A single family house down the street from us just went pending at 750k. It's not particularly big or new but you don't need 1 mil to live here. It also helps that I look at listings every day (local realtor).

yes - let's say "greater Boston areas"

Well if you use electricity for heating... then you should update that with the NatGrid.

Wife and I recently moved to Newton from JP (we've also lived all over the state including Quincy, Malden, Allston, Brighton, etc.). So we have a pretty good sample size over 15 years.

- Everyone here will complain about Newton being pricy and it is. But there's a wide spectrum of neighborhoods within Newton. Waban is the most affluent part and you have areas like Nonantum that are relatively less expensive. The beauty is you have access to the public schools which are quite good. A decent condo ~500-600k. For an existing single family home ~$800-1mil+. New constructions can run $2+ million dollars. I would try to avoid any home too close to the I90 or Route 9. It's very loud and has bad resale value.

- We chose Newton because it balances convenience vs public school. There's a green line running through Newton which means you can actually take the T into the city (Longwood) if you want. That's a huge plus because many other suburbs with decent schools don't have access to the T. Brookline being an exception but they're even more expensive :).

- Newton isn't as diverse as Boston. It's predominantly Caucasians and Asians. HOWEVER, it is still MORE diverse than most other suburbs (ex. Weston, Wellesley, Dover, etc.).

- Infrastructure is old so there's always new utilities being updated. The residents generally care about their communities and it's relatively safe. Expect to find a lot of families and kids.

- Annoying thing about living here is people try to price gouge you for any home repair jobs. And neighborhood groceries lack diversity and has a "newton" markup. We do all of our shoppings outside of Newton because it's cheaper and better selections.

In any case - a lot to share so happy to chat more if you DM me.

Yes. It should be noted on your bill if it’s residential regular or heating. There’s a bunch of other codes so check with the vendor.

So I would check a few things:

• check with Nat Grid that you are on residential heating rate for electricity. They have heating and non heating rates. While you’re at it, helpful to also check if the meter is defective.
• it could also be payments from previous months that weren’t paid off by the seller. In Which case, check your closing disclosure to see a credit was issued for the utility.
• Get electrician to verify no other sources are tapping into your electricity meter. Not sure the age of your building but it’s very common for old wirings to stay in place which affects your usage.
• check with Mass save about your insulation and windows.
• lastly. If you meet income requirement, you can get a fuel subsidy from the state.

Good luck! Source: I volunteer at FTHB programs, happy to chat more if you have questions.