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Hey all! My fiance and I are getting married soon in Dallas, and planning on moving to the NYC area so that she can pursue a career in theatre. I currently work completely remotely as a cloud engineer making 120k net. She works as a server and an ESL teacher, making around 40k net. Our plan will be to move to one of the north suburbs of NYC in November, rent for at least a year, then look into purchasing a small house there.
Is this remotely a reasonable plan? We love the New Rochelle area, due to it's proximity to the city, and housing avaliability, but is there a better area we should be searching in? Should I give up the thought of having a house here with our current income?
Our requirements would be:
Single Car Garage (double preferred)
Small yard for dog
1000 sq feet minimum
Livable, but can be in need of renovation
Thank you all! This is a big step for us, so anything I can do to prepare will greatly ease our stress.
You don't have kids, right? If you are renting for a year, is there a reason you haven't considered something in Hoboken, Jersey City, Astoria, etc? There's nothing wrong with Westchester, I'm just wondering what's drawing you to it as a no-kids young couple who plans to be going into the city a lot.
What's your rental budget and then home budget later?
ETA: We moved from Dallas to Hoboken, NJ 7 years ago. Still here! I lived in Lakewood and then Old East Dallas before moving here.
I agree with Annikan, you can look at NJ like Jersey City or Hoboken. The commute into NYC is definitely shorter. I'm assuming you are thinking ahead and want great schools that is why you are looking at Westchester? Here is a good article that gives you a list of affordable towns in Westchester with great schools. https://suburbs101.com/affordable-we...-best-schools/
Appreciate the replies! We're restricted to a NY State address due to audition requirements at most NYC theatres. Very odd, but it's the standard for acting there.
When I'm not working, I'm usually building custom motorycles. It's not exactly a job, but it's a large part of my life. Due to this, I'd very much like to have the one-car garage.
So honestly, anywhere near the city, with a NY state address, with a garage, could be considered.
How and when will she be going into Manhattan? And will she have a car available for that? These logistics affect what your options are. Westchester may be too pricy. Rockland may be a better option. Focus on the southeast portion of the county. If she is going in at non-peak times (as may be the case for someone working in theatre), and has a car, and has a reasonable parking plan, than parts of Rockland are very close to the theatre district. If the commute will be at more traditional times, the Pascack Valley line, especially if she can get on the express, may work. Another option would be Queens. Can get a small house with garage there to rent in certain spots.
More info: We both currently have cars in Dallas, we could opt to take them with us, or sell them here. No preference, options open. Is Queens indeed a posibility? Taxes are definitely lower than westchester, but at what cost? I'm not sure we can afford to purchase a house (detached) in an area that we'd feel safe there. Her schedule is definitely off-peak, so commuting via car is open to consideration. Are there any other NY (state) neighborhoods that we're missing? I know this is a huge leap from Dallas, but I don't want us to have to compromise more than we have to, if tha makes sense.
In New York City and Westchester County every neighborhood is like a different world. For instance: some sections of New Rochelle are okay and some are dangerous. Maybe someone from New Rochelle could give more information.
Keep in mind, with the Metro North trains into Croton Harmon lines, there is a 12:43 am, 1:00 am and finally an 1:50 am and began again at 5:36 am. Driving is okay. Paying for NYC parking is between $300 to $500 a month.
In NYC, you will need an income 40x the monthly rent – the standard when shopping for an NYC lease. Based on your $120,000, the highest rent allowed is $3,000 per month.
Sunnyside Queens is beautiful, but there is waiting list for garages. The best bet for coming home after dark is a taxi.
When we moved from Austin, Texas to Sunnyside Queens, we found Welcome Home Real Estate helpful.
More info: We both currently have cars in Dallas, we could opt to take them with us, or sell them here. No preference, options open. Is Queens indeed a posibility? Taxes are definitely lower than westchester, but at what cost? I'm not sure we can afford to purchase a house (detached) in an area that we'd feel safe there. Her schedule is definitely off-peak, so commuting via car is open to consideration. Are there any other NY (state) neighborhoods that we're missing? I know this is a huge leap from Dallas, but I don't want us to have to compromise more than we have to, if tha makes sense.
Pearl River, in Rockland, might work for you. You can get an older/smaller house walking distance to the train/restaurant/stores cheaper than you can in Westchester unless you go to the northern end of Westchester or to a bad area. If you keep a car and she can go in off peak, its very convenient to the theatre district. Approx. 15 miles to the George Washington Bridge, then from there maybe 6-9 miles to the theatre. If its off peak, than traffic will not be a problem. Would need to have a parking plan, but I have heard that some theaters may have parking arrangements and/or deals with certain garages. Walking distance from the train also gives her train options. The train isn't as convenient, mile for mile, as those in Westchester, which is the main reason why housing is cheaper. If she can drive in off-peak, you will be leveraging that to get a much cheaper house. Also look at Nyack - no train option, but it has a different vibe that you may (or may not) like. In general, southeastern Rockland County has great value for people who need to get into Manhattan but off-peak, since as the bird flies, it is very close, without the much higher housing costs in Westchester.
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