Fall colors are soon to come in this healthy New York market.
College Point
Realtor David Callaghan notes, "College Point was known variously in its early days as Tew's Neck, Lawrence's Neck and Strattonport. This area was given the name of College Point in 1836 after an Episcopal clergyman established St. Paul's School there for training ministers. Although the school lasted only five years, the name stuck. The area was once a center for breweries and day-trip resorts, and has an industrial past. It remains a light manufacturing center, but is now primarily residential one and two-family homes, with stores lining College Point Boulevard creating a small town feel. The 578-acre College Point Industrial Park, located in the meadows between College Point and Flushing, houses some offices, light industry; and a Shopping Center consisting of Target, Circuit City and other stores."
He continues, "The housing market remains very strong in College Point. As of September 12th, there were 93 homes for sale, with an average asking price of $732,371. The lowest price is $385,000 and the Highest Price is $1,549,000. The median price is $728,000."
New Rochelle
Realtor Lisa Klein says, "New Rochelle is called the Queen City of the Sound. It is an ideal location, just 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan from its' new transportation center. This city is an exciting place to live with a re-energized downtown area offering many entertainment and eating experiences and beautiful parks down by the Sound. New Rochelle is also home to many centers of higher level education including Iona College, the College of New Rochelle and Monroe College. New Rochelle is immortalized in paintings by Norman Rockwell, who used city residents as models to create his nostalgic images about American life and "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which was based on the star and comedy writers' own experience living in New Rochelle and commuting to Manhattan. (And for all those trivia minded, the rock in the backyard of Dick and Mary's house does exist.)"
She adds, "Overall the real estate market in New Rochelle remains strong due to the close proximity to NYC and limited inventory. The average sold price has gone up +5 percent overall since the same time period (January - September) last year. There are 133 homes currently on the market, ranging from $387,000 to $3,495,000, with the average listing price of $991,323. On average, homes are selling at 98-99 percent of final asking price (reflecting previous price reductions) in the last 3 months."
Rochester
Realtor Earl Krakower says, "Charm, community, culture, convenience, and cost -- these are five reasons to move to Rochester. It's a major challenge to find another city with Rochester's quality of life that is more affordable. While housing in 2004 and into 2005 has been ranging from $65,000 to over a million dollars, the average home price is hovering in the $100,000 price point. There is definitely a supply of both single and multi family dwellings in all areas. Buyers in general are insisting on properties in especially good condition. Rochester is the county seat for Monroe County. It is located in upstate NY with Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes, as its northern border."
He adds, "The Genesee River flows from Pennsylvania north through farmlands, dams, falls in Rochester, and eventually empties into Lake Ontario. Originally known as the "flour" city, due to the mills powered by the Genesee River, the city is now known as the "flower" city. Rochester is famous for it's Lilac festival in the spring which draws many visitors from outside the area. Museums, planetariums, the Eastman School of Music, play groups, and a revitalized High Falls mill area all add to the quality of life in Rochester."
