Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New York > Westchester County
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 10-06-2009, 08:49 AM
 
36 posts, read 117,061 times
Reputation: 36

Advertisements

Hi everyone. I've been looking through this board for a bit, and have found a lot of helpful information. Enough to make me peek out from my lurking mode.

My family and I are relocating due to my husband's job. We are looking to purchase a home in Westchester County. Currently we live in the Boulder area of CO. We understand downsizing is a must for us to be able to afford a single family home, and we are okay with that. We are also aware there are a lot of older homes that may need cosmetic upgrades to make it more enjoyable to live in. We are also okay with this.

Now I've noticed that a lot of people believe you cannot get a home in a nice area for less than 750k. Frankly, I am not looking to be in a wealthy neighborhood. I want to be in a down to earth area with reasonable schools. I've been using greatschools.net to get an idea of individual schools (we have 2 elementary aged children) and their corresponding districts. Using the criteria that gives scores on that particular site, I'd like to be in an area with schools ranked at least 7 out of 10. It doesn't seem like that will be too difficult to attain in Westchester county.

So far, the areas I would like more information about are: Yorktown and Crompond. In our visit out there a month or two ago, we were concentrating more on Putnam County, which is lovely, but too far of a commute to Lower Westchester for our liking. So we did not have a chance to spend time in Yorktown or Crompond.

Now for my specific questions:

1. What are the residential feels of these areas? (I prefer social and economic diversity)
2. What can I expect my young family to do on the weekends in these areas? (is there a village center that we can tool around and kill a few hours?)
3. Are either of these areas experiencing an economic downturn? (for obvious reasons I would like to be in a stable area to protect our investment)
4. Are there specific areas within Yorktown or Crompond that we should concentrate our search in or avoid?

Again, my price range is nowhere near the 750k. In fact it would be well under 500k. I do not want to live in a co-op or townhome. This is important enough to me to consider options outside of the no-brainer suggestions of where to live (Scarsdale, et al.).

Thank you in advance for your help.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 10-06-2009, 10:20 AM
 
7,079 posts, read 37,871,041 times
Reputation: 4088
The fact of the matter is that Westchester in general is an expensive place to live. Under 500K isn't going to get you that much in areas with good schools. And be sure to factor in property taxes, which are just as pricey as in New Jersey.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-06-2009, 11:58 AM
 
36 posts, read 117,061 times
Reputation: 36
I understand it is generally an expensive place to live. I am trying to do a lot of research from afar and have another trip for house hunting in the future.

Now, admittedly I am looking in with an outsider's perspective, but from what I am currently seeing, the housing prices are dropping in this area. I am also seeing a lot of short sales and foreclosures. And I have seen multiple homes for sale that have been on the market for over a year. This seems to be a growing trend in Westchester, that much of the rest of the country has been experiencing earlier on.

So bearing that in mind, I do feel that even our measly price point of under $500k can afford a 3 bedroom single family home in a pleasant area. My search is only 3-4 months old, but I do have about half of a year to find a home that is a great fit for us. I am staying optimistic because all of my searching thus far has indicated that my optimism is not wrongly placed.

So if anyone does have answers to my originally posted 4 questions, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-06-2009, 12:39 PM
 
395 posts, read 1,613,416 times
Reputation: 154
Viral's point cannot be emphasized enough. Even if you found a home for $500k in decent shape in ANY Westchester school district or town, you really have to factor in the overall cost of living which is significantly higher than almost anywhere in the country. We recently moved from West Los Angeles and even for us the increased cost has been very noticeable. Everything will cost you more :#1 consideration property taxes, which you can find info on in other threads on these boards, food (peanut butter $6/jar!), gas, childcare, domestic services (gardeners, housecleaning), etc. Even Starbucks charges more for the same beverages here than in CA. I can only imagine the disparity would be even greater coming from CO.

Don't get me wrong, if you can manage these expenses it is a WONDERFUL place to live. One of the big plusses, in answer to one of your questions, is there are plenty of kids and family activities you can find that are relatively inexpensive: visiting local farms for apple picking, local community fairs/events, ets. Having true seasons allows for diverse activities so there is always something new to do. There are also ways to explore New York City on a budget.

Not trying to discourage you at all, but I feel like I was unprepared for the true cost of living here even after doing extensive online research. There is a lot more to it than just house prices. And, even though we are not in one of the most elite areas, we still only found 1 or 2 homes that would have worked for us in our range ($750k) had the timing been right. Due to the proximity to NYC and the reputation of its schools, Westchester has not seen the drastic price drop that the rest of the country has. As of now we are staying put and renting, and hoping to jump on something come spring. Good luck!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-06-2009, 12:40 PM
 
Location: Live in NY, work in CT
11,254 posts, read 18,764,688 times
Reputation: 5080
You might want to look at neighboring Putnam County (just north of Westchester, and Yorktown/Crompond's not too far from that). Houses are a good $100-200K lower than in Westchester, and I honestly think you'd find a sub-$500K house there (prices there were always lower, and have gone down more than Westchester's). With all the hills, a more rural feel and with Bear Mountain/Harriman parks just across the river, there's a bit more of "outdoors culture" there (noting this since you're from Boulder and a lot of people from there ask about it on these forums when they relocated here, though I realize that's a bit of a stereotype and may not apply to you per se).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-06-2009, 01:56 PM
 
36 posts, read 117,061 times
Reputation: 36
Thank you for addressing my questions.

Yes, the first thing I've heard about this area is the astounding property taxes. And my research has only proven those rumours right. I am factoring in that expense, which is why the price point is lower than what we "could" afford.

Having originally moved from the Midwest to California (during the height of the housing market, no less!), and then from California to Boulder, it doesn't surprise me about the differences in standards and costs of living. And it should be noted that we downsized to 1/3 of our housing size from the Midwest to CA. These are issues that we could qualify as "pros" at. LOL I guess to set the record straight I should clarify that for me, there is more about living in an area that a house can offer.

We did consider Putnam, and it may still be a contender, but I want to thoroughly explore all possibilities before narrowing my search to what could easily be an hour commute for my husband. We did like Brewster (schools, homes, lot sizes, taxes, general neighborhood feel), but the switching of train lines and the time it takes detracts.

I know it is not uncommon for people to commute for more than an hour each way. That is the hardest pill to swallow for me; moreso than home pricing, age of home and property taxes.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-06-2009, 03:10 PM
 
54 posts, read 227,124 times
Reputation: 30
Default houses under 500k in upper westchester

Yes, even a simple online search of towns in upper westchester with decent schools (croton, yorktown, katonah-lewisboro-with KL probably the best of the 3, but also further up) shows that there is at least some inventory below 500k (or close to 500k, such that final sale price could be negotiated down to this range). So you can find SOMETHING. However, as you may have noticed, most of these are 3br/2ba under 2000 sq ft (with a few exceptions), and something else "fun" about upper westchester- nearly all the houses are septic (rather than city sewer), and many use well water (rather than city water). Of course, you have probably already accepted this, if you are looking there. Further, if you are really willing to sacrifice on house size, there is probably a small inventory in your price range in the Ardsley area (lower westchester, good schools, nice amenities), but these will be VERY "modest" houses.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-06-2009, 03:47 PM
 
Location: Live in NY, work in CT
11,254 posts, read 18,764,688 times
Reputation: 5080
Quote:
Originally Posted by EagleScout94 View Post
Yes, even a simple online search of towns in upper westchester with decent schools (croton, yorktown, katonah-lewisboro-with KL probably the best of the 3, but also further up) shows that there is at least some inventory below 500k (or close to 500k, such that final sale price could be negotiated down to this range). So you can find SOMETHING. However, as you may have noticed, most of these are 3br/2ba under 2000 sq ft (with a few exceptions), and something else "fun" about upper westchester- nearly all the houses are septic (rather than city sewer), and many use well water (rather than city water). Of course, you have probably already accepted this, if you are looking there. Further, if you are really willing to sacrifice on house size, there is probably a small inventory in your price range in the Ardsley area (lower westchester, good schools, nice amenities), but these will be VERY "modest" houses.
My wife grew up across the street from one of those Ardsley homes you describe, and I can tell you that the inside of the house is smaller than many 2 bedroom condos, it's 975 SQUARE FEET!!!!! Have fun paying $475K for that........oh and it involves walking up steep steps to get to the entrance too and no yard (no backyard, front yard is a steep hill).

Yes, Putnam is going to be a big commute, but since you were considering Yorktown or Crompond, you're only literally talking about a few minutes more. And we have it good in that sense now, at the height of the housing boom, even they were expensive enough to start pushing $500K and people were looking one county further in DUTCHESS County!

I'm personally looking to get out of this crazy area......I don't know how people really do it here.......
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-09-2009, 03:08 PM
 
1,207 posts, read 2,802,369 times
Reputation: 778
KL school district is fabulous but I doubt you can find a single family house, factoring in the taxes, that you could fit in. There are some condos in the area. Also, just because a house is on the market a long time does not mean that people will "give" them away.

Have you considered Connecticut?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-09-2009, 06:07 PM
 
9,341 posts, read 29,589,104 times
Reputation: 4572
sumukru, in case you are unfamiliar with the local geography:

What people refer to colloquially as "towns" are actually villages and hamlets, which are within actual towns; and, because villages and hamlets are referred to as "towns", then, many times, the error is compounded when actual towns are referred to as "townships".

Also, many colloquially refer to a "downtown business district" in a hamlet as a "village".

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...-glossary.html may be of some help to you in understanding the geography of "New Yawk".


You can get a fact sheet for any city, village or hamlet in New York by going here American FactFinder and input the name of the city, village or hamlet for "city/town" (leave out the ZIP Code) and New York for "State", and then click "GO".

You'll get a lot of demographic, and some economic, statistics for the city, village or hamlet you selected, and if you click on "Reference map" (it's on the right hand side), you'll get a map.


When you do find a house that you like, you can find out in which community (city, village or CDP) that house is actually located, which is oftentimes different from the community named in that house's mailing address, by using the Census Bureau's online address search function. (CDP or Census Designated Place is the Census Bureau equivalent for a hamlet in "New Yawk".)

And, very importantly, among other things, the Census Bureau's online address search function also indicates in which school district an address is located.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:




Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New York > Westchester County
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top