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My husband and I are considering relocating from North Carolina to New York to settle down. We just got married a year ago and are 27 (me) and 30 (him). We're ready to start considering having children.My husband was born in Mount Vernon and spent a small part of his childhood there and considers it a suitable place to raise children but I'm not convinced. I'm looking for someplace close enough to the 5 boroughs that I could take a train and still have a slice of the excitement and bustling city but I also want to be far enough that I don't have to deal with as many city problems such as crime. I want my children to be independent and able to explore their surrounds, attend good schools, and have a stimulating environment.
Our annual income is $80,000. We are both black but not from the islands. I grew up in Raleigh, NC and he spent most of his life there too. We would like to purchase our own home and our budget is $500,000. Square footage isn't a big deal, we want our money's worth. In a good school district preferably.
And don't forget near the city!
What do you think? Maybe even in one of the boroughs, perhaps the Bronx or Queens?
I grew up in the White Plains area and found it to be a nice place to have a childhood, with smaller intimate schools. The city has been significantly transformed in the last decade so I am unsure if your husband's memories would do it justice. White Plains has a small skyline but is largely suburban. The Suburbs are Greenburgh, Valhalla, North Castle, Scarsdale, etc. We could take the metro north into NYC without much trouble. My father worked in Brooklyn which was a bit of a nuisance but it would be easier to work in Manhattan.
Also look at Ossining. Unfortunately, $80,000 is tough to go by in Westchester, especially if kids will be in the mix. Make sure you're not buying more house than you can handle. My husband and I have a combined of appx. $200k, but we purchased a house for less than $300k to make sure one of us is able to pay the mortgage and taxes in case the other is out of a job or ill.
Look at East Yonkers, it borders Mt. Vernon, and upscale Bronxville and Tuckahoe (both named among best places to live in the U.S. by Fortune magazine), and it's close to Metro North Station, twenty minutes to Grand Central. Yonkers was just named the
second safest city in the U.S. of it's size. All ethnic groups get along wonderfully here, it's a beautiful thing to experience. In some parts of northern Westchester there is so much snobbery that I wouldn't trade living in Yonkers for the most expensive home in those areas. Real estate is booming right now in Yonkers and surrounding areas, so you may not find the home you want for $500,000, most decent homes in East Yonkers are selling for much more, maybe you should wait for prices to come down before you make the move. BTW, Yonkers has just about the cheapest real estate taxes you will find in Westchester County.
Also look at Ossining. Unfortunately, $80,000 is tough to go by in Westchester, especially if kids will be in the mix. Make sure you're not buying more house than you can handle. My husband and I have a combined of appx. $200k, but we purchased a house for less than $300k to make sure one of us is able to pay the mortgage and taxes in case the other is out of a job or ill.
Living like that is pretty insane. Always thinking the other shoe is going to drop so living in quarters the side of a cottage?
If you are willing to consider a co-op/apartment instead of a house, it is doable. A lot great towns in lower Westchester in good school districts have some co-ops/apartments available, often relatively close to the Metro-North (commuter railroad) station. I would start looking in Tuckahoe, Eastchester and Pelham.
On the other hand, if you are only interested in a single family house, your budget will present a challenge in lower Westchester.
Westchester real-estate is extreamly expensive regardless of how you look at it: buying, renting, etc.
With your income, taxes will also be a challenge even if you can buy the house. Used to Carolina prices, be prepared for a sticker shock.
What about Northern Mount Vernon, which has solid/good public and private elementary schools and is a middle class area of the city? Neighborhoods like Fleetwood and Oakwood Heights, as well as the area north of the Cross County may be worth a look. If private schools are an option, that could give you more flexibility to consider that area.
Also, the Rochelle Park area of New Rochelle may be another nearby option. Its far western portion next to Pelham is actually a middle class, predominantly Black area.
Perhaps look into northern Pelham, which is in between those areas of Mount Vernon and New Rochelle. It is a diverse area with very good schools. Pelham Union Free School District - USA.comâ„¢
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 06-05-2017 at 08:59 AM..
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