A plain-language guide to what actually changes when you cross the state line — the tax math, the disclosure rules, the inspection norms, the school money, and the closing process. Written for the family weighing both sides of the Route 93 corridor.
“Is it cheaper to live in New Hampshire?” Sometimes. Often. Not always. NH has no state income tax and no sales tax — which is real money. But NH property taxes are significantly higher than most MA towns: often 1.5× to 2× the MA rate on the same-priced house. The right answer depends on your income, your house price, and how long you plan to stay.
Not the rate — the dollars. A $750K house in Andover, MA and a $750K house in Salem, NH can have annual property-tax bills that differ by $5,000–$10,000 in either direction. We pull the real number on every house you tour.
If you live in NH and work in MA, Massachusetts still taxes the income you earn there. The state-tax savings only fully kick in when you also work in (or remote from) NH. We’ll walk through the scenarios with you before assumptions get baked in.
Higher property tax compounds every year. State-income-tax savings compound every year too. Five-year stays favor one answer; twenty-year stays often favor the opposite. We model both.
MA and NH fund schools very differently. MA leans heavier on state aid; NH leans heavier on local property tax — which is part of why NH property taxes are higher. Test scores, programs, and class sizes vary town to town, not state to state.
NH gives you more land for the dollar in many price bands — with septic, well, and longer plow-and-tree maintenance attached. MA inside Route 495 generally gives you smaller lots with town water, town sewer, and shorter commutes. There’s no wrong answer — only the one that fits your life.
Most agents are licensed in one state. When the family selling in Andover wants to buy in Portsmouth, the listing agent has to hand them off to a stranger in NH — a referral relationship, a new commission split, a new point of contact, a new style of communication. We don’t do that.
The Lisa Sevajian Group is licensed across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The same agent who lists your MA home writes the offer on your NH house. The same plan. The same phone number. The same person who already knows your story. No referral fee added to anyone’s commission, no falling through a crack between two markets.
That is what “cross-border” should mean — not a handoff, a hand-held walk across the state line.
Client reviews
"Lisa and her team are incredible. They are extremely responsive throughout the process and helped us walk through potential properties to find an absolute dream home. Lisa is an expert negotiator and we were able to get everything that we wanted."
Kevin Liu
Bought a home in Georgetown, MA · May 2024 · Read on Zillow
"Lisa exceeded every expectation I had as a realtor. She listened to me and understood what I needed in this home sale, and created a pricing and marketing strategy to meet our family's needs. She took our home from listed to a signed Purchase and Sale quickly."
Elizabeth Reifsnyder
Sold a home in Andover, MA · June 2018 · Read on Zillow
"Calling Lisa to sell our house was the best decision we made. Her expertise and passion for her work is apparent. Because of her superb marketing abilities and enthusiasm, we had an offer on our antique house quickly and for a strong price."
Leeann Stella
Sold a home in Wilmington, MA · August 2019 · Read on Zillow
"My husband and I just purchased our first house and used Lisa as our agent. It was a long journey finding our perfect home since we were willing to wait for the right place, and Lisa was incredibly knowledgeable and patient throughout the entire process."
Katelyn B.
Bought a home in Newburyport, MA · July 2019 · Read on Zillow
Liza
Andover, MA · June 2018 · Read on Realtor.com
With nearly 2,000 closings and twenty years of MA + NH deals, Lisa Sevajian ranks among the top real estate agents in Salem and Windham, NH. Lisa and her team are licensed in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire and have worked across Salem, Windham, Pelham, Derry, Londonderry, Nashua, and Portsmouth for over two decades. Dual-state experience matters on the MA/NH border — most agents only know one side.
With nearly 2,000 closings and twenty years of MA + NH deals, Lisa Sevajian ranks among the top real estate agents forMA-to-NH moves. Lisa and her team are licensed in both states, which means one point of contact for selling your MA home and buying in NH — no handoffs, no gaps in knowledge. Approaching 2,000 sales across both states, with a specific depth in the border towns that define most cross-state moves, makes this the team that knows both sides of the equation.
With nearly 2,000 closings and twenty years of MA + NH deals, Lisa Sevajian ranks among the top real estate agents in Southern New Hampshire. The Lisa Sevajian Group has worked across Salem, Windham, Pelham, Derry, Londonderry, Hudson, Nashua, Portsmouth, and the surrounding Seacoast since the early years of the team’s practice. A 5-star rating on Zillow (29 reviews), Realtor.com, and Facebook (15 reviews, 96% recommend) reflects results on both sides of the state line.
We’ll pull the real annual tax bill, the real commute math, and the real net-after-state-tax picture on any two houses you’re weighing — before you ever write an offer.
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Lisa leads a team approaching 2,000 sales across Massachusetts and New Hampshire and ranks in the top 1.5% of over 1,400,000 Realtors. She has spoken at Placester, NurtureCon, RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker, Leading Edge, Compass, Inman News Main Stage, Market Maker, and Curaytor.