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So we've been up here for about 4 months, and are starting to look for a house.
Our budget is capped at 400K, and we need a school system with a good high school (our youngest will leave middle school next year). We've been focusing on East Meadow, Westbury (south of Old Country Rd.), Carle Place, Franklin Square, North Bellmore, and Valley Stream.
I work in the New Hyde Park area, and don't really want to go east of Wantagh Parkway. I'd prefer in to be closer to Queens, and my wife in fighting for closer to East Meadow. We're looking for a modest house in a safe area. We also need to be walking distance (less than 2 miles) from a (preferably) Conservative synagogue.
If being within 2 miles of a synagogue is one of your criteria, I would start there and work your way out. I can't think of a synagogue that's close to Carle Place or Franklin Square (which has historically been Italian, not sure how much that's changed). It would make sense to choose your house of worship and go from there.
Westbury - you need to be VERY sure of the high school you are zoned for before you buy a house.
Do you have any cap on your property tax budget? $400K is tight but not impossible especially as you said "modest".
We can go as high as 12K a year on taxes, but would like to be closer to 8 or 9.
We're looking for something around 3 or 4 beds/2 baths, a basement, and a small garage.
If being within 2 miles of a synagogue is one of your criteria, I would start there and work your way out. I can't think of a synagogue that's close to Carle Place or Franklin Square (which has historically been Italian, not sure how much that's changed). It would make sense to choose your house of worship and go from there.
I do. So far everything we've looked at in those areas have meet that need; it's one of the first things I look at when we find a house that meets the price and other criteria.
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Westbury - you need to be VERY sure of the high school you are zoned for before you buy a house.
Yeah, it's why we'll only look at houses south of Old Country Rd. in that area.
We can go as high as 12K a year on taxes, but would like to be closer to 8 or 9.
We're looking for something around 3 or 4 beds/2 baths, a basement, and a small garage.
Taxes shouldn't be an issue but a 4 br w/basement and garage, a good high school and walking distance to a synagogue might be a challenge for $400K.
I agree with Twingles about starting at the synagogue and working outward. If you're Orthodox you might have a few less choices than Reform.
Definitely East Meadow. I haven't checked lately, but I doubt you could find much in Carle Place at that price. Westbury, if East Meadow SD would be fine as well, but I always wonder what the Westbury name does for resale value.
It's out of your search area and options are limited w/ your budget. There are a few homes in Plainview for sale for under 400k all of them are about a mile to Synagogue, the town meets your desire for a safe place and good schools. The other areas you mentioned you will get more bang for your buck.
Chabad has a center that's walkable from anywhere in the Gibson section of Valley Stream. Gibson is evenly split between Valley Stream South High School and George W. Hewlett High School. Both are fine. Hewlett has a particularly excellent reputation. Valley Stream South is extremely diverse. Hewlett is more diverse than most people probably would expect, but is heavily Jewish.
Valley Stream proper has a conservative congregation that, I think, is very small at this point. There are plenty of homes in your price range that would be walkable to this, which I think would be zoned for VS North High School, which is a good school.
Also, Hewlett itself and Woodmere should have some homes in your price/tax range. If you consider Woodmere, make sure you are looking within Hewlett-Woodmere SD-14, and not Lawrence SD-15. Lawrence will save you on property taxes, but the school district is not strong.
Lynbrook has a reform congregation downtown, and there would be homes walkable to it in your price range. Also the Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Center is a big conservative congregation and a lot of Lynbrook and East Rockaway are within walking distance. Lynbrook High School is much better than East Rockaway high school.
I'm no expert on Oceanside, but I bet it would also check all your boxes, too. Also, don't forget Long Beach!
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