Nassau houses that sold for less than $700,000

Jeannine Principe-Puleo sold her first house in 1998 — an abode in Valley Stream that went for $140,000.

"That same house, if I had to sell it today, would probably be $700,000 or $800,000," said the Compass real estate agent, who now sells properties on Long Island and in Florida.

The median price for single-family homes in Nassau and Suffolk counties in March rose, compared to the same time last year. The latest data from OneKey MLS showed a median of $820,000 in Nassau, which increased 12.3% from the $730,000 median price in March 2024. (The figure for Suffolk was $655,000 for last month, compared to $610,000 last year, according to the data.)

Real estate agents who sold houses in March under the median price offered their advice, and recounted the competitive selling processes along the way. Here are three properties that sold for below $700,000 last month in Nassau County.

An elusive price point

In just one weekend, this five-bedroom, two-bathroom Colonial in Glen Cove sold for $630,000. Taxes were listed as $11,252. The property was represented by Barbara Catapano and Michelle Rich, of Branch Real Estate Group.

"We had a slew of people," Rich said, looking back on the open house. "I would say probably about 30 people in the door."

The lack of inventory, coupled with the price point, was a big draw for potential buyers at the time, said Catapano.

"It's impossible to get a house in Glen Cove in the $500,000 or $600,000 [range] anymore," she said. "Everybody's just trying to scoop up that price point now."

The house totals 1,900 square feet, and is within the Glen Cove City School District. Notable features include a covered front porch, dual walk-in closets in the primary bedroom, a full unfinished basement and a detached two-car garage.

The house was owned by the same family since it was built around 1930, and it was renovated in 1990. Although it needed some more updates, people were enticed by the idea of adding "their own designer's touch, as opposed to having it done already," said Rich.

And in the end, they had "multiple offers," she added.

'Incredible turnout'

This property in Malverne sold for $50,000 more than its asking price, said listing agent Marty Vandenburg, of Keller Williams Legendary. He co-listed the house with Harpreet Kaur.

The brick Tudor, constructed in 1928, was listed at $629,999. It sold for $680,000, flying off the market in just under three weeks, Vandenburg said. It contains three bedrooms and 1½ bathrooms.

"We hosted double open houses on that weekend we listed, and we had over 75 people there, which is an incredible turnout," Vandenburg said.

And that enthusiasm led to about 15 offers, he said. Some features that stood out to interested house-hunters included the fact that it was a corner lot and the house's high ceilings, said Vandenburg.

"Even the first floor had 9-foot ceilings," he said. "And it had a really nice open-floor plan."

The house was in the Malverne School District, and taxes were listed at $13,104. Standout features included a wood burning fireplace, a chandelier in the kitchen, a breakfast nook and a detached two-car garage. There is also a full basement.

March's median single-family home price in Nassau doesn't surprise Vandenburg. "That being said, I don't think that price point speaks for all of Nassau County," he said. "But there are a lot of beautiful neighborhoods in Nassau County that go on the higher end of that. I mean, this is the market, right?"

'The key to getting houses'

A four-bed, two-bath home in Massapequa Park sold for $690,000. It lasted 23 days on the market before moving into contract, said listing agent Principe-Puleo. She co-listed with Melissa Schneider.

"We had a lot of showings," Principe-Puleo said, adding that she opted to schedule private appointments, instead of hosting an open house. This way, prospective buyers could take their time to look around and "make an informed decision," she said.

The price, location and condition of the home led to its speedy sale, Principe-Puleo said. The taxes were listed at $12,988, and the house is in the Massapequa School District. The asking price was $679,000, she added.

"It's a Westwood Cape, so the upstairs is really nice and there are big bedrooms in the house with rear dormers," she said. "It has nice-sized bathrooms, and high ceilings in the basement."

Totaling 1,369 square feet, the home, built in 1956, features original oak flooring.

As for landing a home in this market, it's important to have a strong team behind you: "Work with someone who knows the market and has relationships with other real estate agents," said Principe-Puleo. "That's the key to getting houses, sometimes."

By Rachel Weiss

rachel.weiss@newsday.com@RachMWeiss

Rachel Weiss joined Newsday in 2016. As a real estate/living multimedia reporter, Rachel writes feature stories and contributes to and appears in on-camera video packages. She was the lead reporter on Newsday’s LI Acts of Kindness series.