[TeeWJay426]

I was laid off last April from a large defense firm, and just accepted an offer from Goodrich Corp. in Danbury. (Have been unemployed for that whole stretch). I live in southern NH currently, and have a house that I'm cautiously estimating will sell for around 300K. We will be trying to find something in that price range, if not a little less when we finalize the move to the area. I'm wondering what my chances are for something decent in that price range, and what towns would be the best to concentrate our search. Here's my general criteria:

Country/rural is OK (used to that already)- prefer a lot measured in acres, not square feet.
Schools, other than the property tax burden they create, are no longer a consideration (kids are grown).
Ease of commuting to the Danbury area is a consideration (prefer 1/2 hour or less).
Wife works out of the house (fast internet access needed) and proximity to a major airport is one of her requirements as well (travels approx 1 week/month).

Hints of towns to concentrate our search in would be appreciated, and places to avoid as well. Let me know how realistic our criteria are as well- will 300K get us what we would like in the area?

Since I will be starting there soon, I will need to get some temporary housing also. I'll be commuting to the area for the week, going back to NH on the weekends; we'll probably wait to put our place on the market until early summer, finalizing the relocation toward summer's end. Any hints/suggestions for temporary living space would be appreciated as well.

[kidyankee764]

The Danbury area is pretty pricey but coming from southern NH, they may not be TOO much of a shock to you. Generally, 300k will buy you a modest home in any of the towns around Danbury, with the exception of the towns south (Redding, Ridgefield and down) where prices are double that.

I would suggest you check out Southbury, Woodbury and New Milford. They're all about 20-25 minutes from Danbury, and all beautiful towns (New Milford likely the cheapest). $300k there will buy you more than it will in Brookfield or New Fairfield. Closer to Danbury but less rural is Bethel. Also a nice town. You can even check out Danbury itself but prices in the city can get high, and it's not very rural.

As for airports, there are small, regional airports in the area (Danbury, Westchester County, Oxford) while the international airports most people use are either Bradley in Hartford or JFK/LGA in NYC. Both are about an hour from Danbury, give or take.

[JayCT]

I agree with Kidyankee. It may be hard to find a home cheaper than you have in NH. Danbury is on the edge of the New York metropolitian area so real estate prices tend to reflect that closeness. So you understand, as you get further north and east of Danbury, house prices drop. It also get pretty rural to the north. New Milford is a nice town and has a nice town center plus a lot of shopping along Route 7. You would need to make sure that high speed internet is available there.

As for airports, White Plains (Westchester County Airport) is not far from Danbury and there is Stewart international Airport in Newburgh, New York which though small is growing. Jay

[Stylo]

What kind of house do you expect for $300k? Have you gone on Realtor.com to look at what's available at that price?

I know of someone who lives in Oxford and commutes to Goodrich. Half hour or just over. Oxford is more rural and your money will go further there. I personally prefer it over New Milford, but that's just me. But that's the furthest I would go if you want to keep within a half hour commute.

For maximum value for money, New Milford, Sherman, Woodbury and Oxford are your best bet. Keep in mind New Milford is a big town, and in the far northern areas (Gaylordsville) the commute can actually be up to 40 minutes to Danbury, as the freeway part of the commute doesn't start until the very southern part of New Milford. Brookfield, New Fairfield and Southbury are very nice, but are a bit more expensive.

Danbury and Bethel are relatively affordable, but it will be the harder to find big lots in for your price range.

JayCT, I'm from the area and high-speed Internet is readily available throughout New Milford. It's available through the cable providers or DSL through the phone lines. I'm pretty sure you can get several broadband options anywhere within 30 minutes of Danbury. It is not really a concern in this area.

[jdhall1]

I'd look in New Milford. It tends to offer the most land with homes in the area with reasonable prices if you are willing to commute.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Stylo

JayCT, I'm from the area and high-speed Internet is readily available throughout New Milford. It's available through the cable providers or DSL through the phone lines. I'm pretty sure you can get several broadband options anywhere within 30 minutes of Danbury. It is not really a concern in this area.

Thanks, I would be careful though if they decide to look in a smaller town. Jay

[andthentherewere3]

Originally Posted by JayCT

It also get pretty rural to the north. New Milford is a nice town and has a nice town center plus a lot of shopping along Route 7. You would need to make sure that high speed internet is available there.

Rural by Ct. standards, but coming from NH it's probably not as rural as what the OP is used to.

[Rich Cabeza]

Danbury, I believe, has the lowest crime rate for a city its size in the US. The high school is huge. GL.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Rich Cabeza

Danbury, I believe, has the lowest crime rate for a city its size in the US. The high school is huge. GL.

It is considered the safest "large" city in CT, not the US. It ranks well though.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Stylo

It is considered the safest "large" city in CT, not the US. It ranks well though.

Just today, a ranking was released showing that Danbury ranked 56th in the country for cities with populations 75,000. It ranks 1 in Connecticut for cities with a population over 75,000.