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We spent a whole year hunting for houses and went through almost every block around hicksville area and all neighboorhoods around. We came to conclusion that we could only afford 3-4 "safe" areas in LI south hicksville, south westbury (salisbury, which is east meadow school zone), east meadow and island trees levittown, the other school zone for levittown was 1K more expensive, 2K more expensive than hicksville.
From best to worst on my affordable list is:
1. Levittown Island Trees
2. East Meadow
3. Salisbury East Meadow School Zone
4. Hicksville
From most expensive to cheapest:
1. East Meadow
2. Salisbury ?
3. Levittown Island Trees ?
4. Hicksville
We also went more west towards like Malverne, they had very affordable houses too and nice neighborhood (I believe big Jewish population), but the issue was the school...
All the towns surrounded Malverne are in question. The schools are questionable and my belief the price of the houses might drop or just stay the same in those areas.
Another area is Mineola, but not the houses, they are overpriced and falling apart. Condos are not bad.
It is a difficult choice when looking for homes. There is no perfect town that is affordable to most middle class families.
I guess you need to find a home that you like in an area that is established with a decent school district. None of the towns on your list are perfect (it was the same list that my husband and I had when we bought our home 5.5 years ago). We always thought to buy a home for the long-term (the market is questionable and you want a home that you can grow with and not have to move because it may not be possible).
I do have to say that I love Levittown (Island Trees where we live). My husband and I are a young professional couple (we both have Master's Degrees) with a young child and another on the way. It is very family friendly,safe, and the school are good. As a teacher, that is important to me. There are playgrounds in every section, free community pools, great library programs, and convenient location to highways and shopping. We like the area much more than we thought we would.
Perhaps touring the areas on your list or speaking to people that live in those towns may help you narrow it down a little bit.
We also went more west towards like Malverne, they had very affordable houses too and nice neighborhood (I believe big Jewish population), but the issue was the school... All the towns surrounded Malverne are in question. The schools are questionable and my belief the price of the houses might drop or just stay the same in those areas.
West Hempstead, valley stream, elmont, and even lynbrook. I didn't like the feel of the area. Franklin Square didn't have any houses we liked, they are all old and have not been renovated.
Levittown, hicksville, wantagh and east meadow is a good area to buy renovated homes.
It is a difficult choice when looking for homes. There is no perfect town that is affordable to most middle class families.
I guess you need to find a home that you like in an area that is established with a decent school district. None of the towns on your list are perfect (it was the same list that my husband and I had when we bought our home 5.5 years ago). We always thought to buy a home for the long-term (the market is questionable and you want a home that you can grow with and not have to move because it may not be possible).
I do have to say that I love Levittown (Island Trees where we live). My husband and I are a young professional couple (we both have Master's Degrees) with a young child and another on the way. It is very family friendly,safe, and the school are good. As a teacher, that is important to me. There are playgrounds in every section, free community pools, great library programs, and convenient location to highways and shopping. We like the area much more than we thought we would.
Perhaps touring the areas on your list or speaking to people that live in those towns may help you narrow it down a little bit.
i am in island trees now and so far our neighbors are good to us. My only complain is that plaza by jerusalem. It is so dead and the food there is horrible, I am never eating chinese food from there.
... Levittown to the OP for his particular purposes. For one reason. The property taxes, compared to the value of the homes in his price range, are extremely high. Since we know all property taxes do is go up, when it comes to what the OP is looking for (less expensive starter home) the high property taxes will come to roost on the homeowner when it comes to attempting to sell the home in the future. While there is certainly nothing wrong with Levittown's school districts, they are just not among the creme de la creme school districts on Long Island who can get away with super high property taxes that don't negatively impact the value of a home.
Here are the two least expensive homes in Levittown on MLSLI today:
LEVITTOWN, NY 11756 Taxes: $10,511 List Price: $249,000 (4.2%)
The tax burden on that class of home is a disaster and, as time goes on, will only make the house less and less attractive to potential buyers. Therefore, the burden to make up for the excessive property taxes on a starter priced home located in a perfectly fine, but not outstanding or acclaimed school district, falls directly on the seller to decrease the price drastically or not be able to sell at all.
Take a look at the two most expensive homes for sale in Levittown today:
LEVITTOWN, NY 11756 Taxes: $11,963 List Price: $635,000 (1.8%)
Who wants to be the homeowner with the least valuable home in town with the highest proportion of property taxes compared to value?
* * * * *
I think Hicksville is a solid buy for starters in terms of prices and property taxes. For anyone who is afraid it is becoming "overrun with foreigners," well, here's an advantage you might have missed ... in the future the homes could be part of a niche market, which will keep their prices up and keep the homes salable. Indian kids are more apt to be found studying for the spelling bee (a couple of years ago one from Hicksville made it to the nationals) than spraying graffiti around and vandalizing things. You could do worse than Indians for neighbors.
Today there are also a few homes on MLSLI in Bethpage in the OP's price range (Plainedge and Bethpage schools) that have a better proportion on property taxes.
... Levittown to the OP for his particular purposes. For one reason. The property taxes, compared to the value of the homes in his price range, are extremely high. Since we know all property taxes do is go up, when it comes to what the OP is looking for (less expensive starter home) the high property taxes will come to roost on the homeowner when it comes to attempting to sell the home in the future. While there is certainly nothing wrong with Levittown's school districts, they are just not among the creme de la creme school districts on Long Island who can get away with super high property taxes that don't negatively impact the value of a home.
Here are the two least expensive homes in Levittown on MLSLI today:
LEVITTOWN, NY 11756 Taxes: $10,511 List Price: $249,000 (4.2%)
The tax burden on that class of home is a disaster and, as time goes on, will only make the house less and less attractive to potential buyers. Therefore, the burden to make up for the excessive property taxes on a starter priced home located in a perfectly fine, but not outstanding or acclaimed school district, falls directly on the seller to decrease the price drastically or not be able to sell at all.
Take a look at the two most expensive homes for sale in Levittown today:
LEVITTOWN, NY 11756 Taxes: $11,963 List Price: $635,000 (1.8%)
Who wants to be the homeowner with the least valuable home in town with the highest proportion of property taxes compared to value?
* * * * *
I think Hicksville is a solid buy for starters in terms of prices and property taxes. For anyone who is afraid it is becoming "overrun with foreigners," well, here's an advantage you might have missed ... in the future the homes could be part of a niche market, which will keep their prices up and keep the homes salable. Indian kids are more apt to be found studying for the spelling bee (a couple of years ago one from Hicksville made it to the nationals) than spraying graffiti around and vandalizing things. You could do worse than Indians for neighbors.
Today there are also a few homes on MLSLI in Bethpage in the OP's price range (Plainedge and Bethpage schools) that have a better proportion on property taxes.
I don't have a problem with Indians, the issue is that I might not have a problem, but others do and so the prices won't go up or might even go down as time goes on.
When we started shopping for houses, I didn't look at property taxes, just looked at the sale place. And we got really spoiled with some nice houses in LI. Then when we started to get serious, I started doing some calculations, it went through the roof. Then I started to downgrade my self, going down and down. My wife was completely against hicksville for a while, but then one day our real estate agent, showed us 3 houses around hicksville and we went south hicksville, I am like, are you sure this is hicksville? This looks more like levittown. I am was very suprised (this is anything really south of old country rd). And I am like, why are there levitt houses in hicksville, later we found out levitt houses also in wantagh and I think east meadow. These houses and cheap, but so easy to fix (in a way). They are so simple which makes it simple to deal with, remember they have no basement, so you automatically avoid leaks and other things that go on in a basement. We sometime in the future, might dorm our upstairs bedroom, etc. It is just little room. Plus you got only 8 inches between the slopes and the roof. The cold just penetrates that insulation that we put. I would at least put 18 inches of it there, plus when you dorm, it is not as hot in the summer. But I am guessing it is going to cost me some $$$.
I don't have a problem with Indians, the issue is that I might not have a problem, but others do and so the prices won't go up or might even go down as time goes on.
When we started shopping for houses, I didn't look at property taxes, just looked at the sale place. And we got really spoiled with some nice houses in LI. Then when we started to get serious, I started doing some calculations, it went through the roof. Then I started to downgrade my self, going down and down. My wife was completely against hicksville for a while, but then one day our real estate agent, showed us 3 houses around hicksville and we went south hicksville, I am like, are you sure this is hicksville? This looks more like levittown. I am was very suprised (this is anything really south of old country rd). And I am like, why are there levitt houses in hicksville, later we found out levitt houses also in wantagh and I think east meadow. These houses and cheap, but so easy to fix (in a way). They are so simple which makes it simple to deal with, remember they have no basement, so you automatically avoid leaks and other things that go on in a basement. We sometime in the future, might dorm our upstairs bedroom, etc. It is just little room. Plus you got only 8 inches between the slopes and the roof. The cold just penetrates that insulation that we put. I would at least put 18 inches of it there, plus when you dorm, it is not as hot in the summer. But I am guessing it is going to cost me some $$$.
Not necessarily. Even if the "others" you mention have a problem with Indians, the houses will still be attractive to a certain market: Indians. They come here to make money, not go on welfare. You could attract a worse class of person, trust me.
The thing I dislike the most about Hicksville is its NAME. Hicksville. What a stupid name.
Quick question about no basement: I have heard that when there are plumbing leaks (and won't all pipes eventually leak with age?), it is a royal pain in the butt because the plumbing is encased in the concrete slab which has to be broken open with a jackhammer just to get to it.
Not necessarily. Even if the "others" you mention have a problem with Indians, the houses will still be attractive to a certain market: Indians. They come here to make money, not go on welfare. You could attract a worse class of person, trust me.
The thing I dislike the most about Hicksville is its NAME. Hicksville. What a stupid name.
Quick question about no basement: I have heard that when there are plumbing leaks (and won't all pipes eventually leak with age?), it is a royal pain in the butt because the plumbing is encased in the concrete slab which has to be broken open with a jackhammer just to get to it.
Yes there is some of plumbing in there concrete, if it happens to me, I would probably reroute all plumbing. With plastic tubing nowadays you could into places where it was super difficult before.
I don't have a problem with Indians, the issue is that I might not have a problem, but others do and so the prices won't go up or might even go down as time goes on.
When we started shopping for houses, I didn't look at property taxes, just looked at the sale place. And we got really spoiled with some nice houses in LI. Then when we started to get serious, I started doing some calculations, it went through the roof. Then I started to downgrade my self, going down and down. My wife was completely against hicksville for a while, but then one day our real estate agent, showed us 3 houses around hicksville and we went south hicksville, I am like, are you sure this is hicksville? This looks more like levittown. I am was very suprised (this is anything really south of old country rd). And I am like, why are there levitt houses in hicksville, later we found out levitt houses also in wantagh and I think east meadow. These houses and cheap, but so easy to fix (in a way). They are so simple which makes it simple to deal with, remember they have no basement, so you automatically avoid leaks and other things that go on in a basement. We sometime in the future, might dorm our upstairs bedroom, etc. It is just little room. Plus you got only 8 inches between the slopes and the roof. The cold just penetrates that insulation that we put. I would at least put 18 inches of it there, plus when you dorm, it is not as hot in the summer. But I am guessing it is going to cost me some $$$.
Yes there is some of plumbing in there concrete, if it happens to me, I would probably reroute all plumbing. With plastic tubing nowadays you could into places where it was super difficult before.
Plastic tubing for water consumption purposes may or may not be "code" in all towns. YMMV, check your local codes, some are more archaic then others.
i.e. Islip doesnt allow flex connections for toilets, they must be solid tubing, though every home depot in islip sells the flex.
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I would not recommend ...
