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Early 30s couple not looking to have children, so schools aren't an issue. I'm wondering if we can find a great place somewhere in a bad school district for less money. Planning on staying for a long time so resale value isn't a big concern.
We want to be within a 1.5 hour commute by train to Chelsea/by car to Gowanus.
We'd like to stay under $250k and that should be doable because we'd like a fixer upper. It can be a wreck as long as it's not falling down. We want at least a small garden so somewhere not super built up.
Where should we be looking? What towns/cities? The city/neighborhood doesn't have to be amazing, just not super sketchy. We'd like to avoid car theft/break ins and home break ins. Right now I'm finding some places in West Hempstead, Freeport. There are some good looking houses in Hempstead. I've seen people comment on the crime in Hempstead but coming from Brooklyn, it doesn't sound too bad to me. Obviously some areas may be worth staying away from. We plan on driving around these towns and spending some time there to get a feel.
It's going to be a year or two before we're ready but we want to have an idea what we're aiming for.
Wait long enough to bump your budget up to 350-400k, then look at Valley Stream, Malverne, Baldwin and the nicer parts of Freeport. 1.5 hours by train does open up a lot of possibilities across the island but 1.5 hours by car to Gowanus during rush hour restricts you back to the closer-in towns in Nassau. And even deep into Suffolk and in the worst school districts, $250k doesn't go far for a single family house.
The "worst" school districts are also TYPICALLY in areas that are not pleasant and not places you'd want to give up the convenience of Brooklyn for. Malverne and Freeport are exceptions, in that they have some very nice neighborhoods in them, but not for $250k.
If you live on the Hempstead, Far Rockaway, Babylon, Long Beach and (i think) West Hempstead branches, you can easily get trains to Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and then take a quick subway ride to Gowanus, which should be significantly quicker and incalculably less stressful than driving.
Last edited by gibson station; 10-21-2015 at 09:52 AM..
Wait long enough to bump your budget up to 350-400k, then look at Valley Stream, Malverne, Baldwin and the nicer parts of Freeport.
The taxes in those places are more than I would be willing to spend. And I'm not looking to spend $350-400k. That's why I'm looking in alternative places with lower house prices/taxes. There are places for much less that need a little work and places for under $200k that need fully renovating. That's more what I'm looking for.
The taxes in those places are more than I would be willing to spend. And I'm not looking to spend that much either. That's why I'm looking in alternative places with lower house prices/taxes.
Does it have to be LI? Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, maybe Laurelton, Cambria Heights, parts of Ozone Park (all Queens) might be options.
Does it have to be LI? Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, maybe Laurelton, Cambria Heights, parts of Ozone Park (all Queens) might be options.
No doesn't have to be LI. As long as it's a house and it's within the budget/commute I'm totally open to location. I'll check those places out, thank you.
The taxes in those places are more than I would be willing to spend. And I'm not looking to spend $350-400k. That's why I'm looking in alternative places with lower house prices/taxes. There are places for much less that need a little work and places for under $200k that need fully renovating. That's more what I'm looking for.
Valley Stream SD 30 has pretty low taxes.
What areas are you seeing prices like these? Are they anywhere near an LIRR station? LIRR access tends to push prices up.
What areas are you seeing prices like these? Are they anywhere near an LIRR station? LIRR access tends to push prices up.
West Hempstead has a few, Hempstead itself has a lot of houses. I assume because of the crime rates. As I said, areas with poor schools are a lot cheaper too. Roosevelt, north of Freeport.
Does it have to be LI? Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, maybe Laurelton, Cambria Heights, parts of Ozone Park (all Queens) might be options.
Queens, even SE Queens, can actually be pretty expensive. I'd be surprised if this price is achievable even in South Jamaica. Laurelton and Cambria Heights are actually quite beautiful.
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