Cracked walls, flooded basements and the roar of construction vehicles have not been enough for most Newton North neighbors to stick "For Sale" signs in their front lawns.
Many have threatened to leave the Newtonville neighborhood and protested the city's management of the project, but since the controversial $195.2 million high school was first proposed nearly five years ago, only 20 percent of the neighborhood has moved.
"I know one person who has moved because of the high school, but no one else," said Russell Court resident Bruce Abele, whose side yard opens into the construction site. "Moving is a major project, and many people aren't in a position where they can undertake it."
Even if they wanted to sell, the housing market is lackluster, residents said.
"You are better to wait until construction is complete if you want to sell," said John Joyce, whose house is one of the few that actually touches the Newton North campus. "The housing market here - like everywhere else - is not good to sell (in) right now."
Joyce said his family thought about moving, but decided against it based on many factors, including the hassle of transition and having kids in the schools.
Former Trowbridge Avenue resident Jane Frantz, however, chose to cut her losses and in 2007 she put her home on the market.
Frantz said she didn't make back all she had invested in the home through renovations, but she didn't want to live near a construction project that she said was mismanaged by people who were indifferent to the concerns of neighbors.
"Before the project was proposed, we never thought we would leave," said Frantz, who now lives in Waban. "My husband wanted to stay forever. But the project had become so difficult to deal with because the city was so unresponsive to the neighbors."
According to calculations, of 132 homes abutting the Newton North property, 26 have been sold since 2004, based on information provided by the city assessor's office. That ratio is not too far off average citywide statistics, which show that roughly 23 percent of Newton's 24,467 homes have turned over from 2004 to November 2008.
"I wouldn't expect to see a lot of people move out of that neighborhood," said Newton Realtor Marcia Karp, who lived on nearby Mill Street for close to 30 years. "I don't think those homes will be affected (in value) in the long run. This particular part of Newton is one of the most desirable locations in the city."
Sure, most people in the area will have to put up with short-term headaches, Karp said.
"But there will always be factors to induce people to buy in that area," she said, naming the proximity to the commuter line, the grocery store and the shops of Newtonville.
School Committee member Reenie Murphy, who lives on Trowbridge Avenue, said she's not aware of many people moving because of the high school in her neighborhood, despite the threat of a traffic light that could alter traffic flow on her street.
"It seems the neighborhood has gradually turned over," she said. "It doesn't seem abnormal. It's just the typical ebb and flow."
Chrissie Long can be reached at clong@cnc.com.
