Buying a smaller house in a great school district

We are thinking of moving but can only afford a tiny house that will barely fit the 4 of us in syosset so my kids could go to that school. Are we crazy? Is it worth it?

The house I'm in now is too small too. Because of the way it's set up we would need to add on here anyway. Ugh decisions decisions

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

I don't know much about that area, however, being aware of other areas of LI, I am not sure I would want to move somewhere I may be put into the situation where I feel my kids would possibly be uncomfortable because they are not like all of their other friends who live in bigger, nicer homes in the district.

I know that's my insecurity to an extent, but I feel that kids today have enough to deal with.

I would rather buy a bigger house in an okay school district that was more affordable.

Not everything needs to be "the best".

I also don't put a whole lot into what people say about certain school districts, and would not neccessarily want to be somewhere known as "the best" because of all the other pressure that comes along with that KWIM?

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

I agree with MZSocialworker. You said that the house would "barely fit" your family..I heard that Syosset is a good school district but I would rather move to a school district that is still good but slightly inferior to Syosset and be comfortable.

Message edited 11/12/2011 4:03:50 PM.

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

We were bidding on a cape in syosset that we knew had to be expanded eventually. We backed out and found a much bigger home in a better neighborhood in Plainview/ old bethpage.

We decided that sacrificing space was not worth it for us At our age (30 yo with 2 big baby boys!) and looked in another area. If in the future we still want to move to syosset we can do that, but for now we are happy here !

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

I think everyone has different ideas on what is a small/big house. Four people should be able to fit into a cape just fine. I think Syosset is a great area and my husband always says you can change your house down the road but not the area.
I also feel a kid can have a problem in any district regardless of their financial standing. Kids are cruel sometimes in any district and for any reason. I’m also sure you are not the only person in that district that purchased a house on the lower end of the market just to get into the ditrict.
At the same time my first house we purchased I hated and cryed myself to sleep at night. I put so much money into it and still not happy. We moved and now I love my house!! I’m in the Plainview-Old Bethpage school district, IMO just a tiny step below Syosset school district.
Your children are going to get a great education in whatever school district you put them in because YOU CARE about their eductation!
Good Luck !!!

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

I wouldn't wedge myself into a house just for the school district. There are definitely other options. If it is really all about the school district have u considered south Hempstead? It is RVC schools but the houses prices are very reasonable.

Or I would look for a bigger house that needs work in Syosset.

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

I think it also depends on your current situation. Do you have to sell to buy? Are you in a rush? Maybe you can wait to see if you can afford something bigger. Have your realtor pull Comps for you so you can see if its possible to get something bigger in your price range . that way you can be patient and in a position to move right away if the right house comes on the market. Good luck!

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

Generally speaking, I think it's always better to buy a smaller home in a better area (where values are typically higher) than a bigger home in an undesirable area. You never want to buy the best house in the town or on the block, even. As a pp said, homes can be modified, but location is forever.

But that said, I think you need to be able to live comfortably in the home you purchase. I understand that you may need to sacrifice some luxuries, such as an extra bedroom or a huge yard, to buy in certain areas. And it's great to have realistic expectations. But you need to honestly assess whether the type of house you are considering buying can fit your family's needs. Only you know the answer. And even if there's potential to expand/renovate in the future, really ask yourself if that is something your family will have the money and time to take on?

Not sure why you've honed in on the Syosset school district, but if you are open to other areas, I would do some research on other school districts you would consider and see what you can get for your money there.

Message edited 11/13/2011 10:42:02 PM.

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

There are a lot of great districts on LI. Syosset has a great reputation, but it's not worth it to buy a house that wouldn't suit your needs.

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

At the end of the day, you have to live and hopefully love, whatever house you buy.

I beleive in sacrificing some things to get what you ultimately want... to a point...

We picked an excellent school district, Wantagh for both the school district and the feel of the community. It is probably a step or half step below syosset. we paid a premium to live here vs some other areas and are fine with that. Also our house is smaller than if we bought in mount sinai or kings park or for that matter, what we could afford in lindenhurst. again, we're ok with that.

However, as our second house, we wanted to make sure it was in a location, both school district and street location that we would want to stay for a long time, but also important that the house was the size where we'd be fine living for a long time.

I think it would be a mistake to buy a house that is borderline too small for you at the top of your budget. people say you can always expand, and thats true, but if you are maxed on the house purchase you aren't going to expand anytime soon.

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

It's definitely a very personal choice but it could be worthwhile. I grew up in Syosset and it is definitely a great area and school, and it is a large district compared to some of the others in the area (compared to Jericho, Roslyn, etc). As a result, I do think it is a little more diverse in terms of economics. The schools are really excellent. I believe 95% of my class graduated and went to 4 year colleges. If you have questions about the district or the area please feel free to FM me.

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

It depends on the size of the lot. If you're able to build on the lot and make the small house bigger over time then yes... I might think it's worth it. But if there aren't many possibilities then no, I don't think it's worth it. The older your kids get the more you're going to need space.

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

If there's potential to expand in the new but small house, yes, go for it if you can get a good price. If not, forget it, your kids will only get bigger, and need more room...

If you have 2nd thoughts now, wait until buyer's remorse kicks in after you bought it. Trust me, I've been there, done that...

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

Personally, I wouldn't - only because I know there are so many awesome districts on LI so I wouldn't buy something that barely fit my family at this stage.
When we bought our home we bought the smallest/needed the most work type of house in an area we couldn't otherwise afford - but we knew we were getting a good enough deal and would eventually add on/expand and be comfortable. in the 5 years we've lived here, I've dormered and put on an addition nearly doubling the size of the house. Going thru renovations pregnant/with small children royally s ucked but was worth it to us - so it really depends on what you plan to do/can do down the line.

Re: Buying a smaller house in a great school district

I prefer smaller houses, but I wouldn't sacrifice what you want & need in a home just to live in Syossett. As other people suggested, I'd look into Plainview.