Thinking of Relocating Outside of New York City? Watch This Free Brownstoner Webinar Video

Moving to the ‘Burbs, Brownstoner’s free online webinar, offered viewers expert insights from real estate agents in Westchester, the Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Long Island.

The challenges of social distancing in New York City have many people thinking about a move, and the agents addressed the current situation and the changes they foresee.

“As the crisis took hold we saw a huge demand for rentals in Suffolk, Nassau County and the Hamptons, and I think that’s a good indicator of what we’re going to see in the future,” said Patrick McCooey of Douglas Elliman, an expert on Manhasset and Garden City. “People will change not only how they live but also where they live, and I think people will flock out of New York City as they’ll want to create distance between them and their neighbors.”

Jean Cameron-Smith and Heather Bouza of William Raveis’ The Source Team are seeing upticks in buyer activity in Chappaqua, N.Y. and Westchester river towns. “There were four deals that went into contract last week alone,” said Cameron-Smith. “And not one buyer saw the physical house, it was all virtual tours.”

Allison Ziefert and Sarah Ginge Calhoun of Compass’ Allison Ziefert Real Estate Group discussed Maplewood, N.J., and surrounding towns, where in-person showings are allowed — under special circumstances (if the buyer has done all their due diligence, then a viewing with precautions can be set up).

“That’s unlike in New York,” said Ziefert, who also saw an uptick in buyer activity last week. “Inspections and appraisals are getting done.”

Larry O’Toole of Lawrence O’Toole Realty of the Catskills and Hudson County talked about banks beginning to tighten their belts. “I think you’re going to see that a lot as we move forward. I think people who were able to qualify for loans may not be able to qualify down the road. I know I have to be much more careful when vetting buyers.”

Alana Benjamin of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, like all the agents on the webinar, is optimistic. “I think what we’re seeing now will create opportunities for buyers and sellers.”

You can view the entire webinar here.

https://youtu.be/D6vrrhzIa9s

Participants were Allison Ziefert and Sarah Ginge Calhoun of Compass’ Allison Ziefert Real Estate Group, who discussed Maplewood, N.J., and surrounding towns. Larry O’Toole of Lawrence O’Toole Realty shared his expertise on the Catskills and the Hudson Valley, including Kingston and Woodstock. Jean Cameron-Smith and Heather Bouza of William Raveis’ The Source Team talked about Chappaqua, N.Y., and Westchester river towns. Patrick McCooey of Douglas Elliman dished on Manhasset and Garden City on Long Island. Alana Benjamin of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty spoke about Port Washington and nearby towns on Long Island.

Sponsors included Compass, Douglas Elliman, Lawrence O’Toole Realty, William Raveis, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty and Classic Quality Homes.

To learn about hosting and sponsorship opportunities for Brownstoner Home Events, please get in touch here.