Email  Print  Feed

Subscribe to Westchester Magazine : Westchester Magazine Print Edition

The Pulse: A Survey of Westchester County Residents' Views on Real Estate

This month, we asked you about that most pleasant of topics these days—real estate.

Since the Great Recession, have you taken in relatives/friends/housemates to help you afford staying in your home?
No (57%)   Yes (21%)   I’ve given it serious thought (22%)

My biggest house-related expense is:
Oil/heat     45%
Electricity     21%
Water     14%
Regular upkeep     12%
Unexpected repairs     8%

My house is:
Under 1,000 square feet     14%
1,000-2,000 square feet     33%
2,000-3,000 square feet     43%
You need a GPS to find your way
around     10%

If I could do it over, I’d get a home with:
A modern kitchen     36%
Fewer rooms (who needs all that space?)    19%
At least two bathrooms     17%
A butler and a maid     16%
A smaller yard to mow     12%

The worst thing about my home is:
“My neighbors. Who needs them?”
“The parking. You can never have a big   
    enough driveway.”
“Everything!”
“The taxes that come with it!”
“It’s got other people living in it.”
“A nosy landlord.”

The number of people I know who’ve had to sell or foreclose their homes:
0     13%
1 to 3     31%
4 to 6     36%
7 to 10     10%
I’ve lost count     10%
I own a:
Single-family home     41%
Co-Op     29%
Condo     24%
Multiple-family dwelling     6%

The biggest advantage to being a homeowner in Westchester is:
The schools     47%
The overall quality of life     29%
The future re-sale value     24%
The biggest disadvantage to being a homeowner in Westchester is:
The inability to sell     53%
The taxes     35%
The repair/upkeep with all
these $&!*# storms.     12%

I rent:
Only because I can’t afford to buy     72%
By choice     28%