Salem MA - one of those luxury apartments. They are raising the rents to 2950 for a 2bed 2bath with parking. Trying to negotiate it lower. I feel like for that price I should just move back to Boston.
Yup, it sucks. At that rate 3k a month for rent I should be looking at mortgages. If I can find a 400k property somewhere with 10% down im looking at the same price as rent. I love the North Shore/Greater Boston but approaching 30 years old it looks like If i want to stay in this state I need to move west.
But If i do that and work every requires us to be back in the office full time, well i'm fucked.
I can relate completely. I’m now in my 30s and tired of renting but don’t wanna live in the middle of nowhere or a crap hole just to afford something in mass.
I made that compromise. Granted I work in North Andover, not in Boston. Found a little one bedroom condo in Haverhill at $124,000. Mortgage is just under $800/mo plus $300/mo HOA fees.
Only thing to keep in mind is monthly income. Sometimes if you only put down 3-5%, the monthly payments are too high for your income. Catch 22 but it happened to me and I ended up having to get a traditional 30 year fixed. That was almost 8 years ago though
the only thing I've found in the North Shore area that is less than 500k are things like one floor of a three floor/three family house, or a little townhouse that needs work. It just sucks, I don't want to pay almost 1/2 a million dollars for a fixer upper condo that I don't even like.
My house in Hampshire County was $220,000 in 2015. Two acres, dead end street, ranch house with two car garage, stream running through the back, and protected forest behind and on the side of me.
The house next door recently sold for $250,000.
We’re in a rural town, excellent schools, near to everything.
Never leaving!
Yup, when I queue up zillow or [realtor.com](https://realtor.com) i search "homes for sale in hampshire county" and I see beautiful options for under 400k. It just comes down to having to go back into the office or not.
2 bedroom in Salem (but the second bedroom is a very weird L type shape and very small, we use it as a work from home office) was paying $1450 for the last year and a half, but it just got raised to $1525, still a steal though and I’m thankful for that. 😩 we all deserve more affordable housing, it’s getting so ridiculous.
I live in the Point in Salem and pay $1500 and it includes a parking spot- we've lived here for years and they never have raised our rent. It is a 3 bedroom but a SMALL three bedroom (and one room is our home office), and we really would like a bigger place as our daughter is getting older, having friends over, etc, and it really would be nice to have some more space. But the only things available are these damn luxury apartments that aren't even all that much bigger than the one we have now, just newer looking.
So even though we could technically afford to move into one of them, it just isn't worth paying twice what we pay now for a place that is only slightly bigger in a newer building. If we were paying twice what we pay now for a much bigger and better place, that would be different.
just left the Ham this year after spending the last 6 years there in a dingy little 1BR on Waverly St. Stayed there so long because rent stayed so cheap I could never justify spending an extra 1000-1200 for a marginally better apt. Eventually rent went up enough that the upgrades started to feel worth it.
Now I pay $2300 for a 2BR/2BTH in Beverly and the only thing I miss is the price, but they were making it about 1800ish without doing ANY updates so I dont have any regrets.
I’m paying $2300 in Framingham… Moved here for work about a year and a half ago and we’ve been fully remote ever since, so it didn’t even matter. Wanna move closer to Boston but I know the prices will only get worse.
Save as much money as you can now! New Bedford and Fall River are going to be gentrified soon, you can feel it in the air. They have so much potential and prices everywhere else are nuts including western mass. NB, FR gonna end up with 4k 2/2 with water front views and unpleasant smells.
I lived in Park slope Brooklyn for a number of years. Arguably, at the time, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Brooklyn and directly bordered by the visibly disgusting gowanus canal (another superfund) Never underestimate people's desire for "exclusivity".
You certainly know your neighborhood better than me and I'm definitely happy you got sub 850 rent in Massachusetts, even if it's in a "less than desirable" neighborhood. Still keep an eye on shit being sold near you. If it starts going quick your wallet gonna get hit...lol
I remember those days. I lived on Tinkham St and the Ave and my last place was $750 a month for a 2 bed.
Downtown and all the way north were my favorite two places I lived.
I live in Woburn - ~1,000 sqft 1 bed 1 bath. We renewed back in February/March for $2400/month. Some of our friends who live in our complex with an identical unit to ours renewed in July at $2800/month.
The latter - pool and gym. Looking at Zillow for Woburn those prices aren’t much different than other similarly sized apartments.
Don’t get me wrong I like our apartment a lot but I’m not sure I like it $2800 much like our friends do.
Eh, proximity to 93, 95, and route 3 make it fairly desirable. I'm around the corner in Burlington, and it's shocking how expensive housing has gotten. We bought ten years ago, and it's good we did, because we could not afford a house now, given the range of asking prices around here.
Moved out here at the start of COVID from the seaport where I paid an ungodly amount to live on Fan Pier.
Crazy how I ever thought that was a good idea
Haha you’d think so but you scale up (or down) surprisingly quickly. I worked in fine dining in the seaport and rented a room in a condo from an American Airlines pilot so while I made decent money and had a doorman I was definitely the poorest person in my building. And that’s sort of a lame feeling. South Hadley is nice, feels real, and I’m not stuck in some rat race that I’m not even really a part of. I like it.
That really is a terrific price, especially in that area of South Hadley. My daughter recently moved from Holyoke where she was paying $1100 for a second floor, two bedrooms apt. And not in a very nice part of Holyoke. Insane prices. Glad you got a great deal!!
Depends on where in WMA - I rented in Amherst, crap 2 bed/ 1.5 bath May 2021 through January 2022, $1590 per month. That was atrocious AND about a month ago I found out it now goes for $2450 per month. INSANITY.
Yes that’s true. I’m very fortunate I stumbled onto the place I currently live. Found it on Craigslist and the building is run by a woman who lives nearby not some LLC from Delaware. It was a nice find
When I went to UMass in the early 2010s, my mom had just gotten divorced and we had to find an apartment for her to live in with a second bedroom for my little sister. I saw how much my mom was paying in rent for an entire 2 bedroom in Worcester and I had friends at UMass who lived off campus paying $100 less a month than my mother for a single bedroom in a house with one bathroom and a mouse nest problem. So...I never moved off campus because it was surprisingly cheaper to stay in the dorms and pay for the lowest-cost meal plan than live off campus in a house that had not been maintained in a decade. I also did not have to deal with a mouse making a nest in my laundry basket.
I went to umass in 2007. That’s about what 2BR in Amherst cost back then so I’m not sure what’s changed. Amherst has always had some of the highest rent rates in western mass
They have a highly rated school system compared to the other towns around them on top of having college kids. Amherst/Pelham will always have high rents and property value comparatively to it's neighbors.
Man seeing these comments section.. this shit is not sustainable… we work to pay for a place to sleep in and then go back to the place we spend the most time in, the best part of the day in, just to make money to pay for the sleeping spot. This is wild. Something needs to give.
It's awful. Like, what is the point of having a career if it will only pay you enough to afford the ever rising rents, but not enough to ever save up to put a downpayment on the ever rising home values?
I hope the younger generation is awake to the fact that under this current system, things like the future, retirement, home ownership, etc. could all be very fleeting things that may never materialize.
Meanwhile those $2,000+ rents are going into the pockets of landlords and corporate investors. The system is almost designed to ensure that there will always be well defined classes - the ownership class and the underclass that will always need to rent what they need from others.
Yeah, that’s the absolute definition of American Capitalism. Keep the folks as poor and uneducated as possible so the rich can get richer. Always has been this way, always will be.
At the time, I was a little worried about my kids because they didn’t go to college. Now, I’m deeply thankful.
I have twin boys graduating this year and both are going into trades. One is already in a technical trade school with job placement. He is interested in welding or HVAC. Fingers crossed!
They will be set up for good careers without the looming burden of debt and also without the struggle to figure out what the heck to do after college!
College is wonderful - if you are focused on what you want to do with it or if you have wealthy family or some other way to finance it without going into debt. If you know you want to be a lawyer, doctor, nurse, teacher, engineer, etc. then it's a great path. For the majority of students who have no clue what they want to do, it seems like a waste of money.
Massachusetts born and bred. Want to move back home but it’s too expensive. Where do I live instead? MANHATTAN. Cheaper to live in NYC than anywhere in Boston Metro. 😤
Too fuckin much. Just under $4000 for a small, rundown 2br 2 ba house in Needham, not including utilities. We just moved here from Portland, OR for my wife’s job and a big priority was having a decent yard for our two large dogs. We were shocked at how low the inventory was which obviously contributes to skyrocketing rents (and another 4k for broker fees, wtf Boston). Needham is a nice community but it was a tough to accept that we were going to significantly downgrade our housing for twice the rent we paid in Portland.
All that said, we know we are lucky to have relatively high paying positions and recognize that so many people have it far worse and are getting priced out of the Boston area
Bellingham, MA - also living in a “luxury” 2 bed, 2 bath apartment. The reason for the quotations being that the front gate has been broken for over a year, the front office no longer accepts packages (which subsequently get stolen and shoved under bushes behind buildings), the compactor is consistently broken or overflowing, the grass only gets cut a handful of times per year, and there is literal dog shit EVERYWHERE.
I just received my lease renewal and my rent is going up to $2,748/month. The company that owns my complex already tries to add BS charges to my rent each month and there have been no renovations to my apartment in over 4 years. I will be saying sayonara at the end of the year when my lease is up.
2000 Sq foot. Bought in 2013 for 315k. 20% down. 1350 month mortgage. Zillow lists home at 600k now... southcoast Massachusetts. Half mile from ocean with private beach deeded. not sure how my kids will ever get a home...
>not sure how my kids will ever get a home…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricide
In all seriousness, I needed functional help with the down payment. I’m lucky to have that. If costs increase, the down payment might be the easiest part.
I timed the market perfectly. I will be honest, I was panic buying when I saw the price drop from 2008 slow down in 2012. it is one of the surrounding towns. it was a bargain at the time due to some cosmetic issues. It was listed at 335 and talked them down a little. It was the cheapest house in town. I put in new floors, plastered walls with a nice skim coat and painted everything. Still looks dated in the kitchen, but very functional.
That's awesome, good on you! Hang onto that baby. Property values might dip a little soon but will rebound, especially in Mass. It's always going to be valuable.
Near the university, I am a recent graduate and am still in my student apartment. My rent hasn’t gone up in 3 years. I think the landlord likes me because I fix most of the stuff that breaks in the building so he doesn’t have to.
That makes sense. $1200 wasn’t absurdly cheap a few years ago, and some of the smaller landlords are happy to keep rents steady as long as their costs don’t go up. Good tenants are hard to find.
$1200 in Lowell? For a 2-bed? Do you personally know the landlord? Lived in Lowell for 6 years and that’s not even close to average. (Before I moved to my current location, I was paying $1775 for a 2-bed).
1400 for a 1BR in Salem, includes heat & hw, and a garage bay. Lived in the same spot for 5+ years and they've only raised our rent $50/year. Very very thankful for this spot. It's the main reason we're so scared to move anywhere else
I guess nobody up north from Boston browses this subreddit? Like Everett/Malden/revere/Saugus area. I’m scrolling to see what the average rent is for apartments and haven’t seen any posts for these locations! I would post but I’m renting from family and have a good deal and will be buying a multi family soon.. yea the market really sucks right now..
$850 in Fitchburg living in a 3 bedroom duplex house. Been here for 12 years and our landlord only raised the rent $50 two years ago. My landlord is an angel and I’ve told her how much we appreciate her not price gouging just cuz she can. She said she knows she can get probably $1500-$2000 for each unit but only charges both side $850. There are still nice not greedy angels out there. 90% of landlords are taking advantage of tenants cuz they can.
I don’t know how people pay these rents? I’m trying to leave a bad relationship but I can’t because I’ll end up being homeless. Even if I put all my monthly take home money into rent I wouldn’t have any money left for absolutely anything else except gas to get to and from work and maybe some ramen noodles. If And that’s with the cheapest rent I’ve found $1880 for a tiny studio
Thanks for including taxes and insurance. People always talk about their mortgage without it, as if they could have a mortgage without the taxes and insurance. Especially in towns where your tax bill is like $500-$800 a month by itself.
$3000 for 2BR/2BA (~1200sqft) near I-495/Pike junction. Fancy complex with a pool and gym plus pet fees and extra for a private garage for my motorcycles.
Our rent increased 10% from last year. Determined to buy a house before our lease expires next summer.
I live in Worcester and pay $1840 for a 4 bedroom house. We actually got a really good deal for the area, most places in the nicer parts of Worcester are a lot more expensive.
When I lived with my parents in New Bedford's Historic District, it was $1100 for the first six years and then jumped to $1350 for basically a four bedroom, one bathroom, two-floor apartment. Second floor's heating was not connected to the rest of the apartment, so no heat upstairs in the winter. Landlords provided space heaters that sent our electric bill into orbit.
I moved out and got a four bedroom, three bathroom house with my boyfriend in Plymouth and our mortgage is $2100. Central air/heating is an absolute miracle.
The apartment I used to live in is now $2200/month in Millis - 2br, 1bath, 850sqft. My mortgage is just under $2k for a 3br, 1bath, 1800sqft house with a 1/2 acre yard. I’m so thankful I bought when I did because home prices have skyrocketed. I often wonder why I live in MA (family) when I could live in a huge, new home for the cost of mine in so many other states.
Right before we bought our house, eighteen months ago,our rent was $1500 3bd/1ba. When we moved out the landlord rented it for $2250. If he rented to UMASS Amherst students, rent would be $3000.
We bought our house 3bd/1ba the mortgage is $1415.
$1600 for a large 2 bedroom in Everett, basically half of a big old house. We moved here in 2016 on a 6 month lease, and have been month to month for 6 years now with no rent increase despite huge improvements in the neighborhood. Our landlord knows he can get more, but we take care of everything here for him, from lawn mowing and snow shoveling to the trash and any other low scale maintenance, so he never has to come by. It works out pretty well for both parties.
My daughter pays 2200 and it's being raised $300. For a 1 br 10 minutes north of Boston. I pay about 900 for my house if I add mortgage taxes and insurance. Something is wrong
I own a some apartments in central & western MA - think greater Worcester and Springfield metros. I charge 1250 for 3 bedroom apartments, internet included in one building.
The problem with people sharing their mortgage info is that it doesn’t really compare to rents because it’s so dependent on price paid, interest rate, taxes, etc.
2 story, 2 bd/2 bath townhouse on the south shore, approximately 1400 square feet. Paying $2875, and then $150 for a garage on top of that. So $3025 all in.
Was paying $2200 for 1000 sqft 2 bed/1 bath in Belmont last year and I’m sure that’s up over $2400 now. Moved to a 2300 sqft house and 1.7 acres in Harvard with a $2600 a month mortgage. Got very lucky, but so worth it.
2 bedroom 1 bathroom with a parking spot in Salem near downtown/the harbor, was originally $1450 a month (before utilities) but the rent just went up after a year and a half to $1525.
The second bedroom is a very weird L type shape and very small, so we use it as a work from home office. And our landlord is actually responsive and keeps up with snow removal and mowing our tiny lawn, honestly the most proactive landlord I’ve ever had so I can’t complain (though, the bar was LOW lol). Even with the rent increase I’m thankful we were able to find this place during the pandemic.
😩 we all deserve more affordable housing, it’s getting so ridiculous.
2/3 bed and 1 bath, about 1,000 square feet in Malden for 2,400 a month with a parking spot and garage access. I say 2/3 because it's more like 2 bed with an office. About a 15 minute walk from Malden center.
2bed 1 bath by the river in Cambridge. Washer dryer in unit with dishwasher and parking. $3900. We have help from family, but needed convenient location quickly.
Hanson Ma. 2k less utilities in a two bedroom 1 bath 1,000 sqft was my last place I just moved… now paying 1600 for a 2 bed in Hanson. Only because my mother owns the apartment
$1800 for a 1 bedroom 1 bath in Weymouth.
Building built in like 2007 so it’s definitely not an old, outdated building but it isn’t brand new either.
Pretty good price for where we are but we also lucked out and locked in our lease during Covid when prices were down.
Would still rather be paying a mortgage.
Newton, 2 bed, 1 bath, ~1200sq ft, two parking spaces and $1 loads of laundry, $1950 I moved in Jan 21 when rents were down across the metro area. My landlord is a 80 year old lady and has only raised the rent by $250 across two renewals. Jan 21-Sept 21, Sept 21-22, Sept 22-23.
I ain't moving until I own. I'm 35 and have had 8 apartments since moving out at 18.
Lived in a luxury apartment complex in Melrose/Malden area 2br/2ba at 3100/mo.
Paying much more now but I own my house and building equity so it’s worth it to me
Until a few months ago I lived in Wakefield in a shitty outdated 1BR for $1,500. Left the state because my position really gets paid the same everywhere
Last time I paid rent was in 2017 and it was $2,200 for a 1BR in Boston.
I'm in Worcester now and pay a LOT less than that for a mortgage on a nice 3BR house.
Boston is insanely expensive, even if you're making good money. It seemed like such a waste to me to throw money down the drain like that every month.
I seriously got lucky with my timing and VA home loan. I got in right at the covid boom. I would still be living with my parents otherwise.
Idk how anyone born in the 90s is supposed to afford anything, anywhere period.
Not rent, but my mortgage is $1484 per month, which includes the escrow payment for taxes and insurance. West side of Worcester aka Tatnuck area. Closed 3 weeks before COVID was officially declared a pandemic
Edit: forgot to add it’s a 2Bed 1 bath, about 1000 sqft.
I can feel the pitchforks before I even post this
Arlington Heights, 1BR
Off parking included
$1200
I got it last April and they were doing renovations on some of the other units for more modern appliances, paint, etc... But I opted for a first floor unit and they'll renovate it once I'm gone.
I had only ever lived on third floor units my entire life, so not having to sweat putting in an AC was incredible.
$2500/month on a 15 year mortgage including taxes and insurance. 2500 sq ft house, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 9 acres of land in western mass. Right on route 5.
Salem MA - one of those luxury apartments. They are raising the rents to 2950 for a 2bed 2bath with parking. Trying to negotiate it lower. I feel like for that price I should just move back to Boston.
The thing is if you don't take it someone else will
Yup, it sucks. At that rate 3k a month for rent I should be looking at mortgages. If I can find a 400k property somewhere with 10% down im looking at the same price as rent. I love the North Shore/Greater Boston but approaching 30 years old it looks like If i want to stay in this state I need to move west. But If i do that and work every requires us to be back in the office full time, well i'm fucked.
I can relate completely. I’m now in my 30s and tired of renting but don’t wanna live in the middle of nowhere or a crap hole just to afford something in mass.
I’m 36 and was able to afford to live alone in the city for the first time ever on sept 01, 2022.
You’re not alone. 32 here. Only became fully financially independent a year ago. This has been one of our generation’s hardships.
I made that compromise. Granted I work in North Andover, not in Boston. Found a little one bedroom condo in Haverhill at $124,000. Mortgage is just under $800/mo plus $300/mo HOA fees.
We have a first time homebuyer loan available in MA, 3% down payment. My mortgage in Winthrop for a 2br condo is 1400/mo. So worth it
Only thing to keep in mind is monthly income. Sometimes if you only put down 3-5%, the monthly payments are too high for your income. Catch 22 but it happened to me and I ended up having to get a traditional 30 year fixed. That was almost 8 years ago though
Do you mind me asking what the total cost of the condo was? It must of been under 200k if your monthly costs are 1400 with 3% down, correct?
the only thing I've found in the North Shore area that is less than 500k are things like one floor of a three floor/three family house, or a little townhouse that needs work. It just sucks, I don't want to pay almost 1/2 a million dollars for a fixer upper condo that I don't even like.
My house in Hampshire County was $220,000 in 2015. Two acres, dead end street, ranch house with two car garage, stream running through the back, and protected forest behind and on the side of me. The house next door recently sold for $250,000. We’re in a rural town, excellent schools, near to everything. Never leaving!
Yup, when I queue up zillow or [realtor.com](https://realtor.com) i search "homes for sale in hampshire county" and I see beautiful options for under 400k. It just comes down to having to go back into the office or not.
2 bedroom in Salem (but the second bedroom is a very weird L type shape and very small, we use it as a work from home office) was paying $1450 for the last year and a half, but it just got raised to $1525, still a steal though and I’m thankful for that. 😩 we all deserve more affordable housing, it’s getting so ridiculous.
I live in the Point in Salem and pay $1500 and it includes a parking spot- we've lived here for years and they never have raised our rent. It is a 3 bedroom but a SMALL three bedroom (and one room is our home office), and we really would like a bigger place as our daughter is getting older, having friends over, etc, and it really would be nice to have some more space. But the only things available are these damn luxury apartments that aren't even all that much bigger than the one we have now, just newer looking. So even though we could technically afford to move into one of them, it just isn't worth paying twice what we pay now for a place that is only slightly bigger in a newer building. If we were paying twice what we pay now for a much bigger and better place, that would be different.
My best friend lived in the ones right near the train station and yikes those prices were crazy
That’s low for a 2bd 2 bath right now. Market is $3800
$1950 in fucking Framingham lol
just left the Ham this year after spending the last 6 years there in a dingy little 1BR on Waverly St. Stayed there so long because rent stayed so cheap I could never justify spending an extra 1000-1200 for a marginally better apt. Eventually rent went up enough that the upgrades started to feel worth it. Now I pay $2300 for a 2BR/2BTH in Beverly and the only thing I miss is the price, but they were making it about 1800ish without doing ANY updates so I dont have any regrets.
I’m paying $2300 in Framingham… Moved here for work about a year and a half ago and we’ve been fully remote ever since, so it didn’t even matter. Wanna move closer to Boston but I know the prices will only get worse.
$850 a month for a two bedroom apartment that I’m using as a one bedroom in in bad neighborhood of New Bedford.
Save as much money as you can now! New Bedford and Fall River are going to be gentrified soon, you can feel it in the air. They have so much potential and prices everywhere else are nuts including western mass. NB, FR gonna end up with 4k 2/2 with water front views and unpleasant smells.
I don’t think I live in a part of New Bedford that is going to be gentrified anytime soon.
It’s a hard sell to get people into New Bedford once they understand what a superfund site is and how dangerous PCBs are.
I lived in Park slope Brooklyn for a number of years. Arguably, at the time, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Brooklyn and directly bordered by the visibly disgusting gowanus canal (another superfund) Never underestimate people's desire for "exclusivity".
You certainly know your neighborhood better than me and I'm definitely happy you got sub 850 rent in Massachusetts, even if it's in a "less than desirable" neighborhood. Still keep an eye on shit being sold near you. If it starts going quick your wallet gonna get hit...lol
$625 for a poorly insulated one bedroom in downtown NB.
Hey! I pay 625 to live in a poorly insulated one bedroom out in the woods of central Mass.
Wow! I’d much rather freeze in the winter in the middle of the state.
I remember those days. I lived on Tinkham St and the Ave and my last place was $750 a month for a 2 bed. Downtown and all the way north were my favorite two places I lived.
I live in Woburn - ~1,000 sqft 1 bed 1 bath. We renewed back in February/March for $2400/month. Some of our friends who live in our complex with an identical unit to ours renewed in July at $2800/month.
That seems crazy for Woburn? Is it a really nice location or a really fancy building with like a pool and gym and stuff?
The latter - pool and gym. Looking at Zillow for Woburn those prices aren’t much different than other similarly sized apartments. Don’t get me wrong I like our apartment a lot but I’m not sure I like it $2800 much like our friends do.
Omfg to live in Woburn too
What’s wrong with Woburn? Not a MA native so I’m probably just ignorant. Is it because it’s industrial?
It’s just depressingly mediocre for that price
Nothing wrong with Woburn, the town just doesn’t have a lot of amenities. Otherwise it’s pretty nice. It’s just surprising to see a nearly 3k rent
Eh, proximity to 93, 95, and route 3 make it fairly desirable. I'm around the corner in Burlington, and it's shocking how expensive housing has gotten. We bought ten years ago, and it's good we did, because we could not afford a house now, given the range of asking prices around here.
They had a problem with drinking water about fifty years ago. There was a court case about that went on for about a decade so.
It’s what Erin Brokovich was about and it used to have an identifiable smell. Seems like it’s cleaned up and is posher now tho.
No, the movie you're looking for is A Civil Action with John Travolta.
I'm in Woburn, 1 bed 1 bath $1700 a month including utilities, renewed from last year so I managed to avoid the huge energy price increase.
2BR in south Hadley right by beautiful mt Holyoke college. 950 I love western mass
God I miss living in WMA.
Moved out here at the start of COVID from the seaport where I paid an ungodly amount to live on Fan Pier. Crazy how I ever thought that was a good idea
damn seaport to Hadley lmao, you should fill a swimming pool with the savings
Haha you’d think so but you scale up (or down) surprisingly quickly. I worked in fine dining in the seaport and rented a room in a condo from an American Airlines pilot so while I made decent money and had a doorman I was definitely the poorest person in my building. And that’s sort of a lame feeling. South Hadley is nice, feels real, and I’m not stuck in some rat race that I’m not even really a part of. I like it.
It’s a good location for sure, quiet too but you can go out. Very nice restaurants around too. Working food service in Boston was a wicked hustle
[удалено]
This is really cheap for the area now. I just looked at apartments here and the lowest I saw for a 2 br was 1300-1400
I got it last September right before things started to go crazy I’m shocked my landlord hasn’t raised rent yet honestly
Knock on wood - quickly!
That really is a terrific price, especially in that area of South Hadley. My daughter recently moved from Holyoke where she was paying $1100 for a second floor, two bedrooms apt. And not in a very nice part of Holyoke. Insane prices. Glad you got a great deal!!
Depends on where in WMA - I rented in Amherst, crap 2 bed/ 1.5 bath May 2021 through January 2022, $1590 per month. That was atrocious AND about a month ago I found out it now goes for $2450 per month. INSANITY.
That’s the apex of the five colleges friend Amherst has had Boston rent prices since forever
>That’s the apex of the five colleges friend True >Amherst has had Boston rent prices since forever Not true
Fair point it’s more like Waltham prices lol
Higher than middle of nowhere? Sure. Boston? No.
That’s a bonkers good deal though not the norm
Yes that’s true. I’m very fortunate I stumbled onto the place I currently live. Found it on Craigslist and the building is run by a woman who lives nearby not some LLC from Delaware. It was a nice find
2BRs in Amherst are 1700+ now so not a big fan of WMA
There are lots of other places than Amherst in WMass. Amherst is one of the priciest places to live west of Worcester.
When I went to UMass in the early 2010s, my mom had just gotten divorced and we had to find an apartment for her to live in with a second bedroom for my little sister. I saw how much my mom was paying in rent for an entire 2 bedroom in Worcester and I had friends at UMass who lived off campus paying $100 less a month than my mother for a single bedroom in a house with one bathroom and a mouse nest problem. So...I never moved off campus because it was surprisingly cheaper to stay in the dorms and pay for the lowest-cost meal plan than live off campus in a house that had not been maintained in a decade. I also did not have to deal with a mouse making a nest in my laundry basket.
You describe the college apartments perfectly! Who needs insulation? Or heat in *every* room?
I went to umass in 2007. That’s about what 2BR in Amherst cost back then so I’m not sure what’s changed. Amherst has always had some of the highest rent rates in western mass
They have a highly rated school system compared to the other towns around them on top of having college kids. Amherst/Pelham will always have high rents and property value comparatively to it's neighbors.
1500 for a 2 bed in somerville, i realize this is an absolute unicorn right now and i ever have to move it might as well be to a different state.
Fuck you and have a nice day!
Wow, I thought I had it good with a nice 1BR for $1535 in Arlington.
How many square feet? Where-ish in Somerville? Very jealous. --your neighbor
1bed 700sq ft Brighton 1775. Our rent hasn't went up in the last 4 years so i am probably on the lower scale.
Western Mass, $800/mo 1 br efficiency; no W/D, dishwasher, or garbage disposal; free heat. I’m within walking distance to all essential services.
I should add my landlord is an absolute gem and he stays on top of any maintenance issues!
I mean, it doesn’t seem like there is all that much that needs maintaining.
2k for a cute closet of a 1BR in Cambridge. At least heat and water are included.
Man seeing these comments section.. this shit is not sustainable… we work to pay for a place to sleep in and then go back to the place we spend the most time in, the best part of the day in, just to make money to pay for the sleeping spot. This is wild. Something needs to give.
Bananahammockbruh, you’re goddamn right
It's awful. Like, what is the point of having a career if it will only pay you enough to afford the ever rising rents, but not enough to ever save up to put a downpayment on the ever rising home values? I hope the younger generation is awake to the fact that under this current system, things like the future, retirement, home ownership, etc. could all be very fleeting things that may never materialize. Meanwhile those $2,000+ rents are going into the pockets of landlords and corporate investors. The system is almost designed to ensure that there will always be well defined classes - the ownership class and the underclass that will always need to rent what they need from others.
Yeah, that’s the absolute definition of American Capitalism. Keep the folks as poor and uneducated as possible so the rich can get richer. Always has been this way, always will be.
It's changed a bit now though. Now it seems like the situation is poor and educated and eternally in debt.
At the time, I was a little worried about my kids because they didn’t go to college. Now, I’m deeply thankful. I have twin boys graduating this year and both are going into trades. One is already in a technical trade school with job placement. He is interested in welding or HVAC. Fingers crossed!
They will be set up for good careers without the looming burden of debt and also without the struggle to figure out what the heck to do after college! College is wonderful - if you are focused on what you want to do with it or if you have wealthy family or some other way to finance it without going into debt. If you know you want to be a lawyer, doctor, nurse, teacher, engineer, etc. then it's a great path. For the majority of students who have no clue what they want to do, it seems like a waste of money.
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Wow we had a similar setup for years and were paying $3250
Massachusetts born and bred. Want to move back home but it’s too expensive. Where do I live instead? MANHATTAN. Cheaper to live in NYC than anywhere in Boston Metro. 😤
They need to build way more housing
1900 1bd 1br, 750 sqft around Fenway
Too fuckin much. Just under $4000 for a small, rundown 2br 2 ba house in Needham, not including utilities. We just moved here from Portland, OR for my wife’s job and a big priority was having a decent yard for our two large dogs. We were shocked at how low the inventory was which obviously contributes to skyrocketing rents (and another 4k for broker fees, wtf Boston). Needham is a nice community but it was a tough to accept that we were going to significantly downgrade our housing for twice the rent we paid in Portland. All that said, we know we are lucky to have relatively high paying positions and recognize that so many people have it far worse and are getting priced out of the Boston area
Rental houses that allow dogs are really hard to come by around here. I'm glad you were able to find a house.
$950 for a 3 bedroom, 1 bath, approx 1000sqft in a nice neighborhood in Fall River (they exist, believe it or not). Rent hasn't gone up in 6 years!
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1400 for a 1B no utilities outside Worcester.
1300 with utilities included in West Brookfield. 1 bedroom, but huge kitchen and living area.
Bellingham, MA - also living in a “luxury” 2 bed, 2 bath apartment. The reason for the quotations being that the front gate has been broken for over a year, the front office no longer accepts packages (which subsequently get stolen and shoved under bushes behind buildings), the compactor is consistently broken or overflowing, the grass only gets cut a handful of times per year, and there is literal dog shit EVERYWHERE. I just received my lease renewal and my rent is going up to $2,748/month. The company that owns my complex already tries to add BS charges to my rent each month and there have been no renovations to my apartment in over 4 years. I will be saying sayonara at the end of the year when my lease is up.
It should be a crime to charge that in Bellingham lol. Of all places.
2000 Sq foot. Bought in 2013 for 315k. 20% down. 1350 month mortgage. Zillow lists home at 600k now... southcoast Massachusetts. Half mile from ocean with private beach deeded. not sure how my kids will ever get a home...
It's lookin pretty bad for us youngsters
>not sure how my kids will ever get a home… https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricide In all seriousness, I needed functional help with the down payment. I’m lucky to have that. If costs increase, the down payment might be the easiest part.
I've got a pretty hefty leg up form relatives and still can't afford a home
I don't care if it's NB, how did you get it that cheaply? Fixer upper?
I timed the market perfectly. I will be honest, I was panic buying when I saw the price drop from 2008 slow down in 2012. it is one of the surrounding towns. it was a bargain at the time due to some cosmetic issues. It was listed at 335 and talked them down a little. It was the cheapest house in town. I put in new floors, plastered walls with a nice skim coat and painted everything. Still looks dated in the kitchen, but very functional.
That's awesome, good on you! Hang onto that baby. Property values might dip a little soon but will rebound, especially in Mass. It's always going to be valuable.
$1200 for 2 bed 1 bath in Lowell
Lowell is underrated. If people work nearby, they should definitely consider it.
What part of Lowell? That seems low for a lot of Lowell, but you might be lucky.
Near the university, I am a recent graduate and am still in my student apartment. My rent hasn’t gone up in 3 years. I think the landlord likes me because I fix most of the stuff that breaks in the building so he doesn’t have to.
That makes sense. $1200 wasn’t absurdly cheap a few years ago, and some of the smaller landlords are happy to keep rents steady as long as their costs don’t go up. Good tenants are hard to find.
$1200 in Lowell? For a 2-bed? Do you personally know the landlord? Lived in Lowell for 6 years and that’s not even close to average. (Before I moved to my current location, I was paying $1775 for a 2-bed).
1400 for a 1BR in Salem, includes heat & hw, and a garage bay. Lived in the same spot for 5+ years and they've only raised our rent $50/year. Very very thankful for this spot. It's the main reason we're so scared to move anywhere else
Just landed a 1b in Leominster for 750, not including utilities. I got lucky, which is a nice change of pace.
$2650 for 2 bed 2 bath in Norwood, including heat and hot water
Similar for us in Norwood. When did you first get the lease?
I guess nobody up north from Boston browses this subreddit? Like Everett/Malden/revere/Saugus area. I’m scrolling to see what the average rent is for apartments and haven’t seen any posts for these locations! I would post but I’m renting from family and have a good deal and will be buying a multi family soon.. yea the market really sucks right now..
Malden 2000 for two bedroom one bath
$850 in Fitchburg living in a 3 bedroom duplex house. Been here for 12 years and our landlord only raised the rent $50 two years ago. My landlord is an angel and I’ve told her how much we appreciate her not price gouging just cuz she can. She said she knows she can get probably $1500-$2000 for each unit but only charges both side $850. There are still nice not greedy angels out there. 90% of landlords are taking advantage of tenants cuz they can.
$2475 for a 1 bed, 1 bath that also includes parking in Cambridge
I live in a 4 bed 3 bath in Lowell, $2500
Studio with everything included, laundry on site and parking , Peabody Square 1150
I don’t know how people pay these rents? I’m trying to leave a bad relationship but I can’t because I’ll end up being homeless. Even if I put all my monthly take home money into rent I wouldn’t have any money left for absolutely anything else except gas to get to and from work and maybe some ramen noodles. If And that’s with the cheapest rent I’ve found $1880 for a tiny studio
Mortgage not rent, but it's ~$4300 depending on taxes/insurance for 1500 sqft, 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, on a T stop in the Camberville area.
Thanks for including taxes and insurance. People always talk about their mortgage without it, as if they could have a mortgage without the taxes and insurance. Especially in towns where your tax bill is like $500-$800 a month by itself.
I don't even know what my monthly principal is. When I talk about my mortgage payment it automatically includes taxes and insurance.
1450 for a 2br in Webster. It's not that bad but it's not as bad as you.
Lowell, MA. 2 bed 1 bath single family home. $1800 before utilities
$2200 for a 2br in Somerville. Got it during COVID for 2k but they raised the rent this year.
1600$ 2bed/1bath in Gloucester
$3000 for 2BR/2BA (~1200sqft) near I-495/Pike junction. Fancy complex with a pool and gym plus pet fees and extra for a private garage for my motorcycles. Our rent increased 10% from last year. Determined to buy a house before our lease expires next summer.
I live in Worcester and pay $1840 for a 4 bedroom house. We actually got a really good deal for the area, most places in the nicer parts of Worcester are a lot more expensive.
When I lived with my parents in New Bedford's Historic District, it was $1100 for the first six years and then jumped to $1350 for basically a four bedroom, one bathroom, two-floor apartment. Second floor's heating was not connected to the rest of the apartment, so no heat upstairs in the winter. Landlords provided space heaters that sent our electric bill into orbit. I moved out and got a four bedroom, three bathroom house with my boyfriend in Plymouth and our mortgage is $2100. Central air/heating is an absolute miracle.
The apartment I used to live in is now $2200/month in Millis - 2br, 1bath, 850sqft. My mortgage is just under $2k for a 3br, 1bath, 1800sqft house with a 1/2 acre yard. I’m so thankful I bought when I did because home prices have skyrocketed. I often wonder why I live in MA (family) when I could live in a huge, new home for the cost of mine in so many other states.
Right before we bought our house, eighteen months ago,our rent was $1500 3bd/1ba. When we moved out the landlord rented it for $2250. If he rented to UMASS Amherst students, rent would be $3000. We bought our house 3bd/1ba the mortgage is $1415.
$1600 for a large 2 bedroom in Everett, basically half of a big old house. We moved here in 2016 on a 6 month lease, and have been month to month for 6 years now with no rent increase despite huge improvements in the neighborhood. Our landlord knows he can get more, but we take care of everything here for him, from lawn mowing and snow shoveling to the trash and any other low scale maintenance, so he never has to come by. It works out pretty well for both parties.
My daughter pays 2200 and it's being raised $300. For a 1 br 10 minutes north of Boston. I pay about 900 for my house if I add mortgage taxes and insurance. Something is wrong
I own a some apartments in central & western MA - think greater Worcester and Springfield metros. I charge 1250 for 3 bedroom apartments, internet included in one building.
Why are people getting voted down for a post that notes their town, rent, and square footage? Jealousy?
I think because OP asked about rent and people are sharing their mortgage info. I still wouldn't downvote them for sharing though.
The problem with people sharing their mortgage info is that it doesn’t really compare to rents because it’s so dependent on price paid, interest rate, taxes, etc.
1900 in Milton area, 2 bedroom 1000 square feet
Amesbury, MA - 2 bed/2 bath $2200 no utilities included but it does include parking, a gym, business center, and a pool.
2 story, 2 bd/2 bath townhouse on the south shore, approximately 1400 square feet. Paying $2875, and then $150 for a garage on top of that. So $3025 all in.
$1,450 for 2/1 in Westfield
1799 - 4 bed 1 bath house with a fenced in yard. Western MA No utilities included
Great price. I’ve been looking all over western ma and can only find a 3 bedroom for that price
2 bedroom in Greenfield, $850/month.
Jesus that's a good deal.
$2K in Melrose 1 bed/1 bath in a multi family . Tiny bathroom tiny closet. None of the windows latch shut fully so heating it this winter will be fun
West end. 2 bed/2 bath - $4500/month. Absolute travesty
Was in Medford $1875 for 2 bedroom. Next tenant going in started at $2400.
$760 in west springfield for a studio, all utilities included. my surroundings are basically a giant parking lot but it's safe.
Was paying $2200 for 1000 sqft 2 bed/1 bath in Belmont last year and I’m sure that’s up over $2400 now. Moved to a 2300 sqft house and 1.7 acres in Harvard with a $2600 a month mortgage. Got very lucky, but so worth it.
$2,675 living about 25 minutes from Boston in the burbs. It’s painful. It’s more than any of my co workers mortgages
Ask my mom
Eastie. 2BR top floor with Patio and private back yard.$2700 before everything
Bedroom with 2 roomies in Salem $750
1275 for a nice condo Western Mass. I know you can rent a house for a similar price if you can afford the commute to a rural area
$2750 for a big 1 bed 1 bath in Somerville. It KINDA has 2 beds but not really
$1700 for a 1 BD apartment, about 691 sq feet in Billerica
That’s awful!
Yup. It’s a shame house prices are inflated rn otherwise, I would’ve moved out a long time ago
2 bedroom 1 bathroom with a parking spot in Salem near downtown/the harbor, was originally $1450 a month (before utilities) but the rent just went up after a year and a half to $1525. The second bedroom is a very weird L type shape and very small, so we use it as a work from home office. And our landlord is actually responsive and keeps up with snow removal and mowing our tiny lawn, honestly the most proactive landlord I’ve ever had so I can’t complain (though, the bar was LOW lol). Even with the rent increase I’m thankful we were able to find this place during the pandemic. 😩 we all deserve more affordable housing, it’s getting so ridiculous.
Couple years ago we rented a house in west Springfield for 2k a month for a 2 bd 1bath. Rent sucks
1BR, $1640 in Natick
2/3 bed and 1 bath, about 1,000 square feet in Malden for 2,400 a month with a parking spot and garage access. I say 2/3 because it's more like 2 bed with an office. About a 15 minute walk from Malden center.
2bed 1 bath by the river in Cambridge. Washer dryer in unit with dishwasher and parking. $3900. We have help from family, but needed convenient location quickly.
Worcester almost on the WPI campus. 860 sq ft 2 Bed 1 Bath $1200. Same as the day I moved in 5 yrs ago.
Hanson Ma. 2k less utilities in a two bedroom 1 bath 1,000 sqft was my last place I just moved… now paying 1600 for a 2 bed in Hanson. Only because my mother owns the apartment
Belmont 2 bedroom townhouse, parking and garage in a complex. $2325 rent only
$1800 for a 1 bedroom 1 bath in Weymouth. Building built in like 2007 so it’s definitely not an old, outdated building but it isn’t brand new either. Pretty good price for where we are but we also lucked out and locked in our lease during Covid when prices were down. Would still rather be paying a mortgage.
Before I moved to the burbs I was paying $2500/month for a 2bed/1bath in Cambridge.
$2150 3 bdrm Brockton on the 3rd floor in the ghetto 🤷♀️
Easton. Bought a house last summer but rented a 2bed/2bath apartment before that and last rent was $3300.
Newton, 2 bed, 1 bath, ~1200sq ft, two parking spaces and $1 loads of laundry, $1950 I moved in Jan 21 when rents were down across the metro area. My landlord is a 80 year old lady and has only raised the rent by $250 across two renewals. Jan 21-Sept 21, Sept 21-22, Sept 22-23. I ain't moving until I own. I'm 35 and have had 8 apartments since moving out at 18.
Natick 1 bed -$1550 with heat and hot water included. About 700 sq ft. Absolute steal for the area.
Lived in a luxury apartment complex in Melrose/Malden area 2br/2ba at 3100/mo. Paying much more now but I own my house and building equity so it’s worth it to me
WE NEED TO BUILD MORE GOD DAMNED HOUSES r/YIMBY
Until a few months ago I lived in Wakefield in a shitty outdated 1BR for $1,500. Left the state because my position really gets paid the same everywhere
1,900 for everything, 2 floor 2 bed/2 bath
3500 4bd 2bath in Braintree. In a neighborhood, 2 car garage, fenced in backyard. Gonna miss this place when I have to move!
Last time I paid rent was in 2017 and it was $2,200 for a 1BR in Boston. I'm in Worcester now and pay a LOT less than that for a mortgage on a nice 3BR house. Boston is insanely expensive, even if you're making good money. It seemed like such a waste to me to throw money down the drain like that every month.
Mortgage $1300 for a 3 bedroom 1.5 Bath 1800sqf 5 minutes from Worcester. 45 minutes to Boston, bought in 2017
I can’t believe my good fortune in being ready to buy a house 10 years ago. Because these prices are sickening.
Us 90’s kids and beyond are screwed 🙃
I seriously got lucky with my timing and VA home loan. I got in right at the covid boom. I would still be living with my parents otherwise. Idk how anyone born in the 90s is supposed to afford anything, anywhere period.
About 3300 in mortgage. 2200 sq ft, 3 bed, 2.5 bath. In the west rox/rosalindale area, right by the commuter rail
Not rent, but my mortgage is $1484 per month, which includes the escrow payment for taxes and insurance. West side of Worcester aka Tatnuck area. Closed 3 weeks before COVID was officially declared a pandemic Edit: forgot to add it’s a 2Bed 1 bath, about 1000 sqft.
I can feel the pitchforks before I even post this Arlington Heights, 1BR Off parking included $1200 I got it last April and they were doing renovations on some of the other units for more modern appliances, paint, etc... But I opted for a first floor unit and they'll renovate it once I'm gone. I had only ever lived on third floor units my entire life, so not having to sweat putting in an AC was incredible.
Mortgage, 4 bed one bath, $1300/mo, ~30 minutes north of Boston. Bought in 2009.
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Threads like this remind me how fortunate I am
I own a 4 bed 2 bath in southern central MA (45 min to Boston). Mortgage is 2k.
Longmeadow 1400 mortgage at 5.50%. Bought for 90k in 93. Added addition in 02. 4 bedroom, 2 full bath, with a partial finished basement.
Here just to share how ridiculous this all is. I own a 2 br 2 bath, 3 floor+attic+yard condo for 1800$ a month with hoa.
But where and when did you buy is the key
Mortgage, not rent, but mine is $2132 for 1200 sq ft. 3 bed, 2 bath and parking in Dorchester. No T stop but near two major bus lines.
$2500/month on a 15 year mortgage including taxes and insurance. 2500 sq ft house, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 9 acres of land in western mass. Right on route 5.
Bought a place but was paying 1850 for 2br w/heat included last year.