yes, forget "NY" burbs and look into NJ burbs of NYC..particularly NW bergen county...train service to NYC, as well as bus service, taxes much better, excellent schools, at 550k you should find something decent, but not spectacular...go to NJMLS.com, put in your parameters, you'll see what your $$$ buy

qdognj: thank you very much for your response. I didn't consider that (my knowledge of geography is terrible).

Can you name a few towns to help me get started in my search?

It's all very overwhelming.

thank you.

huango,

How long of a commute are you willing to live with?

Moving up from Westchester County into Putman or Dutchess County will get you alot of house in your price range.

Also look into northern Fairfield County. Many from this area commute to the city. A good real estate site to browse is www.nfcar.com. This area fits your criteria quite well.

I live in Newtown, CT. All of your parameters can easily be filled. It is still a buyers market here with alot of inventory. We go to the city frequently and can be there in about 90 minutes using Metro North rail lines. If you are serious, I have a fantastic realtor here in Newtown.

Enjoy the journey.

eal51 in western CT

One thing you have to worry about with NJ, is exhorbitant property taxes. My MIL pays 10K per year.

It depends on the area, some areas NY taxes are higher than NJ. I was going to ask how long of a commute can you live with too - that is the key question. You can get what you want for sure if orange county NY and most likely now a days in Rockland too and that is not bad of a commute. I am not as familiar with the Rockland County schools as I am with Orange though.

Huango,
I live in Ardsley. I work in Midtown (drive to work every day), Dh works downtown in the Financial District (Metro North and #4 train). I can tell you right now that you probably will not find a house in the Rye, Scarsdale and Briarcliff school districts with your budget. Make sure that when you search, you search by school district and not town as some houses may have a Scarsdale PO and Yonkers schools (bad).

You may be able to find something in Pleasantville. Other Westchester areas that may work and have decent schools are Hawthorne and Thornwood (cousin lives there). I would also look at Salem, Katonah, and Mt. Kisco where you may find something in the price range you mentioned above. The market has tanked here so timing may work in your favor.

Another suggestion I have is to look in Putnum County, Rockland County (have to cross a bridge which may be a bear but you can definitely find something in your price range in a family neighborhood and its not too far from Manhattan) or Connecticut. Good Luck and let me know if you have questions. I've lived in the NYC burbs my whole life. Just be prepared - most of the homes in this area are smaller and older than what you may find elsewhere.

eal51, sparksals, boopadaboo, and jyyanks: thank you very much for your responses.

I talked to my husband, who would be doing the commuting, and we concluded that 90minutes one-way would be too much for him; the kids would never see him.
So perhaps w/in 1hour, preferably by public transportation (don't need to worry about parking, etc) would be ideal.

jyyanks: how long is yours and DH's commute?
thank you for your advice on searching by school district. I'll check out the other towns also.

"market has tanked so timing may work in your favor": this is the ONLY reason why we're thinking of doing this now. Even though we have a house to sell, which we may just break even, it seems to be the only time that we'll ever be able to get a home in NYC-burbs.

I lived in Wyckoff, but 550k is going to be tough, though the market has slowed, adjacent towns of Midland Park and waldwick have decent coomute to NYC and fair property taxes, and 550k gets you much more then anything in NYC burbs...also consider Ramsey,though 550k is tough, also eastern areas of Bergen County such as Hillsdale,Westwood, and maybe Emerson..any questions, i'll gladly help as i lived there for 45 years , good luck

There are many places on Long Island that will meet your criteria. If you buy on the South Shore of Nassau or Suffolk (western) counties your husband's commute on the LIRR is about an hour or less if he catches an express.

I put a link to the Long Island MLS below. Choose the following school districts:

In Nassau:

1. Massapequa
2. Seaford
3. Wantagh

In Suffolk:

1. Babylon
2. West Babylon

My wife's a teacher in Massapequa and we live in West Babylon. Both school districts are very good. Along with good school districts go high property taxes. For what you're looking at, taxes will range from $7,000 to $11,000. The MLS website will tell you the taxes. The site also has lots of information on neighborhoods and school districts. If you find some streets you might be interested in, let me know and I'll let you know what I know about the neighborhood.

Good luck with your search,

Kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: Long Island MLS

Homes in Orange Cty, NY are still affordable- you will get a very comfortable home for that price range. I would suggest looking into Warwick NY- schools are great, about a 50 mile distance from NYC. Also on the border of NY- check out Sussex County NJ- Vernon or West Milford (Passaic County)- about an hour commute to NYC. Great prices on homes here and lower taxes than Bergen County. Do a search on realtor.com or craigslist.com and see the cost the homes that come up (as compared to the high priced smaller homes in Westchester or Bergen County). Don't get me wrong, I love Westchester/ and Bergen Cty- it's just very expensive to get a semi decent home there. More value for your money the more northwest from NYC.

Putnam has very high taxes tho. My family lives there. You can buy a house for that price range, but taxes are sky high.

Maybe look into towns in Dutchess Co. I think the taxes are a bit cheaper and there are some very nice houses.

Do you already have a job? A key question in choosing between Westchester vs. NJ vs. Long Island is where in Manhattan you will be working. If you have to add a subway ride, you can add significant time and brain damage to your commute. Westchester commutes into Grand Central, so it makes sense to pay up to live in the northern burbs if your job is in Midtown, particularly Midtown East. Long Island has an easy commute into Midtown West because the LIRR goes into Penn Station. If you're working Downtown, New Jersey is probably your best bet. Though NJ also works into Midtown West as well. I've commuted on public transportation from both NJ and Westchester, and Metro North and Grand Central are far superior commuting options.

I drive to Midtown West (Columbus Circle) and my average commute time with traffic is about 40 min in the morning and 60 minutes in the evening. I do not recommend driving into NYC b/c of traffic, wear and tear of vehicle, and parking but b/c of my job's location, it is easier for me to drive.

I used to commute to Times Square (midtown). Metro North to Grand Central and then walked. The train ride itself is 35 minutes but total commute time was actually about an hour and a half. Why? Factor 15 minutes driving to the train, 35 minute train ride plus a 15 minute walk to my job. Factor in an extra 10 minutes b/c you have to be a couple of minutes early or you'll miss the train.

My DH commutes to the Financial District downtown and it takes him about an hour and a half. Again, the train ride is only 35 minutes to Grand Central but then he has to take the #4 train which is crowded, slow, and doesn't come oftern enough during rush hour.

I would recommend taking public transportation if you can but figure at least an hour commute unless you live in one of the Boroughs or in NYC.

I also agree with callieandkarin. It really does depend where you're DH's job is located and public transportation is your best bet.

Good Luck with your decision.

$550K in most of Bergen Co. gets you a tear down. Just the facts.

dsxxxx, not true..I will admit in NW bergen county, 550k won't get you much,but in other areas of the county, 550k could get you someplace decent..see njmls.com, and check it out yourself...My home i sold was a 1800sf bilevel, fully customized and updated with pool and spa, but still 1800 sf bilevel, sold in mid 800's

Try Norwalk, CT. An express train is around 50 min. to NYC. Taxes are much lower than in New York and you'll definitely be able to find what you're looking for. Zip codes 06855 and 06851 are most convenient to the train. There are some nice neighborhoods within walking distance of the East Norwalk train station. The better neighborhoods are attached to the following elementary schools - Marvin, Naramake, Cranberry and Fox Run.

Good Luck.

Definitely look in Rockland County. Clarkstown schools are supposedly very good. If you check the online MLS sites you'll see what you can get in that price range. Most likely a raised ranch, but it will be on a decent sized lot. Taxes are high, around $9000 and possibly higher. Commuting is usually by bus, but NJ Transis has a few train stops in Rockland (Suffern and Spring Valley for sure).

I grew up in Rockland County NY, lived in Orange County NY for 2 years and then lived in Union County NJ as an adult for 3 years (01-04). Out of thoes 3 areas I'd recommend Fanwood NJ to meet your criteria. We really lived when we lived there. It is a very small town; but a very easy commute to NYC (walk to train from most parts of town), I think the commute is just under an hour. Most of the neighborhoods are a nice mix of original owners (so bought in the 50's!), families with teens and very young families. Lots are small, but houses are cute. Lots of family oriented activities; halloween parade and contest in the park, memorial day parade, Tuesday night movies in the park in the summer.... Fanwood is pretty much surrounded by a town named Scotch Plains, wich is very similar but is more spread out so you don't have as much of that small town feel.

You may want to check out the forums at NJ.Com; there is one for almost every town, some more active then others.

Good luck!

Cathie

You should definitley check out Rockland County. Clarkstown schools and Suffern schools are really good. You can probably find a nice house in your price range this time of year.

Hope this helps,
Reena

Qdognj, finesse, zecallrex, torn2pieces, callieandkarin, jyyanks, dssxxx, arabellamiller, brody, cfrizz, and smiles: thank you so much for all your responses.

Wow, youve given me a whole lot more to think about.
I thought it was overwhelming just trying to sell my house; this (BUYING a house near NYC) is the cherry of top of all this craziness/headaches!!!

My husband currently telecommutes (goes into the nearby office ~3times a month), but if we move closer to NYC, he might have to go into the NYC downtown office more often. IÂm not exactly sure where his office is, so CALLIEANDKARINÂs comment is very true.

CFRIZZ: Fanwood sounds really cute with all the family events, etc. ThatÂs what we currently have here; I thought we would have to give it up.

Question: for those who have lived elsewhere (not that close to NYC), was it worth it to give up so much?

For me, itÂs giving up my friends, my comfortable (size/amenities) home, my cul-de-sac/safe street for my young kids, my neighborhood, and my cute town, just to be near/accessible to NYC and to be near my inlaws. We could just move w/in a 1.5 hour drive (instead of 3-4hours it takes now) to be near family, but doesnÂt have that restriction of being accessible to NYC for ?daily? work.

Here goes my ramblingÂ
It scares me to go around NYC with 2 young children.
We visited for ~4 days, staying in the financial district, while my husband was in training, and it was just my kids and I, trekking all over the city. It was POURING rain everyday except the day we left. The double stroller that normally ROCKS in malls, couldnÂt handle the uneven sidewalks. I had walked 1.5miles OUT OF MY WAY to get to a subway entrance with an elevator, to find out that the elevator only go down 1 level. I still had to beg a kind stranger to help me carry my 65-pounds of kids-lunchbox-bjorn-coats-rainslicker-filled Âstroller (the stroller only weighs 14pounds) down to the next level to actually catch the train (same for the return trip  the Red line was down or something).
Because it was pouring rain, EVERYBODY decided to go to the NY ChildrenÂs Museum. It was packed!!! Since you canÂt eat in there (I couldnÂt even give my 2 year old some Cheerios; I had to nurse my 6month old hiding in a corner  since technically, sheÂs eating), I had to wait in line to retrieve the stroller, dress the kids/myself, and load everyone/everything back up to go out to some restaurant for lunch to escape from the rain, even though IÂve packed a lunch. Then I had to unload everyone/everything into the restaurant, leaving the stroller outside since it was too wide. I rudely had to change my 2yr oldÂs pee-diaper in the booth, since I couldnÂt fit into the bathroom with both kids, the backpack, and the bjorn, etc. Since my kids have about 6minutes of attention span, I didnÂt get to eat my lunch as I was trying to feed them asap and leave before they make a scene. So again, dress/load everyone/everything to trek back to the subway entrance that is only wide enough for 2 people, so when someone finally agreed to help me lug my stroller/kids/stuff downstairs, we blocked the entire stairwell so that pissed off MANY people.
I can go on and on about my ordeals.

How does one person go about NYC with 2 young children?

DonÂt get me started about cabs: now, IÂd need to carry along car seats. Again  unloading everything to fold up the stroller, opening stroller and filling it all up: thereÂs no way any cab driver would want to wait 10minutes for me to get in/out of his cab.

Stop. Done ranting. Stop.

Back to house search.
There is hope that my husband can go to the local office in White Plains ?area/town/city?. So now weÂre looking about 20minutes from ?downtown White Plains. What great schools do I look for?

Again, thank you very much.

I could NEVER EVER live in NYC for the reason you described above. I don't even take my kids into the city b/c I can't stand it. I've lived in the NYC burbs my whole life and have yet to see the Children's Museum, the Empire State building (have walked by, went in for work but nor for a tour) etc. That's why I live in the burbs and commute the way I do, so that I could have the nice neighborhood, good schools, cute town etc. That said, the reason I won't leave NY is b/c my family and friends are all here so I'm here to stay.

White Plains is in Westchester County, apprx 30 miles from NYC. But you have a better chance to find homes in your price range b/c you can move up the line. Try Somers, Katonah, North/South Salem, Pleasantville (great schools close to WP). Just be prepared for high taxes unless you move to Connecticut which is also a very easy commute to White Plains.

I know it seems like you're leaving alot but NY is a great too, and when you're not in the city, it will be much easier to get around in your double stroller, baby bjourn, SUV with 2 carseats, Skip Hop Diaper Bag and Peg Perego Stroller. Trust me :)

Hi,

We are in Bedford after looking at most of mid-upper westchester. You have picked the top schools by reputation. They are excellent for a lot of kids, but can be high stress for kids who are not at the top of the class. Areas that are more affordable with good systems would also include Croton-on Hudson (great express commute, Valhalla has smaller houses and a good school system and so does North Salem. Somers has good schools and so does Yorktown, but the commute to NYC might be more difficult. If your husband is in White Plains you have many more options to get a bigger house in Dutchess or Putnam. Ridgefield CT has great schools, and much lower taxes than NY.

To everyone who has posted or read my rants and concerns, THANK YOU so much. When I first started down this road of thinking of moving to NY, it was SOOOOOOO overwhelming. Especially when your first search returns with:
$499,000 for 440sf in Manhattan. shock!

Everyone has been so informative and helpful and understanding. Thank you.

jyyanks: So if I turn my negativity around, I could see it as that I'll still get to keep my cute town and good school (but smaller/older house) with the huge benefit of accessibility to the greatest city in the world: NYC. :)

pojo: hmmm...my kids are not even old enough for preschool, so I haven't thought about school pressures. good point to consider.
I'll look into Ridgefield - who doesn't like the thought of lower taxes???

Definitely think of Connecticut. Actually, Greenwich, which has a reputation as a very tony town, has some neighborhoods of smaller homes, starting at around $550k -$650K. The house won't be much at all, but you'll have absolutely first class schools, terrific town amenities, and taxes that are in the vicinity of $3K a year.

Plus, these older neighborhoods are being discovered and rehabbed slowly--so you could make out very well financially in the end.

Express commute to Grand Central (mid-town Manhattan) is 45 minutes.

The low, low taxes could mean that you could qualify for a larger mortgage. Just another angle to think about.