Westchester County Selling Affordable Homes, Applications Being Accepted

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Homes purchased by Westchester County are being offered to the public as affordable homes.

Applications are now being accepted for more than 30 single-family properties and condominiums, ranging in size from one to five bedrooms.

According to information from a county spokesman, all of the homes are in good condition and are located in the following communities: Bedford, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Pleasant, North Castle, Pelham Manor, Pound Ridge, Somers and Yorktown.

“The county is pleased to offer these homes at discounted prices to families that want to live in Westchester County, but may not have been able to afford it in the past,” said County Executive Robert Astorino.

The homes were purchased at market value and are being sold at affordable prices to qualified individuals and families.

The price for fair and affordable homes range from $125,000 to $300,000.

From the county:

Qualifications for buyers to purchase an affordable home include:

• A household income at or less than 80% of the Area Median Income for Westchester County: $60,400 for a one person household; $69,000 for a two person household; $77,650 for a three person household; $86,250 for a four person household; $93,150 for a five person household.

• Households must also have savings for a down payment and closing costs, satisfactory credit, and incomes sufficient to carry the monthly mortgage payments.

These 30-plus homes are among the 790 units that the county is developing in accordance with the 2009 housing settlement. The settlement permitted the county to satisfy up to 25% of the required 750 units with existing housing. The properties will remain affordable for 50 years.

Information on each unit is available on the county’s Homeseeker website, where interested families can view the information, download the application and sign up to receive information on additional properties and open houses.

The county’s housing marketing consultant, the Housing Action Council (HAC), is handling the marketing of each unit. Rose Noonan, executive director of the HAC, said the available homes have a number of options for potential buyers, such as proximity to public transportation, amount of yard space, and communities with a pool or near a lake.

“There are also the condominiums with amenities and common areas cared for by management companies,” said Noonan. “Each home has its own style ranging from townhomes and flats to raised ranches to Cape Cod style and colonials.”

The HAC is a not-for-profit organization that helps the county identify and qualify prospective purchasers. As a member of the New York Mortgage Coalition, the HAC also provides homeownership counseling and assists buyers through the mortgage approval process.

The buyers will be selected through a lottery process. Applications will be accepted through April 24, after which public lotteries will be held for each property. Buyers can expect to be in their homes by the end of the year.

For additional information about the homes and their communities, contact the HAC at (914) 332-4144 or hac@affordablehomes.org or go here.

Photo credit: Westchestergov.com.