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We are house hunting, and looking in 3vSD. We found a FSBO in Timber Ridge area of "M" section. No basement, but sewers and buried utilities! I'd love to go to "S" section for the enclosed community and trees, but we have specific needs as we are searching for a home with an in-law suite (but it cannot be a crappy student apartment because it's for my parents--has to feel like a home for them). Plus, as much as I love the trees, that section is a tad dark and I would prefer to avoid cesspools. I keep reading on here that "M" ranks just above S Setauket Park, and is dead last in Strathmore rankings on here. Can you explain why? Is it an area on the decline as someone stated? Please give me any specifics you can. Thank you.
Student rentals; enough of them that the community organized to get Brookhaven to enforce codes.
I strongly suggest you drive through the neighborhood around 6:30 - 7 AM when student tenants are still home. You'll be able to tell the student rentals by the numbers of cars parked in the driveway, the street, and the front lawn.
Most of the student tenants are foreigners and generally coexist peacefully, There are a few rentals which are a little more rambunctious.
The absentee landlords are the biggest problem. They think nothing of carving up houses into illegal boarding houses with improper egress, and far exceeding the 4 unrelated persons limit.
Be very careful if you choose to buy M section. At this point in time, you're probably better off in South Setauket Park, which is looking much better kept up than the M section, offers underground utilities (not sure about sewers) and has an active community group. Just be sure to confirm that a given house is in 3V schools.
Student rentals; enough of them that the community organized to get Brookhaven to enforce codes.
I strongly suggest you drive through the neighborhood around 6:30 - 7 AM when student tenants are still home. You'll be able to tell the student rentals by the numbers of cars parked in the driveway, the street, and the front lawn.
Most of the student tenants are foreigners and generally coexist peacefully, There are a few rentals which are a little more rambunctious.
The absentee landlords are the biggest problem. They think nothing of carving up houses into illegal boarding houses with improper egress, and far exceeding the 4 unrelated persons limit.
Be very careful if you choose to buy M section. At this point in time, you're probably better off in South Setauket Park, which is looking much better kept up than the M section, offers underground utilities (not sure about sewers) and has an active community group. Just be sure to confirm that a given house is in 3V schools.
Wow. I had no idea. I thought maybe Timber Ridge was not susceptible to the rentals due to them being such pretty brick colonials lol. I'm shocked that people have the nerve to buy a house and board so many. It's like the city or something. If you're telling me S Setauket Park is better, that's not good. I don't really like SSP. But I don't want my children riding bicycles around homes filled with unknown students, either.
Wow. I had no idea. I thought maybe Timber Ridge was not susceptible to the rentals due to them being such pretty brick colonials lol. I'm shocked that people have the nerve to buy a house and board so many. It's like the city or something. If you're telling me S Setauket Park is better, that's not good. I don't really like SSP. But I don't want my children riding bicycles around homes filled with unknown students, either.
Thank you.
Given that the M section is within a mile of SBU it's not surprising that it's filled with students. There is a big shortage of on-campus housing.
Wow. I had no idea. I thought maybe Timber Ridge was not susceptible to the rentals due to them being such pretty brick colonials lol. I'm shocked that people have the nerve to buy a house and board so many. It's like the city or something. If you're telling me S Setauket Park is better, that's not good. I don't really like SSP. But I don't want my children riding bicycles around homes filled with unknown students, either.
Thank you.
FWIW the homes in in South Setauket Park along and off of Strathmore Village Drive are very similar to the homes in the M section. As for the Timber Ridge models near the M section, I've heard them referred to as Timber Fridge because they are not well insulated. A local lady's sister lives on either Annandale or Glenridge and a large center hall colonial on her street sold and was carved into -- you guessed it -- an illegal rental house.
If you consider the S Section dark, you're not going to care for a lot of Stony Brook and Setauket, unless you look in the critter section of Setauket. Only problem there is that the inexpensive prices = some student rentals.
FWIW the homes in in South Setauket Park along and off of Strathmore Village Drive are very similar to the homes in the M section. As for the Timber Ridge models near the M section, I've heard them referred to as Timber Fridge because they are not well insulated. A local lady's sister lives on either Annandale or Glenridge and a large center hall colonial on her street sold and was carved into -- you guessed it -- an illegal rental house.
If you consider the S Section dark, you're not going to care for a lot of Stony Brook and Setauket, unless you look in the critter section of Setauket. Only problem there is that the inexpensive prices = some student rentals.
Timber Fridge is pretty funny.
I actually love treed areas. Setauket is beautiful, north of 25a in SB and Setauket is beautiful. But there are parts of the S section that are really overgrown, and the homes aren't getting sunlight. Then if you go two blocks up, it's sun drenched. Maybe my real issue is that the homes in Strathmore are very hit or miss, in any section. We looked at 1 Blackwell Lane (because it had sewers AND gas), but it was a dump inside and the house across the street was abandoned and we saw heroin bags, needles and a spoon on the curb in front of that house. But if you go a few blocks up, it's lovely. That seems to be what we are seeing in every Strathmore section. It's disheartening because we wanted a family friendly neighborhood where our children can ride their bicycles, and Strathmore seemed to be the best solution for those wants/needs.
We looked at Island Estates, but the homes seem dated, and overpriced for such dated interiors. Plus, we never saw kids running around.
I'm used to kids playing in the streets, riding to their friends's homes, etc. Am I not going to find that here because it's such a college town and the district is so big?
For starters...kids don't play outside like we did...so I think you'll need to reduce those expectations a bit.
I guess Blackwell wasn't that bad.........it's got a contract on it now. Looks like someone was able to look past the clutter.....and see what a great deal it was for so much square footage for such little money.
I used to think like you regarding septic/cesspool vs sewers.......until my sewer backed up into the house.
No house is going to be perfect. I happen to like the "S" section. Saw a house a year or so ago....I was tempted to buy.....still all original 1964 ....down to the metal kitchen cabinets and faded bathroom wallpaper....and the original faux parquet flooring. But my SO wasn't onboard with it.
I know it's hard buying a house. You need to think priorities first, then the rest can be taken care of. There's not much on the market in the 3V school district.
For starters...kids don't play outside like we did...so I think you'll need to reduce those expectations a bit.
I guess Blackwell wasn't that bad.........it's got a contract on it now. Looks like someone was able to look past the clutter.....and see what a great deal it was for so much square footage for such little money.
I used to think like you regarding septic/cesspool vs sewers.......until my sewer backed up into the house.
No house is going to be perfect. I happen to like the "S" section. Saw a house a year or so ago....I was tempted to buy.....still all original 1964 ....down to the metal kitchen cabinets and faded bathroom wallpaper....and the original faux parquet flooring. But my SO wasn't onboard with it.
I know it's hard buying a house. You need to think priorities first, then the rest can be taken care of. There's not much on the market in the 3V school district.
Thanks for your reply.
Regarding blackwell, those pics shown are the good pics. There was a hoarder living there, so there was fecal matter in all 3 bathrooms, etc. looked like an A&E show. It was on the market for well over 6 months. And the garage is an apartment ("dentist office"). My guess is someone is going to chop it up and rent it out.
I guess you're right about kids playing outside, lol. Good suggestion about reducing expectations.
I still regard S as my favorite section because of community parties, mommy and me club, FB page, and semi enclosed community.
Do you think I'm better off renting and waiting for a large enough S section in the future versus buying in the M (Timber Ridge) now?
Another question (sorry to ramble): I heard that Nassakeag Elementary is sitting on toxic soil, and that I'm better off with Mount Elementary. Any truth to this?
FWIW the homes in in South Setauket Park along and off of Strathmore Village Drive are very similar to the homes in the M section. As for the Timber Ridge models near the M section, I've heard them referred to as Timber Fridge because they are not well insulated. A local lady's sister lives on either Annandale or Glenridge and a large center hall colonial on her street sold and was carved into -- you guessed it -- an illegal rental house.
If you consider the S Section dark, you're not going to care for a lot of Stony Brook and Setauket, unless you look in the critter section of Setauket. Only problem there is that the inexpensive prices = some student rentals.
ALL the houses in the s, b, m, T section(Lake Grove) and s setauket park area are not well insulated. Cheap levitt houses. Beautiful, but poorly built. Ask me how I know??? There is a rental problem in ALL the lettered stony brook areas. Would I worry about my child riding his bike by a rental??? No, thats ridiculous. What I would worry about is upkeep of the home. There are 2 landlords who live in China that have bought alot of homes and chopped them up. THe town is trying to keep on top of this, along with the homeowners.
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There is a rental problem in ALL the lettered stony brook areas. Would I worry about my child riding his bike by a rental??? No, thats ridiculous. What I would worry about is upkeep of the home. There are 2 landlords who live in China that have bought alot of homes and chopped them up. THe town is trying to keep on top of this, along with the homeowners.
