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The best bang for your buck is always the place that is under the radar.
Stay away from many of the Queens nabes as they are shark infested with realtors.
I wish it was open season or Realtors . Bunch of animals. L.O.L.....................joke..... folks...... don't get your hairs up in a tizzy..
You say you use Zillow right?
Look at the zillow graph ( price of this home ) to see if it is spiking upwards. If so run. It's becoming a hot spot.
That's where you get the life sucked out of your pockets.
Hit the nabes where the graph line flat lines or begins to dip. Your best bet on a fair price.
Been a bit since I posted this thread last December....thought it'd be interesting to revive it.
Some things that have changed -
-It'll definitely be a co-op.
-I've nailed down neighborhood. Jackson Heights/East Elmhurst border. Thinking high 80s around Northern Blvd. There are a few co-op complexes I like that have the amenities I want along with prices in line with my budget.
-Total budget is $300k for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath (although some buildings have 1.5 bath). 3 bedrooms are out of my reach at this time. I've seen quite a few apartments in this area at this price. I have to be able to live with the kitchen and bath for at least a few years. All I can really afford to do before moving in is flooring (replace carpets if required or refinish floors if wood), and a paint job. Maybe a bathroom vanity lol.
-I'll likely be buying by the end of this year/early next. Earliest would probably be October, latest would be March. I'll be 40 in March so happy birthday to me.
-Maintenance/mortgage will likely be comparable to what I pay in rent now, except it'll include electric, an extra bedroom, laundry in building, and I'll be an owner, so building equity and getting some (although not as many as used to be) tax breaks. Win win win win.
For a while I was seriously considering the 2 family, and had found a few properties that I could juuuuust make the numbers work. But when it came down to it, I really have no interesting in maintaining a house, nor do I have the reserve funds to be a landlord. So I decided/realized that was out.
Thanks for everyone's input on neighborhoods. I'd still have loved to be able to stay in Astoria but I'm priced out. Acropolis Gardens on Ditmars b/w 33rd & 35th has good prices and nicely sized rooms BUT it's an old building, a walk up, no garages in the building or nearby, and has awful awful reviews. Plus their maintenance seems high for the amenities offered. But I went and walked around JH/EE a few times and love the area. I like the vibrancy along 37th Ave, 82nd St, and Northern, and the quieter side streets. I'm about the same distance to the 7 train as I am to the N/W now, or I can take the bus to the 74th St station and just grab the E which will leave me a block from my office (both current and new space we are moving to in Dec, which will be 3 stops closer).
Good that you don't have school considerations, which makes the decision much easier.
so Liz, Acropolis towers is questionable with their high maintenance charge, them buildings look ugly, sorry fading white. Upper Ditmars is a quiet neighborhood, Q69 Q101 is nearby.
As for JH, west of 82 nd street is better. Although there are buildings right on Northern, I was told from a realtor that they ask alot of questions , and are strict to approve. 69 to 82 street, between Northern and Roosevelt Ave is a better choice and part of a Historic District.
There is also Boulevard Gardens. North of Northern Blvd, 31st Ave and the 50s. It is a nice community of co ops with a park like setting. 2-3 blocks to the subway. I have visited friends there, many owner occupied tenants.
Good Luck in your search.
Acropolis is just run down and gross. And they want a lot more in maintenance for a lot less than much nicer buildings in EE/JH. Liking a neighborhood isn't enough of a consideration in this case to make that trade off.
I looked at a few places in Blvd Gardens online and while they're nice, and the maintenance is reasonable, they're out of my range right now, unless I went for a 1 bedroom which is not on the radar.
My target area is 85th-95th, between like 35th Ave and 32nd Ave. The building boards are a little stricter but that's fine by me, I have the right answers. If I'm taking out a mortgage for a few hundred grand, I don't mind them being strict and vetting. Historic District is beautiful but out of range.
There's literally not a scenario in the world that would make me go hmmm I should consider moving back to TN! Now, if something happened where choice was off the table, that's a different situation. But no. I'm good. I did my time. It was a nice place to grow up but I've grown into a different person and don't want to live around all of those close minded people.
Funny enough, nearly all have hauled ass out to the burbs. I love TN, and NYC, but can’t see myself living there again. I get my daily dose at work.
The best bang for your buck is always the place that is under the radar.
Stay away from many of the Queens nabes as they are shark infested with realtors.
I wish it was open season or Realtors . Bunch of animals. L.O.L.....................joke..... folks...... don't get your hairs up in a tizzy..
You say you use Zillow right?
Look at the zillow graph ( price of this home ) to see if it is spiking upwards. If so run. It's becoming a hot spot.
That's where you get the life sucked out of your pockets.
Hit the nabes where the graph line flat lines or begins to dip. Your best bet on a fair price.
Good Luck..
It is a fine balance.
You need to see that the trend will eventually go up otherwise you're gonna be hurting on the resale value 10-20 years from now.
Just wanted to come back and update - I am officially in contract on a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath co-op in Jackson Heights. Right in my target area, in one of the co-op complexes I was hoping for. Great price, and now we just gotta get through the board. I'm not particularly worried about that, just a lot of paperwork to put together, most of which I have already. I don't think I'll be able to submit my board package by the Nov meeting, but they may do a one off interview. If not, it'll be a December closing, and after replacing carpets, updating electrical, and painting, I should move in mid-Jan. Woo!
Thanks to all for the advice on this thread, whether it was relevant or not lol.
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