Buying in Crestwood neighborhood of Yonkers (Eastchester, Tuckahoe: for sale by owner, real estate, broker)

[crestwoodplease]

Have been impressed by the depth of local knowledge on this board, so thought I'd try my luck:

My wife and I are looking to buy a home in Westchester. We have zoned in on the Crestwood section of Yonkers (or Tuckahoe, depending on whether you like zip code or town names) as pretty much our ideal neighborhood. Unfortunately few homes seem to be on the market there (at least in our price range - sub $600K). Although this is no doubt a function of the economy, we've also heard from friends that managed to find a house there a couple of years ago that much of the sales activity in Crestwood takes place without broker involvement - i.e. homes get sold and otherwise passed down to (and through) friends and family. Any idea if this reputation is deserved? We don't have any connection to the area, so are wondering how likely it is we'll be able to find something on the "listed" market. Thanks!

[Note to brokers: we already have one.]

[jyyanks]

I guess my first question is - how important are schools?

Crestwood is a beautiful area of Yonkers which I am quite familiar with. Nice neighborhood, beautiful homes, close to the Crestwood train station and overall a great place to live. School 15 is right in the neighborhood and is an excellent elementary school. However, Crestwood is still in the Yonkers school district which really is not the best. Many people from Crestwood send their kids to School 15 and then they transfer to private schools for the middle school years. Crestwood is predominantly Irish/Italian so many parents send their kids to the 2 local catholic schools in the area - Fatima and Assumption.

Now to answer your question - don't think you have anything to worry about with regards to getting a home in the area. I drive through Crestwood every day and have friends that live there and I have often seen FOR SALE signs up. In this economy especially, I think you will be able to find a home in your price range. Just make sure your real estate agent that is familiar with the area and you should be fine.
Good Luck!

[Minathebrat]

It's funny, I live in Eastchester, but a few minutes walk down the "big hill" brings me to the Crestwood train station, which if you want to get technical, is Tuckahoe, though the shops say Crestwood, but everyone who lives there goes to Eastchester schools...LOL Gotta love it.

[crestwoodplease]

Originally Posted by jyyanks

I guess my first question is - how important are chools?

In this economy especially, I think you will be able to find a home in your price range. Just make sure your real estate agent that is familiar with the area and you should be fine.
Good Luck!

Thanks - that is consistent with what we've heard w/r/t schools (we're only focused on elementary schools - we'll move or do private schools if the middle/high school system hasn't improved in Yonkers by the time we need it). Also appreciate the encouragement on finding a home there - we'll keep our fingers crossed.

[moxiecat]

Nice area. Friendly down-to-earth neighborhood. I've seen a few "for sale" signs in the Lincoln Av/Burnham Rd area on my way to the recycling yard but did not pay much attention to exact locations. Try asking the bartender at American Bistro - he's a veteran there and talks to everyone. Nice fellow but I forget his name.

[jyyanks]

I just saw my friend who lives in Crestwood today. She said there is a house on Manhattan Ave (Tudor) that is for sale and is in the $600's. She also told me that there is a waiting list for Annunciation so if you do have kids and if you plan on sending them there, keep that in mind. Many of my friends who live in Crestwood can actually walk to the Crestwood train station but they go though the other side (not the Eastchester/Tuckahoe side mentioned above but the opposite side of the tracks).
Good Luck with your search!

[Cwood2008]

Crestwood is a very close-knit community and I would have to say that, yes, many of the homes are sold through word of mouth or passed on to children/grandchildren. Many people who grow up in Crestwood return to raise their own children here....I'm hope my children do the same.

With that said, lots of homes are sold through brokers or by owner. We ended up finding our home for sale "by owner".

If you have any questions about Crestwood, feel free to ask me.

[sallyg]

Crestwood does have homes for sale by broker, but many sales are done through word of mouth. There is a large Irish population in Crestwood- and a few of my relatives have purchased homes from relatives or family friends. These homes were never put on the "market". But that being said- there are still many homes for sale through broker and for sale by owner in Crestwood.

[LisaZ]

I would suggest that you really think carefully about buying in Crestwood. I lived there in the 90's and actually we sold to a friend (no agent). BUT, since a lot of Yonkers has been changing over the years, I wonder if your investment will hold it's value. It is a beautiful section of Yonkers, but Yonkers has changed tremendously over the years at it is still subject to all the politics/school and social issues that Yonkers, as a city, is dealing with. My husband was a cop in Yonkers up to several years ago, and although his family does live in that area, he does not even like to go and visit anymore - it has just changed a lot.

[Cwood2008]

With all due respect to LisaZ, I nor any of my neighbors that I have spoken to are worried about our home investments in Crestwood. My home has lost very little if any value during this recession. In fact my home is one of my most profitable investments over the years. Don't forget the three most important things when looking for a home: location, location, location. Crestwood has it all. We are walk all - walk to train, walk to school, walk to church, walk to shopping. A 30 minute commute to Grand Central is very desirable to many and Crestwood has that. Living in Crestwood is like living in a small town. I cannot even describe how strong the community is and how much neighbors supoort each other, their school and church. Granted I knew I would be sending my children to catholic school when I moved here, but I wanted them to have a catholic education so Crestwood was perfect for us. Most of the children in Crestwood go to catholic school, so public school politics don't effect most Crestwood residents except when our taxes go up. I have found that most politicans and the mayor have strongly supported issues involving quality of life in Crestwood. The present and past mayors have been very attentive to any issues brought to their attention. I wouldn't think twice about purchasing in Crestwood. It is a very desirable area with strong real estate value. Just one issue that may affect a purchaser: Yonkers does have a tansfer tax so if you are deciding on living in your home for a short time, you will have to pay 1.5% of the sales price back to the city, so this can put quite a damper on your profit.