Want to Move to Massachusetts????

Avatar for imthebigsister
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Want to Move to Massachusetts????
17
Tue, 12-30-2003 - 1:35pm
Home Sales, Prices Up In Bay State

Mass. Single Family Home Averaged $367,350 In November

BOSTON -- Sales of condominiums and single-family homes were up in November compared to the same month last year, but homeowners are still having to dig deeper into their pockets, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors reported Tuesday.

The industry group's latest monthly figures show single family home prices were up 9.4 percent, to an average of $367,350 in November, compared to $335,813 last year. Condominium prices rose 4.8 percent to $264,985 from $252,964 in November 2002.

Condominium sales rose 14.1 percent, to 1,170, in November compared to the same month in 2002, while sales of detached single-family homes rose 4.8 percent, the group reported. Peter Casey, president of the realtors association, said these latest figures include many first-time home buyers who are taking advantage of the improved economy and historically low interest rates. "The economy is clearly picking up, and people are seeing that," he said. And even though prices are up, they are not showing the rapid appreciation of recent years, when many people were priced out of the market, he said.


Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Avatar for eclectic5777
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 12-31-2003 - 7:23am

Hi Donna,


The cold is the main reason we decided not to live in Massachusetts but seeing what houses go for there now is just as strong of a reason.

You Were Born An Original...   Don't Die A Copy

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Registered: 01-06-2000
Wed, 12-31-2003 - 8:58am
A former business partner in San Bernadino, CA sent me some real estate guides when we were talking about home prices once. This was about 6 years ago. When I told him that $280K would get you a *very* nice home here, he said "You could find a home for $280K around here, but more than likely, you wouldn't want it." He was right. The ones in the $250-$300K price range were hovels. Another friend who lived in the Seattle area reported the same thing. He recently switched jobs, took a pay cut I think, moved to Michigan and they just bought their first home.

We (DH and I) probably could not afford homes in any of these areas we're talking about.





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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-27-2003
Wed, 12-31-2003 - 9:08am

Uh -- yeah!


Just move me to the Cape and give me a bungalo!


"The best example of authentic living is that of a child" ..

 

 

152.6&n

Avatar for imthebigsister
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 12-31-2003 - 9:34am
Cee - Ah, yes, Cape Cod. Where to begin? I love the mid-Cape area (Yarmouthport, Dennis, Brewster, along Route 6A on the north side). Lots of properties around there for sale - the ones you'd want to live in and that would have enough space for your family AND full basements for storage rather than slab construction might start at mid-$250K. Older big colonials with plenty of room and charm and modernized features would start around $375K-$400K. A bungalow? There aren't any anymore. If there is a bungalow around, it's probably serving as a garage.

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket? In general, forget it. Some of the biggest ticket properties that have sold in MA - $8MIL and higher - are on those two little islands. The natives (and some newcomers) rent their properties out in the summertime at $10K per week and more so they can afford to keep them and find other places to live/work for a few months. They're probably quite flexible financially to begin with if they can up and leave for months at a time, but that's their choice.

So encouraging, huh?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 12-31-2003 - 9:43am
House prices here used to be considered very reasonable, but they've greatly increased in recent years. And, anything near the ocean... oceanfront, you can't even touch a small lot for less than a million dollars. There's a stretch of houses along AIA that I call millionaires' row that are all probably

       ~~Rhonda~~


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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-15-2003
Wed, 12-31-2003 - 9:56am
Yes---when Eric was promoted they offered us a great package because they wanted him living in Seattle.
“You can only grow if you’re willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” -Brian Tracy
Avatar for imthebigsister
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 12-31-2003 - 9:57am
My sister and BIL have talked quite seriously about moving to NC/SC or FL before the two little ones reach middle school (talk about tearing Nana's and Auntie's hearts out!!!) because of real estate costs, high taxes, and even the cost of public higher education up here. We have cousins and their kids in SC and my BIL's sister and family live in Orlando, so they wouldn't be venturing anywhere where they'd be absolutely alone. Who knows? By then, DH and I might be tolerating NE winters less and less well, might be ready and willing to make a major change, might find our taxes are prohibitive, and might even be able to cope with humidity and a life-long stream of bad-hair days so that we could end up somewhere along the SE coast of the US.

Isn't it nice to contemplate making a major change on your own terms?

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