Starter Houses on Long Island? (Smithtown, Centereach: buying a home, school, college)

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by fopt65

With a true starter home, you should be able to do it. (Not a 5 bedroom 3 bath house in pristine condition as I see many new couples want, then whine that they can't afford to live here!) I have 2 small kids, have a 3 bath 1 bed house in a good disrtict, taxes are 6 grand a year, and neighbor sold his house 6 months ago for $385,000. Basically, you're going against builders who are now finally realizing they can't pay this for a house, gut it, and get their money back.

When I was looking I saw nice, clean, smaller houses in East Northport and decent areas of Huntington Station for <400k. But you are right, young people want big-ass houses with steam showers and granite countertops. Here in California it's the same. People are killing themselves paying 600k+ to buy a 2500sf crackerbox on a 4000 sf lot to sit in 2 hours of traffic every day.. meanwhile you can STILL buy a nice 50's starter on an 8000-10000sf lot in a decent central SD neighborhood for under 500k. But they say they "can't live in anything less than 2000 sf" or they "cant live without 2 bathrooms"... give me a break.

[Check123]

I used to get home at 11pm, if I worked late. 6 to 8 is a cake walk.

My former boss used to get up at 3am to commute from Manorville to mid-town. Drove to Ronkonkoma, took the L.I.R.R., then the E train, four stops, walked two blocks. She was all of 5 feet tall and 110lbs.

Originally Posted by Sassberto

I timed it. From my door to Northport station to Wall Street, 90 minutes to 1:45. That's nearly 3 hours of commute time on top of a typical 10 hour software engineer's day. I'd have to catch a 6AM train and would be getting home after 8PM. And if the train is late, or the weather is bad, or there's a subway problem...

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by Check123

I used to get home at 11pm, if I worked late.

6 to 8? Cake walk.

cool, but as they say - different strokes for different folks. I work 6:30AM to 3PM - I'm home by 3:30. And I work 22 miles from my house. Most San Diegans would have a hard time beating that :-)

[Check123]

I'll travel the extra hour each way and live in NYC. Well worth it; 11% raises each year! Not happening in SD.

[jdhall1]

I had no idea that Long Island is that much more expensive than my part of Connecticut which is just as far to the city as most of Long Island (i'm about 65 minutes driving, 80 minutes by train). In my city, you can get a starter home (1200 square foot3 bedrooms, 2 baths, both redone with recent kitchen remodel) near a 700 acre park on an 1/8 of an acre for $325,000 with taxes being around $2700 a year.One thing that keeps the prices affordable is that the city is friendly toward condos and multifamily devolpments whereas almost all of Long Island, as I've been told, is all single family properties causing the little undevolped land to cost a boatload of money making it only financially viable for devolpers to build residental units geared to the upscale/luxury market.

The traffic is alot better here and there are a lot of good paying jobs in my area so you don't need to go into the city. Another realtor I know moved a family about 25 minutes north of where I live and it takes the husband about 45 less to get to the city each way.
My point of all of this long, drawn out post is that people that want to live in the suburbs of NY should consider more places than just LI, Westchester, NJ or Eastern PA to live because they might be missing what they are after, all here in Northern fairfield county ct.

[NYer]

Originally Posted by jdhall1

I had no idea that Long Island is that much more expensive than my part of Connecticut which is just as far to the city as most of Long Island ...
The traffic is alot better here and there are a lot of good paying jobs in my area so you don't need to go into the city. ...

The thing that sets LIapart is the proximity to bay & ocean beaches. If you are going to be using the beaches a lot it is worth the extra $ and aggravation if you can swing it.
LI is starting to have more multiple family dwellings, usually for the over 55 crowd (that way the schools do not get overcrowded) or, they are super deluxe & cost $500K and more, but have the pool, tennis & club house.

[jdhall1]

IF you want to talk beaches, the 3rd largest manmade lake in east is in the northeastern part of my city as well 5 surrounding towns. Even so, a good portion of the waterfront property is realitvly affordable (which a few expections where huge weekend houses for stockbroker types from the city). An 8 year old condo with 2 bedrooms and baths with lake views and great amenties (clubhouse, marina space) go for about $575,000. For more afforable lakefront property, a 40 year old ranch on half an acre with deeded beach rights with room to expand (only 800 sq ft, 2 bed 1 bath) is listed on the market for $289,000. IF you get tired of that lake, there is a smaller lake in town and the long island sound is about 45 minutes away.

The over 55 dwellings are starting to pop up here too but not in my city limits. I just can't believe how much some of them are costing, like one starting at about $620,000 but they are about 2700 square feet! Some of the new construction townhouses for families (3 bed, 2 1/2 baths) can start anywhere from $315k to about $397,000 but on the other hand you can get a good deal on a 4/5 year old townhouse for about 10-15% lower because of the new construction preminum. And these new communites have a couple of pools, a clubhouse and fitness centers.

[NickL28]

Originally Posted by jdhall1

I had no idea that Long Island is that much more expensive than my part of Connecticut which is just as far to the city as most of Long Island (i'm about 65 minutes driving, 80 minutes by train). In my city, you can get a starter home (1200 square foot3 bedrooms, 2 baths, both redone with recent kitchen remodel) near a 700 acre park on an 1/8 of an acre for $325,000 with taxes being around $2700 a year.One thing that keeps the prices affordable is that the city is friendly toward condos and multifamily devolpments whereas almost all of Long Island, as I've been told, is all single family properties causing the little undevolped land to cost a boatload of money making it only financially viable for devolpers to build residental units geared to the upscale/luxury market.

The traffic is alot better here and there are a lot of good paying jobs in my area so you don't need to go into the city. Another realtor I know moved a family about 25 minutes north of where I live and it takes the husband about 45 less to get to the city each way.
My point of all of this long, drawn out post is that people that want to live in the suburbs of NY should consider more places than just LI, Westchester, NJ or Eastern PA to live because they might be missing what they are after, all here in Northern fairfield county ct.

What part of CT are you referring to above??? Probably eastern CT near the Rhode Island border or around New London.

The portion of CT that is part of NYC metro area --South of Danbury or along I - 95 south of New Haven is no different than Long Island.. You get the same things -- Insanely high home prices & rents, high taxes, higher utility rates, and the same type of people -- Uptight Snobby Suburbanites whose life is nothing more than conspicous consumption. The $300,000 CONDO (forget about a house anywhere south of exit 60 on I - 95 for less than $700,000) went away ten years ago.

[jdhall1]

I live in Danbury. It's right just east of the New York State line along I-84. It's 45 minutes to White Plains, 45 minutes to Norwalk, 1hr to Stamford and Hartford.

[NYer]

Originally Posted by jdhall1

IF you want to talk beaches, the 3rd largest manmade lake in east is in the northeastern part of my city as well 5 surrounding towns. Even so, a good portion of the waterfront property is realitvly affordable (which a few expections where huge weekend houses for stockbroker types from the city). An 8 year old condo with 2 bedrooms and baths with lake views and great amenties (clubhouse, marina space) go for about $575,000. For more afforable lakefront property, a 40 year old ranch on half an acre with deeded beach rights with room to expand (only 800 sq ft, 2 bed 1 bath) is listed on the market for $289,000. IF you get tired of that lake, there is a smaller lake in town and the long island sound is about 45 minutes away.

The over 55 dwellings are starting to pop up here too but not in my city limits. I just can't believe how much some of them are costing, like one starting at about $620,000 but they are about 2700 square feet! Some of the new construction townhouses for families (3 bed, 2 1/2 baths) can start anywhere from $315k to about $397,000 but on the other hand you can get a good deal on a 4/5 year old townhouse for about 10-15% lower because of the new construction preminum. And these new communites have a couple of pools, a clubhouse and fitness centers.

I meant salt water
Candlewood is gorgeous but there are salt water addicts out there, and for them the steep price of Long Island or coastal CT is well worth it.