Jackson Heights Life

No point in using reason when assessing value in NY real estate, right?  The fact is, if I am shopping for a house (detached or not, with a yard, garage, and lawn) and my household income is "only" in the low to mid 6 figures, then my options are severely limited.  Queens is a relative steal and that it has a solid middle-class foundation should only make it more attractive. 

I have to concur with what has been said - lack of amenities, infrastructure, ongoing loss of charm on our shopping streets, neighborhood upkeep - all contribute to why I don't think this place will go for what they are asking. I would in fact be surprised if it went for over $1 million. JH is not there yet, regardless of how you compare it to Brooklyn neighborhoods. I am a third generation JH resident - my family and I have rented and owned throughout the neighborhood since the 1920's - and I can tell you there has always been a mix - upper middle, straight middle and working classes in the neighborhood. For me, its not about being priced out of the neighborhood, its about reality check. One of my very good friends for many years is one of the top brokers in BK. She has seen my mother's place, an aunt's, my late uncle's and my own and she too at first equated the houses and co-ops to BK equivalents - saying how we should get much more then we were/did. But she did her research and realized that JH still has a bit to go before those prices hit the neighborhood - but has recommended continuously to buy and hold and then call her when the prices jump! lol
I think it is a mixed blessing for JH that many of the old local realtors seem to have been replaced by the larger companies. Many of those locals would keep pocket listings for who they knew may like it or might be looking and more importantly, they knew the neighborhood - good and bad - and were able to advise owners how to price appropriately - and if they liked you as the buyer, would let you know what to offer under the asking price. The larger companies have put JH on the map and helped raise prices. I heard a 3 bed in Southridge just went for $300K - unheard of previously but great news for Southridge and Northridge co-ops. I don't know if Laffey are local or not but at the end of the day, the market will determine the price, regardless of what realtors and sellers want or how we may feel about it here. I'm still curious about the interior as I believe that will say a lot about how much this place will eventually sell for.

JH has a lot of potential, but it holds itself back by fearing every attempt to improve itself here as dangerous gentrification. If someone wants a little bistro in the neighborhood, there's hysteria. Then someone mentions that bistros can be found in Astoria or Woodside, and we're supposed to say, Oh yeah, I'll travel miles out of my way becuase there's already a little bistro in Woodside.  Geez, can't we just have a few modest little things like a corner bistro right here IN JH without it turning into some kind of attack on the current face of the community?

Perhaps you can tell us where else people who can readily afford it can find a similar house (historic, size, semidetached, short commute etc). Name a few neighborhoods since there are plenty with more cachet.

Douglaston, little neck, bayside. You must be kidding. These do not even have a subway station.

It seems that these are good comparable neighborhoods. That Jackson Heights is closer to Manhattan and in an historic district bodes well. There is yet another house on 84th street in Jackson Heights on sale for 1.2 million. The only other area that I know about that would ask well over 1 million would be Forest Hills Gardens.

Frankly I do not understand what you are saying.

One by one you exclude the neighborhoods with similarly priced houses. Sunnyside histroic houses are too small. Comparable Kew Gardens and Forest hills are more expensive and further away. Other towns further away have much longer commutes withotu a subway. Then you conclude that the houses in JH should go for less for no reason. Puzzling.

My question remains: where can you find a historic house, of this size, so close to the city at a lower price?
The answer is nowhere and not "plenty".