Average home prices in or near Westchester county.. (New York, Yonkers: condominium, how much)

[FlaGrrrl]

Hi! I was looking at home prices in Syracuse and I realize that's in Central New York but are there similarly priced homes in or near Westchester county?

In general, I'm looking for areas with potential to grow/develop and affordable housing (100k) with more of a liberal/progressive tone than conservative values.

If not Westchester how much farther north would I have to travel to find an area like this?

Thank you.

[ponytrekker]

Originally Posted by FlaGrrrl

Hi! I was looking at home prices in Syracuse and I realize that's in Central New York but are there similarly priced homes in or near Westchester county?

Not really. Being an hour away from NYC comes at a premium. For now.

In general, I'm looking for areas with potential to grow/develop and affordable housing (100k) with more of a liberal/progressive tone than conservative values.

That's going to be difficult to find. If you're willing to travel 2 hours into the city you may be able to find housing in the 200-300k range but most of these areas are decidedly conservative as far as I can tell. Of course, there may be areas within New York city that you can also find houses in this range but anything lower will be in an area on the cusp of poverty and/or redevelopment. There aren't many of these areas left in NYC. Maybe the South Bronx.

If not Westchester how much farther north would I have to travel to find an area like this?

Thank you.

Sullivan County -- maybe. Also Sussex County NJ has plenty of nice properties in the 200k-300k range.

[bmwguydc]

Are you open to a condominium or a townhouse? If so, you can find that in Westchester in your price range in the areas around Mount Kisco, Yorktown, and into neighboring Putnam County in areas such as Carmel, Jefferson Valley at a price point around $100-$150k. Pawling in Dutchess might have something in the line of a small cottage, which can also be found in neighboring areas closer to the city, though there are likely to be condition issues and they will be tiny. Much of Beacon is also not what you appear to be seeking, so the house price might be attractive, but the area is not so much a relaxing retreat. However, New Windsor is worth a look, though you're really in condo price territory there as well, there could also be a smaller cottage in range. Most of these areas are a few miles from a MetroNorth station to New York, and are less than an hour and a half via train or car.

You can also find some in that price range in nearby Connecticut, including Danbury and Bethel. Steer clear of Bridgeport, however, since most of the city has problems, though there are a large number of houses in your price range, some huge old Victorians. I'd still skip Bridgeport as it's not going to be bucolic.

There are some wonderful areas in the nearby Hudson Valley that are definitely worthy of consideration. New Paltz came to mind immediately, given your description, but it's also a little pricey for the area. However, you can be within a few minutes of it in Hyde Park or Walden. If you don't mind being a little further north, closer to the two hour mark to New York via car and a slightly longer commute to the train, I would definitely suggest that you look into Saugerties and Woodstock. They are in the area of the Catskills preserve on the west bank of the Hudson, yet are not too removed from the city for access to it. I'd also skip Newburgh, just in case you come up with listings in range there. Parts of Kingston and Espous, however, are not bad, though Kingston is more of a built-up area in comparison to other more exurban retreats.

Hope that helps a bit to give you some ideas. You may have a hunt to find a great property in the region, but they do exist. It's a difficult range, since much of the NY metro is expensive, but if you persevere, you should be able to find something that would work for you in the mix of city proximity and retreat. Best of luck in the search!

[dma1250]

If you're talking about a one bedroom or studio condo or cooperative, a quick search in Westchester finds options under 100K in Croton, Cortlandt, Yorktown, Peekskill, Mt Vernon, New Rochelle, Ossining, Yonkers, and Rye. Searching up to 150K, the largest thing I see currently listed is a 2 bedroom in Ossining--I'm not seeing any townhouses. On the politics issue, all the areas in northern Westchester should do the trick---they aren't necessarily liberal, but they definitely aren't conservative.

[FlaGrrrl]

Thanks everyone!