Quincy Home Buying Guide

The Basics

Take a guess at the largest city in Norfolk county? It’s Quincy! With a population of about 95,000 people and being just south of even bigger Boston, Quincy certainly has options when it comes to home buying, employment, schools – and just about everything else.

But here is something else neat about Quincy – even though it has a larger population as compared to other places in Norfolk county, about 23% of its land is an uninhabited state park, called the Blue Hills Reservation. Also, another 10 square miles is water. Don’t worry – there is still lots of land for Quincy home buying – a good 16 square miles for that.

Home Values and Taxes

Quincy home buying has the house prices that you would expect in Norfolk county. Specifically, the median home value for Quincy over the past year is about $476,000. If you are wondering about whether or not homes hold their value, then there is good news for you – they do! Home prices have risen about 2.7% over 2019, and housing web site Zillow predicts that they will rise an additional 0.8% over the next one.

And you cannot forget about property taxes. Happily, they are on the lower end, set at $12.55 per thousand for 2019.

Public Schools

Education and Quincy home buying go hand in hand. In addition to its 12 elementary schools, five middle schools, and 2 high schools, there are numerous other options depending on what you want for your family. For example, there is an early childhood education center, a Catholic school, a Montessori school, two college prep schools, a private science and liberal arts college – and that list is not exhaustive either!

There is even the Quincy Chinese Language School where students can learn Cantonese, as well as the Vaisnava Academy which offers courses for children in subjects such as yoga and the Hindi language. Wow!

Commuting

Because it belongs to metropolitan Boston, you have extensive commuting options in Quincy. Car drivers can use any of the state and interstate highways, such as Route 1 and I-93, to get around.

Of course, many people try to leave the car at home. The MBTA operates a regional subway system with multiple stops throughout the town.

If you are looking for that extreme commute, you can hop a plane at Logan International Airport, which you can access via the MBTA.

If that is going a little far, figuratively and literally, sidewalks and bike paths can get you where you need to go, just on a more local scale.

The People of Quincy

Quincy sure has had its fair share of famous people who either were born or lived in this great place. For example:

• Not just one, but two presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams were born here.
• The actress, Clara Blandick, who played Auntie Em in the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, was born in Quincy.
• The founder of hotel chain Howard Johnson’s, whose name is predictably Howard Johnson, was also born in this neat city.

Safety

When it come to Quincy home buying, you certainly do get a lot – great home prices, commuting options, and a variety of educational choices. In terms of safety, you need to get the facts. First, Quincy does have a higher rate. If you compare to the rest of the state, Quincy’s crime rate is more than 85% higher than other cities and towns. But that’s only one comparison. A more accurate one is to compare it to similar-sized places. At that point, Quincy’s rate is quite a bit lower. Still, keep in mind that it tends to have a few more violent crimes, such as aggravated assault, as well as property crimes, than in other places. Regardless, if you stay vigilant, you can help minimize your chances of being a victim.

Anything Else?

Quincy. It sure had some neat ideas. How so? Take a look at this:

• It had the first commercial railroad, called the Granite Railway, in the country.
• Quincy had the first iron furnace in the US, beginning in 1644.
• It was in Quincy that an approach to education to help under-performing schools was developed. It was aptly named the Quincy Method.
• Delicious Dunkin’ Donuts was founded in…you guessed it…Quincy.
• Finally, the longest running Flag Day parade takes place here. Check it out sometime!

If Quincy home buying is in your plans, give MBA Mortgage a shout. We can help you find the best deal on a mortgage so that you can settle in to your Quincy home quick and easy.