Yesterday we received a call from a young man relocating from Utah to accept a new job in Avon, Massachusetts.  We have long understood the difficulty that new transferees face coming from one part of the country assimilating into a new culture and sometimes weather pattern.  From a real estate perspective we have to understand that there is oftentimes “price shock” unless of course one is moving from the limited other areas more expensive than our own region.  That leaves an entire country from which one transfers that has new transplants shaking and wondering if the new salary is worth the new transfer.

While this is definitely foremost in their thinking, this gentleman brought up other issues that are little understood.  For example he said that driving 60-100 miles in Utah to get where he wants to go is pretty commonplace.  And in seeking a new residence he was advised to look as far away from Boston (and Avon) to find housing affordable.  Thus, he equated his ease of driving distance with distance.  We indicated that in doing so he might be looking at another state!

He questioned real estate “taxes” and the lack of uniformity from town to town. And he quizzed us on the local civic form of government such as cities and towns versus counties.  We talked about his navigating around when he next arrives as he indicated he was “lost” when he last interviewed with his prospective company.  We couldn’t help but smile because our forefathers sure had a sense of humor when developing our road system here.  Simple advise, buy a GPS system, it’s extraordinarily helpful in our neck of the woods.

We talked about lot sizes and values and the cost of one buildable lot.  There is surely much that can be misunderstood in this area if one does not take the time to understand the vast differences that size, location, zoning and topography have on price and value. 

He resolved that he would simply “rent” when he arrives and then take his time to eventually purchase real estate.  Even this simple thought was pitted with adventure.  While we thought it would be a simple process to find he and his wife a temporary landing spot for several months while we embarked on his buying process, he then tells us he has several very large dogs!  Oh my!

There is no doubt in our minds that this is one of the most incredible places to work.  We are endowed with great schools and universities, formidable companies, powerful financial institutions and cutting edge technology.  Our advice is to find a good real estate broker who will not only show you the physical space in Massachusetts but be able to speak intelligently and logically about our unique nuances.  In the meantime, there’s a lot that we share in common!

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