There are ten homes listed on MLSLI as being sold in July of 2009. That’s a mighty big number. So, I’m going to chop up my Sold Homes post for July into three parts. There are a lot of interesting houses that sold during that month and I don’t want them to get missed or lost in the shuffle.
50 Paumanake Ave
- MLS# 2133440 – Zillow Page
- Sold: $480,000 – 7/1/2009
- Prior Sales: none
- 3 bedrooms – 1.5 bath – Colonial
- Taxes: $11,696 – Village Taxes: $884
I liked this house quite a bit and wrote about it here, back in January. Originally listed for $549K, it then dropped to $499K in March. I thought it might go for closer to $450K, but $480K seems a reasonable number.
This is a much better, much more livable house house than some of the others that we’ve looked at in the Indian Section. Even though the selling price is a bit higher than I’d like, it still makes a good comp I think.
24 Kensington Rd
- MLS# 2112017 – Zillow Page
- Sold: $625,000 – 7/9/2009
- Prior Sales: none
- 3 bedrooms – 2 full/2 half bath – Split
- Taxes: $15,209 – Village Taxes: $1,013
752 Freedom St
- MLS# 2152632 – Zillow Page
- Sold: $347,500 – 7/9/2009
- Prior Sales: 07/22/2003 – $300,000
- 3 bedrooms – 1 bath – Split
- Taxes: $8,585 – Village Taxes: none
I don’t pay much attention to these houses in the North Babylon school district. There does seem to be a significant discount once you go north of the Babylon Village schools.
34 S Carll Ave
- MLS# 2176070 – Zillow Page
- Sold: $529,000 – 7/10/2009
- Prior Sales: 08/23/2000 – $355,000
- 4 bedrooms – 2 bath – Colonial
- Taxes: $7,919 – Village Taxes: $830
I love these old Babylon homes. It’s way out of our price range, but I’m a bit sorry that I didn’t get to see it before it got sold. Looks like it needed some work, but you can’t beat that 19th century charm, wraparound porch and big lot
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Freedom St was a great buy for those who preferred a free standing home to the type of condo available in Babylon. Gorgeous fully fenced yard, full basement, hardwood floors throughout, updated kitchen and bath within the last 3 years. Large open floorplan and extremely well built. New owner put in a few pennies and trayed the great room and did some small tweaks – result is awesome. Don’t understand the bias against N Babylon school district, particularly at the elementary level.
Well, I don’t have any bias against N. Babylon schools per se. Debra grew up in Deer Park and I think her perceptions of that school district come from her impressions of it from her formative years.
Still, I don’t think we’re alone in our preference for the Babylon SD. Search MLS for Babylon with N. Babylon schools and you’ll see some pretty low asking prices. Move any of those houses a couple hundred yards south and the ask would go up fifty to a hundred thousand dollars.
Sorry, didn’t mean to imply your bias
Clearly the market values reflect a discount to Babylon village and the general consensus is the difference in the school systems is the reason. My point was that while there is clearly a measured and published difference in completion rates, college acceptances, etc between N Babylon and the village, I don’t believe the elementary schools differ all that much. Unless you know you are going to stay in a house “forever”, a young family might do as well in a Babylon home that is served by the N Babylon school systems.
But unless you knew you were going to move in five years or so, why wouldn’t you just buy a house in a better school district? A lot of people buy a house and stay. The attitude that you must get on the property ladder: “starter house,” then “step up house,” then “McMansion” is part of what lead to our current real estate collapse. People buying houses that they couldn’t really afford with loans they shouldn’t have gotten because they didn’t want to spend the rest of their lives in a “starter” house. Gary and I are planning on buying a house and staying there until Aurora’s out of high school or we retire.
No one is suggesting you set your sights on a McMansion
But if you look at how people actually live out their lives, the average tenure in a home is under 10 years (yes, this was true before the housing bubble). To totally discount a geography because of the school system which only becomes a problem at the high school level seems to me a bit rigid. But if your goal is to indeed stay in the same home for 17+ years (or as you suggest, 35+!!), then I can see why you avoid certan areas. But another consideration – what you would pay in Village taxes could be reallocated to private high school…anyway, best of luck with your search!
Debra-
If it’s any consolation..my parents have been in the same house in the VOB for 45+ Years. They decided to stick around after graduation!!!! Not bad for a $14,500.00 investment. Oh, and after all of us kids graduated from Babylon, we stayed, and there happens to be another generation enrolled!!
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