Massachusetts Home Buyer Guide

While researching houses for your Massachusetts relocation it is also a good idea to get information on cost of living, moving expenses and school districts.  Cost of living varies greatly from state to state and even from one city or town to another. It is in your best interest to find out realistically what cities and towns you can afford to live in.  Moving expenses need to be taken into consideration while you are looking for a place to live as well. Even if your company provides you with a relocation package, moving expenses can escalate quickly. Many people assume to only look at school districts, if they have children or are expecting. Living in an area of a desirable school district is beneficial for many reasons, including resale value of your home and possibly more desirable neighborhoods.

Get cost of living facts

How much money an individual or a family needs to earn in order to cover basic needs varies greatly from state to state. A great place to start is the Living Wage Calculator, created by MIT Professor Amy Glasmeier. This tool presents state, as well as county-by-county statistics on how much a person needs to earn to meet their basic needs. Typical expenses such as food, child care and transportation are also provided. Another resource is CNN Money’s Cost of Living Calculator where you can compare the cost of living in two cities.

Moving expenses

Depending on how far you are traveling to get to Massachusetts, hauling your belongings here can be expensive. Many companies offer relocation packages that typically cover a couple visits before the move and moving expenses. If you work for a company this will not assist you in your move, make sure to make a budget. It might sound like a fun idea to take a road trip across country with your belongings, but hiring moving professionals may be cheaper, quicker and a whole lot less stressful.

Massachusetts school districts

While Massachusetts has one of the best education systems in the country, some school districts are more desired than others. In addition to public schools, the Bay State has a variety of religious and non-public schools that may meet your child’s specific learning needs and accomplish other objectives. As you start your search, think about what you want a school to do for your child. Useful school information can be found on sites such as GreatShools.net and SchoolDigger.com. The Pioneer Institute, a Massachusetts public policy research organization, provides MassReportCrads.org. In your search, you will probably come across the Massachusetts Comprehensive System (MCAS). MCAS is the Commonwealth's statewide standards-based assessment program and tests all public school students. It measures performance based on the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework learning standards and reports on the performance of individual students, schools, and districts. Even if you do not have children, it is still a good idea to look into school districts. Typically, well-performing school districts are in areas with high resale values and desirable neighborhoods.