Moving to and living in the Lakes Region year round... whats the reality of....
 

Moving to and living in the Lakes Region year round... whats the reality of....
well many things.

Got the 2 elementary kids, wife, etc. Considering making the move to the region year round and just have many questions. I am sure they have been asked here before.

Meredith is top of the list. We just love it there. Town, atmosphere, etc. I am self employed and could work in a cave so no worries for me. Wife is an admin/book keeping, etc.

Bigger concern are the kids and housing. Off season... sure there are winter sports, but is the area a ghost town? I need to make sure my kids are busy. Thoughts?

Housing? Sure, on the water of lake winni with a deep dock and 3000 sq ft home luxary home. Now back to reality :D... water front ideal. We dont mind a townhouse/condo. We want modern living, comforts, safe region. On water or water based community ideal and really the make/break. Whats the price range for a 3 bedroom townhouse, condo, 1500sqft home on the water these days? Yes, I know I can browse through hundreds of listings. But without knowing whats going on in the region I am not sure what is the deal and isnt.

Appreciate any help you can provide here.

thanks!
Jason

Hanvt posted here in a while...
 

just noticed my icon is my boat I sold a few years ago. Miss the gal.

Moultonborough has a fantastic school system. Our son attended kindergarden through high school at Moultonborough Academy. He and his friends all attended great colleges. They graduated college in May 2010 and they are either working or in graduate schools. The town has great sports programs within the school system and the recreation department. It is a a wonderful place to raise children.

I can't say enough good things about Inter-Lakes Elementary. The level of personalized attention for each student is just amazing. The staff-child ratio in each classroom is amazing. There is a great spirit in the school. I have been thoroughly impressed with my child's education thus far.

As far as after-school activities in Meredith, most of my child's friends parents and I complain that the kids are OVER scheduled for their age. We have the same activities here as everywhere: theatre classes (yay!), music, dance, gymnastics, sports, skating, etc. I wouldn't think you'd need to worry about keeping the kids busy!

Good luck with your search.

Know the feeling. I've always said, if you're having money or space problems and have to get rid of the gal -- at least keep the boat!

You'll love it!
 

We live in Moultonboro, but our kids are grown. MB has lower taxes than Meredith does-or Laconia for that matter. There are more restaurants in Meredith, but there are good restaurants all around the lake. I think you need to look at the tax rates for each city/town and the services - think about what it is you want. We live in Suissevale because we wanted to be close to the lake and have a beach, which Suissevale has. No place up here is a ghost town in the winter ... it actually gets kinda crowded in Jan/Feb with all the activities (pond hockey, fishing derby, sled dog races)...anyway, we love it.

The grass is always greener.

You don't mention where you are coming from.

If you presently live in a rural environment then coming here will be no change.

But if you are coming from a city/suburb with all the amenities of a city - you will be disappointed. And your children may or may not be able to cope. Although there are things for youngsters to do. All takes more time and more driving. If you come from a city - there is probably a ball park or field nearby. If you come up here, well, there may be a ball park or field, but you will probably have to drive to and fro.

Rural life is not city life with just fewer homes and more trees.

Drugs are a serious problem both in city area and rural areas. The not mentioned inside joke here is that if you want any illegal drugs - just go to the school student parking lot.

Alcohol is a serious problem in the city environments but that same issues are here.

Although people on this board will scream at me for this. People are not as friendly here as in the city. There is a core of old Yankee families and long term newer families. They do not like flatlanders moving up here and bringing their city ideas, concepts, and town spending wishes along also. And others who have lived here for awhile can be strangers to new comers for a very long time.

And if you plan on sending your children to public schools, I would highly suggest private schools. Brewster Academy, Holderness School, and New Hampton School.

Oh, I can hear the parents screaming now. Moultonborough has great schools, Interlakes has good schools. Laconia has good schools. OK. Check the test scores. Check the number that attend college. The NH state test scores are high only because NH has so many private schools. The large number of private schools with their high test scores raise the entire test score numbers for the state of NH.

If you think that this area is some sort of shangri-la then best to review your motives on moving here.

Good Luck.

Songkria, You said it perfectly. Talk about hitting the nail on the head. One more thing to mention about the diversity of cultures, LOL, drive down past Laconia High School when it is getting out around 2pm. It looks like a UNITED NATIONS MEETING just ended. LOL!! Talk about culture. We got it here baby.:eek:

Shangri-la is:

• The view of Squam from Rattlesnake
• The soft shush of my cross-country skiis as I make tracks over the lake
• The smell of pine when the sun finds it's way through the forest
• Lobster macaroni and cheese
• Lobster rolls
• Leaning way, way out when the wind is hard and my Sunfish is sailing at peak speed
• Finding a picnic spot along the Swift river at the peak of summer and no one is there
• Clear water
• The smell and warmth of the woodstove on a snowy evening

There were a few students who left Moultonborough Academy and attended private schools. Well---in my son's graduating class from Moultonborough one went to Harvard, his brother went to Yale, a third student went to MIT and a forth went to Wellesley. I believe the graduating class had about 45 students. Schooling is only one part of the entire moving picture. If you take your time you will probably find the best town for you and your family.

If this were colonial times you would be tarred and feathered by the old Yankee families for making such a comment. :laugh:

JasonG,I can't think of any better place in this country to raise your children than the lakes region and I very much disagree with songkrai's negative rant.
We have nowhere near the drugs/violence/crime problems that other areas have.The single biggest problem is finding work and you have that covered.
The changing seasons and all the activities that each one brings will keep your kids active all year round........november and march are the only two "icky" months because they are between seasons but other than that,it's great.
You can get the kids into a local ski program in the winter and they will allways be grateful that they learned...and so will their children.You already know about summer fun.Anyway,country living is a wonderful experience.
Hope you decide to make the move.

After reading all your smart arse,snobby,negative comments, I have to ask what the hell are you doing here?

It is all what you make it.
 

I can somewhat agree with Songkrai about folks moving here, saying how happy they are to out of whereever's hustle and bustle, and then want to change the town so that it is just like down there (insert whereever they came from.).
I have been coming up to the lake since I was a toddler, but moved here in 1996. I love the area, I love the people, and love the way of life. I could care less if I have a half hour drive to a supermarket or department store. I walk into the post office or the corner store and am always greeted with a smile, if not a verbal "Hi" "How are ya" "What's up?".
It is all what you make it. Do your due diligence and check out the school systems, the town's parks and rec. for their programs, church activities, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.
Are we drug free and alcohol free? No.
Are we better off than in a large city? I think so.
bottom line, it will be your choice where to live, where to work, how far to commute, where your kids go to school, and family activities. Make your choice and enjoy it!:)

Songkrai makes no smart arse, snobby comments.

She makes two points, which I challenge you to refute objectively.

1) People in NH are a bit aloof and slow to embrace newcomers.

2) The public schools are not really wonderful.

That's it.

You're the one with a smart arse, snobby negative comment, i.e. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She lives here and calls it as she sees it.

Suburban area
 

If your going to be here year round, think seriously of a location you want in the off season. Lake front and seasonal condos will not be good for your kids if there is no one there. Check out the year round population in the development. There are good locations in the local towns simular to what you would find in a suburban area anywhere. Farm with acreage is an option.

I only state what I observe. I have lived in NH my entire life. I was born in NH.

I express my views from my knowledge and perspective. I do not use any disparaging remarks toward others with differing views.

Those that post such comments only reinforce my views and perceptions of those living here. Thanks for posting your remarks.

Yes, a high percentage of students at Brewster, Holderness and New Hampton have high test scores and go on to attend college. But attending those schools can sometimes work against you. If you attend Brewster, you might not get into the top tier college you want to attend, because you're competing against your fellow Brewster classmates for grades, recommendations, etc. But if you attend Kingswood, you're competing against all the kids from the surrounding towns. It's easier to rise to the top and distinguish yourself.

Jason -

The wife and I are both from New England but before moving to Meredith we lived in NYC for 6 years and then San Francisco for 7 years. We moved here because we wanted to start a family and didn't like what we were seeing in the cities.

I'm not going to say living in Meredith is perfect but I think overall its a wonderful place to live and raise kids (we've got one so far). Its incredibly safe and despite what a certain jackass might say there is very little in the way of substance abuse problems. The Meredith school district is phenomenal up until high school and then good at that point (but we do have 3 great private schools in the area). Moultonboro is very good but its definitely more rural. Friends with kids in Mboro seem to either love it or hate it. If the kids play a sport a Mboro it seems to be a better experience.

My wife and I got feed up with the small town life last weekend and headed to Boston to wander around malls and go to Whole Foods. We get to live in a place where hiking, skiing, boating, snowshoeing, kayaking etc are all 10 or 15 minutes away. If we want to go to a mall its a full day trip and a long drive. For us that is better than living in mass and spending every weekend at the mall and having outdoor activities as an occasional special treat.

We've also found people to be incredibly friendly and welcoming. Once we moved off the water and into an actual neighborhood we built a great group of local friends.

As to the waterfront living I'd think long and hard about that. We really wanted (and purchased) waterfront when we first moved here. We've since moved twice and lost a lot of money learning our "life lessons" Here is what we learned:

1. When you live here the lake is a part of your life - you don't need to live on it to enjoy it. In fact, you start to take it for granted! Plus, living on the the lake in January is friggin depressing!

2. Your neighbors are almost all summer people and retirees. It makes it harder to become a part of the community.

3. Its EXPENSIVE!!! You can get a lot more value by spending you money on other things.

Sometimes at this time of year we wish we had stayed in California but within a month the weather will start getting better and we will love it again!!

Its not perfect but its a pretty darn nice life if you can pull it off. The hardest part is making a living but if you've got that covered you are 90% there. If you want, PM me and I'm happy to talk real estate. Its a bit of a hobby of mine...

"and despite what a certain jackass might say there is very little in the way of substance abuse problems. "

To state again, I made zero disparaging remarks against anyone with views that differ from mine.

But on to substance abuse. Those that do not think that there is a problem in big cities, suburbs, and right here in hill and mountain country live in a fantasy world.

I never stated that this area is worse than average. I stated that it is the same. The Lakes Region is not some island where these problems don't exist.

Whenever I do meet parents with teenage children in school and the conversation turns to drugs and alcohol. It always seems that these same parents state that it is "not my children" but "other children" to misuse prescription drugs, illegal drugs, and alcohol. But who are these "other" children? And who are the parents of these "other" children?

Some should take a careful look into the mirror. I stated some didn't I? Not all.

After reading your post I wonder why you live in the area. You have made so many negative remarks that you must wake up every day and be unhappy.

After summering on the lake for over 40 years I moved into the NH, house full time, several years ago. I have found the lifelong residents to be very friendly and welcoming and I am lucky to make new friends all the time. I have not had any negative experiences of the type you mention.

Hmmmm................I'm just wondering if it is the area and the people that are really that bad or could it be...............Hmmmmmmmm..........

I see plenty of substance abuse, just like anywhere else.

Currently we are in Florida near Tampa. However, we just moved here 6 months ago and are only hear for a few years. We may stay. If we come back to New England, the lakes region is a spot that we have always considered.

I have spent my entire 35 year life around the lakes of NH. We are not a city family. Its all about relaxing on the Adirondack chairs looking over the water. We have lived the lake life and love it.

I appreciate your time and thoughts here. The region is something we know like the back of our hands. Down in FL I need a GPS. But I could still tell you how to get around in NH.

I can see the Lake living being a bit tough off season. Wife kids and I are social people, but we like the peace and quiet too.

Honestly, I use to love the winter season. I am actually not much of a fan anymore. Just tough to do things, move around, etc. Its 0only the cold. If it could be warm and snow, were good. If I am going to live in the cold, it needs to be where there are activities focused around the seasons. It is why are are in FL, to experience no snow or cold year round. Frankly, I love it more down here. Wife isnt liking it too much, so we will see what happens when our lease is up.

Drugs will find drugs. If you hate basket ball but hang out full time with new basket ball loving and playing friends, guess what you will be doing soon.

If you want them, you will find them. Funny, no one has ever asked me if I wanted drugs, ever. Why? I dont use them. I dont present an image that I use them or that I am looking for them. Never have, never will. But I know so many people that are screwed up on them. They have the mentality to look for it. Look hard enough and you will find anything that you want anywhere.

Hell if American Pickers ( tangent topic, ADD kicking in here ) can find a rare Italian scooter in the middle of Idaho, then you can find drugs where ever you want. Neither one needs to advertise it. You just have to look for it.

Total shot in the dark here, but when was the last time someone was killed in Meredith ( Gilford, Mountonboro, etc ) regarding a drug issue? I am assuming a long time ago. How many times does it happen on concord, Boston?

So whats the point...............drug issues dont bother me. Especially in areas with strong middle class families looking out for each other.

I couldn't agree more.

I was born and raised in the lakes region area and lived there for 47 years.We moved to Florida ( just above Tampa) ten years ago and will be returning to live in that area of N.H. in about a month. We had a lot of fun down here especially when it was new, but it's definatly time to come home. We were lucky enough to come down here while we were young enough and healthy enough to get all that retirement stuff out of the way. Now we can come back to N.H. and finish "livin"

Sounds like your biggest concern is for your children and keeping them busy.

I have two boys, ages 9 and 6. One of the things I love about living in this area is that we're close to the lake, mountains, cities, and whatever else we choose to do. Scouting is HUGE in Alton and the oldest boy is a Weblo; the youngest boy will join next year. Both boys play baseball/t-ball and soccer.

There's a lot of programs available through the school, such as LEGO League, chess club, Destination Imagination, etc., as well as sports. When the boys sign up for a club I volunteer to help out, just to be a part of what they're doing and to help support the youngest boy (he's special needs). There's also PTSA (you may know it as PTA in your area), and Alton Youth League (separate from the school - sports program).

Someone said it well when they said: It's what you make it.

As far as the caliber of the public schools in our area, I think we have some very good public schools and I wouldn't recommend basing your choice on test scores alone. I'm not going to get into the problems with the use of the NECAP test - the only measurement used by the State of NH - for NCLB (by 2014 ALL schools will fail the test - that's the setup of NCLB!), but I do suggest you set up an appointment with the school districts' offices that you may be moving into and ask for a tour/interview. Bring a list of questions and decide what is going to work best for your children.

All you have to do is talk to the high school kids in Wolfeboro. They can tell where to get just about anything you want. Heck there was a drug raid right across the street from where I work last year. There are known members of Hells Angels living in Meredith, Moultonborough, Gilford, etc.
If you think your moving up to the likes of the Garden of Eden, think again.
I would not think about burying my head in the sand about it, but I too have never had any issues with the problem, other than seeing the kids walking around smoking a joint while walking home from the high school....
I was just up in Portland Maine the other day. Not a place I would want to walk around in the dark anytime. Up here my wife and I walk all over the place at night. Heck I get to see all kinds of wildlife I would not see living in town or in the city. You have to be aware of what is around you, or family, wherever you live. Whether that be drugs and violence, or a Bear, Coyote, Fox, or Fisher.
But, I certainly wouldn't call anyone names for pointing things out.

I think it really depends on whether you locate to a residential area, or a summer touristy area. The tourist areas, for the most part, will be somewhat barren, and devoid of a community setting that perhaps your kids would like. I'm at opposite ends of the spectrum than you, so I'd replace you in Tampa :emb: Some people are very much at home in the outdoors, and love to ski, whatever. Others are content to hibernate and read, which is fine also. Obviously, if you don't like longer winters, you're barking up the wrong pine tree.

Like everywhere else, you'll find people you don't like, and ones that make you feel at home. I think all states have transplants, some more than others. Check things out in real life, not as a tourist. Come visit the primary towns during the week in the Winni region now, in winter. It's the longest season, so get a feeling for it.

Moving Back
 

That's a pretty nice area to hibernate. Congratulations on the sale of your FL house. Thats not a easy thing to do nowadays.

So let me clarify. I'm not suggesting the in the words of Garrison Keillor- every kid in the Lakes region is above average but we really do have it quite good!!

I've served for years as a board member of a statewide coalition on youth at-risk behavior. As part of this we regularly see the state reports that monitor various behaviors including substance abuse. Based on the data schools like Inter-lakes, Moultonboro, Gilford, Wolfeboro etc are doing a great job. In fact, a student at one of our area private schools is four times more likely to try an illegal narcotic than one of the public school kids. Nobody is perfect but the job that our schools, teachers, parents and kids do is pretty remarkable and deserves to be commended not falsely accused.


As to SONGKRAI's comment that he made zero disparaging comments... you suggested that public school parking lots were a the best place to buy drugs. That is pretty darn disparaging not to mention wrong. The liklihood

Sorry to vent but overall our kids are pretty darn good and they don't deserve baseless criticisms!

Sadly, some jump to conclusions without comprehending the words.

On another note the Town of Moultonborough voted to purchase a Police Dog. Plus a fully trained full time police officer to go with the dog. A Town Meeting vote.

That dog is a drug sniffing dog. That is all that dog does.

So what was the intent of the voters of Moultonborough?

Enough said on this subject.

Wondering what you do for work if you could "work in a cave." I assume there's plenty of work for what you do (self employed) that your not concerned. Although I do wonder what that could possibly be. It may have already been stated and sorry if I missed it. I've been in new england all my life and am getting more and more tired of the winters, but that's just me. Not sure I'd move from the Florida sun to the new england winters but again just me. :D

No problem. I am an eBay seller and have been for about a decade. I buy/sell online. I also consult for other corporations who need to move excess inventory and manage their ebay/amazon/etc accounts.

Cave is a bit of a stretch. Wifi signals just dont work in there.

Songkraai forgot to mention that last year, the MPD conducted a surprise raid at Moultonborough Academy......they brought in the drug sniffing dog and checked all the lockers........they found nothing....zero......no pot, no LSD, no crack, no oxycontin....nothing.......you describe our schools as if they held drug flea markets in the parking lot and I believe that is far from the truth.
Sure, some kids will experiment with drugs, as they always have, but it's nothing like the inner cities.

Errr ... not quite ...

Here is a link to an article about a German Shepherd that MPD has had for quite awhile:

http://www.moultonboroughpd.com/roster/k-9.html

Drug sniffing is but a portion of what the dog does.

K-9 patrol dogs are not uncommon, and very useful in law enforcement.

It would be surprising, no, it would be astounding if MPD acquired a K-9 whose duties were limited solely to drug sniffing.

I don't know why some wish to make things personal. Beyond me.

Facts are facts. The truth is the truth.

But since a search of lockers was mentioned above. Did the search include the cars of the students in the school property parking lot?

I do think that it is time to move away from this. I am done with this subject.

Someone posted a good question.

Is the Lakes Region a nice place to live. Yes it is. To the original poster. Come on up. Buy a house. Help out the real estate agents. Lower the number of homes for sale here. Pay taxes. Enjoy the 4 season fun activities that the Lakes Region has to offer. Join the Lion's Club, the Kiwanas Club, Snowmobile Club, have the children join the girl/boy Scouts. Live, love, and enjoy. Come and you are welcome here.

So what would you know about the drug and alcohol problems in a big city in order to make a comparison? I can tell you for sure that there is no way Moultonboro or Center Harbor or even Meredith could hold a candle to the suburbs of Boston in terms of a drug problem. While I am sure there are drugs in the area why would you begrudge someone moving to the area in order to lessen their children's exposure to drugs. As for your "parking lot" comment I can most assuredly tell you that was a negative and disparaging comment.

Unless of course you are one of those that is trying to discourage "flatlanders" from moving to "your" New Hampshire???

As someone so very correctly stated if you are looking for drugs you will find them. I wouldn't be surprised to find them in a church in this day and age. The reality is that the Lakes Region is a far far FAR better place to raise kids than some of the Boston area suburbs.

Bottom line is that it is better up there than it is down here.

Since when did this post become about drugs?
 

I wanted to learn more about the reality of moving here. Drugs were never a question of mine to begin with. :rolleye1:

hazelnut
The reality is that the Lakes Region is a far far FAR better place to raise kids than some of the Boston area suburbs.

What are you baseing your opionion on? Is it that you live there and can tell us by your experience or are you making this judgement by what you see on television?

hazelnut
Unless of course you are one of those that is trying to discourage "flatlanders" from moving to "your" New Hampshire???

It sounds like to me, that YOU might just have a attitude about flatlanders, and/or might be one yourself. Did you have a run in with (locals) that you would like to share with us?


hazelnut
Bottom line is that it is better up there than it is down here

Yes it is. However it gets worse and worse every year. You can't dispute that, this area is nothing like it was 5-10-20 years ago. Drugs-there are plenty, Crime-there is plenty. Boston area suburbs have a hell of larger population then the entire Lakes regions. If you multiplied our population to that of Boston, the PERCENTAGE of crimes/drugs problems would be damn close. Don't believe we live in a Fairy tale up here, because we don't. Just because you don't think YOUR KIDS, or your neighbors kids aren't doing drugs, doesn't mean their not. Kids do not tell their parents everything, and they never will. Been like that for 55 years that I know of, and will be the same in 55 more.

BOTH! I live here and there. I split time so I am basing it from personal experience. You have no idea how dramatic the difference is.

Nope the locals I run into are primarily awesome folks. Unfortunately topwater the fact is that many people come off with that attitude on these anonymous forums. The response from songkrai had shades of that attitude.

It gets worse and worse everywhere. So the relative principal at work here is that it will always be better up there than it is down here.

That statement is far too broad to make any decisions on. The areas around Boston change very dramatically in very short distances.

I grew up in Laconia and now live in one of the nicer suburbs of Boston that is similar to Laconia in many ways, such as feeder elementary schools, one middle school, 1 high school, a local K-8 Catholic school, etc. Due to the larger population of the town and generally high property values (and therefore taxes), the middle & high schools offer far more options in sports and extracurricular activities than were available in Laconia. (Of course, I endured a couple years of the "Straight Arrows" when I was at LHS)

All that said, if my chosen job field didn't generally require proximity to Boston, I would consider it a toss-up whether to live in my area or the Lakes Region. Both are great places and offer many opportunities for things. A person can be happy and thrive in either place.

True. That statement should have been "many" of the Boston Suburbs.

Seriously though the original point and post was a simple request for information from an individual that is thinking of relocating. Someone chose to turn this thread into their personal soap box in order to "educate" us on the area. :rolleye1:

As has been noted that dog is trained for a broad spectrum of police dog functions, including tracking fugitives. When the dog retires, it will not be replaced.

I sent you a PM, call if you want!

And thank you Jason.

Your question provided a lively debate for some.

Maybe more than you actually sought.

But I do thank you for your question. Come on up.

And if you do make it up to the top of the lake do stop in at George's Diner or the Village Kitchen or any of the Dunkin Donuts and meet some of us.

Make sure to wear a Red Sox cap or jersey.

That will get you some verbal action down here in FL

I find that odd, they probably got the K9 from a grant then after the grant runs out it is just added into the operating budget. Is the dog just not used that often? Why would they just get rid of the dog?

Get your kids involved
 

If you don't get your children involved in some sort of sport, organization or program they will get progressively bored as they get older. Sports kept me sane up here and it will help them get into college (I wouldn't doubt that they would want to move far away when it comes to college because that's what I did after being born and raised here - I went to Florida!!).

My main point, keep them busy and stimulate their minds with the outdoors and natural beauty.

Hey Folks..............
 

Home is where the heart is!! Why do you want to move? I love NH but would like to have the advantages of being nearer to Boston if there were kids to raise. But that is just me. I know some who prefer to live at the lake so I guess in the end it depends on what you are trying to accomplish?

Just trying out FL. Good change it wont work out because my wife doesnt like it. Lakes region is our favorite and this may be a good motive to actually go there.

Happy wife, Happy life:)
 

Well Jason, where does your wife want to go? Where is her family? How old are the kids? If you are trying out FL and she doesn't like it then maybe try out NH and see before buying????

Well we are from NH. Family is in Mass just off 93 near the NH line. We know it well. Just wondering about the actuality of living there

Winnipsiseogee, your post is very timely for my wife and me. Soon, we will be relocating to the Lakes region as part of our preparation for retirement.

We have been visiting the Lake for many years and love the area. One concern we have is what it would be like to actually live there. Your post answered many of our questions and concerns.

Thank you!

Laconia
 

does anybody know anything about the Taylor community In laconia? Im starting to research the place. I want to move closer to wam. Although Im only 35 mn. away now I want to move closer to the lake.

:D

I Love it here
 

I made my 4 day drive about 2 weeks ago and have zero regrets thus far. It's been a dream to live in New England since I was a kid, I couldn't be happier -- even on a raw, cold and rainy day like today! Can't wait to meet all these fine folks, and you too should you make it up here for good. Good luck!!!

:offtopic:
Anyone looking for a web developer with LOTS of experience in 508/Compliance coding, LAMP, SEO etc? That's the missing piece!

Interesting question. But no answer so far. Thanks for asking this.

Try to find accurate scientific evidence.
 

It is normal for us to love that which we know. When I was house hunting in IL and MA, I looked at where the schools placed the students as I had small children at that time. Now I am just responsible for where an adult would be happy. When I was parenting I had to take a lot of different things into consideration. I noticed in re reading this thread that someone said that when the last child was out of school, that was the time that a move was planned.

So if you have children think of what their needs are and where those needs can best be met keeping in mind that you and your wife need to be happy and your work environment has to be a good one, etc. It is complicated for sure but nice that you are seeking advice. I happen to know adult children from FL that loved being raised there. I raised mine in MA after moving from IL. I mostly know NH for the lake and the summer and winter fun. I do love it in NH but am not sure how it would be for a family with kids year round. Glad mine are grown!!!! Nice to be able to come and go to different areas of the country for sure. Good luck in deciding what your family needs are and how to get those needs met.

So How Long Do You Actually Enjoy The 'Summer' Season?
 

Lets say you live in the Lakes Region, even on the water.

Whats the earliest to latest you are going to be
Boating...
Swimming..(Assuming June-Sept at best)
Being able to enjoy the outdoor weather in your back yard without it being too cold?

Do it if you can
 

Living here year round lets you get on the water when the forecast called for rain but it is sunny and nobody is around. You get to snowmobile between meetings. The ski areas are a lot closer. Having the lake "there", makes it possible to use it anytime the time is right.

But the enjoyment of being a full timer goes way beyond being on or in the water. Being near or beside it has its rewards. You see dramatic weather come and go. You hear the loons arrive and the last one to leave. You see the ice form and disappear. You get to see others having fun (tough when working, but at least you can watch). You get to know the smaller population that lives here year round.

The downside for me is the lack of retail store selection. I feel like a kid in a candy store just getting to Concord. The selections in Boston overwhelms me. But, internet shopping solves some of that problem.

My neighborhood has quite a few retired full timers and one thing they are teaching me is, Florida is a good thing as an alternative. Between late October till mid-December, and again late March till early May - is a good time to get away if you can.

Its been four years since making the move, and I don't regret it.

I find the boat goes in the water in early May and even though we aren't swimming we head over to Wolfeboro and Alton for lunch and dinner. We also keep out boat in every year until Columbus day and about every third year the water is still warm enough to go for dip the second weekend in Oct! That said, I find it great being outside most of the time except late November and this time of year. Snowshoeing, Hiking, Kayaking (kayaking in the early snow of November is awesome!) open up the season almost year round. The most important thing is finding some winter sport that you enjoy or the winter gets VERY long.

As to retail selection, the wife and I make a weekend out of Boston shopping a few times a year and I find it works really well. Saves a heck of a lot of money and really - when is time spent in a mall "quality time." Much better in my opinion limiting it to a few times a year!!

Growing up in Laconia definitely ruined the beaches for me here in MA. As a kid/teenager, I could simply ride my bike to a beach when I felt like taking a dip to cool off on a summer day.

What is the biggest daily expense up there vs a more populated area?

Daily coffee?
More gas to get around?
Food from smaller supermarkets?

For me its trips back to the city. Rooms in Boston aren't cheap. The gas, coffee and food all seem to be less than when I lived in the cities!

Having live in cities (Fresno, Fremont, Birmingham, Indianapolis, Nashville, etc.) and now in a rural area, I can tell you my opinion of the biggest expense and pain in the butt things...

Living in a rural community means...
...that if you have a medical emergency, you may find yourself 30 minutes or more from an emergency room, and many hospitals will transfer you or your loved one to a larger hospital that is more equipped to handle your care (like Dartmouth or Boston).

...roads can be really crappy sometimes, especially when there's lots of frost heaves and pot holes. (aka Mud Season).

...you don't have a lot of choices for shopping, car repairs, healthcare, vet care, schools, utilities, restaurants, entertainment, etc.

...and a night life? Unless it's July 4th, the only night the sidewalks aren't rolled up by 6pm, you can forget about that, really.

...speaking of utilities, don't expect your cell phone to be especially reliable - coverage can be spotty on a good day.

...there can be a lot of poverty in some towns, and little local work to be found.

...with the exception of most of the towns along the lakes, expect to pay high property taxes. NH doesn't have a state income tax or sales tax, but you can also expect to pay a lot to register a car, boat, etc., than you're probably used to paying...

Living in a rural area also means...
...you get to know your neighbours (or not), but people keep to themselves and (generally) mind their own business...

...lower crime rates.

...you can chose to go to the city, mountains, lakes, whatever - and home is still a restful place when you return.

...town meeting or the first deliberative session (if your town is SB-2), can be a social and a political event.

...parades, fireworks, and all that you'd expect to see in a Norman Rockwell painting are still alive and well.

...the few businesses that are thriving in town are probably pretty darned good because they have to compete for business - and word of mouth travels fast. If someone does somebody wrong, the whole town will know it in an afternoon.

...you can see the stars at night. (Seriously - I'd forgotten how a night sky was supposed to look until I moved back to New England... )

Hi JasonG
 

I would love to help you and your family with your real estate needs if you aren't currently working with another agent....for my contact information...go to "Professional and Medical Services" in the Classified section.
Have a great day!
Cami

Just found a body on the side of the road down here in Florida. Got to admit that is 1 point for NH.

Length of boating season
 

We boat from the first weekend when the ice is out (late April) until about beginning of November when the temperature and shortness of the days takes too much of the fun out of the island. The boating on the two ends can be fantastic or only tolerable depending on the day. We admit that our boating season would be shorter if we did not need to use the boat as an SUV to our place on the island. But not much. Tick...tick....tick it's coming.

Us, too. We start the end of April but don't go quite thru early November, we close mid to late October. Once the colors have faded.

Boating
 

The boat goes in just before ice-out with the first trip to the island the weekend after it. The jetskiis go in ny the first of May. We dress properly for cool weather boating. The boat comes out around the first of November. There is nothing like a calm late fall day on the lake!

I am a chicken about swimming in cold water... But do love an October dip with a wetsuit.

My daughter is in WA and most folks there take their boats out sooner than we do in NH.... And their lakes do not freeze.


IG

Gosh
 

We have only had the boat in the water one year as late as October when we had an exchange group over from England and had them all up to the lake to see another area different than Boston surburban life. My daughter took out several groups in the Whaler and they all seemed to enjoy it but were pretty cold I think. Today I don't do a lot of power boating even though I do have a nce rowboat and motor that would be fun once in a while. I love my Kayaks. I guess if you are a hearty soul you might enjoy boating in October and ?????NOvember???? I don't see it as ideal in any way though.

I have a road to my home thus don't use the boat as a way to get to my home. I can see why some from islands on here would keep them in the water longer and put them in the water earlier as they get used for transport to homes on islands. There may be a few times in November or April when one might put a boat in the water for a nice comfortable ride just for fun, but it would not be my idea of fun. Not October either. I get cold easily and thus like the warmer times on the water. But I like to see boats out there going by from time to time. Won't be long now!!!!