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Hey everyone! This is my first post and I found this forum while searching for answers.
My family lives in Massapequa. My fiancee and I are looking to move to Long Island within the next year (or sooner, hopefully). We aren't set on living RIGHT near them.
Right now, we're looking on spending about 500k on a home. Obviously we would like to get as nice of a house for our money as possible (it seems I always like the 1 million dollar plus homes ). We also want nice amount of land, for our dog... and just because we like having land.
Growing up and living my whole life in NYC, I am dying to have space! LOL!
We do not mind going out to Suffolk county if we find an area that is wonderful. Basically we want a great area with good schools as we will be having kids in the next 5-7 years. Granted, we may move by then to get a bigger house, so who knows. (My fiancee owns a home we won't be selling for a few more years... but this is our first house together)
We want an area that isn't close to bad areas. Granted, I could be paranoid living in a slightly "changing" area in Brooklyn (Marine Park/Mill Basin). I just don't want to have to worry about the same things I worry about here. And though I know crime can happen anywhere, I'd just like to minimize our chances and have a good quality of life.
Additionally, I can't live anywhere where the altitude is too high (I know, it sounds crazy) because my BIL who I am very close with, has meniere's disease and cannot travel through anywhere very elevated. My sister and BIL live in Massapequa.
Currently I work in a territory ranging from Far Rockaway, Queens to Rockville Centre/Baldwin areas. So I'd want to say within an hour or so of these areas- but I can always transfer my territory, so it's not my deciding factor. My fiancee will probably get a new job close to wherever we move because his career is in high demand everywhere. North Shore/South Shore doesn't matter to me as long as the area is great.
Can anyone give me advice? Tell me what I should be looking for? I really don't know where to start!!!!
Last edited by Angeleyes1437; 10-11-2007 at 06:02 PM..
Hey everyone! This is my first post and I found this forum while searching for answers.
My family lives in Massapequa. My fiancee and I are looking to move to Long Island within the next year (or sooner, hopefully). We aren't set on living RIGHT near them.
Right now, we're looking on spending about 500k on a home. Obviously we would like to get as nice of a house for our money as possible (it seems I always like the 1 million dollar plus homes ). We also want nice amount of land, for our dog... and just because we like having land.
Growing up and living my whole life in NYC, I am dying to have space! LOL!
We do not mind going out to Suffolk county if we find an area that is wonderful. Basically we want a great area with good schools as we will be having kids in the next 5-7 years. Granted, we may move by then to get a bigger house, so who knows. (My fiancee owns a home we won't be selling for a few more years... but this is our first house together)
We want an area that isn't close to bad areas. Granted, I could be paranoid living in a slightly "changing" area in Brooklyn (Marine Park/Mill Basin). I just don't want to have to worry about the same things I worry about here. And though I know crime can happen anywhere, I'd just like to minimize our chances and have a good quality of life.
Additionally, I can't live anywhere where the altitude is too high (I know, it sounds crazy) because my BIL who I am very close with, has meniere's disease and cannot travel through anywhere very elevated. My sister and BIL live in Massapequa.
Currently I work in a territory ranging from Far Rockaway, Queens to Rockville Centre/Baldwin areas. So I'd want to say within an hour or so of these areas- but I can always transfer my territory, so it's not my deciding factor. My fiancee will probably get a new job close to wherever we move because his career is in high demand everywhere. North Shore/South Shore doesn't matter to me as long as the area is great.
Can anyone give me advice? Tell me what I should be looking for? I really don't know where to start!!!!
If you are willing to/can afford to spend around 500k how about Wantagh? South of Merrick Road will be smaller homes for this price, but if you go north of Sunrise Highway or Jerusalem Avenue you could find quite a large inventory in this market. You could find a fairly large home 4bd, 2bth, basement so on.... for 500k or a little higher in the asking price. You may will most likely have to some cosmetics. The school district in Wantagh is very good and if you go north the school district is Levittown Schools. They have very good ratings. You didn't say but are you looking for a home with a potential rental income? These areas also have homes that are already w/apt. or easy enough to make one in(need permits though). Good luck to you!! This is a buyers market and I am sure there is a home out there that you could negotiate a great deal on.
I'll throw in a vote for Wantagh too...and for that matter anything south shore between the Meadowbrook Parkway and the Suffolk County border (Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford, Massapequa...) in the "North" parts of these areas you'll find a very nice place for $500k that probably doesn't need any work. There's a lot of nice ones in my neighborhood listed for $350-$500. Levittown schools, very good. Wantagh schools are better supposedly. 60x100 properties but a huge park, as most neighborhoods have here.
Nicest houses in Wantagh are in a neighborhood called "Wantagh Woods" but that might be out of the price range.
I'll throw in a vote for Wantagh too...and for that matter anything south shore between the Meadowbrook Parkway and the Suffolk County border (Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford, Massapequa...) in the "North" parts of these areas you'll find a very nice place for $500k that probably doesn't need any work. There's a lot of nice ones in my neighborhood listed for $350-$500. Levittown schools, very good. Wantagh schools are better supposedly. 60x100 properties but a huge park, as most neighborhoods have here.
Nicest houses in Wantagh are in a neighborhood called "Wantagh Woods" but that might be out of the price range.
Sean,
I agree Wantagh Woods is great!! Although the price range may be too high as you suggest. What is happening in there(dont know if u have been there recently)people are selling older and smaller homes and getting top dollar. They do because so many builders have bought up houses for "cheaper" and tore them down and have built mini mansions. They are beautifule but carry price tags of 800K-1M. Anyway I agree in this market the poster could look in the neighborhoods we have listed and find a deal!! Take care.
I agree Wantagh Woods is great!! Although the price range may be too high as you suggest. What is happening in there(dont know if u have been there recently)people are selling older and smaller homes and getting top dollar. They do because so many builders have bought up houses for "cheaper" and tore them down and have built mini mansions. They are beautifule but carry price tags of 800K-1M. Anyway I agree in this market the poster could look in the neighborhoods we have listed and find a deal!! Take care.
I'm not a big fan of the "neo-eclectic" McMansion style....actually I hate it, but I will say most of the ones that have gone up in the Woods are an exception. I did think the neighborhood was much nicer with the older houses....I dunno how long you've been here but it's been going on for a loooong time. First I remember was that big old house on the corner of Bunker and Beech....what's there now hasn't aged that well, not as nice as the single house would have. That's a long time ago, though and the neighborhood is still insanely nice even with the changes.
I like the neighborhood near Twin Lakes that's off of Old Mill Rd. too...as well as between Sunrise and Merrick...actually think most of those houses are nicer than by the water!
You should choose a location close to where you work. If you live two hours away from work, that is two hours every day wasted in the car. You can spend those two hours doing something else!!
You might consider renting in an area first before purchasing a home in an area you are not familiar with. Renting will give you more time to find the home of your dreams and help you realize if you like the town you live in. It is more costly to purchase a home only to realize a few months later you do not like the area you are in.
Thank you so much everyone for your input! As for nearby parks, that'll be great- but I'd prefer to have more property and not count on a park alone. I want to be able to set up some agility equipment for my dog, a pool for us, and have a nice amount of space to work with
Additionally, I'm not keen to renting... which is why I'm researching neighborhoods so thoroughly. I want to move somewhere that I could stay forever (but may not once we sell our other home in Brooklyn). Additionally, renting is pretty hard when you have a dog larger than 5lbs, lol. Plus, if we don't find a place with a gate, we're going to put one up and I'm not spending 10k on a gate in a landlords house... it's just silly for us to even consider renting when we have the $$$ to buy.
Additionally, as I said I can always transfer my territory at work so being close to my job (aka in Nassau) is not a requirement.
I just wanted some unbiased opinion. The same way I could tell all of you what areas to lived in, in Brooklyn. I would never recommend my area because I don't like what's happening to it... but I can recommend other areas I see and know about. You know?
I will definitely look into Wantagh as well. Any more input would be greatly appreciated. And thank you again, for all of your help!
Thank you so much everyone for your input! As for nearby parks, that'll be great- but I'd prefer to have more property and not count on a park alone. I want to be able to set up some agility equipment for my dog, a pool for us, and have a nice amount of space to work with
Additionally, I'm not keen to renting... which is why I'm researching neighborhoods so thoroughly. I want to move somewhere that I could stay forever (but may not once we sell our other home in Brooklyn). Additionally, renting is pretty hard when you have a dog larger than 5lbs, lol. Plus, if we don't find a place with a gate, we're going to put one up and I'm not spending 10k on a gate in a landlords house... it's just silly for us to even consider renting when we have the $$$ to buy.
Additionally, as I said I can always transfer my territory at work so being close to my job (aka in Nassau) is not a requirement.
I just wanted some unbiased opinion. The same way I could tell all of you what areas to lived in, in Brooklyn. I would never recommend my area because I don't like what's happening to it... but I can recommend other areas I see and know about. You know?
I will definitely look into Wantagh as well. Any more input would be greatly appreciated. And thank you again, for all of your help!
We made a move from the city/Queens/south shore Nassau county to North Shore Suffolk County (western-ish) for a little more house and a little more land. The south shore communities mentioned are all nice but if you are looking for a little more yard you might be better served looking in certain pockets of Western/Mid-Suffolk. It is what brought us to the area. East Northport could suit your price range. Other areas as well. We tired of offering more for the same standard cape on 60X80 plots along the Southern State Parkway towns and found a home further east that was cheaper, larger and had more yard (No offense to capes, my wife spend her entire childhood in one and loved her community). Some friends who moved to the area put us onto it. We also found that better than half of our neighbors all made the same migration/decision to move from the boroughs or Nassau County.
We just knew it meant being further away from family (not always bad by the way ) As with all of long island you will want to look into strong school districts even without having children because that is a bellweather for home values in the area. Also, by moving further east getting back into the city is more of a hassle but if you are looking to be in Massapequa on occassion it takes us about 30 minutes give or take from the Hauppauge/Smithtown area. We have family in Little Neck as well and this is about 30+ minutes. If your territory can vary it really opens up the entire island to you which is great. Best of luck to you. It is a buyer's market at the moment.
Also there are 2 dog parks in Wantagh, one in Wantagh park and one in Cedar Creek Park (I go all the way over there on the weekends from Lindenhurst).
Thanks again but I won't go to dog parks- and I know I may sound crazy, lol. I use to frequent ones in Brooklyn. People would come there with their wild dogs who are never socialized and let them go only to attack innocent dogs. It's not the regular dog park visitors that are a problem, it's the once in a while ones who don't raise their dogs properly and then ruin it for everyone. We have enough dogs in my family for them to socialize (we bring them together every weekend) and I would much rather have a controlled environment that is safe.
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). We also want nice amount of land, for our dog... and just because we like having land. 
where to move
) As with all of long island you will want to look into strong school districts even without having children because that is a bellweather for home values in the area. Also, by moving further east getting back into the city is more of a hassle but if you are looking to be in Massapequa on occassion it takes us about 30 minutes give or take from the Hauppauge/Smithtown area. We have family in Little Neck as well and this is about 30+ minutes. If your territory can vary it really opens up the entire island to you which is great. Best of luck to you. It is a buyer's market at the moment.
