Goal: A Family-Sized House for $600K or Under
This week’s “The Hunt” column in The Times is about a couple that was looking to buy a place because, with baby and law textbooks in tow, a $2,600-a-month, two-bedroom rental in Windsor Terrace was no longer big enough. After checking some website called Brownstoner.com daily, the determination was made that the pair’s max budget—in…
This week’s “The Hunt” column in The Times is about a couple that was looking to buy a place because, with baby and law textbooks in tow, a $2,600-a-month, two-bedroom rental in Windsor Terrace was no longer big enough. After checking some website called Brownstoner.com daily, the determination was made that the pair’s max budget—in the low $600,000s—meant Windsor Terrace was too pricey. What followed: A visit to a five-bedroom in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens that, at $849,000, was too expensive and also unsatisfactory because it didn’t have a bathtub; consideration of two Bed-Stuy houses that were nixed because one didn’t pass muster at inspection time and the other was a two-family; and looking at a bunch of condos that weren’t big enough. They finally found a 2,000-square-foot house in South Midwood with appealing period detail that they bought for $540,000 in December. And now? “It’s appalling,” says the couple’s fairer half. We moved from an apartment to a house, and we filled the house.”
A Move Dictated by Miscellany [NY Times]
Photo via Property Shark.
I second the Jersey City love, although we didn’t look there. Is the Merchant still there? Love that place!
Downtown around Grove and Van Vorst feels like its own tiny city. There are some downsides… like, the delis don’t sell beer, and many of them suck, but fresh direct delivers and there’s good — very good, even — pizza, and indian food.
BoreumHillScott- Where were you looking in Jersey City? All the downtown neighborhoods are walking distance to the PATH. I currently own a place in Van Vorst Park and Grove PATH is my stop 3 blocks away.
I’m presently looking at buying another place back in Brooklyn but I love Jersey City and the commute ROCKS. I work up on 60th and Mad and it takes me 35 mins door to door. If I worked downtown 10 mins. People have such a stigma about it because god forbid it’s NJ but the fact is my takehome pay is much more because you don’t have to pay city income taxes even with the slightly higher property taxes. AND no Mortgage Tax!!
Alas my wife may be moving to a new job further into Queens or Brooklyn so that’s why I’m back looking a BK places plus most of my friends and family are in Brooklyn so it’s nice to be near them.
ClarksonFlatBed,
Finally, somebody making sense on this blog!
-ClarksonFlatBed thanks for your redirect, we’re in the same boat, searching now in the 600’s for a 1-2 family and not looking for bay ridge or midwood. why is there no talk about the other options as more4less pointed out?
we were looking at houses in crown heights yesterday, greenwood the week before. bed-sty is next. I’d like to know what folks think of those areas. I don’t know crown heights really, so was surprised to see how nice most of the housing stock is. what does everyone think is the best place to really be looking in this range? we are thinking 2-fam for help with mortgage as we have more downpayment than cash flow. as for the family in the article, no mercy. we live now in a 450 sq ft studio. they think the house should match the collection of stuff? they have it backwards.
BHS – not sure where you looked, but I lived in downtown JC for years before moving to BK. I lived about 2 blocks from Grove Street on Wayne STreet – my area was safe and gorgeous – beautiful tree lined blocks with brownstones. The Newport Pavonia station is pretty fancy schmancy so am not sure what stop you were in – but downtown NJ is really very nice
I grew up in Midwood too. That’s a schlep, even though the express trains make it bearable. I think Bay Ridge has more going on than Midwood. It’s really self-contained. Many of the homes have driveways and parking isn’t as terrible as Ty makes it out to be. I dunno, it wouldn’t be the first place I’d look, but I do have a soft spot for Bay Ridge.
Not sure why the conversation instantly turned to Bay Ridge. There are plenty of neighborhoods with $600,000 houses closer to the City than Bay “frickin'” Ridge. The only reason I can fathom that the buyers blew off deals in Lefferts and Bed-Stuy was that they’re too black. They’ll deny it of course…but c’mon, no tub? You know how little money it takes to put in a tub? And liability? Since when is it a liability to have EXTRA income? Unless these people are human traffickers they have nothing to worry about. Perhaps they’re really bad judges of character?
I just wish people could talk about the ACTUAL calculus in their brains, rather than speaking in euphemisms. Isn’t that what Republicans do all the time that drives us crazy??
Go ahead. Convince me otherwise.
NYGuy7 — That’s awesome! So you own a car to park it a leave it exactly where it is until the next street cleaning? That’s not owning a car.
I grew uo in Midwood and it was very idyllic. It is very different now. Most of the Victorian homes on my old block have been torn down to put up “McMansions”. The pizza place (Difaro’s) now charges $5 a slice! You can’t go home again…
We do love our home in Bay Ridge and it is much more affordable than Park Slope etc. However, you would be hard presed to find a house for $600,000 unless it’s a fixer upper.