Andover Real Estate: Houses North of Boston, Massachusetts

Andover is in the Merrimack Valley, around 25 miles north of Boston, with commuter rail and highway access. Phillips Academy and strong public schools attract families. Boston-area markets such as Lexington, Waltham, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford and Saugus are not next door but form the wider commuter region; compare them rather than treating them as adjacent.

Typical buyers are Boston-area professionals trading up for schools and space, relocating executives and downsizers drawn to a walkable town centre. For an overseas buyer, the main attractions are long-run price stability and a strong rental market among biotech and defence-sector workers in the region, although we do not have rental yield figures here and you should model them yourself. Inspect for oil heating, older septic systems and winter running costs, which surprise buyers from milder climates. Use the mortgage calculator to test a dollar budget, and the property valuation tool to sanity-check an asking price.

Foreigners can buy US residential property without a visa. Cash purchases are common for non-residents, and mortgages usually need a larger deposit and a US credit history. When a foreign person later sells US property, FIRPTA withholding of 15% applies on the sale price, with 10% or 0% for qualifying residence purchases up to $1m or $300k. Property tax varies by town, so ask the assessor for the exact bill, and use an attorney, as Massachusetts closings are attorney-led.

Read the US buying guide, the mortgage page and the country overview.