Moving from NYC to Orange or Rockland County (Albany, Poughkeepsie: how much, new home)

[Joeretha]

My husband and I are considering buying a new construction house in either Orange or Rockland County within the next year. We currently live in nyc , have a newborn son and are looking for an affordable home with a great school district. We also have to commute daily to nyc so distance is an issue. Does anyone have any affordable new home construction / town suggestions?

[havoc315]

What do you consider affordable?

In this market, you do have one major advantage with new construction. Unlike occupied housing, a builder has no incentive to hold on to a property, and it actively taking a loss by holding the property. Thus, a builder has an extra incentive to unload new construction as fast as possible.

I really don't know Orange too well, but Rockland does not have tons of new construction. Sometimes it seems the entire county was built between 1962 and 1971. But you will find a scattering of houses built in the last few years, and some brand new.

To really give you an educated answer, really need to know your budget.

As to commuting--- Commuting is painful from Rockland, and even more painful from Orange. And depending where in NYC you need to commute to, plus whether you prefer driving or mass transit, it can affect what neighborhoods are best for you.

[JedB]

I have lived in Rockland County for 25 years and now live in Orange County for the past 19 years and also commute to NY city from around the Washingtonville area. I take the Train to Midtown from here and it takes about 2 hours each way....

What is your budget for a home and I can steer you to the best area for commute and price.

[jawny08]

I'd highly recommend staying east of the Hudson if you commute to the city. Check out Putnam or Dutchess County. You will have access to fast and frequent train service which is not available west of the Hudson.

Also, if you check out these places I think you will agree east of the Hudson is more beautiful. Rockland is like a hilly NJ.

[bluecountry]

Really?
Rockland from what I have seen off the interstate looks like a nice, pretty area.

[ocnymonty]

lthough you can find some nice deal on new construction with builder incentives, be aware that a new construction brings a new assement in taxes. New construction homes are typically much more than old construction regardless of updates. I live in Montgomery in Orange County in a 2200 sqft home with many modernizations and updates. The house was built in 1964 and I pay $5200 per year in property tax. Houses we looked at with the same square footage on smaller plots of land built in the last 3-4 years were upwards of $12-14K for annual taxes. Just keep in mind how that will affect your monthly burden.

[bluecountry]

Is Orange County rural or suburban?

[Tioga]

JedB...every now and then I look at some of the dowstate or Penn. posts. Some of the commuters from Orange county, other areas along the Hudson, and those from the west commuting from the Poconos to NYC mention their commute times. How do you get used to eating up 3-4 hrs commute(both ways)-5 days a week-to the city. No matter how lucrative the job....maybe I'm missing something here...but that's time you can't buy back, no matter how much $$$ the job pays................

[jawny08]

For the most part Orange County is a suburban county. It looks like a nice place to raise a family. However, I still recommend Putnam or Dutchess County. I just don't see why you would live west of the river if you work in the city. Train service east of the Hudson is far better and you don't have to transfer in NJ to get into Manhattan. Even if you dirve you don't have to pay the toll to cross the river.

I would recommend everyone take the train from Manhattan to Poughkeepsie or Albany (Metro North or Amtrak) someday to see how beautifull these counties are!

[Joeretha]

Thanks all for the replies. The term "affordable" is definitely a relative term but a new construction home with all the bells and whistles for less than $500k would seem attractive to us. Not to mention accessibility to public transportation, closest distance to NYC as well as a great neighborhood with very good schools.

We initially looked into the Poconos area but it does not appear to meet all of the criteria so our search continues in Orange County.

Any town recommendations?