OT: Boston area accomodations and taxes

housing prices vary WILDLY depending upon location. in the city -vs- inside 128 loop -vs- inside the 495 loop - and so on and so forth. it is one of the more expensive regions of the country for housing, though certainly not the highest.

where's the job? boston? cambridge? waltham? burlington? so on and so forth. will you have a car? what sort of commute are you willing to endure. etc. etc.

state sales tax is 5%. state income tax is around 5.5%.

if you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to email, pm, or post.

doody.

 

I moved here from London and the real estate situation was quite a pleasant surprise in comparison to that. But it is expensive by US terms. Doody asks the correct questions, but its pretty sure to be way more expensive than Candada - although in CAD terms that might not be the case since I've had to amend my Canadian-Peso joke in reverse this year following the awful tanking of the USD. Property is probably 25% cheaper in CAD terms than it was 18 months ago...

 

the federa rate varies widely depending upon income. all of that data is online though, so i assume you found your correct rate.

shall we assume you're single with no kids?

public transportation in boston gets much maligned, but it's really quite good.

if you want to spend real money, back bay and beacon hill are tough to beat (in that order), though parking a car around there will cost you a fortune. i spent many years in charles river park at the end of storrow drive - pricey doorman buildings, but nice with nice garage parking available (or sometimes included).

cambridge is pricey and variable in terms of quality and safety. but it's a great town. i lived there for many years and enjoyed it tremendously. it's generally easier to own a car in cambridge than downtown boston (though again it depends upon the part of cambridge).

fee -vs- no-fee is simply whether or not a realtor is getting paid to do a deal. if you go, for instance, through the charles river park sales office you usually won't pay a fee, but if you go through Joe Bob the Realtor they'll want a month's rent as fee for their services. Joe Bob usually has a good selection of nice stuff - so they are providing some value, though rarely value commensurate with the cost (ime).

good luck!

doody.

 

If you are looking to stay in Boston proper -- there several areas to look into that are well within walking distance of downtown. You have the Backbay, South End, North End, and Kenmore/Fenway. All areas offer resident parking, but obviously finding a spot is a pita (not to mention the whole helen keller aproach to parking in Boston).

I currently live in Fenway, which is within walking distance (a bit of a hike) from pretty much anywhere in Boston. I have 2 cars, and three spaces (don't ask). My indoor parking space runs $260/mnth, has an assigned spot, and I don't leave the keys with anybody. The outdoor spot is $150/mnth. My 1BR with about 600SF rents for between 1400 - 2K, I've been in the same apt for 5 yrs and my rent has decreased.

Boston is a huge renter's city, so realtors offer fees to help find a place for you. In these cases the fee is based on one months rent. You can skirt a fee, by renting directly from Managing company and essentially cutting out the realtor.

I would suggest checking out all the areas and finding one you like (obviously some are more pricey). Additionally, you may want to cruise Craig's List and look for people (like myself) who are looking to get out of their leases and find a renter -- ie no fees

Good luck, any questions about a specific area -- lemme know.

-N

 

I recently found an apartment in brookline. (tree lined street 2 blocks from the local rail transportation)

3 bedroom / study / living room with fireplace / eat in kitchen.
Heat and hot water included.

Total rent is $1850 (and this is cheap for the area)

Tandum covered parking around the block is $150.
Outdoor parking few steps from the door is $150 under trees.

I also recomend http://boston.craigslist.org/ Fantastic place.

I could set you up with my landlord who owns a few buildings in the area if you like.

Pictures of the area are also possible.


Hope this gives you an Idea.

Edit to add phone number 1-617-232-8415 Mans name is Shlomo

 

You should take a trip down to Boston and just explore the areas. I've driven a few friends around just taking the names of managing agents off of buildings, so the could call them and see if anything was available. Not to mention that each area has a different feel, stuff to do, etc.

Don't take that range as gospel -- obviously one can find lower and higher rents. There are some great places by BU and BC close to Brookline that are a little less.

Oh! Don't forget Boston's notorious excise tax! Not to mention, make sure your car meets MAs emissions, otherwise don't bother trying to register it here (can you do that if you are not an American citizen)? You may want to check into the protocols required in getting a MA license -- I believe Dan might be able to shed some light on this.

-N

 

if those numbers are scary, you can always consider taking the commuter rail into town for work (this is great if your office is near north or south stations, but somewhat annoying and time consuming if you have to switch from the train to the subway). it's all a factor of how much commute time you're willing to endure.

there are lots of really nice safe, pleasant, suburban, family-type communities off the train lines.

dody.

 

As for getting an MA license, obviously you need to be a resident with a SSN first, and then (certainly as a UK resident) you need to take another driving test. I'd guess there's probably just a transfer possible for a canadian citizen.

You have a year to do this from your official arrival so in the meantime you can drive on your canadian license. The trick is to give you insurance company the canadian license when you first set up here and then get the MA license. If you get stopped for speeding, use the MA license and then you get the fine/points but probably not the insurance adjustment since the company can't link the two. Alternatively you give them the police the foreign license and voila no points but insurance goes up (only in the first year mind you) ...

It has also been said that the standard of driving in MA suggests that the test here is too easy One Californian friend jokes that MA and FL licenses aren't accepted there as proof of capability... lord only knows what that implies for teh MA/FL snow bird's driving ability. I just know you need to be damn carefull on I95 in late Nov and early Dec.

 

spacious kitchens and bathrooms downtown?

that don't happen none unless you're shelling out the greenbacks.....

doody.

 

If you are looking for something in Boston I have a brother who owns a real estate business in downtown Boston and he has a number of apartments for rents and condo's for sale if your interested

 

Hey - I live in Fenway, which is right next Longwood/Brookline Village. I looked all in those areas but prefer Fenway much more. Like I said I am a few miles from downtown Boston. One could easily bike there or catch a number of buses from my apt.

We moved here because my wife was in a phd program at Harvard Med School (she finished so we're now moving). Pretty much everyone in our neighborhood either works in Downtown or is an MD at one of the nearby hospitals. There are NO college students where we live -- this is an important thing to make sure of.

Those neighborhoods can be nice, but they are a little farther off -- and you should really check out the neighborhood. Don't forget abou the South End -- especially by NorthEastern Univ.

Anway I rent from one of the largest managing companies in the city called the Copley Management Group. Their site is here: http://www.thecopleygroup.com/ and if you go here: http://www.thecopleygroup.com/apartments/FenwayGardens.html you can see my complex. We're generally pretty happy with them, and love the area.

Just stay away from anything that's ground level, garden level, or rents out to college kids.

Call Copley, they have their own realtor, so you will only pay a $400 fee as opposed to a fee to a realtor.

-N

 

Any particular reason for this theory? Holiday drunks= more roadblocks+patrols? Peak deer season for collisions? How about late month quotas for speeding tickets? I believe shift change is when most troopers are wrapping up the traps and heading back to base/home.

 

I assume you're joking, but just in case my politically incorrect remarks were not clear enough, its about all the retired people driving their crown vics and buicks at 53 mph in the left hand lane all the way down I95 to FL for the winter.

 

hmmm....I thought it had something to do with Florida/snowbirds.... but alas, I have geriatric frogs in front of me like magnets regardless of the time of the year. I especially love it when their eyesight gives them tunnel vision, so they take a two lane road and drive in the middle of it with no room to pass on the inside lane. I guess their senses are so gone that when the sonic boom of our exhaust passes them they don't go off the road into the trees!

 

Your remarks have been forwarded to AARP...

They tell me they are not amused (they rarely are).

-N