Where should Shadowcat house-hunt?
I am working through the questions leftover from the chat yesterday.
[ShadowCat]
We're looking to move to a bigger space next spring. Our priority is a good school system, but we also would love a town with a commuter rail or T stop and an active town center. And we'd like more than a postage-stamp of a yard. Our budget is under $400k and I'm having trouble finding towns that fit the bill. What resources would you recommend?
There is an equation that is always true:
size + location + condition (+ some for style in some cases) = price.
If you shop carefully, you may find a B location which is big enough and in B condition. You may find an A location that is not big enough in B condition. You may find a B location that is a little too small in A condition. You may find… you get the picture. $400,000 is not going to buy an A location that is big and in good condition.
Size: When I look at my towns, I get 112 properties that have 3 bedrooms and 1400+ square feet inside and 6000+ square feet outside that sold in the past 6 months for under $400,000.
But then you have to define the limits on location and condition.
Location:
Commuter rail towns: Acton, Concord, Medford, Melrose, Natick, Waltham, Wellesley and Winchester. Which of these do you consider good school systems? What is your take on busy streets? (you have to rule those out.)
Condition: The better the location, the worse the condition. Guarranteed!
So, what choices would you make in ShadowCat’s shoes?
Address Town Description DOM List Price Sale Price
3 Lilac Acton, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Colonial 191/$400,000 / $393,000
5 Brookside Circle Acton, MA 9 room, 3 bed, 3 bath Split Entry 103/$415,000 $394,000
6 Beverly Road Acton, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Split Entry 82/ $385,000 $366,000
29 Conant Street Acton, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Ranch 139/ $375,000 $365,000
96 Harris Street Acton, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Ranch 8/ $270,000 $270,000
3 Hatch Rd Acton, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2.5 bath Split Entry 23/ $340,000 $360,000
5 Lilac Ct Acton, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Cape 98/ $370,899 $363,000
9 Evergreen Rd Acton, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Colonial 106/ $425,000 $400,000
743 Main Street Acton, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Cape 262/$399,900 $392,000
478 Sudbury Road Concord, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Cape 245/$399,000 $325,000
14 Mitchell Ave Medford, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Cape 22/$260,000 $255,000
57 Paris St Medford, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 278/$369,000 $342,000
455 Fellsway West Medford, MA 9 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 84/$299,900 $175,000
69 Belle Avenue Medford, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Cape 59/$328,500 $300,000
72 Otis Street Medford, MA 12 room, 7 bed, 2.5 bath Colonial 30/$329,900 $290,000
55 Sharon St Medford, MA 10 room, 5 bed, 1 bath Colonial 94/$299,000 $218,000
15 Leon Cir Medford, MA 9 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Colonial 10/$389,900 $370,00011 Upland Road Medford, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 54/$395,000 $395,000
25 College Ave Medford, MA 10 room, 5 bed, 2.5 bath Victorian 68/$349,900 $335,000
101 Dover St Medford, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Colonial 86/$399,900 $390,000
37 Jackson Road Medford, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Colonial 2/$375,000 $375,000
274 Governors Ave Medford, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 110/$375,000 $375,000
24 Guild St Medford, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 20/$339,900 $328,000
21 Converse Lane Melrose, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Multi-Level 3/$349,000 $365,000
333 Washington St Melrose, MA 8 room, 5 bed, 2.5 bath Colonial 77/$329,900 $329,000
102 Grove St Melrose, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Farmhouse 79/$240,000 $220,000
70 Malvern Street Melrose, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Colonial 24/$299,900 $311,000
46 Lebanon Street Melrose, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Bungalow 22/$377,500 $367,000
41 Goss Ave Melrose, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Cape 15/$279,900 $235,000
363 Pleasant Street Melrose, MA 7 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath Cape 175/$324,900 $321,000
391 washington Melrose, MA 5 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 50/$290,900 $275,000
71 East Wyoming Avenue Melrose, MA 9 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath Victorian 184/$369,000 $359,000
170 Waverly Avenue Melrose, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 1 bath Colonial 209/$329,900 $315,000
25 Elm St Melrose, MA 13 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Victorian 13/$399,900 $400,000
25 Whitman Ave Melrose, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Cape106/$369,500 $355,000
8 Sheffield Rd Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Ranch 35/$374,900 $374,900
131 Hartford St Natick, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath Cape 20/$335,000 $352,000
51 Washington Avenue Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Colonial 253/$300,000 $270,000
204 Hartford St Natick, MA 5 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Ranch 260/$285,000 $265,000
14 Home Ave Natick, MA 7 room, 4 bed, 2.5 bath Cape 402/$410,000 $385,000
5 Virginia Rd Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Cape 56/$345,000 $324,000
18 Wethersfield Rd Natick, MA 10 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Ranch 101/$349,500 $333,500
6 Braemore Rd Natick, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath Cape 277/$349,900 $320,000
18 Third Street Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Colonial 100/$299,900 $283,000
17 Lincoln St Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Colonial 51/$399,900 $390,000
32 Russell Circle Natick, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath Ranch 88/$429,900 $400,000
103 Bacon St Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Colonial294/$314,900 $326,000
6 BARNESDALE ROAD Natick, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 1 bath Colonial 89/$389,900 $374,500
17 Kelsey Rd Natick, MA 7 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Cape 22/$259,900 $270,000
26 Harwood Rd Natick, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 3 bath Ranch 53/$399,000 $395,000
4 Shady Oak Lane Natick, MA : West Natick 8 room, 3 bed, 2.5 bath Split Entry 55/$375,000 $350,000
9 University Drive Natick, MA 7 room, 4 bed, 1 bath Cape 201/$386,000 $387,000
14 Appleton Road Natick, MA : East Natick 8 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Ranch 86/$395,000 $371,000
151 North Main Street Natick, MA 10 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath Antique 19/$310,000 $301,000
7 Winter St Natick, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 185/$379,000 $363,050
165 Cottage St Natick, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 3 bath Cape 37/$399,900 $399,000
55 CHARLES ST. Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Ranch 6/$359,900 $349,000
19 Winter St Natick, MA 10 room, 6 bed, 2 bath Colonial 13/$319,900 $314,000
10 Liberty St Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Ranch 4/$329,900 $295,000
17 Pine Street Natick, MA 7 room, 4 bed, 1 bath Cape 17/$298,900 $278,000
10 Retrop Rd Natick, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Cape 3/$379,900 $382,000
10 Hammond Rd. Natick, MA 9 room, 4 bed, 3 bath Colonial 157/$349,900 $330,000
39 Hemlock Dr Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Ranch 11/$369,900 $355,000
49 Rathbun Rd Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Contemporary 147/$399,900 $385,000
16 Maine Ave Natick, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Cape 4/$339,900 $327,000
76 Rockland Street Natick, MA 9 room, 3 bed, 2.5 bath Ranch 4/$399,900 $385,000
4 Everett Natick, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Ranch 29/$319,900 $299,500
8 Elwin Rd Natick, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Ranch 3/$379,000 $374,000
77 Orange Street Waltham, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 16/$325,000 $303,000
29 SOUTH STREET Waltham, MA 7 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Colonial 78/$339,900 $315,000
35 WEIR ROAD Waltham, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Raised Ranch 60/$399,900 $385,000
14 Potter Rd. Waltham, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Multi-Level 55/$424,900 $395,000
77 Upland Road Waltham, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Cape 8/$224,900 $265,000
14 Flagg Circle Waltham, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath Cape 85/$319,000 $300,000
231 Totten Pond Rd Waltham, MA 8 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Raised Ranch 40/$429,000 $385,000
75 VILLA STREET Waltham, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Colonial 138/$409,900 $389,900
196 BROWN ST Waltham, MA 8 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Other 80/$359,000 $340,000
37 TAVERN ROAD Waltham, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1 full, 2 half bath Split Entry 64/$275,000 $155,000
110 Smith Street Waltham, MA 7 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Ranch 279/$344,900 $339,000
48 PORTER ROAD Waltham, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 2 bath Cape 136/$399,900 $385,000
62 Oakley Waltham, MA 9 room, 4 bed, 2 bath Raised Ranch 346/$420,000 $400,000
7 Kenwood Lane Waltham, MA 6 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Ranch 12/$374,900 $366,000
426 Highland Ave Winchester, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath Cape 204/$399,900 $399,900
36 Grove Place Winchester, MA 7 room, 3 bed, 1 bath Colonial 320/AUCTION $250,000
