Buying in Riverhead a gateway to the Twin Forks

With ample senior housing in the area and an ongoing downtown revitalization project geared toward millennials, Riverhead is an attractive option for home buyers of all ages, says Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter.

“Riverhead is a unique place for a lot of reasons,” he says. “If you’re a senior citizen, Riverhead is one of the greatest towns to retire in because we have a couple thousand of units of senior communities that are fantastic . . . From a young person’s perspective, it’s a vibrant economic hub with great workforce housing opportunities on Main Street.”

Walter says he expects ground to be broken sometime this year on a project that will transform the vacant Sears building and adjacent buildings along Main Street into a 117-unit mixed-use development. He adds that Peconic Crossing, a five-story building that will offer 45 units of one- and two-bedroom apartments geared toward artists, is expected to be ready for lease early next year.

Additional development on Main Street will include The Riverhead Food Hall and Market, a 10,000-square-foot building that Newsday reported is expected to feature small retail spaces and shared commercial facilities for businesses promoting agriculture tourism.

In addition to multiple 55-and-over communities in the area, Walter says the vacant Riverhead Country Day School will be converted into a recreational and educational center for young adults and senior citizens.

“That facility is going to be one of the keystones of the intergenerational program,” he says.

Being an expansive township that covers a lot of acreage, the area boasts a wide variety of housing styles, says Pamela Hogrefe of Douglas Elliman Real Estate. In addition to some turn-of-the-20th century homes downtown and newer developments and golf communities along the area’s farmland, housing ranges from mobile homes to multimillion-dollar waterfront homes, she adds.

Riverhead is also home to Suffolk Theater, Tangier Outlets, the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center, and Splish Splash Water Park.

CONDOS

There are 14 condos on the market ranging in price from $249,900 to $619,900.

SALES PRICE

Between March 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017, there were 154 home sales with a median sale price of $271,500 (including mobile homes), according to the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. The low price for that period was $36,100 and the high was $1,200,000. During that time period a year earlier there were 142 home sales with a median sale price of $243,000. The price range was $65,000 to $1,575,000.

SCHOOLS

Most students attend Riverhead High School. In 2016, 28 percent of graduates earned a Regents diploma with advanced designation.

OTHER STATS

Town: Riverhead

Area: 15.1 square miles

ZIP code: 11901

Population: 13,299

Median age: 40.2

Median household income: $52,876

Median home value: $269,000

LIRR to NYC: 132 minutes at peak

Monthly ticket: $500

School district: Riverhead

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

RECENTLY SOLD

$550,000, WIGEON COURT

After 215 days on the market, this three-bedroom Victorian sold for $9,000 less than its asking price. The 2003 home features 2 1⁄2 bathrooms. The first floor, with nine-foot ceilings, includes a granite eat-in kitchen with maple cabinetry and stainless steel appliances, a dining room and a family room. The master suite includes a sitting area. The .69-acre property, in the Soundview Meadows development, also features an unfinished basement, an attached three-car garage, a covered front porch and a paver patio. The taxes are $12,174.

$325,000, MERRITTS POND ROAD

This three-bedroom raised ranch sold for $24,000 less than its asking piece after 160 days on the market. The 1972 home, with 2 1⁄2 bathrooms, features hardwood floors throughout. That includes the living room, dining room and den, which also boasts a fireplace. The eat-in kitchen features a breakfast area. The master bedroom, which includes a bathroom, is on the second floor along with two additional bedrooms and a bathroom. The .50-acre property also boasts a walkout basement, a 30-by-20-foot elevated deck and an attached-two-car garage. The taxes are $7,136.

$225,000, NORTHVILLE TURNPIKE Originally listed for $260,000, this three-bedroom Colonial sold in March after 117 days on the market. The home, built in 1905, includes two full bathrooms. The main level, which features a full-length, covered front porch, includes a living room, an eat-in kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. On the second floor is a living room, a kitchenette, one bedroom and one bathroom. The 67-by-150-foot property also includes an unfinished basement and a detached two-car garage. The taxes are $7,501.

NOW ON THE MARKET

STARTER, $249,000

This two-bedroom ranch, with one bathroom, includes a living room with a fireplace, a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a dining area. The .21-acre property also features a one-car detached garage and partially finished basement. Taxes: $4,655. Michelle Lapedota, Landmark Realty, 631-929-3600

TRADE-UP, $415,000

This three-bedroom condo offers three full bathrooms, an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room, a living room with a fireplace and a den. Situated in the 55-and-over Saddle Lakes development, it includes a full basement and attached garage. Taxes: $5,771. Amanda Eckart, Keller Williams Realty, 631-403-0053

HIGH-END, $655,000

This three-bedroom traditional, in the Highlands at Reeves community, features 2 1⁄2 bathrooms, a great room with 18-foot ceilings and a wood-burning fireplace, and a granite kitchen. The 1.24-acre property includes a basement and two-car garage. Taxes: $13,770. Theresa Rottkamp, Coldwell Banker M & D Good Life, 631-220-5519

ON MULTIPLE LISTINGS

Number of houses: 101

Price range: $29,990 (mobile)-$7.5 million

Tax range: $659 (mobile)-$58,868