Page 29 - Westchester 2022 Relocation & Moving Guide

“Families who were thinking about coming to Westchester and buying a house in a few years decided to speed up the process and buy right away.”
While the absolute frenzy of the real estate market at the height of the pandemic has calmed down somewhat, Knief notes, there are still a huge number of buyers waiting for new inventory to hit the market. “Prices have gone up. Bidding wars over the past year have increased values and given appraisers/banks the justifcation to appraise houses at higher prices,” she explains.
Also driving the staying-power of the local real estate market is continually low mortgage interest rates. “As mortgage rates continue to hover near historic lows, the affordability factor is still driving demand,” explains Anthony Lando, licensed real estate salesperson with Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty in Irvington.
With its abundance of large homes, lush outdoor spaces, easy access to safe nature activities, and the usual draws of commuting ease, competitive schools, and charming Main Streets, the lure of Westchester has continued to be incredibly strong for families seeking a new way of life that is more home-centric.
“Sales are up 43% year over year,” notes Deborah Valentino, licensed associate real
“Families who were thinking about
coming to Westchester and buying a house in a few years decided to speed up the process and buy right away.”
—Dawn Knief, Compass
estate broker with Houlihan Lawrence in Yonkers, who adds that her firm’s proprietary data shows that New York City buyers account for one-third of buyers coming to Westchester. “Single-family homes with amenities such as a pool and grassy yard are still in demand. And homes close to train and transportation are still very desirable,” she adds.
Affordable Rivertowns, like Ossining, Cortlandt, and Peekskill, are appealing to a lot of families these days, notes Suzanne Welch of Coldwell Banker. “You can get a lot of bang for your buck in these areas. There are many buyers who want out of apartments and condos, so properties listed in Croton or Ossining for less than $700,000 fly off the market.”
Why Westchester?
Who: Mimi Salcedo and Brennan Pothetes
Where: Brooklyn to Ossining
Why: A Thriving Ethnic Community & Easy Transport Access
New Ossining residents Mimi Salcedo
and her husband, Brennan Pothetes,
decided that 2020 was the right time to
transition from Brooklyn to Westchester.
The couple, originally from Portland, OR,
spent two years living in Park Slope, and
loving it, before realizing their budget
would not enable them to purchase the
kind of home they hoped for in Brooklyn.
Salcedo and Pothetes had been searching as far out as Bay Ridge for an affordable area that would allow them to commute to the city. They had enjoyed a weekend trip to the Hudson Valley on the Metro-North Hudson Line, and the idea of being near the river lingered in their minds as the lockdown started.
“As the pandemic struck, we looked at each other and just knew. We decided it was better to move completely out of the city and started thinking about living in the suburbs,” Salcedo says. “The transportation on the Hudson Line was a big calling, and we loved the idea of staying in New York and being near the river and commuting that way.”
“It really called to me that Ossining has a strong Hispanic and Peruvian culture. Being here just felt right to us.”
They quickly realized how much further their budget would go in Westchester. After touring homes in Tarrytown first, they eventually found a four-bedroom, three- bathroom Colonial with a wraparound front porch in Ossining that was bigger than other homes they had toured, which, Salcedo says, “really spoke to us.”
“The sellers had lived in the home for more than 30 years, and it just felt like a family home with a lot of love. Also, I’m half Peruvian, and it really called to me that Ossining has a strong Hispanic and Peruvian culture. Being here just felt right to us.”
Their city friends initially thought they were crazy. “But now, when I tell them how we could not be happier in Ossining, how we are relaxing on our patio, and the dog is having the time of his life in the backyard, they are like, ‘Oh wow, that sounds perfect. Maybe we should start looking, too...”
LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE 27
© COURTESY OF DAWN KNIEF
© MIMI SALCEDO