Buying a house in Rockville Centre

In Rockville Centre, an emphasis is put on neighbors helping neighbors in need, says village Mayor Francis X. Murray. Indicative of that neighborly mentality is the Rockville Centre Community Fund, established for residents of the village.

“We raise over $50,000 a year for people in need who are in this village,” Francis says. “If a husband or wife loses their job and they have a big mortgage or can’t pay their electric, the fund assists them until they are back on their feet.”

He says the community is looking to retain its younger residents and draw out-of-area millennials by developing a 160-unit complex of studio and one-bedroom apartments on North Center Avenue, a block from the train station. The new apartments, he adds, will be next to a 300-unit development constructed a few years ago.

“We want to keep the young people here and keep the pricing down,” Francis says. “These places fill up immediately.”

Adding to the quality of life and real estate value in the area, Francis says, have been projects such as the development of Maple Avenue, which got new sidewalks and lighting, and a 50-mile residential road project started in 2011, in which about three miles per year are redone to improve the infrastructure, including the water main and electric.

In April, South Side High School in Rockville Centre was ranked the 15th best high school in the state and 109th in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual list.

Scott Wallace, a salesperson at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s Rockville Centre office, says there are areas within the village where particular styles, such as Tudors to center hall Colonials, prevail.

Wallace calls Rockville Centre a “restaurant and shopping mecca” because of the multitude of options the village has, on and between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road.

A 40-minute train ride to Manhattan and 10 miles from Jones Beach, Rockville Centre also features various parks and country clubs. The area is also home to St. Agnes Cathedral, the symbolic center of the nation’s sixth-largest diocese. The 1930 church recently underwent a $4.5-million renovation that began in 2015.

CONDOS AND TOWN HOUSES

There are four condos on the market ranging in price from $329,000 to $698,000.

SALES PRICES

Between Sept. 1, 2015, and Sept. 29, 2016, there were 228 home sales with a median sale price of $670,000, according to the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. The low price for that period was $180,000 and the high was $1,735,000. During that period a year earlier, there were 209 sales with a median price of $660,000. The price range was $177,500 to $2,275,000.

SCHOOLS

Most students attend South Side High School. In 2015, 84 percent of graduates earned a Regents diploma with advanced designation. That’s up from 83 percent in 2014.

OTHER STATS

Town: Hempstead

Area: 3.3 square miles

ZIP code: 11570

Population: 24,023

Median age: 43.8

Median household income: $108,456

Median home value: $700,000*

LIRR to NYC: 34-43 minutes at peak

Monthly ticket: $287

School district: Rockville Centre

Sources: 2010 Census; mlsli.com; LIRR;*Based on sales in the past six months, according to MLSLI

RECENTLY SOLD

SHELLBANK PLACE, $975,000

After 224 days on the market, this four-bedroom Colonial sold for $225,000 less than its asking price. The 1954 home offers an open floor plan and radiant-heat that run throughout the first floor. The house has two full bathrooms, a great room with vaulted ceilings and a stone fireplace, a kitchen with a center island, a formal dining room and a sunroom. The 50-by-185-foot property also offers an in-ground pool, a finished basement and a one-car garage. Taxes are $16,940.

SHEPHERD STREET, $685,000

This three-bedroom Tudor sold for $14,000 less than its asking price after 129 days on the market. The 1931 home, with three full bathrooms, includes a living room with a brick fireplace and handhewn beams and moldings, and a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a breakfast room. There’s also a dining room, an en suite master bedroom with cathedral ceilings and a walk-up attic. The 51-by-100-foot property also features a heated in-ground pool. Taxes are $15,457.

SEAMAN AVENUE, $590,000

Originally listed for $619,000, this four-bedroom split-level sold in July after 94 days on the market. Built in 1953, the home has two full bathrooms, a sunken living room, a formal dining room and an eat-in kitchen. The den has sliding glass doors that open to a brick patio. The master bedroom includes a full bathroom. The 60-by-103-foot property also offers a full finished basement and a two-car garage. The taxes are $16,778.

NOW ON THE MARKET

STARTER, $449,000

This three-bedroom Colonial offers 1 1/2 bathrooms, a formal dining room, and a Florida room. The 40-by-69-foot property also includes a full finished basement and a paver patio. Taxes: $12,223. Kevin Leatherman, Leatherman Homes, 516-362-1828.

TRADE-UP, $839,000

This four-bedroom Colonial includes 3.5 bathrooms, a living room with a fireplace, an eat-in kitchen, a dining room and a sun porch. The 70-by-150-foot property includes a finished basement, a walk-up attic and a two-car garage. Taxes: 26,817. Scott Wallace, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, 516-521-4065.

HIGH-END, 1.695 million

This five-bedroom Colonial features a living room and family room with fireplaces, a gourmet kitchen and a home theater. The 85-by-127-foot property includes a partially finished basement and a two-car garage. Taxes: $23,360. Richard McQuillan, Exit Links Realty, 516-860-7993.

ON MULTIPLE LISTINGS

Number of houses: 101

Price range: $325,000 to $1.849 million

Tax range: $7,625 to $38,574