Thoughts on Salem and historic MA properties in general

[Ian Maxwell]

Hi all, I'm fairly new to the forum and have never formally introduced myself. I'm Ian and I have spent the last six months or so educating myself on REI and reading through the forums. I have started to form my "team" and I'm ready to take action.

I'm currently living in the Boston suburbs and looking for a 2 or 3 family BRRRR/house hack within the 495 belt, preferably something close to the commuter rail. One area I'm particularly interested in is Salem. It's a lively place with some charm and a good location for me - close to the commuter rail and a good midpoint point between work and family in Maine.

I've heard the drawbacks - traffic, "one way in / one way out", public schools aren't great, Halloween is crazy, etc. I'm wondering if anyone here has lived and/or invested in Salem, and would be willing to share their thoughts on the town and/or the market.

I'm also curious if anyone has invested in a historic home that required reno, either in Salem or elsewhere. Does that significantly complicate renovation work? Any insight on what to expect from that process would be great. 

Thanks for reading and for your insight!

Ian