What Kind of 'Burb Home Buyer Are You?

By this I mean, which 'burb town characteristics best fit you and are most important to you when buying a home? Are you someone who likes a smaller town with a higher degree of privacy? Or do you prefer a larger town with a great deal of hustle and bustle and commercial business? Or do you like something in between the two? And what else is high on your priority list - commuting time, accessibility, strength of the school system, tax rates, sewerage type or other considerations?

So let's take our neck of the woods - west of Boston where I live - towns like Weston, Wellesley, Wayland, Needham, Lincoln and Dover, for example. Here are some pertinent facts about these towns that might have an effect on your decision about which town is best suited for you:

WESTON:

• The population of Weston is 11,478 per the 2011 town census with a total area of 17.3 square miles. Weston has a smaller town center with only a limited number of commercial businesses. The lot sizes in Weston are typically larger than in Wellesley or Needham, and so the privacy factor is generally higher.
• Located approximately 12 miles west of Boston, Weston offers easy accessibility to the Mass Pike as well as Routes 128, 30, 20 and 117. The train commuter line goes into Boston's North Station.
• Weston High Schoolwas ranked #1 in Boston Magazine's Best Schools 2012 issue.
• The 2012 tax rate is $12.11 per $1,000 of valuation.
• Weston is serviced by private sewer systems.

WELLESLEY:

• The population of Wellesley is 27,982 per the 2011 town census with a total area of 10.5 square miles. Wellesley has a larger town center and quite a bit of commercial business. The lots are generally smaller in Wellesley, and so there are strong, tight-knit neighborhoods throughout the town.
• Located approximately 12 miles southwest of Boston, Wellesley offers easy accessibility to Routes 128, 9, 16 and 135. The train line has three stops in Wellesley, and the train into Boston goes to South Station.
• Wellesley High School was ranked #5 in Boston Magazine's Best Schools 2012 issue.
• The 2012 tax rate is $11.48 per $1,000 of valuation.
• Wellesley is serviced mostly by town sewer systems.

WAYLAND:

• The population of Wayland is 13,886 as of January 2011 with a total area of 15.9 square miles. Wayland has some commercial business, but more will be coming soon when its new town center opens for business.
• Located approximately 15 miles west of Boston, Wayland offers easy accessibility to Routes 20, 30 and 117. The train commuter line does not stop in Wayland, but it does in the neighboring towns of Weston and Lincoln.
• Wayland High School was ranked #6 in Boston Magazine's Best Schools 2012 issue.
• The 2012 tax rate is $19.01 per $1,000 of valuation; this is the highest tax rate of these six towns.
• Wayland is serviced by private sewer systems.

NEEDHAM:

• The population of Needham is 28,886 per the 2010 town census with a total area of 12.7 square miles. Like Wellesley, Needham has a large town center and quite a bit of commercial business. Also like Wellesley, the lots are smaller thus giving a strong neighborhood feel to the town.
• Located approximately 10 miles southwest of Boston, Needham offers easy accessibility to Routes 128, 9 and 135. The train line has four stops in Needham, and it too goes into Boston's South Station.
• Needham High School was ranked #14 in Boston Magazine's Best Schools 2012 issue.
• The 2012 tax rate is $10.95 per $1,000 of valuation; this is the lowest tax rate of these six towns.
• Needham is serviced mostly by town sewer systems.

LINCOLN:

• The population of Lincoln is 6,362 per the 2010 town census with a total area of 15.0 square miles. Lincoln has a small town center and not much commercial business. Like Weston, the lots are generally larger in Lincoln thus allowing a greater sense of privacy if desired.
• Located approximately 12 miles northwest of Boston, Lincoln offers easy accessibility to Routes 128, 2 and 117. The train commuter line has one stop in Lincoln, and the train to Boston goes into North Station.
• Lincoln-Sudbury High School was ranked #16 in Boston Magazine's Best Schools 2012 issue.
• The 2012 tax rate is $13.81 per $1,000 of valuation.
• Lincoln is serviced by private sewer systems.

DOVER:

• The population of Dover is 5,589 per the 2010 town census with a total area of 15.4 square miles. Like Lincoln, Dover has a small town center and not much in the way of commercial business. Almost all of the residential zoning requires one acre or more. And so like Weston and Lincoln, there is a higher level of privacy if so desired.
• Located approximately 15 miles southwest of Boston, Dover is the furthest of these towns from the major commuting routes of Route 128 and the Mass Pike. The train commuter line does not stop in Dover, but it does in the neighboring towns of Wellesley and Needham.
• Dover-Sherborn High School was ranked #3 in Boston Magazine's Best Schools 2012 issue.
• The 2012 tax rate is $11.92 per $1,000 of valuation.
• Dover is serviced by private sewer systems.

For more information on 'burb home buying, it's worth checking out Boston Magazine's Boston Swanky Town Smackdown March 2012 feature which provides details on some of the above towns as well as other 'burb locales.

What are your thoughts? What kind of 'burb buyer are you? And what was highest on your priority list when you chose your 'burb town? I can't wait to hear....

For more information on home buying, selling and/or the real estate market in any of these towns, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com), to answer any questions, help find you your next home or provide you with a complimentary home appraisal.