Buying a home in Southern Westchester (New Rochelle, White Plains: for sale, apartments, condo)

[westchesterite10]

Hello,

My husband and I are looking to buy a home in Southern Westchester. Our budget is 600-675k and we are looking for a 3 bedroom place.

Our problem is that we both commute to the city, so we would need to be within walking distance to a train station. We're open to driving to a station also- however that seems more difficult since so many parking lots have long waitlists.

We are currently thinking about looking in Mamaroneck, Irvington and Valhalla (about as north as we will go). Does anyone have any other suggestions that might have homes in our price range and accessibility to train?

I also like Ardlsey and Rye Brook, however we would have to drive to the train (Scarsdale/White Plains for Ardsley and Port Chester for Rye Brook- is that correct?). How hard is it to get parking at these stations as a non-resident?

How do other families handle a situation where both spouses commute? I am getting nervous that our options will be too limited because of the train situation! Any ideas/suggestions welcome. Thanks so much!

[KBF30]

My husband and I are also looking for a 3 bedroom home in southern Westchester, and we will need to be within walking distance to the train. I will tell you it is difficult finding a place near the station; it seems as if everyone who commutes to the city wants to walk to the train!

Our price range is a bit less than yours; we don't want to go over $600,000; which is also proving to be difficult. We have been looking in Pelham, Mamaroneck and Larchmont. These towns and Eastchester currently have some homes for sale in your price range that are within walking distance to the train.

You may be able to get a spot at the White Plains or New Rochelle lots. The majority of the lots in southern Westchester have multiple year waiting lists.... Someone told me the waiting list at Pelham is 5+ years!

[nonny]

Yes, but Pelham is small enough so that you can walk or bike to the train. If you buy a small motorcycle, you can ride it to the train and park it free of charge. People even scooter to the train station.

[hominamad]

Do you want a house or is an apartment ok? How important are schools to you? I was in the same situation last year and it is hard to find something you can walk to. We were also looking in the exact same price range. Hartsdale is a good option - with a nice strip of shops near the train - but there are mostly apartments there. There are also some houses within walking distance as well. We ended up settling on White Plains. I can't walk to the train, but I'm 1.5 miles away and until I get my garage permit, I park daily at the County Center lot which is $6/day and I never have a problem getting a spot.

If for some reason I can't take my car one day, there are always plenty of cabs at the station and it costs me $5 to get a ride home. So far we are very happy with White Plains as our choice and my commute is a breeze - actually faster than when I was living in the city. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

[westchesterite10]

Thank you all for the responses! Yes, schools are important to us. We hope to have kids in the next few years. We don't have to live in the five star districts like Scarsdale or Bronxville- obviously can't afford those areas anyway - but still want a district that is well regarded.

And, we are totally fine with any type of housing- condo (with laundry in the unit- my big requirement , townhouse or house. Hopefully we can get minimum 3 bedrooms though.

[checkmatechamp13]

Originally Posted by westchesterite10

Hello,

My husband and I are looking to buy a home in Southern Westchester. Our budget is 600-675k and we are looking for a 3 bedroom place.

Our problem is that we both commute to the city, so we would need to be within walking distance to a train station. We're open to driving to a station also- however that seems more difficult since so many parking lots have long waitlists.

We are currently thinking about looking in Mamaroneck, Irvington and Valhalla (about as north as we will go). Does anyone have any other suggestions that might have homes in our price range and accessibility to train?

I also like Ardlsey and Rye Brook, however we would have to drive to the train (Scarsdale/White Plains for Ardsley and Port Chester for Rye Brook- is that correct?). How hard is it to get parking at these stations as a non-resident?

How do other families handle a situation where both spouses commute? I am getting nervous that our options will be too limited because of the train situation! Any ideas/suggestions welcome. Thanks so much!

If you don't mind having to plan in some extra time to your commute, you can take a bus to the Metro-North.

Living in NYC, I don't like having to take a bus when I'm coming off of the train, but it is worth it for the savings you'll get. Buying a UniTicket (Metro-North ticket and bus pass) is probably going to be cheaper than paying for parking and gas.

Here is a map of the Bee-Line bus system: http://transportation.westchestergov.com/images/stories/pdfs/beelinesystemmap.pdf (broken link)

Some people make a commute from Westchester to NYC without taking the Metro-North. They take a bus to the nearest subway station in The Bronx, and then take the subway into Manhattan. It would probably take longer (unless the train runs infrequently), but it will save you a lot of money. You'll be able to get into Manhattan for $2.25.

Actually, at some times of the day, the bus can be more frequent than the train, so you might be better off on the bus, rather than the Metro-North.