Buying in Copiague: Affordable waterfront hamlet
This house on Shore Drive South in Copiague has waterviews. The photo is from May 18, 2016. Credit: Ed Betz
The waterfront hamlet of Copiague on Suffolk County’s South Shore is an affordable, family-oriented community, says agent JoAnn Cilla of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
The availability of low-cost homes and reasonable taxes make Copiague ideal for first-time homebuyers, Cilla says, so young families regularly move into the neighborhood. But Cilla says Copiague also benefits from the many residents who have lived there for generations, choosing to remain in their modest homes in the community they’re committed to and have grown to love.
Babylon Town Deputy Supervisor Antonio Martinez says Copiague is a strong, vibrant community that reflects the world’s diversity, with many cultures and backgrounds represented.
Martinez says the Copiague community is enriched by its “Jewel on the Bay” — Tanner Park. Situated along the Great South Bay, the town park offers baseball, soccer, lacrosse and football fields, as well as tennis and basketball courts. The park also features a marina, fishing pier, playground, picnic area, skate park and dog run. Warm weather brings the opening of the facility’s spray park and a concert series Martinez says draws thousands of people to the bandshell.
Next year will bring a transit-oriented housing development to Copiague, Martinez says. Construction is under way on the Copiague Commons, a 90-unit, energy-efficient building across from the train station. The one- and two-bedroom rentals are geared to young professionals, Martinez says, and will come with $1.2 million in community improvements and benefits on the part of the developer.
CONDOS AND TOWN HOUSES
There are four condos on the market ranging in price from $169,990 to $219,000.
SALES PRICES
Between April 1, 2015, and May 10, 2016, there were 147 home sales with a median sale price of $260,000, according to the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. The low price for that period was $98,000 and the high was $1,075,000. During that period a year earlier, there were 116 home sales with a median sale price of $254,000. The price range was $102,000 to $825,000.
Tanner Park in Copiague on May 18, 2016. It offers, playgrounds, ball fields, swimming and a spray park as well as a band shell and a fishing pier. Credit: Ed Betz
SCHOOLS
Most students attend Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School. In 2015, 32 percent of graduates earned a Regents diploma with advanced designation. That’s up from 25 percent in 2014.
On MULTIPLE LISTINGS
Number of houses: 74
Price range: $139,990 to $849,990
Tax range: $5,490 to $20,866
NOW ON THE MARKET
Starter, $249,000
This three-bedroom ranch is on a 40-by-100-foot lot and offers one bathroom, an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room, hardwood floors and a full basement with an outside entrance. The taxes are $8,346. Danuta Krzeminska, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 631-697-9320.
Trade-up, $399,000
This four-bedroom Colonial has two new bathrooms and an updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances. The 80-by-100-foot property features an in-ground pool, a deck and a patio. The taxes are $11,476. Lisa Hendrickson, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 631-478-1003.
High-end, $569,000
This four-bedroom Colonial has 2 1⁄2 baths, a formal dining room and a living room with a fireplace. The 100-by-126-foot property offers water views, an in-ground pool and a two-car garage. The taxes are $18,678. Marianne Lappas, Century 21 AA, 631-433-8567.
OTHER STATS
Town Babylon
Area: 3.2 square miles
ZIP code: 11726
Population: 22,993
Median age: 40.7
Median household income: $69,008
Median home value: $260,000*
LIRR Copiague to NYC: 54 to 71 minutes at peak
Monthly ticket: $338
School district: Copiague
Sources: 2010 Census; mlslI.com; LIRR;
*Based on sales in the past six months, according to MLSLI
RECENTLY SOLD
49 Shore Drive South, $885,000
This Bayfront Contemporary sold for $10,000 more than its asking price after 43 days on the market. The five-bedroom house offers 2 1⁄2 baths and an updated eat-in kitchen with granite counters, a Viking stove and a Subzero refrigerator. The first floor features radiant heat, a combination living room and dining room, a family room and an office. The second floor has a master suite with a walk-in closet, a Jacuzzi tub and a private deck overlooking the bay. The property features a 140-foot bulkhead with a 100-foot pier. There’s an in-ground pool and a patio on the 85-by-143-foot lot, which is equipped with a generator and in-ground sprinklers. The taxes are $19,797.
319 Lagoon Dr., $440,000
Originally listed for $459,000, this three-bedroom ranch sold in April after 195 days on the market. Built in 1980, the home offers two bathrooms and an open floor plan with cathedral ceilings and a skylight. There’s an eat-in kitchen, a living room, a den and a formal dining room with a wall of windows. The home also offers two master bedrooms with walk-in closets, and an updated heating and cooling system. There’s an above-ground pool, a porch and a patio on the 100-by-148-foot property, which has a sprinkler system and comes with deeded dock rights. The taxes are $13,626.
225 East Dr., $350,000
After 252 days on the market, this three-bedroom split-level sold for $49,000 less than its asking price. The 1954 home offers two new bathrooms, an eat-in kitchen, a living and dining area, skylights and hardwood floors. There’s a den and laundry room on the lower level that has an outside entrance. The roof, windows, doors, boiler and hot water heater have been recently replaced. There’s a new bulkhead on the 50-by-100-foot property, which overlooks a canal. The yard features a deck with a bar and in-ground sprinklers. The taxes are $8,280.
