gracie]

Well if you are commuting INTO Marblehead that's another story. You wouldn't have to worry about getting out to the city or somewhere else in a reasonable period of time and you could still enjoy everything that Marblehead has to offer.

We do have expensive real estate here but I would certainly encourage you to keep looking around - it's a great place! I personally would not live in Salem or Lynn (do you have kids?), Danvers, Ipswich, Gloucester, Rockport and Beverly may be the most reasonable of the close towns, and Hamilton, Wenham, Topsfield, Manchester and Lynnfield are all very expensive.

The job's salary may be higher than you think!

Good luck!

Loren

[MISSINDI]

A long shot, but my neighbor works for a publisher in the city and is actually interviewing at a place just minutes from you (major publisher) this week. Want me to drop her a line to see if she has any leads? If so, shoot me an e-mail with details of what you do/looking for... :)

[LA98]

A long shot, but my neighbor works for a publisher in the city and is actually interviewing at a place just minutes from you (major publisher) this week. Want me to drop her a line to see if she has any leads? If so, shoot me an e-mail with details of what you do/looking for... :)

Missindi, I PM'd you. Thanks!

Loren, I have a 2-y.o. DS. I looked up Danvers and Beverly and was truly shocked, I have to say! I will check out the others though. Thanks for your help!

[Gracie]

Loren, I have a 2-y.o. DS. I looked up Danvers and Beverly and was truly shocked, I have to say! !

Wow, really? In comparison to Northern NJ we are more expensive? I would have thought that being so close to NYC would automatically give you expensive real estate.

I am amazed at what houses are selling for now so I guess I can understand. I would never pay what my house is valued at for my house! :eek: :D

Loren

[LA98]

Wow, really? In comparison to Northern NJ we are more expensive? I would have thought that being so close to NYC would automatically give you expensive real estate.

It does! So I thought I was sticker-shock-proof when it came to real estate prices, but IMO, from the listings I looked at, it's much worse where you are. :eek: is right!

[tbb113]

You guys want sticker shock...come live where I do. You housing prices are down right reasonable by comparison :eek: I checked 3+ bedrooms and 2+ baths. We start at 600,000 and go up from there. There are two duplexs on my street for sale, the same model as mine is 595,000 (this is for 1221 sq feet).

[LA98]

Holy cow, Tyra, that's crazy! I think I remember reading somewhere that the highest real estate prices in the country are SF metro, Boston metro, and NY/NJ metro. What are taxes like by you? One thing I noticed is that MA definitely has NJ beat on property taxes. I saw one listing for a 3 BR house on an average-size lot in a nice town: the taxes were $2200. That would very easily be $5000-$6000 by me...

[tbb113]

Because of Prop. 13, I know that taxes are based on the selling price of the house and I believe its relatively low (1 or 2 %) but don't quote me on that since I rent. I know that they can add some additional taxes, but you know that when you purchase the house. Taxes do NOT go up (which is part of the reason the state is having financial problems IMHO).

[HRJ]

One thing I noticed is that MA definitely has NJ beat on property taxes. I saw one listing for a 3 BR house on an average-size lot in a nice town: the taxes were $2200. That would very easily be $5000-$6000 by me...

One thing to bear in mind is that while property taxes are generally lower in MA, the MA state income tax rate is roughtly *twice* that of NJ! (Remember -- that was Christie Whitman's claim-to-fame, that she lowered the state income tax? But she never talked about how that shifted the burden onto local governments in the process -- driving already high property taxes even higher? Sorry, I could be on my soapbox forever about that... )

Anyway, yes, our property taxes here in Arlington, MA are lower than what we were paying in Metuchen, NJ (Middlesex County) five years ago, and we have a bigger house and larger lot here. But, we pay more in income tax; in Mass, cars are subject to a yearly "excise tax" (they don't call it "Taxachusetts" for nothing); fees for things like car registration and inspection are higher than in NJ,too, or, at least what they were when I left NJ five years ago. We *do* actually pay less for auto insurance, though.

Our utility costs are substantially higher here than they were in NJ -- our first year in Massachusetts, our annual water bill was *twice* what we were paying for water in NJ, for example. (Again, I don't know how that compares to current NJ prices, or to the difference between north Jersey and central Jersey.). The heating season is longer, thus more expensive -- although on the flip side, you don't need AC as much in the summer; some people even live without AC at all up here. Groceries are more expensive on average in Mass, at least in my experience. Using Quicken, I compared my grocery spending for the first nine months of 2000 (when we were still in NJ) with the first nine months of 2001 (when we were here in Mass), and the Mass spending was 15% higher, for roughly the same type of items. Based on what my friends tell me, comparing current gas prices, it also seems that gasoline is more expensive up here -- I guess that's the advantage for having all those refineries that light up the night sky so beautifully.

Now that I've said all that, I still think the Boston area is a really good place to live -- at this point, DH and I have no intention of leaving, if we can help it -- but you have to like the other things about the area well enough to make up for the high cost of living.

Anyway, Lori, if you did decide to move, would your DH be looking for work up here, or does he do something that allows him to work from home or telecommute? Because you might want to take into account easy access to Boston or the Rt. 128 corridor when looking at towns, depending on your DH's situation.

Helene

[tbb113]

I'm wrong about property tax.

What is the property tax rate in California?
Proposition 13 limits the general property tax rate to 1 percent of the assessed value, plus an amount for the debt service on any bonds approved by popular vote. The tax rate will vary depending upon where the property is located. You can obtain exact tax rates for a particular parcel by contacting the county auditor’s office.


The assessed value of my property increased more than 2 percent this year. There was no change in ownership or new construction. Doesn’t Proposition 13 limit annual increases in value to 2 percent?
Under Proposition 13, base year values may not be increased more than 2 percent per year. A property assessed under Proposition 8, however, is not restricted to the 2 percent increase. For example, in a situation where a property’s value increased 10 percent since the prior lien date, but the value is still below the Proposition 13 adjusted base year value, the new increased Proposition 8 value will be enrolled.

[LA98]

Christie Whitman **shudder** LOL, Helene!

Well, I obviously haven't done my homework, have I? :) I knew about the car tax but not the income tax. And I can't imagine paying more for utilities than I do now -- NJ natural gas providers have been granted more than 30% in increases in just the last two years! I base most of what I know about MA on what my best friend has told me since she moved up there 10 years ago. It's just that every time we go up to visit them, it feels to us like it could really be home! And yes, DH would have to look for work nearby too. I really need to do some more research before considering this seriously. Well, at least it's been a diversion while waiting for the news at work... :(

[MISSINDI]

Holy cow, Tyra, that's crazy! I think I remember reading somewhere that the highest real estate prices in the country are SF metro, Boston metro, and NY/NJ metro. What are taxes like by you? One thing I noticed is that MA definitely has NJ beat on property taxes. I saw one listing for a 3 BR house on an average-size lot in a nice town: the taxes were $2200. That would very easily be $5000-$6000 by me...

LA98 ... the median price in our area just hit $500,000 a few months ago. I feel bad for bad for first-time homeowners because it really makes it hard for those just starting out.

My sister and BIL bought their first place this year, in an apartment building that went condo. Because they were in as renters before it went condo, they got a "deal" at, I think 30% off what new people would pay ... a deal at $560k for a 2 bedroom apartment in Hoboken, and then an extra $30k for a parking space, then $$ for Homeowners Association, etc. It's insane in this area.

[sarah2397]

I found this chart online with median housing value. Essex County is where Marblehead is so the 1st list is all the towns in Essex County individually and the other list shows the rest of the MA Counties...

$ H.V. = Median Housing Value

Essex County $ H.V.
1.Manchester $418,800
2.Marblehead $336,400
3.Andover $334,600
4.Topsfield $332,100
5.Lynnfield $317,200
6.West Newbury $313,000
7.South Hamilton $285,600
8.North Andover $282,300
9.Byfield $280,100
10.Middleton $274,400
11.Rockport $274,400
12.Swampscott $266,000
13.Ipswich $261,200
14.Georgetown $249,900
15.Newburyport $242,900
16.Danvers $225,000
17.Beverly $220,100
18.Peabody $205,800
19.Gloucester $203,400
20.Saugus $201,100
21.Salem $188,300
22.Amesbury $177,100
23.Methuen $156,100
24.Haverhill $153,293
25.Lynn $139,783
26.Lawrence $109,999

MA County $ H.V.
1. Nantucket $583,500
2. Dukes $343,433
3. Middlesex $245,737
4. Norfolk $235,033
5. Suffolk $209,175
6. Essex $193,826
7. Barnstable $177,187
8. Plymouth $168,887
9. Hampshire $147,443
10. Bristol $141,450
11. Worcester $139,813
12. Franklin $111,699
13. Hampden $110,700
14. Berkshire $104,793

[LA98]

It's insane in this area.

Oh, for sure! We moved here six years ago, when things were just on the rise. We would definitely not be living where we are if we were buying today. And what's happened in Hoboken has amazed me for years now. That was one of my stomping grounds during college and I had a chance to buy a condo for $20k, which of course I didn't have at the time. What an investment home run that would have been!!!

Did you get my PM? I just noticed on this thread you said to email, not PM. Sorry!

[MISSINDI]

Oh, for sure! We moved here six years ago, when things were just on the rise. We would definitely not be living where we are if we were buying today. And what's happened in Hoboken has amazed me for years now. That was one of my stomping grounds during college and I had a chance to buy a condo for $20k, which of course I didn't have at the time. What an investment home run that would have been!!!

Did you get my PM? I just noticed on this thread you said to email, not PM. Sorry!

We bought our house 4 years ago and were lucky to get in when we did.

Definitely, your $20k condo would be worth a mint now!

Yes, got your PM ... I'll be seeing her Sunday. If you can give me some idea (PM/email) what your background is/what you're looking for, that would help. Did you know there's a major publisher only a few miles away?

[LA98]

Yes, got your PM ... I'll be seeing her Sunday. If you can give me some idea (PM/email) what your background is/what you're looking for, that would help. Did you know there's a major publisher only a few miles away?


Will do, and thanks! And yep, I sure do, and it's the one poised to lay me off :( :mad: :(

[MISSINDI]

And yep, I sure do, and it's the one poised to lay me off :( :mad: :([/size]

Really? Then strange she's interviewing there, assuming we're talking about the same place...

[HRJ]

Lori, I'm not at all trying to be discouraging -- as I said, even though our move was prompted soley by a career move for DH, it has turned out to be good for us all around, and does feel like home now (but, that did take a little time).

And, don't use my figures as "final answers" -- I'm basing things on what they cost in NJ five years ago (we moved here in November, 2000). And, we lived in Central NJ, which, even though expensive, is generally less expensive than North Jersey. So, your friend may be able to give you a much better comparison than I can. (I should also mention that I have a better-paying job here in Mass than I did in NJ, which is one reason the increased cost of living hasn't taken as much of a bite on us as it could have.)

Of course, we didn't know anything about the cost of living here when we decided to move -- we just assumed that since NJ was so expensive, it would be pretty much the same in Mass. Sort of a rude awakening for us when we got here. :eek:

Helene

[donnamp14]

It's depressing living here in MA. My son has a terrific job with a pharmaceutical company with a good salary, and he doesn't have a prayer of buying his first home here in MA. Going to have to relocate when the time comes to buy. :(

I live in MetroWest, and the dunces that run this state think we in MetroWest are all wealthy (the Globe has reported that tale) and we ought to be the only ones burdened with tolls on the turnpike (except the tunnel and Tobin). Excise tax! Yikes! How about the water/sewer bills!

Enough. I will now have to take a break and locate my excedrin!

-Donna

[Peweh]

It's depressing living here in MA. My son has a terrific job with a pharmaceutical company with a good salary, and he doesn't have a prayer of buying his first home here in MA. Going to have to relocate when the time comes to buy. :(


-Donna

I agree - we were so excited to buy our first house and when DH told his work counterparts in other parts of the country what we paid they were like, What do you live in, a CASTLE? Most of them have their primary house AND a summer house with mortgages for less than we pay for our house.

Our town's tax rate was relatively high compared to other MA taxes because there's not a lot of commercialism to offset the taxes. Recently they lowered the tax rate but increased the assessments so the bottom line's the same - I thought we had really high property taxes at $4k a year, considering we don't even get trash pickup and don't have kids to send to school; but a friend from NJ said we'd pay almost double that in NJ.