Hey, gang -- I'm looking for a house to buy in the Westerly to Charlestown, RI, area, so I can eventually move to those striper-rich waters. I spent all last year looking and couldn't find one. (Actually, I found two, but they were sold before I could blink an eye ...). So, now that summer's over, I'm on the prowl again. My major requirement: the place has to be on the ocean side of Rt 1 and within biking/walking distance of the beach (maybe a mile at most...). Know of anything? Want to sell your place? Let me know at floete@aol.com.
BTW, if we find a place, my wife has already given me permission to put up gangs of visiting fishermen ...
Thanks!
Erik

Erik, can't help you on this one but I know the market is pretty tight in and around Charlestown. I guess they passed some rules on new building to limit the expansion and that has choked that local market... My wife and I are building down by Warwick Neck and we are supposed to close on 7/27,YES THE ####ING BUILDER IS BEHIND SCHEDULE!!! But, yeh that's nice area down there. Idealy, I want to but some land down there in a couple years to build on down the road from South Kingstown to Westerly somewhere... Have you though much of Narragansett/South Kingstown?? There have been more available there as well...

Hi, John: Sorry to hear about your tardy builder; Lord knows, that can be a nightmere. One reason why I'm hoping for Westerly/Charlestown is I currently live just north of New York City, in Westchester County, and the drive to those two towns is almost exactly two hours. The further north I go, the more of a problem it becomes for me. Our plan at the moment is to buy a place and probably rent it out during the summer, go there the other times, and move there in a few years, once our 16-year-old heads out the door.
You are right, though: the market is extremely tight and inventory of homes is extremely low. The two places we missed last year came on the market at the same time and were sold in two days. My wife and I saw them on the first day, got into a little tiff about which one to bid on, made a decision late on the second day -- and they were both gone. Sigh.
Well, I'll keep looking ...

I hope you can find what you are looking for down there as it is beautiful country along those South County shores and the fishing is incredible!!! Here is a site for finding homes in Rhody that was probably my best online source for seaching, you may already have it but if not it is a great resource <a href="http://www.riliving.com" target="_blank"><!--auto-->http://www.riliving.com</a><!--auto--> ... A couple other sources were <a href="http://www.projo.com" target="_blank"><!--autohttp-->http://www.projo.com</a><!--autohttp--> <a href="http://www.oso.com" target="_blank"><!--autohttp-->http://www.oso.com</a><!--autohttp--> <a href="http://www.rihomes.com" target="_blank"><!--autohttp-->http://www.rihomes.com</a><!--autohttp--> ... Good luck!!!


John

Eric, while those towns are desireble,they are way overpriced and you cant get a decent house down there for under 180,000.Finding one is ever harder!! My friend just baught in charlestown he paid 120,000 for a ranch and the house needed another 20,000 just to be braught up to liveble standards.Almost isnt worth it.Rhode island is very, very small and anyplace can be driven to in under 45 minutes.Look at the fringes and you will get a great house at a good price,the only trade off will be a 20minute drive to fish,which is nothing!! Here in warwick neck,I have fishing right in my back yard! which is very,very good in the spring and fall,Im at the best spring striper spot in under 2minutes!! and, it lasts until mid june.In september it heats right up again.

It pays to shop around and remember rhode island is small.Before you have to "settle" on a house that your not completly happy with,just to be in charlestown,look closer at towns like, coventry, north kingstown,warwick,exeter..etc,They are all very close to some good water.

John: Thanks for the list of web sites. I knew about the RIliving one, which is very good, but the others are new to me, and I'm glad to have them.

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&: I know you're right. One difficulty is our plan to rent the place out until we're ready to move; for a summer-rental situation to work, it's got to be w/in a mile of the water, I do believe. Another difficulty is my wife: she wants to be that close to the water as well or she'd just as soon stay put here in NY. I guess we'd be willing to look further north along the coast but it seems to me those places would be even more expensive. Am I wrong?

Erik, there will be one issue if you choose to come north. You will need to sign a release if wish to remain a Yankees fan and we may need the good father Guido Sarducci to have a little exorcism ceremony when you get up here <img src="/Images/biggrin.gif"><!--e7--> ... Standard New York/New England thing... And we will not get into last nights Jets/Pats <img src="/Images/Sad.gif"><!--e2-->

South Kingstown is certainly worth checking as well as is Narragansett... They all can be expensive but not nearly as simliar houding in Boston or New York... I live just outside of Boston now and the home I'm building would cost more than twice as much up here in Boston's So. Shore and not be 8 doors from Narragansett Bay...

Seriously, good luck...

John

John, why did you have to mention last nights Pat's game. If that isn't your typical Pat's let down, they just continue to shoot themselves in the foot. They had the game under control and it should have been a lock with an interception in the end zone. Made me sick just to watch the rest of that quarter. I really feel for Bledsoe, he's got a lot of heart and talent, it's a shame he can't be with a winner at this point in his career.

Tight lines.

John: The wife has given her permission to extend the search location to the north, up to Narragansett. I don't know how much good that'll do us but at least we should get a few more options.
I spoke to Fr. Guido and 'cause I've got a family, he's giving me a discount on the exorcism. Bueno!