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There are a lot of rougher areas in Westchester. I didn't find Pelham to be more or less dangerous than other comparable towns.
To us, it's one of the few communities that actually feels like a small town. Land is generally flat, sidewalks on most of the streets, people and their kids walking around, etc. The "downtown", while small, is serviceable. As mentioned above, the housing stock is more attractive. More historical tudors/colonials as opposed to split-level designs from the 1970s
Money isn't an issue on the margin, but the difference in monthly payment for a house in Pelham vs. Greenwich is ~$1,500 or more. It adds up over time since it's a safe bet that your taxes only move in one direction. There are also a fair amount of extra closing fees in NY (mansion tax, mortgage recording).
Totally agree on the condition of houses. I would say that ~50% of the properties we've seen in Westchester need immediate work. All of them have been over $1mm
CT has a "real estate conveyance fee" (really a tax) although it is only charged one time when the property is transferred and recorded in the town's property records. Tax is calucated on the sale price. I think these are the current rates
The state conveyance tax is .0075 (.75%) of the sales price up to $800,000.00. Any amount above $800,000 is taxed at .0125 (1.25%). The municipal conveyance tax is 0.0025 (.25%) for most towns.
I'm not even sure the strip mall is actually in the town. If it is, it's totally on the other side of a highway with no residential houses anywhere near it (none that I know of). It's a actually very convenient in that it has a large grocery store, kids restaurant with video games, a few places to eat and there's always parking (something people are not used coming from the city).
Not sure why you wouldn't leave your car there unless you're worried about a soccer mom with a minivan full kids taking a few minutes to slim jim your car door and steal your radio.
There are a lot of rougher areas in Westchester. I didn't find Pelham to be more or less dangerous than other comparable towns.
To us, it's one of the few communities that actually feels like a small town. Land is generally flat, sidewalks on most of the streets, people and their kids walking around, etc. The "downtown", while small, is serviceable. As mentioned above, the housing stock is more attractive. More historical tudors/colonials as opposed to split-level designs from the 1970s
The housing stock in Pelham is more attractive than Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport?
That's a first.
The housing stock in Pelham is more attractive than Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport?
That's a first.
I was comparing Pelham to other towns in Westchester. I haven't seen enough houses in CT.
Either way, they're not directly comparable given tax differences. The monthly payment on a $1mm house in Pelham is about equivalent to $1.5mm in certain areas of CT. Commute is also a big part of the decision.
CT taxes and cost living is less than Westchester County
Housing stocks in nice areas in CT are newer and better condition
Slower pace, more quiet, you can find parking space
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