Long Island for less than 225K...Impossible? (Islip, Babylon: rent, daycare)
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i have been a long-time lurker on these boards and have learned a wealth of knowledge from many of you.
due to a landlord issue, my hubby and i have decided to contemplate purchasing a home. this landlord issue came up rather suddenly, so we aren't exactly prepared to purchase a house, but due to the market being so favorable towards buyers at the moment, we figured we'd take a shot at looking for a bit.
so here's our story, i work in midtown manhattan and am the sole income to our family (about 80k annually). hubby is homemaker and caretaker of our two children (ages 6 and 9 months). we have a prequal for a 300k fha mortgage, but looking at monthly expenses, we really don't want to spend more than about 225k on a home, and we're hoping for taxes under 7k.
we're also looking to apply for some first-time homebuyer grants to help with downpayment/closing costs, since we don't have much at all in the way of up-front cash. we're obviously not well prepared financially to buy a house, but we're definitely sick of renting and our current deadbeat landlord was the straw that broke the camel's back.
the areas we've been looking in are:
suffolk: lindenhurst, west/north babylon, deer park, had considered ronkonkoma but not anymore because of travel time
nassau: hicksville, anything east meadow school district, baldwin, valley stream, levittown
the homes we've seen so far are either tiny, or need too much work to be move-in ready. with two small children, i don't mind having to do cosmetic stuff, but need a place where we can all live safely and not have to worry about mold/rot/etc. i think lindenhurst is our target area, but i'd love to have a shorter commute=nassau. any suggestions as to other areas we should be considering? and is what we're looking for even possible?
i'd like to keep my commute to the city an hour or less. i guess no further than ronkonkoma. we currently rent in bayside, queens, and as it is i feel like i have no time at home with my kids.
i have been a long-time lurker on these boards and have learned a wealth of knowledge from many of you.
due to a landlord issue, my hubby and i have decided to contemplate purchasing a home. this landlord issue came up rather suddenly, so we aren't exactly prepared to purchase a house, but due to the market being so favorable towards buyers at the moment, we figured we'd take a shot at looking for a bit.
so here's our story, i work in midtown manhattan and am the sole income to our family (about 80k annually). hubby is homemaker and caretaker of our two children (ages 6 and 9 months). we have a prequal for a 300k fha mortgage, but looking at monthly expenses, we really don't want to spend more than about 225k on a home, and we're hoping for taxes under 7k.
we're also looking to apply for some first-time homebuyer grants to help with downpayment/closing costs, since we don't have much at all in the way of up-front cash. we're obviously not well prepared financially to buy a house, but we're definitely sick of renting and our current deadbeat landlord was the straw that broke the camel's back.
the areas we've been looking in are:
suffolk: lindenhurst, west/north babylon, deer park, had considered ronkonkoma but not anymore because of travel time
nassau: hicksville, anything east meadow school district, baldwin, valley stream, levittown
the homes we've seen so far are either tiny, or need too much work to be move-in ready. with two small children, i don't mind having to do cosmetic stuff, but need a place where we can all live safely and not have to worry about mold/rot/etc. i think lindenhurst is our target area, but i'd love to have a shorter commute=nassau. any suggestions as to other areas we should be considering? and is what we're looking for even possible?
So what is your criteria?
How important is the School District?
Do you prefer a more 'homogenous' setting or a more diverse setting?
Is nightlife important for you?
Are you willing to settle for a more troubled community with a bit higher crime?
Just elaborate more, the more info you give us, the more info we can give you.
we've definitely considered that, but hubby is pretty much blue collar and hasn't worked in a very long time. if he were to work, his entire pay would probably have to go into daycare, so we don't really see a point in it. he considered night work, but its tough to get any real rest during the day with an infant at home.
For 225k you could probably get a fixer-upper that needs a little work in one of the working/middle class hamlets in the 'Town of Babylon' and 'Town of Islip' such as Deer Park, the Babylons, Bay Shore, Lindenhurst. Unfortunately, for under 225k in Nassau, you probably wouldn't get anything reasonable.
For 225k, you could get a decent house with no work needed in one of the more problemed/worst reputation communities of the island, if you are up for that?
Last edited by LongIslandPerson; 07-27-2011 at 01:56 PM..
we've definitely considered that, but hubby is pretty much blue collar and hasn't worked in a very long time. if he were to work, his entire pay would probably have to go into daycare, so we don't really see a point in it. he considered night work, but its tough to get any real rest during the day with an infant at home.
I work during the day and my wife works evenings and weekends and we have 2 kids ages 6 and 21 months. It sucks, but it is possible to do.
I do think that as long as you are not picky and are willing to do some renovation work yourself, you could get into Levittown for 225K.
schools are our top priority. since we cannot afford private school, we need to rely on school district.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LongIslandPerson
Do you prefer a more 'homogenous' setting or a more diverse setting?
i'll admit, homogenous is preferred, but diverse is okay, as long as community is good. we'd love to have block parties and know our neighbors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LongIslandPerson
Is nightlife important for you?
we've got a 6 yr old and a 9 month old...we have no lives...lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by LongIslandPerson
Are you willing to settle for a more troubled community with a bit higher crime?
no, we need a safe neighborhood.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LongIslandPerson
Just elaborate more, the more info you give us, the more info we can give you.
it would be great to be convenient to major shopping (grocery stores and the like...i haven't gone shopping for myself in years!). another issue with hubby working evenings is that i'm a part-time student and usually have classes two evenings a week. our original plan was for me to get my nursing degree and eventually move out of NY entirely...texas, arizona, possible south on the east coast...but figured that due to our current landlord situation and the housing market, we'd give it a shot.
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