J. Philip's Westchester Real Estate Blog

This is the market report for single family homes sold in the Croton-Harmon school district for the first quarter of 2011. All information is sourced fom the Empire Access Multiple Listing Service. 

In the first quarter of 2011, there were 15 closings with a median sale price of $540,000. 

In the first quarter of 2010, there were 11 closings with a median sale price of $542,000. 

4 additional closings at about the exact same median is a step forward over last year. Median price is only $2000 different-negligible. Croton is enjoying what appears to be a robust Spring. 

9 homes are currently under contract at a median asking price of $550,000. This tells me that the activity is not letting up- buyers are making deals. 52 homes are active on the market and available, so buyers don't have the huge inventory to choose from as other places. 

If you'd like to search for a home in Croton or just see where home values are going, get yourself a free Listingbook account and search the MLS like an agent. 

Previous posts on Croton are here. 

This market report is for single family homes in the Croton-Harmon school district. All data is from the Empire Access (formerly Westchester-Putnam) MLS. Contract and asking prices are list prices, as contractual prices are not disclosed until closing. 

Croton had 5 closings in October at a median price of $400,000, considerably lower than the $679,000 median of a year ago. I wouldn't read too much into this, as the month just had lower prices homes close this time around. Last month the median price of homes under contract was $420,000, so a lower median sales price this month is no surprise. Expect a far higher median price in November. The median asking price of the 12 homes under contract is a very robust $679,000. 60 homes are available for sale.  

To find your dream home in Croton, get yourself a free Listingbook account. 

Previous posts on Croton on Hudson

Since I have Croton on the mind, I'll share a recent "date night" Ann and I had recently.

Hey. Get your mind out of the gutter. That's my job.

We went to Memphis Mae's, a terrific Barbecue Restaurant right in the heart of the village with fantastic ribs, wings, pulled pork, Cajun food, and plenty more. 

The decor is very nice: tin ceiling, nice, clean bar (no TV. This is not a pub, and they don't push for a bar crowd. They are about the food), and Mardis Gras beads adorn the fixtures. 

You can get anything from a snack of wings all the way up to a nice steak dinner with all the side dishes you can think of. They have all the things you might expect, like chili, catfish and brisket, but they are creative as well: we had barbecue calamari and fried oysters. As a matter of fact, the choices and combinations were mind boggling. Click on the link and check out their menu. Or, you can check out the menu here, as modeled by the lovely (and shy) former Ms. Lee. 

The prices were very reasonable as well. 

Memphis Mae's is located at Croton Commons, 173 South Riverside Ave, Croton on Hudson, NY 10520. They can be reached at 914-271-0125. 

Westchester residents have long known the strategic role our county plays in the New York City water supply. Our network or reservoirs, dams and aqueducts provide the lion's share of water to the largest city in the country, but they also give us some fantastic parks and pieces of scenery. Today I had the opportunity to drive through Cortlandt Manor and Croton on Hudson, and the reservoir views with autumn here were breathtaking.

Croton Gorge Park is the site of the Croton Dam, which along with Kensico Dam helped create the whole reservoir system. The park is open from 8am to dusk, has plenty of parking and greenery, and the view of the gorge waterfall is awe inspiring. We brought the kids today and they absolutely loved it. I saved it to the GPS favorites so Ann can bring them back whenever she wants. It is 10 minutes from our home and worth a drive far longer. If you are ever near Croton or north Westchester, this is for the bucket list. 

Croton Gorge Park is just off Route 129, north of the village of Croton on Hudson. It is about 5 minutes from Route 9A. 

Croton on Hudson is the village directly north of Ossining. It is a very charming locale on the Hudson with parks, great neighborhoods, and a large train station hub on the Metro North Hudson Line. My older brother and his family also live there. I used to camp at Croton Point Park as a Boy Scout, and I have many happy memories of the place. In the near future I'll blog about some great places to dine in Croton.  

This market report is for single family homes in the Croton-Harmon school district. All data is from the Westchester-Putnam MLS. Last month stunk. This month was much better. 

Croton had 8 closings in September at a median price of $459,000, doubling the number of sales from a year before, and at a $84,000 higher median price. Very strong. 13 homes are under contract, and 65 are available for sale. The disparity between asking price of the contracted homes ($420,000) and those available ($598,000) speaks to some lofty expectations of the unsold. If asking prices come down some, watch for even healthier numbers. 

To find your dream home in Croton, get yourself a free Listingbook account. 

Previous posts on Croton on Hudson

Previous posts on Croton on Hudson

All information is from the Westchester Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 

Previous posts on Croton on Hudson. 

Croton on Hudson is a charming village located in northwest Westchester County in the town of Cortlandt.  This market report is for single family homes in the Croton-Harmon school district, which is not coterminous with the village but is close.  All information is from the Westchester Putnam Multiple Listing Service. 

Prices are up considerably in Croton, but there were only 3 closed sales in May compared to 6 in May 2009. The area tends to be in close harmony with the school year cycle, so I expect a busy June because school is out and the stimulus deadline is June 30.

11 homes are under contract or pending sale, and there are 68 homes listed actively for sale. Buyers have lots of options to choose from in Croton. 

To give some perspective, Croton had 1 closing in May of 2006 and 6 closings in May 2005, at the height of the market. 

Arrowcrest is small, exclusive neighborhood in Croton on Hudson that has a beautiful view of the Hudson River and abuts Hudson National Golf Club. The striking thing about the development is the great job they did to blend Arrowcrest homes in with the wooded nature of the area. The builder did not "scorch the Earth" and clear cut every inch the way I have lamented in the past. This is not only prettier, it yields more privacy for the homes. Although the oldest home here is only about 12, the maturity of the Arrowcrest neighborhood makes it feel far more established. 

The subdivision was built mostly from 1998-2000. The average Arrowcrest home is about 4000 square feet with a 1-plus-acre lot. The last three sales in the development, all within the last 6 months, ranged from $875,000 to $910,000. There is a homeowner's association. Despite the atmosphere that suggests the contrary, the neighborhood enjoys municipal services for water and sewer- no wells or septic tanks here. Homes feature 2 car garages, full basements, central air conditioning, hydro air heat, and kitchens and master suites to die for. 

The school district serving Arrowcrest homeowners is Croton-Harmon, which encompasses Tompkins Elementary, Van Cortlandt Middle School, and Croton-Harmon Senior High School. In addition to the golf course next door, there is Croton Point Park, Teatown Nature Reservation, and shopping in Mt Kisco or Peekskill is also close by. The Village of Croton is 5 minutes away down Riverside Avenue. To get anywhere from Arrowcrest you drive down the main road with a spectacular view of the Hudson River. 

There is to be sure plenty of upscale housing in north Westchester; however, to get newer vintage homes in a wooded setting with a view of the Hudson is rare, and that scarcity makes Arrowcrest special indeed.