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hey, just wondering what, if any options i have. i've been pre-approved for 700k, but considering daycare costs (assuming comparable to nyc which is $2300), property taxes, increased commuting costs, random home costs i don't appreciate as a first time home owner, and 45k of outstanding student loans, really much more comfortable around 400k, with an absolute max of 500 (no more than 12k prop tax). do want to have good schools for the almost two-year old, but don't need *the absolute best*.
also, two big dogs. really, really want at least .3 acres or so for everyone's quality of life. options for a 3 bedroom house (can be in serious need of cosmetic facelift but no serious fixer uppers.) don't really care about restaurants, shopping, etc.
i've found a few properties in pleasantville/chappaqua. but options look slim. the cheaper areas, like ossining and mount vernon, seem to have pretty crappily rated schools. am i missing anything?
where would you look? i work literally on top of grand central 50% of the time and work the other 50% of the time at home. have a car, but assume train in will be the least hassle. would be willing to consider a slightly longer commute, that considered, but much longer and it'd be very hard to pick the toddler up from daycare on time on the days i do commute (even if i pay for later hours). not to mention it's actually nice to see him outside of the bath/bed routine.
oh, and do westchester towns offer free universal pre k that's good?
what about good bilingual programs? my son's currently enrolled in a spanish montessori, and while i speak spanish well enough to get by- it's not enough to make sure he continues knowing it without outside help. so i'd really love to continue spanish school exposure.
I've heard a few people around here recommend Croton for folks looking for more space. It's highly unlikely you'll find anything with a yard that size in the price range (that isn't a major as-is/fixer-upper property) in the lower towns. If you're working right next to GCT, Croton might not be such a bad option to consider for the particular combination of land/school quality/price you are looking for.
Edit: Here's one such example (though there are others in the sub-500K range). Perhaps not as big of a lot as you are hoping for, but a single family home with a yard nevertheless:
Megan, I'm very sorry to say that for under $500,000, there is pretty much nowhere in Westchester with a 1 hour commute, good schools, and where you can get at least .3 acres of land. I don't mean to scare you, but even if you upped your budget to $800,000, that might be a stretch. (FWIW my home is worth about $1.1 million and I have a property half the size that you're looking for.)
I really like White Plains and lived there for years. You can get a nice stand alone home there for closer to your price range, although .3 acres is not going to happen. You have to be willing to look very far north in the county to meet your price and acreage criteria. Feel free to private message me if you want to discuss further.
on the other hand, maybe they're all too good to be true? the only home i've actually gone to see was the below. was so excited about it. super cute. lots of outdoor space. cute stream, right by train station. and it's just the two of us, so a tiny house sounds perfectly fine.
only it's right in front of the very, very loud highway. and on the other side? another busy street. just couldn't with a toddler, even though the real estate agent intimated the seller would accept a lower offer. maybe if he were older and i wanted the good schools but didn't have to worry about the safety or whether he'd ever want to play outside...
oh, and do westchester towns offer free universal pre k that's good?
what about good bilingual programs? my son's currently enrolled in a spanish montessori, and while i speak spanish well enough to get by- it's not enough to make sure he continues knowing it without outside help. so i'd really love to continue spanish school exposure.
No, there is no universal pre-k, also known as taxpayer-paid glorified babysitting.
hey, just wondering what, if any options i have. i've been pre-approved for 700k, but considering daycare costs (assuming comparable to nyc which is $2300), property taxes, increased commuting costs, random home costs i don't appreciate as a first time home owner, and 45k of outstanding student loans, really much more comfortable around 400k, with an absolute max of 500 (no more than 12k prop tax). do want to have good schools for the almost two-year old, but don't need *the absolute best*.
also, two big dogs. really, really want at least .3 acres or so for everyone's quality of life. options for a 3 bedroom house (can be in serious need of cosmetic facelift but no serious fixer uppers.) don't really care about restaurants, shopping, etc.
i've found a few properties in pleasantville/chappaqua. but options look slim. the cheaper areas, like ossining and mount vernon, seem to have pretty crappily rated schools. am i missing anything?
where would you look? i work literally on top of grand central 50% of the time and work the other 50% of the time at home. have a car, but assume train in will be the least hassle. would be willing to consider a slightly longer commute, that considered, but much longer and it'd be very hard to pick the toddler up from daycare on time on the days i do commute (even if i pay for later hours). not to mention it's actually nice to see him outside of the bath/bed routine.
I would look a little further north. Yorktown and Lakeland Schools are good, home prices are easily $400,000 for half an acre, lots of room and good daycare options. The commute is a bit longer, but only by 10 minutes or so. If you are in the southern side of Cortlandt, you can use the croton train, which is 45 minutes to GCT. Southern westchester is outside your price range unless its a tiny house or lot.
hrm. surprising. i thought upk was a state-wide initiative that most districts were getting behind and assumed that'd include known-mostly-for-schools westchester.
unfortunate, because the 26k per year on daycare is really intense. i really probably shouldn't move, financially until he's entering public school and i don't have to pay for private anymore. but i figured even if i wasn't quite making it, i could cover the difference with savings for one more year. and i just really have to get out of the city.
are the age cut-offs for kingergarten the same? he turns two tomorrow, and with the jan 1 cutoff, he'd be eligible for upk in nyc in 2017, even though he'd almost certainly be the youngest student. if westchester has an aug/sept cutoff, then it'd be an extra two years of paying for daycare/pre-school, not one.
thanks for this! cortlandt does really have some very affordable homes with space. would that include montrose? thanks for letting me know to focus on the south, because i didn't realize there was a faster train option. an hour commute is totally doable for me, esp on a train. (and i do have a car so could drive to the station).
haven't really looked in yorktown or lakeland because googlemaps doesn't recognize a public transport option when i've entered in addresses. what station would i use?
on the other hand, maybe they're all too good to be true? the only home i've actually gone to see was the below. was so excited about it. super cute. lots of outdoor space. cute stream, right by train station. and it's just the two of us, so a tiny house sounds perfectly fine.
only it's right in front of the very, very loud highway. and on the other side? another busy street. just couldn't with a toddler, even though the real estate agent intimated the seller would accept a lower offer. maybe if he were older and i wanted the good schools but didn't have to worry about the safety or whether he'd ever want to play outside...
maybe they're all likely to have these sorts of flaws at this price point?
I wanted to comment since we actually went and saw that same house last year.
You're right about it being visually appealing, but there were several drawbacks (from our perspective):
1. Square footage vs. # of rooms (we were looking for an open layout)
2. I seem to recall this house had a septic tank instead of being connected to city sewer
3. Age of house was a turnoff for us as first time buyers
4. House backs up directly to Saw Mill which you must also cross to access the station
Based on all these factors, and the amount of time this house has been listed at this price, my guess is that the asking price is too high and the seller isn't willing to budge. I'd be curious to see what an inspection would turn up on a house that age, but we never got that far in the process...
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