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I'm new to this forum.... I'm in the process of investing in a house and it is such a nerve wrecking experience trying to find the right neighborhood.
I will be living with my parents and sister...we have a 2 year old niece .. (at some time she will go to school)... We are professionals and my parents are retired.. so we looking for an area where they can go out to stores, etc etc.
My budget is 600K... currently live in queens so we looking for good, peaceful areas in LI with easy access to highways, trains, things to do, etc.
We have attended open houses in Lynbrook, Valley Stream, we saw one gorgeous house in Baldwin ( near sunrise Hwy and grand ave... but i was reading in this forum that the area is bad... and something about gangs, etc )... and now one they told me about a future new construction in (Jefferson Avenue, Rockville Center)...
.... im sooo lost... hope to hear good inputs.
thanks in advance
Narrow your search to two towns only! By then your decision will be made based off of price, taxes, size and condition of the house. MOVE ON IF ONE HOUSE DOESNT WORK OUT.
Don't want to sound like your granny, but if you do your home work it should not be nerve wracking. First, you should write a list of Needs vs Wants. Needs being what you MUST have to buy the house and Wants being what you would love to have in addition to the needs.
Then narrow the area down to a few towns. You seem to have done that part but now are not satisfied with what you are finding. Could be that you need to do your homework to narrow and area down better.
Try Albertson, Williston Park and Mineola. The budget will be tight but you should find something.
Try Albertson, Williston Park and Mineola. The budget will be tight but you should find something.
Albertson and Wiliston Park would be more than "tight". Herricks SD, highly rated, you need to be in the 800k range for something decent, not 600k. just went on mlsli and there are a total of 7 houses 600k or less in those places.
CAN it be done? I guess. SHOULD or WOULD one want to...I don't think those are places the OP should be focusing on.
Mineola is certainly more in the price range.
I agree with earlier posters who suggested Merrick area.
There is an area in Westbury called Salisbury with East Meadow School District. Close to Eisenhower Park. Direct LIRR to Manhattan. Close to shopping / beach / malls / city. Nice peaceful neighborhood and affordable housing for your budget.
Albertson and Wiliston Park would be more than "tight". Herricks SD, highly rated, you need to be in the 800k range for something decent, not 600k. just went on mlsli and there are a total of 7 houses 600k or less in those places.
CAN it be done? I guess. SHOULD or WOULD one want to...I don't think those are places the OP should be focusing on.
Mineola is certainly more in the price range.
I agree with earlier posters who suggested Merrick area.
Mineola definitely, nice little neighborhood especially near Hillside Ave, quiet away from highway noise and generally family neighborhoods but schools are not as good as Herricks or surrounding SD's. Taxes are also much lower in Mineola, but houses are too close to each other for my taste. Also does OP watch out for fire house horn? It's horrible in Nassau, at least it was when I lived in East Williston. Is it still a thing in the area? Willis Ave fire station horn!
Robbery/burglary, weed/drugs etc, all normal stuff for all of south shore Nassau. I wouldn't worry too much. Violent crimes like getting shot, stabbed, hacked up with a machete, that stuff is mostly confined to rougher neighborhoods and people attatched to those neighborhoods. But petty/property crime is common throughout ss Nassau.
You state that your "budget is $600,000".
Is that what a lender said, or is that what your goal is?
If you haven't done so already, I'd like to suggest you talk to a lender (some of us here can recommend good ones) and get a pre-approval. It'll take a couple of days, during which you should be asked to provide a variety of financial information. When that's done, the lender will be in a position to tell you what your budget is, including assumed real estate taxes as a guideline.
Remember this, on Long Island, the amount of the real estate taxes has an impact on the purchase price, so don't just look at the asking price. And let your RE agent help you! If s/he doesn't know how to do that, find another one.
One of the lenders did the paperwork and told me max was $600K, but i'm currently shopping around with another lender.
This specific house in baldwin ..the buyer is asking for $699,000 and Est. payment: $4,201/mo ( this from Zillow)
But thank you and if you don't mind i will message you for more information regarding lenders.
That's a good point, looking at a house for $560k vs $620k your monthly payment can vary greatly depending on taxes and other factors. I always go to county website and never rely on what listing has.
Elke, how realistic are the homeowner insurance estimates on places like Zillow? That's another factor Nikki needs to be aware of. I am seeing for $600-$800k houses showins $2500-$3000/year for HOI. That sounds pretty high. I don't pay nearly that much for 2-family property that's worth double those in the boroughs.
Yes this house in baldwin is going for $699K & is showing Est. payment: $4,201/mo (Zillow info)
Thank you for the advice of going to the county's website..
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)... and now one they told me about a future new construction in (Jefferson Avenue, Rockville Center)... 
