N Providence vs E Providence (Pawtucket, East Providence: real estate, apartment, rental)
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Does anyone prefer to live in one over the other and why? I'm looking for a suburb to live within roughly 30 miles of Foxborough, preferably not in MA. Are there parts of Providence to avoid in general? I'm looking for a safe, dog and kid friendly neighborhood. I like shopping and don't want to live too far from that. The home price is flexible, we're comparing single families and multi families, the issue with multi families is a lot of the time they are not in the best locations. And if you know anything about Woonsocket or Pawtucket feel free to chime in on all that too Our price range for purchasing would be around 200k for a single family, 300k for a multi. Thank you.
Definitely check out the Oak Hill section of Pawtucket. In your price range you can get a 3-bed condo (apartment in a 2-family); if you can swing 250-300k for a single family you will do better.
Woonsocket is not a well-liked place, but its bad reputation means you can get some great deals there -- and a lot of people don't know there are some nice parts of it, particularly near the Massachusetts border. There are definitely houses up there in your price range. If public schools are important to you, though, everyone agrees that Woonsocket's are terrible.
I'm thinking your price range is too low for a "safe, dog and kid friendly neighborhood" in Providence proper.
Does anyone prefer to live in one over the other and why? I'm looking for a suburb to live within roughly 30 miles of Foxborough, preferably not in MA. Are there parts of Providence to avoid in general? I'm looking for a safe, dog and kid friendly neighborhood. I like shopping and don't want to live too far from that. The home price is flexible, we're comparing single families and multi families, the issue with multi families is a lot of the time they are not in the best locations. And if you know anything about Woonsocket or Pawtucket feel free to chime in on all that too Our price range for purchasing would be around 200k for a single family, 300k for a multi. Thank you.
Out of those two I would go with East Providence, primarily focusing on the Rumford and Riverside areas. I just think it's a nicer city in general. N. Providence has been on the decline for ages now, and borders high crime areas. If you have kids (and work in Foxborough), I'd go with Cumberland over those other two places (I expect you should find a little there in your range). Not really sure what advantage RI has over MA though (except for price, but expect higher taxes and insurance).
Woonsocket and Pawucket you want to avoid as a general rule. There are MANY parts of Providence to avoid. In that price range you're better off elsewhere.
Last edited by massnative71; 07-29-2015 at 11:15 PM..
Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
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I'll second mp775's suggestion to check out Oak Hill in Pawtucket. It meets your criteria: safe, dog & kid friendly, and it is not too far from shopping. Rumford in East Providence is fine too. Both have a suburban feel to them, though Oak Hill is a little closer to the shopping area of Hope St in Providence.
OP, you also asked about Providence. There's an ongoing difference of opinion on this forum about whether many neighborhoods of Providence are safe. If you are afraid of ethnic diversity, you might jump to the conclusion that "MANY" areas of Providence should be avoided. Providence is a multicultural city and this is one of its strengths. I live in one of the ethnically diverse neighborhoods of the city, and routinely visit others which some posters will tell you to avoid, and I can tell you that the fear propagated about diverse neighborhoods is unfounded.
Does anyone prefer to live in one over the other and why? I'm looking for a suburb to live within roughly 30 miles of Foxborough, preferably not in MA. Are there parts of Providence to avoid in general? I'm looking for a safe, dog and kid friendly neighborhood. I like shopping and don't want to live too far from that. The home price is flexible, we're comparing single families and multi families, the issue with multi families is a lot of the time they are not in the best locations. And if you know anything about Woonsocket or Pawtucket feel free to chime in on all that too Our price range for purchasing would be around 200k for a single family, 300k for a multi. Thank you.
Northern RI would be your best bet; Cumberland, Lincoln, North Smithfield etc. for the highway access and suburban vibe you are looking for; good schools etc. You should be able to get an average 3 BR home for your budget. You're correct, the multi-family properties may not be in the best areas, and your mortgage will require a larger down payment, a higher interest rate, headaches, and rental history etc. As a former Realtor for several years in RI and MA, I would advise staying with the single family home and take a bit larger mortgage at a fixed low interest rate in the northern part of the state. Property taxes are very high in RI, and don't know why you would not go 'over the line' into possibly North Attleboro or Attleboro to avoid taxation in both states. Check with this Rhode Island MLS website: www.riliving.com and a good Realtor in both areas.
Last edited by QuilterChick; 07-30-2015 at 09:44 AM..
Reason: typo
There are houses in Rumford & Riverside in EP in your price range. Expect small square footage (1000-1200 sq ft) and probably fixer uppers. Oak Hill in Pawt would be a good choice if you find a suitable property but I'd look for a multi family in that area since decent single families in Oak Hill are out of your price range. Also, when looking at the MLS, make sure the house is actually in the desired neighborhood. Boundaries are often pushed in descriptions to make the house seem that it's in a better area then it is.
Have you also looked in Taunton and Attleboro Ma.? Slightly run down areas, but your budget is unfortunately low.
Taunton definitely has more run down areas, I wouldn't recommend Taunton.
But there are some very nice family areas in Attleboro (North Attleboro an Attleboro itself). Not so in South Attleboro MA probably due to the fact that the Pawtucket RI area gritty population has bled into So. Attleboro over the years. The Attleboros are quite family oriented as well, great sports programs for the kids, and more of a suburban lifestyle, easy highway access etc.
Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollytree
There are houses in Rumford & Riverside in EP in your price range. Expect small square footage (1000-1200 sq ft) and probably fixer uppers. Oak Hill in Pawt would be a good choice if you find a suitable property but I'd look for a multi family in that area since decent single families in Oak Hill are out of your price range. Also, when looking at the MLS, make sure the house is actually in the desired neighborhood. Boundaries are often pushed in descriptions to make the house seem that it's in a better area then it is.
Good point. That's a common trick used by unscrupulous real estate agents.
OP, I don't know what your reasons are for wanting to avoid Mass. I formerly lived in Mass., and generally prefer RI. Some will tell you taxes are higher in RI but you really have to crunch the numbers to find out if that's true for your scenario.
*I found income taxes higher in Mass but if you're living in RI and working in MA then you only pay RI if Mass hasn't already taken what RI would have (i.e. you may not owe anything to RI for income tax).
*There are sites with lists of MA residential (and automobile) property tax rates, and RIliving.com has RI property tax rates listed (and possibly MA). But to do an honest comparison, you need to compare more than just the rate. Also consider that it is the value of the house that factors into what you pay each month. You may have to pay more for the equivalent sized house in MA, which can drive up your mortgage payment and bring your tax bill level with or greater than the cheaper RI house.
*Car taxes are another oft cited drawback of some RI towns/cities but it really depends on age and make of car as to whether it will be a significant burden. I have read examples which illuminate that it can be more in MA. There are a couple of threads on this forum discussing this if you search.
*Sales tax is nearly a wash, though slightly higher in RI.
Good point. That's a common trick used by unscrupulous real estate agents.
OP, I don't know what your reasons are for wanting to avoid Mass. I formerly lived in Mass., and generally prefer RI. Some will tell you taxes are higher in RI but you really have to crunch the numbers to find out if that's true for your scenario.
*I found income taxes higher in Mass but if you're living in RI and working in MA then you only pay RI if Mass hasn't already taken what RI would have (i.e. you may not owe anything to RI for income tax).
*There are sites with lists of MA residential (and automobile) property tax rates, and RIliving.com has RI property tax rates listed (and possibly MA). But to do an honest comparison, you need to compare more than just the rate. Also consider that it is the value of the house that factors into what you pay each month. You may have to pay more for the equivalent sized house in MA, which can drive up your mortgage payment and bring your tax bill level with or greater than the cheaper RI house.
*Car taxes are another oft cited drawback of some RI towns/cities but it really depends on age and make of car as to whether it will be a significant burden. I have read examples which illuminate that it can be more in MA. There are a couple of threads on this forum discussing this if you search.
*Sales tax is nearly a wash, though slightly higher in RI.
All good points. I would also add nearby amenities and also whether the house itself has water and sewer attached as well as garbage pick up in the tax. Many slightly rural communities (like Seekonk, Rehoboth, Ma. etc ) do not have full services. Much to compare.
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Our price range for purchasing would be around 200k for a single family, 300k for a multi. Thank you.
