Any thoughts on Warwick, Orange County, NY? (Monroe, Middletown: real estate, condo)

[wanditapa13]

We currently live in Westchester County and are thinking about moving to Orange County. Any thoughts on Warwick? Any other places with good school districts and a not so horrific commute to NYC?

[Timmo]

Hi. I used to hang out in Warwick for about two years. It's a nice place. The schools are pretty good and it's a good place to raise a family. I used to go to the Philo Cafe at Tuscan Cafe a lot, although I heard it sold and moved.

What I didn't like about Warwick is there is very little to do esp. for a single guy. The age group is primarily below 18 and over 40. The commute is long, about two hours to NYC. I hear the train is also long. But, I liked the people there, and they were friendly considering I was an outsider. I think you'll enjoy it, if you don't mind the commute to NYC and you're already occupied on the Weekends (or drive to the mall in Middletown).

[JoshNHR]

Warwick is nice but Orange County is nothing like Westchester. I can't comment on schools (real estate agent yadda) but commute wise you can do better than Warwick depending on the type of community you want to live in. Monroe is closer to the city because you have direct access to the highway as opposed to traveling down 17A or Kings Highway (not a real highway) to get into Warwick but Monroe is also a lot busier with more shopping, traffic and homes than Warwick. What kind of home would you be looking for because each area is different in pricing for the same type of home.

[wanditapa13]

We were looking for a condo/townhome in the 300,000 price range. We are first time buyers so we just want to build some equity, sell and than get into something in Westchester. Does that make sense or am I dreaming?

Also, I am familiar with Sugar Loaf so it seems to me that it was easier to get to Warwick via Sugar Loaf. That other road (17A ?) was way to windy for my taste.

I am also going to look in Monroe/Woodbury school district which for some reason seems closer although not so on the map.

Any thoughts?

[JoshNHR]

You can absolutely find a condo/townhome in the 300s but home buyers today are becoming more discriminating in their home choices and they are focusing in on the intangible features of a home (commuting distance, neighborhood etc.) so you'll want to focus on this if you are planning to move in a few years. With the state of the current market I wouldn't expect any major price appreciation for the next 12-24 months as the homes just recently came down in prices. There are a lot of variables that will affect your home value including the proposed transit options into NYC via TZ bridge and what's being built around the homes. For example, Khov built townhomes that are reselling in the 400s now that are right next door to a newly built Target. This turns off a lot of our buyers.... Buying into a place where the area around the neighborhood is already established will benefit you greatly because it's a lot less likely that something undesirable will pop up.

The route you are taking to Warwick through Sugar Loaf is Kings Highway and you can get there from Monroe by taking Laroe Rd to Bellvale Rd to Kings Highway. It's funny that you mention the map because all of our clients (we are exclusive buyer's agents) tend to utilize a map when we first discuss areas of interest. Warwick, map wise, looks closer to NYC but the accessibility of Warwick is frustrating because there is no train nor is there a major highway so it's either 17A or Kings Highway unless you are coming from NJ.

[wanditapa13]

Originally Posted by JoshNHR

This turns off a lot of our buyers.... Buying into a place where the area around the neighborhood is already established will benefit you greatly because it's a lot less likely that something undesirable will pop up.

Josh, I am not sure if you can give out this information but what exactly are those areas? Should I even bother with Monroe/Woodbury?

It's funny you should mention about the bridge because I know this is going to be a big source of angst when all that supposed reconstruction starts.

[JoshNHR]

I should clarify what I was conveying in my last message. Say you buy into a new townhome community and then after you close you find out that they are building a Target across the street so this will create a lot more traffic and thus more noise. This may limit the number of buyers interested in your home because some buyers don't want to be near retail areas. There aren't any specific areas that you should avoid but if you are buying a home that you plan to sell in a few years and the community is being built in an area where other homes already exist and surround the community then it is a lot less likely that you will have a Wal-Mart or Target built nearby. The best way to know what's going on around the community you are buying into is to look at the zoning of the area. If you buy into a community and the lots next door are zoned commercial/retail then you have a greater chance of a store being built there rather than homes and vice versa. I wouldn't write any part of Orange County off and commute wise the Monroe-Woodbury area tends to be the most desirable.

I look forward to the TZ bridge after it's finished but I dread every minute of the construction process when I drive into the city. The construction upgrades of I-87 and I-287 have been pretty easy to deal with overall though so perhaps it won't be AS big of a deal. Look on the bright side: One day you might be commuting to the city by light rail.

[mom2gurls]

We were thinking of warwick 2 years ago as well..but it was too far out in the boonies for us...my dh commutes to the bridge and we live in dutchess county. When we bought up here, the commute was just to westchester. So go figure.

Anyway, we are now considering rockland county, morris county and maybe the towns that only fall within the monroe school district.

My only concern now is the post on the other thread about the hasidic population. I certainly dont want our kids to stick out like a sore thumb, nor do I want to get involved in any political situation with the school district because of religion.

Perhaps another thread is warranted, but it seems like there is alot of growth in the monroe area.

The only time I get out there is to the woodbury commons area....but is there alot of shops being built...major department stores, and strip malls and such?


I dont want to be in a position where you have to drive 15 minutes to get to a CVS.

How are the housing prices in Monroe and rockland..any ideas?

[JoshNHR]

The pricing in Monroe is better than Rockland and you won't have to drive 15 minutes to get to a CVS unless you live way, way, way out in the Town of Monroe. I can't really touch the religion issue or the make up of the school but Kiryas Joel is a very small part of the area compared to the Town of Woodbury which it is closest to. Those in the Town of Monroe, Village of Monroe and Village of Harriman aren't even near the developments going up in Kiryas Joel. Monroe is the most expensive area in Orange County outside of Tuxedo Park with new homes anywhere from $399,900 to $1,200,000. What kind of home are you looking for?

[mom2gurls]

Well, I hate to sound desperate housewif "ish", but growing up in southern california, I actually like subdivisions and that whole community feel. I dont like having 1-2 Acres of property per house or driving to see my neighbors. Any home that is listed as "privacy galore, secluded, or anything of the sort is not up our alley". I have heard that brigadoon is a great subdivision, but has had some land and water problems....I guess something that the town didnt anticipate.

We are looking to upgrade, only because now we have 2 kids and one on the way...right now we are feeling cramped in our 3 bedroom raised ranch.

We are looking for the typical 4-5 bedroom, 2-3 bath subdivsion home, close to the thruway and all major shopping. But knowing the prices here in dutchess, we are also looking to save some $$ in Orange county. I have seen some decent looking homes for 420s-500s...resales are fine. We are not in a rush either, so if there is a desperate seller, corporate relocation from an upscale area...that is more up our alley as well. One area we have also heard great things about is Mansion ridge.