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New Hampshire

Is it worth it to move north from Massachusetts? – The Boston Globe

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Is it worth it to move north from Massachusetts? – The Boston Globe


A budget of $600,000 can net you a charming Cape-style abode in Chelmsford, Mass. Madore Photography

A Cape in Chelmsford

Price: $600,000

Bedrooms: 2

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Bathrooms: 1.5

Square feet: 1,409

Lot size: 0.17 acres

Estimated annual property taxes: $6,668

PRO: An easier commute

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CON: Less square footage

A budget of $600,000 can net you a charming Cape-style abode in Chelmsford, Mass. This recently sold home measures roughly 1,400 square feet and offers two bedrooms, one full bathroom, and one half bath. Among its selling points are a newly renovated kitchen, a finished basement, a new roof, new windows, a one-car garage, and a fenced-in backyard.

Life in Chelmsford is pretty pleasant, according to listing agent Emily Medwar with Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty. Licensed in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, she highlighted the value of free school busing for children who live more than 2 miles from their school.

A large deck looks over the backyard in Chelmsford. Madore Photography

“I think Chelmsford is a highly desirable location because the town provides excellent value for housing but also boasts a top-rated school system,” she said.

Other perks? The town offers free trash and recycling pickup, robust programming for seniors, and commuter rail access in nearby Billerica that can get you to Boston in roughly 35 minutes.

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While some of her buyers opt for New Hampshire because there is no income tax (Though New Hampshire residents working in Massachusetts must pay Massachusetts income tax), others are turned off by the increased property taxes in the Granite State. Still, they tend to even out, since home prices in New Hampshire are typically lower than in Massachusetts, Medwar said, explaining that it’s the daily commute that plays a bigger role in the decision.

“Many buyers weigh the trade-off between affordability and commute time, often choosing to live in New Hampshire for the lower home prices while accepting a longer drive to work in Massachusetts,” she said.

There’s close to 6 acres to grow fruits and vegetable and raise chickens at the Weare, N.H., home.Andrew Spieler Photography

Room to roam in Weare

Price: $600,000

Bedrooms: 3

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Bathrooms: 2.5

Square feet: 2,117

Lot size: 5.69 acres

Estimated annual property tax: $7,620

PRO: More space for your money (plus acreage to grow food)

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CON: Higher property taxes

If you’re the buyer who doesn’t mind a long commute, you’ll get more for your money in Weare, N.H., which is about an hour and 15 minutes from Boston via I-93 (on a good day). This newly sold home flaunts lots of room both inside and out, offering over 2,000 square feet of living space and almost 6 acres of land with flourishing gardens and a potting shed.

“The seller had every single vegetable, every single herb, every single spice [in her garden],” said listing agent Niki Loiko with Keller Williams Metropolitan, who’s licensed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. “And she had chickens.” That could be considered a cost-saving measure as egg prices continue to tick up.

Inside the home, there are a slew of new upgrades, including a primary bedroom with an en-suite bath, twin dressing tables, and a deck.

The town of Weare has benefits, too, with free trash and recycling pickup, free school busing for grades K through 8, free extra-curricular activities after school, and fantastic farmers markets, according to Loiko.

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“We do not have income [or sales] tax, which is wonderful when you’re shopping and working here,” she said. “But when it comes to our property taxes, I have to make sure when I’m helping my clients search for houses, I tell them, ‘Before you even get excited and look at the photos, we should look at the taxes first.’”

Proximity to the ocean and hiking trails are unique to this property in Wells, Maine. Andrew Connors/Hommati

New construction in Wells

Price: $600,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2

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Square feet: 1,447

Lot size: 0.8 acres

Estimated annual property tax: $3,181

PRO: Free school busing and after-school programs

CON: No town-sponsored trash pickup

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Built in 2023, this recent sale came move-in ready — and assuaged any fears about outdated heating, cooling, or electrical systems. Open-concept living, a laundry nook, a primary suite, and a two-car garage are among its standout features.

While this house offers a bit more square footage and acreage than the home in Chelmsford, it does not come close when compared to the one in Weare. It’s about the same distance to Boston as Weare — via I-95 — but proximity to the ocean and hiking trails is unique to this property.

“If you’re someone who likes to be outside, especially at beaches, Maine has a lot more oceanfront than New Hampshire,” said Troy Williams, the listing agent with Williams Realty Partners. He’s licensed in both Maine and New Hampshire, and added that even registering your boat is more expensive in New Hampshire than in Maine due to the state’s tax structure.

In Wells, trash pickup is not included — instead, you’re tasked with bringing trash to the town transfer station, where a vehicle sticker costs $5 annually, plus added fees for select items. School busing is free, however, as are after-school athletics and programs for kids. As a homeowner or renter in Wells, you can buy a seasonal beach parking sticker for $40. In addition, depending on where your home is located, you’re eligible to get your electricity from Kennebunk Light & Power, a local and cheaper alternative to Central Maine Power, the dominant utility provider in the state. As a commuter, you may end up paying between 50 cents and $7 in tolls on I-95, depending on your trip length and whether you have an E-ZPass transponder.

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Open-concept living is one of the attractions of this home in Wells, Maine. Andrew Connors/Hommati

The pros and cons for each option are many. Deciding where to move may involve a cost-benefit analysis, or it could just come down to personal preference.





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New Hampshire

N.H. lawmakers to vote on increasing tolls, civil rights, and k-12 education – The Boston Globe

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N.H. lawmakers to vote on increasing tolls, civil rights, and k-12 education – The Boston Globe


One proposal (Senate Bill 627) would generate more than $53 million per year in estimated revenue for turnpike projects by essentially doubling what certain cars pay on the state’s toll roads.

The cash fare for Hampton’s main toll booth on Interstate 95, for example, would jump from $2 to $4 for cars and pickup trucks. The toll wouldn’t increase at all for motorists who use New Hampshire’s E-ZPass transponders.

“Surrounding states already have the same in-state discount structure in place,” Democratic Representative Martin Jack of Nashua wrote on behalf of a House committee that unanimously recommended the bill.

A potential hitch: Governor Kelly Ayotte. She’s expressed opposition to the whole toll-hiking idea, and proven she’s not afraid to use her veto pen.

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Modifying civil rights standard

Another proposal (Senate Bill 464) would add a few words to the state’s Civil Rights Act. Instead of addressing conduct that is merely “motivated by” a legally protected characteristic, the proposed revision would address conduct that is “substantially motivated by hostility towards the victim’s” protected characteristic (such as their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability).

The prime sponsor, Republican Senator Daryl Abbas, an attorney, testified the change was small and aligned with the law’s intent. But the attorney who oversees the Civil Rights Unit at the New Hampshire Department of Justice, Sean Locke, testified in opposition, saying the proposal could reduce protections, especially since the meaning of “substantially” is somewhat vague.

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The House is also weighing a proposed amendment that would add a few more words than Abbas’s version, potentially narrowing the Civil Rights Act’s applicability a bit further.

Open enrollment for K-12 schools

A third proposal up for a vote on Thursday (Senate Bill 101) would make every K-12 public school in New Hampshire an “open enrollment” school. That way, students could freely choose to transfer to a district other than the one where they live.

The proposed policy is controversial, partly because of how schools are funded. Districts rely mostly on local property taxes to cover their costs, as the state government chips in relatively little, and property tax rates vary widely from one community to the next. That generates concern about who will foot the bill when a student transfers.

In light of those concerns, Republicans are offering a compromise amendment to SB 101 that would require the state to provide more money per pupil that a district receives via open enrollment, as the New Hampshire Bulletin reported. Democrats are offering their own amendment to establish a study commission on this topic, rather than adopt the proposed policy now.

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Lawmakers have until May 14 to take action on the bills that came from the other chamber, though they have until June 4 to iron out any discrepancies.

Amanda Gokee of the Globe staff contributed to this report.


This story appears in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free email newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. Sign up here.


Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.





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New Hampshire

Boston MedFlight expands into NH

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Boston MedFlight expands into NH


Boston MedFlight often touches down at the scene of some of the worst tragedies in New England – where minutes can mean life or death for a victim. The critical care transport operation is now expanding with a new base in New Hampshire.

The organization is hosting an open house at the new Manchester location on Thursday.

Boston MedFlight flies a critical care transport paramedic and nurse on every flight. Jaik Hanley-McCarthy says their helicopters and ground vehicles are equipped to handle just about any emergency medical procedure.

“Anything that can be done in the ICU,” explained Hanley-McCarthy. “We have a mobile lab so we can draw blood and run labs in real time.”

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Boston MedFlight now has five bases across the region.

“Having a base in Manchester just expands this Boston-level care even further north to the more remote areas of the state,” said Hanley-McCarthy.

Boston MedFlight operates as a network of bases and some of the locations are staffed 24 hours.

Chief Executive Officer Maura Hughes says the nonprofit operation survives on public and private donations.

“We provide about $7 million in free care every year to patients,” said Hughes. “Not every hospital can be everything to every patient. We’re really the glue that keeps the health care system together.”

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Heather Young says her daughter, Teighan, is still alive because she was flown for a critical assessment and procedure after falling off a truck and hitting her head.

“She should not be driving and walking and talking and all the things she’s doing as quickly as she is,” said Young.

Teighan just turned 18 and plans to go to college to study the medical field.

“I want to be a nurse and help other people,” she said.

It’s stories like this that keep the men and women who work Boston MedFlight focused on their mission.

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“I think we just go call by call and try to do the best we can,” said Hanley-McCarthy. “I think when we stop and truly think about it, I think that weight is pretty heavy.”

Boston MedFlight also has a yearly reunion where patients and the team get together here in Bedford to meet and check in on their progress. It really shows you how connected they are to the people they help.



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New Hampshire

Hiker who set out in warm spring weather found dead after snowstorm in New Hampshire mountains

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Hiker who set out in warm spring weather found dead after snowstorm in New Hampshire mountains


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A Massachusetts hiker who set out in warm spring weather was found dead deep in New Hampshire’s White Mountains after a snowstorm dumped several inches of snow in the area, authorities said.

Kent Wood, 61, of West Roxbury, was discovered Tuesday evening on a remote section of the Kinsman Pond Trail in Franconia Notch, about 5.5 miles from his vehicle, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Wood had driven to Franconia Notch on April 17 for a weekend camping and hiking trip, and set out on a hike the next morning in warm, clear weather, officials said. Family and friends last heard from him Saturday afternoon.

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When he failed to return or make contact for two days, officials said relatives reported him missing Tuesday morning, prompting a large-scale search.

HIKER IDENTIFIED, POPULAR TRAIL CLOSED AFTER DEADLY FALL A UTAH’S ZION NATIONAL PARK

An aerial view of Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire, where a hiker was found dead on Tuesday. (Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group, File)

Rescuers quickly learned Wood had packed for mild conditions, not the three to five inches of snow that fell in the area between Sunday and Monday.

Fog hovers over a narrow road through Franconia Notch in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire on Dec. 27, 2021. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis)

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Search teams from Fish and Game, PEMI Valley Search and Rescue, and the Army National Guard launched a coordinated effort, focusing on the Lonesome Lake and Kinsman Pond areas.

FAMILY’S SPRING BREAK HIKE TURNS INTO LIFE-OR-DEATH RESCUE AFTER PARENT FALLS 70 FEET OFF UTAH CLIFF

Conservation officers located Wood’s body around 7:41 p.m. Tuesday. Crews carried him out overnight, reaching the trailhead shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Franconia Notch and the Appalachian Trail are seen in New Hampshire on Sept. 21. (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

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Since Friday, six hikers from Massachusetts have been rescued in the White Mountains, Fish and Game said.

Officials are reminding hikers that winter conditions still grip the mountains, with snow, freezing temperatures and rapidly changing weather.



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