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Can we get a 3 bed 2 bath house in westchester within a great school district (im thinking scarsdale is too expensive but correct me if im wrong). Would love some property but if not thats ok. Also, train ride to manhattan under 1 hour. Are taxes all above $10k?
Trying to decide on LI vs Westchester. Initially crossed Westchester off because everyone keeps saying its one of the highest taxed areas in the country but I know the schools are amazing so I want to revisit..
That's asking a lot, but since you didn't mention square footage, you can probably find a small, pre-war era home/fixer upper with 3bd (or a condo) in that range. I think your options will open up if you look at condos, but you'll have to factor in monthly HOA fees.
I don't expect that you would find anything near that price range in Scarsdale. Try Hartsdale, Elmsford, White Plains, etc which may have more affordable options. Taxes will be above 10K, but for a 3bd home, plan your budget closer to 15-20k if you want a better school district.
Here's a good example of what you might find in your price range in lower Westchester - good towns but not sure your feelings on a pre-war era house:
We arent looking for a mansion - 1500 sqft will do just fine. The one in Hartsdale is not bad with taxes that are doable, nice size property but I see the schools are bad (greatschools ratings 4-7)... is that not right?
The one in Hastings on the Hudson is not bad either.
Are these towns good for commute into Manhattan both by car and train? Is it under an hour, is there parkign at train station, etc?
We arent looking for a mansion - 1500 sqft will do just fine. The one in Hartsdale is not bad with taxes that are doable, nice size property but I see the schools are bad (greatschools ratings 4-7)... is that not right?
The one in Hastings on the Hudson is not bad either.
Are these towns good for commute into Manhattan both by car and train? Is it under an hour, is there parkign at train station, etc?
Thanks much!
Of the 3 towns, Hartsdale has the lowest ranked schools, which is what probably accounts for the large difference in taxes you observed. However, the town itself is very nice and walkable, the station is centrally located and you may get a nicer house for your money (and lower taxes). In this area, it's all about trade-offs between school ranking, taxes, price and location and finding the balance of each that works for your situation. If your primary concern is school ranking then out of the 3 Ardsley would be the highest-ranked, in a similar category with Scarsdale.
All 3 towns are good for commuting to Manhattan; though worthwhile to note that the Ardsley train station is located on the Hudson line, so you may have to drive a bit further since Ardsley itself is landlocked (or use Dobbs Ferry/Hastings station depending where the house is located). You can look into resident vs non-resident wait times at each station. I commute out of Dobbs Ferry, about 35 mins by train if you take the express. Hastings would shorten that commute by about 5 mins, and I believe Hartsdale (on the Harlem line) would be similar. Dobbs Ferry sells day parking passes for $5, not sure about the other 2 towns.
For all 3 towns if you wish to drive you can take several routes. For example, we used to commute down on the SMP/Hudson Parkway to Downtown which would take anywhere from 45 mins to 2+ hours, depending on weather, road conditions and traffic. Currently I prefer the train as driving is very volatile if you're trying to reach NYC at a certain time each day. If you want to keep you commute under 1hr by train, you'll want to draw a line across the county somewhere around Briarcliff Manor and adjust for train delays, etc. Above that and you'll be looking at more than an hour plus your door-to-door time.
I haven't spent much time in LI, but I love living in Westchester, it's really calm and I love getting away from the city each day as well as having all the trails/outdoor activities on my doorstep. We moved here from NJ and it's been a world of difference (for the better). Hope your search goes well!
Last edited by vladlensky; 06-02-2016 at 11:52 AM..
We arent looking for a mansion - 1500 sqft will do just fine. The one in Hartsdale is not bad with taxes that are doable, nice size property but I see the schools are bad (greatschools ratings 4-7)... is that not right?
The one in Hastings on the Hudson is not bad either.
Are these towns good for commute into Manhattan both by car and train? Is it under an hour, is there parkign at train station, etc?
There must be something with that house in Ardsley...a nice little tudor, in the 400s, not on a main street, in Ardsely? It's been on Zillow for 171 days.
Hartsdale lower grade schools are fine. It's the high grades that are a concern, especially high school , which is a nightmare. However, the quality of life - cost of living is hard to beat. There are a couple of private schools that many Hartsdale parents use (and we will eventually) that are probably still cheaper than the additional taxes you would pay in other towns.
There must be something with that house in Ardsley...a nice little tudor, in the 400s, not on a main street, in Ardsely? It's been on Zillow for 171 days.
Can we get a 3 bed 2 bath house in westchester within a great school district (im thinking scarsdale is too expensive but correct me if im wrong). Would love some property but if not thats ok. Also, train ride to manhattan under 1 hour. Are taxes all above $10k?
Trying to decide on LI vs Westchester. Initially crossed Westchester off because everyone keeps saying its one of the highest taxed areas in the country but I know the schools are amazing so I want to revisit..
The short answer is no.. not really, and definitely not in a "great" school district by Westchester standards. In Scarsdale a 500k house (of which there are almost none) would have 15k minimum in taxes and more likely closer to 20k. What you're looking for might be possible in Northern Westchester, but you're going to be above an hour (check out Somers school district). What you describe is basically what everyone wants and you have to have a trade-off on something. Consider the condo route if schools are your #1 most important factor.
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