It is important for you to know that the cost of housing here in
Massachusetts has skyrocketed. The "average" cost of a home here has
risen to between $285,000 and $400,000. When you arrive,(or better
yet, look on the Internet before you arrive) pick up the local newspapers -
Middlesex News, Lowell Sun, Boston Globe, Nashua Telegraph (for southern NH
listings).
Our phones at the Army Community Services Center are available
for free calls to realtors
Be careful not to go with a realtor that
charges a "Finder's" fee for locating an apartment for you, as this can be up to
a full month's rent. ASK UP FRONT ABOUT THIS.
There are
several web addresses that can help you with your search. Call us in Relocation
and we can help.
Check the Record Listings for area Boards of Realtors
and the POC at the Housing Office.
AVERAGE HOUSING COSTS
Natick
and the adjacent towns are among the most expensive in the metro
area.
Generally, the further NORTH AND WEST from the installation you
travel, the less expensive the housing. However, the commute to work can be
irritating, time consuming and add to expenses. Some families even live in
Southern NH where there are no sales or income taxes. (NOTE: It may also be VERY
difficult to find places to rent that will take your pet/s.)
Apt Rental
($)
lBR: $800/$1,200
2BR: $1,200 -
1,400/up
3BR: $1,500/up
4BR: N/A
Home Rental
(VERY scarce) ($)
l Bedroom: $1,500/up
2
Bedroom: $1,700 - 2,400/up
4
Bedroom: $2,500/up
Home Purchase ($)
2
Bedroom: $160,000-180,000/up
3
Bedroom: $200-280,000/up
4
Bedroom: $350,000/up
Mobile Home Purchase
($)
$12,000-$30,000
$30,000-$80,000
INITIAL RENT &
DEPOSIT
Most landlords will require at least first and last months rent
up front; the majority will also ask for a security deposit equal to one months
rent. You are looking at an outlay of $3,600/$4,200 and this is
BEFORE you even turn the lights and phone on!
Army Emergency Relief
can help you with a no interest loan if you are unable to come up with such a
sum. Call the AER Officer at 508 233-4798 (DSN 256). In
general, rents tend to drop the further west you go; they get more expensive the
closer you go to Boston. However, you have to balance the savings
from lower rents with the increase in gas and other commuter related
expenses.
RENTAL AGREEMENTS.
- In general, in
Massachusetts you will find either Tenancy-at-will or leases. A
TENANCY-AT-WILL is a contract that you renew every thirty days when you pay the
rent. You are not locked into a lease, although on the other hand, you are also
not locked in at a fixed rent. You are more likely to find
tenancy-at-will in apartments in two or three family homes with owner occupied
landlords.
In many cases, you will be asked to sign a rental agreement
which outlines both your and the landlords rights and obligations.
Check
with the legal office to review any agreement before you sign a lease.
A
LEASE is a rental contract which commits each party for a specific period of
time. The landlord cannot raise the rent or ask you to leave (without
cause), but you are liable for the rent for the entire period whether or not you
are living there.
Make sure that you have a 'MILITARY CLAUSE' inserted in
the lease. The housing office has sample of military clause language,
as does the legal office. This clause will allow you to be released
from the lease if you are deployed, PCS, or obtain military
housing. There are no state statutory protections for soldiers, so
you really should have such a clause inserted.
Contact the legal office
(508 233-4322) to review your lease.