One MetroWest town people haven’t mentioned is Hudson. It’s the up and coming Metrowest town with a pretty good food scene, a walkable downtown and access to 495/90/290. Lots of nearby shopping and about 20 minutes to either the Acton or Southborough commuter rail. Some nice festivals downtown, a local brewery, a small weekly farmer’s market and a newly improved (lake) beach for residents. There is a town library right in the midst of all the downtown happenings that is part of a larger lending system so you have access to just about anything you’d want.
There are two 55+ communities in town that are slightly over your budget and you’d actually get a lot more bang for your buck and be way under budget at Assabet Village Condos which usually have something up for sale and you can also find rentals on occasion (but probably not now with the hot housing market). There are also some smaller complexes that are more affordable as well. The housing market is insane at the moment and nothing lasts for more than a weekend.
I don’t think they are exorbitant prices, just the current market. You asked if $300k would get you land and a house, and it won’t along the front range. Houses that are total tear downs cost $400k. Raw land might only cost $100k, but the permits to build can cost $100k (depends on the city/county) and you’d have to install utilities. You might not be able to dig a well because water rights are highly regulated in the west.
Now if you just want to be close to Denver, you could retire in Cheyenne. No income tax either.
“make me think about buying land and building something.” - That would not be cost-effictive in CO Front Range near us. Are there areas near Boston (or elsewhere) where building new makes sense? My best guess is midwest, but tis only a guess.
Colorado_mom & twoinanddone - thanks for that info!! I guess I meant “exhorbitant to me prices” LOL. Still figuring out all the possibilies/avenues for ‘next stage’. Sorry to derail the retirement home in Boston thread!!
@Jolynne_Smyth your comment about exorbitant “to me” reminded me of a conversation with D2 over the weekend. D2’s roommate is housesitting here in San Diego and D2 went to visit her and said it was a cute little house. D2 looked it up online and saw that is was 1,600 square feet with a value of $1.2 million. I said to D2 that’s not a bad price for the area. I then looked at D2 and said we live in a strange world where $1.2M seems normal to me!
