Despite the timing, Laura and her family found an amazing fixer-upper in their perfect suburb.
After five years in Connecticut, Laura, Andy, and their two young kids were ready for a change. The town they’d settled in was a beautiful coastal community but, as their family grew, Laura and Andy could tell it wasn’t the best long-term fit.
“Our initial move was a good example of not taking Suburban Jungle’s town-first approach — and what the consequences could be. It was an amazing town, but it was never really ‘us.’” Days before the COVID-19 shutdowns started — in March 2020 — the family sold their home and headed to the Boston suburbs, ultimately quarantining with Andy’s parents.
“We sold without having bought,” Laura says. “And at that exact moment, the market went crazy.”
For the next few months, Laura and Andy virtually toured homes via Zoom and explored communities alongside their Suburban Jungle Strategist, Erika Ades.
“Between COVID restrictions and living in Boston at the time, Laura and Andy couldn’t realistically make it out to see the homes in person,” Erika explains. “The market was heating up and we wanted to make sure they were in a position to continue touring towns — so we stepped things up virtually and kept moving forward.”
Trusting the process
With the support of Suburban Jungle and their experience with previous moves, Laura and Andy were able to start narrowing their list and firm up their must-haves.
“I lived in New York City for 12 years,” Laura explains. “My husband was in LA, so I moved out there to be with him initially. Then we came back to the East Coast and landed in Connecticut and, at that point, were in Boston. So definitely no strangers to big moves!”
After zeroing in on five Hudson Valley suburbs, Erika helped Laura connect with parents in each so she could ask hyper-local questions and get an insider perspective on raising kids in their communities.
“The locals were great,” Laura says. “Each had young kids, similar in age to ours. That was perfect — I could ask specific questions about schools, things to do, everything.”
Discovering Hastings — and home
While they started with five towns, Laura and Andy quickly set their sights on living in Hastings-on-Hudson.
“We had a hunch that Hastings was it,” says Laura. “We loved the community, schools, and the people we met. We knew we’d find our ‘tribe’ here. It had a real Brooklyn vibe that was appealing to us.”
They also knew that investing in a fixer-upper — something they were open to from the beginning — made sense If they were living in Hastings-on-Hudson.
“We felt like, if we were going to put a lot of money into this fixer-upper, Hastings was a good place to invest,” Laura says.
One year later — in March 2021 — the family closed on their Hastings home and quickly began renovations.
“When we made the offer, I didn’t even see it in person,” Laura says. “That’s trust! But we were ready.”
Settling into Hudson Valley life
Although the buying process was more roundabout than expected, Laura and her family couldn’t be happier. While they finalize renovations, they’re renting in Sleepy Hollow — and have already made friends and started acclimating to the Hudson Valley.
“The schools are really committed to progressive action,” Laura says. “There are diversity lessons and lots of student support from all sides. I’m so impressed with them.”
And the community, as Laura and Andy anticipated, has been warm and welcoming.
“We just feel really grateful that we are here.”
Find the community that syncs with your family’s wants, needs, and goals. Schedule a Suburbs Strategy session now.