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| Small Towns with Big Money (Life) |
| | Poster: Businessweek | Posting Date: 2008-12-02 | |
By Prashant Gopal, Businessweek.com
Median home value is $2.237 million in Chilmark, a small town on Martha's Vineyard, an island south of Cape Cod. The town is home to 953 year-round residents, but the population swells dramatically during the summer when the rich and famous-including Seinfeld creator Larry David and actor Ted Danson-settle in for the summer. Chilmark, which includes the 300-year-old fishing village of Menemsha, has only 1,700 homes, many of them expensive vacation properties, and is the second-least densely populated town on the island. Houses rarely go on sale here, but when they do prices are high. On Sept. 12 a buyer paid $13.8 million for eight acres with a nine-bedroom home on it. In July, another buyer paid $15 million for 27 acres of land near the town's beautiful Squibnocket Beach. "I definitely think inventory has a lot to do with it," Pamela Bunker, Chilmark's assistant assessor, said of the home values. "People are asking for high, high prices because people don't have to sell. We have amazing water views here. And the three-acre zoning keeps it really rural." The Selection Process Readers looking for certain towns may be disappointed not to find them on our list. Some, such as Jupiter Island, Fla., which is home to some of the most expensive homes in the country, has too large a population to qualify for our list. Others, such as Washington, Conn., were left off because Zillow.com didn't have enough data on them to come up with a median home price. Besides high prices and low populations, what the towns on the list also have in common are great locations. Many of them such as, Chilmark, Stinson Beach, Calif., Water Mill in Southampton, N.Y., Block Island along Rhode Island's coast, and Haleiwa in Hawaii are known for their gorgeous beaches. Far Hills, N.J., is a beautiful New York suburb where you'll find large country estates, polo matches, and fox hunting. And the wealthy Chicago suburb of Kenilworth, which sits on Lake Michigan, is a tight-knit community with little room for new development. Seasonal Resorts and Bedroom Communities These are places with a restricted supply of real estate, much of which has been passed on from generation to generation in the same families. Residents want a small-town experience, and they are willing to pay higher taxes to keep it that way. These towns rarely have tax revenue from malls and office complexes to dip into. "A lot of people in urban environments or fast-paced traveling environments... are looking for a lifestyle change, even if it's 48 hours or a couple weeks out of the year," said Paul Boomsma, president of LuxuryPorfolio.com, the high-end marketing arm for independent real estate brokers. "They want to go out on the front porch and all they want to hear is birds. It's a great way to have a complete recharge experience." One of the best features of Clyde Hill, a small town just across Lake Washington from Seattle, is its location. The town has two commercial areas: one is a gas station and the second is a coffee shop. But residents don't have to go far for action. "We're across the bridge from Seattle and adjacent to the booming downtown of Bellevue," city administrator Mitch Wasserman said. "And you're able to take advantage of gorgeous vistas of Mount Rainier." The question remains whether these places will continue to take advantage of their buoyant property values into 2009. While it's true that most of these communities have relatively few homes, and commensurately small turnover, what is fair to say is that by this time next year the list could be completely different. The reason is that inclusion is reflective of sales. If homes fail to sell, or prices come down, the town on this list may well be replaced by others next year. All it takes is one really big sale to change the results.
Kenilworth, Ill. Median home sales price: $1,368,912 Population: 2,422 Median household income: $200,000 Kenilworth has a reputation for being one of the wealthiest communities in the Midwest. It is located approximately 17 miles north of downtown Chicago.
Water Mill, N.Y. Median home sales price: $2,488,987 Population: 1,872 Median household income: $84,400 Settled in 1644 on the east end of New York's Long Island, Water Mill may be part of the town of Southampton but it lacks its neighbors snooty airs and prides itself on being more laid back, if not more expensive. While it may not be the quaint little village it had once been, it still boasts one of the best farm stands in the area--the Green Thumb--and is only a short bike ride from Flying Point Beach.
Haleiwa, Hawaii Median home sale price: $898,538 Population: 2,226 Median household income: $39,643 This historic town in the North Shore of Hawaii offer great beaches. During the summer, the Haleiwa Arts Festival features art demonstrations and live entertainment.
Far Hills, N.J. Median home sales price: $1,071,438 Population: 928 Median household income: $112,817 One of the wealthiest suburbs of Manhattan, Far Hills is notable for its horse farms, rolling hills, elegant mansions, and Old Money. It is also home to several fun attractions, including the Leonard J. Buck Garden, a 33-acre public botanical garden; the Natirar, a 491-acre estate once owned by Mohammed VI, King of Morocco; and the headquarters of the United States Golf Assn.
Stinson Beach, Calif. Median home sale price: $1,651,041 Population: 780 Median household income: $87,679 Stinson Beach is known for being a prime surfing location with its long shore. It is located about 30 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge and is a popular day trip for San Franciscans.
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