Hidden Gems & Seller’s Markets: The New Face of Westchester Real Estate

In this episode of I Live Here Westchester, host Jim Jockle sits down with lifelong Westchester resident and real estate expert Lindsay Crotty Walsh to explore how our county has evolved—and continues to transform—in 2025. From booming downtowns to commuter patterns reshaped by remote work, Lindsay offers an insider, on-the-ground perspective that both newcomers and long-time locals will find indispensable. 

What You’ll Learn:

• A County of Contrasts: Discover how Westchester’s diverse regions—from the urban pulse of Yonkers and New Rochelle to the pastoral charm of North Salem—offer unique lifestyles and investment opportunities. 
• Market Dynamics & Inventory: Lindsay breaks down why inventory remains critically low, why it’s a seller’s market, and how competing buyer segments—from first-timers to downsizers—are driving prices upward.
• Post-COVID Commute & Location Shifts: Learn why buyers are expanding their searches farther north, how hybrid work models have loosened the traditional 35-minute commute constraint, and what that means for towns like Somers, Katonah, and beyond.
• Revitalized Downtowns & New Developments: Explore the remarkable revitalization projects in Port Chester, White Plains, and Yonkers, including waterfront redevelopments and the meteoric rise of mixed-use communities.
• Hidden Gems for Savvy Buyers: Get Lindsay’s top recommendations on under-the-radar neighborhoods—Port Chester’s bustling food scene, Irvington’s riverside charm, Tuckahoe’s convenient rail links, and North Salem’s equestrian acreage.
• Soft-Skill Insights: Beyond schools and taxes, discover the everyday quality-of-life factors—like sanitation services and community engagement—that truly differentiate one town from another.
• Professional Advice: Lindsay’s twofold guidance for any prospective buyer: (1) ensure your financials (and pre-approvals) are in impeccable order, and (2) remain resilient by focusing on your top priorities and partnering with a seasoned real estate professional.

Why Tune In?
Westchester County is in the midst of a transformative era. Whether you’re considering a move, an investment, or simply curious about the forces shaping our communities, Lindsay’s deep local knowledge and clear, actionable advice will equip you with the insights you need to make informed decisions in today’s fast-moving market.

Connect with Lindsay Crotty Walsh

• Phone: 305-915-3123
• Email: lindsay.walsh@juliabfee.com

Join us as we decode Westchester’s real estate landscape—one town, one trend, and one transformation at a time.

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

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Transcript

Speaker: 0:00

Lindsay, thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you for having me, Jim. So you were born and raised here. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Give us the background, the origin story, and what was it like growing up in Westchester? I sure was. I was born and raised in Westchester. I attended Eastchester schools. My mother was actually the high school English teacher at the high school that I went to. So her and I can both attest to Westchester County having some of the very best schools in New York state. My dad owned bars and restaurants in New York City. And so. We lived in southern Westchester, which made it really easy to commute into New York City every day, if not multiple times a day. And I had a fantastic experience growing up in Westchester. Growing up, we would also call it the best Chester, a great place to be. Has a little bit of everything, southern Westchester, places like Yonkers, Neurichelle, have a very urban feel, Rye, Harrison. large Mott, you've got more suburban and then up north, Katona, Sommers, you've really got a great country feel. So it's a place that has a lot of different areas, lots of different feels, but you're nice and close to New York City, which is fantastic. You again have some of the very best schools. In the state, we had a lot of AP programs in the high school that I went to, East Chester High School, phenomenal sports teams, small class sizes. So it was a great place to grow up. And it's part of the reason that I ended up moving back here. I actually went to the University of Miami for college. I wanted to get out of the cold. And while I really enjoyed my time in Florida, I felt like there was always this to come back to the Northeast. I love the quaint, charming small towns. I love the history. Just felt like everything was very organic and my family was here. And so despite the lovely warm weather down south, I moved back to Westchester and I'm so happy to be here. So was Florida the only stop or did you stop over in Manhattan for a little bit? Or was it a straight shot right back to Westchester? So it actually was, did go back to Westchester. I did a stint at home with my parents for a year. And then I moved to Manhattan, which was fantastic. I worked in professional development for an investment bank for 10 years. I lived in the city for almost 10 years as well. I lived on the Upper East Side. It was lots of fun. Had a great time. It was easy to pop back to Westchester to visit my parents, but it was also exciting to live in the Big Apple. But as I was approaching my 30s, I was ready to settle down, got married, buy a house. I was also picking up golf. And so I was really looking forward to being someplace where I could practice a bit more. And my husband and I found our house where we're in Rye. fell in love with the area. actually grew up in the area, so we were very happy to come on back. And I've been here now for close to 15 years. Back here now. Well, I still have like bad memories on being on the East side and coming out of the stumble in at 4 a.m. and some painful, painful evenings. you know, I, the one thing I think that I loved about coming up from the city when we came, when my wife and I came up was you still had the diversity of the restaurants, the cuisine, you still had a bit of an urban feel if you wanted to find it. And, you know, I think One of the things, even within the 12 years I've lived here, I'm originally a Long Island guy. And I've realized the Long Island dream, moved to Westchester. But I guess, how have you seen Westchester evolve over these years? I mean, you've had experience, you've been away, you've come back. Clearly, there's been a lot of change. so much change. So when I think of Westchester County, the word that comes to mind for me is transformative. Really, it has changed tremendously since I was growing up and continues to change now. There has been significant economic growth. Neurichelle and White Plains are two cities in Westchester County that are really experiencing revitalization, there has been substantial investments in infrastructure and business development and so those two cities are very much top of mind. And then you know being in in real estate, I feel like real estate has really changed a lot as well. There is quite a bit of demand and interest for housing in Westchester County. And inventory is fairly low at the moment. And so there are areas like Portchester and Harrison that are building like crazy. Every time I drive through downtown Portchester, I'm just amazed by the amount of new buildings going up. So they're really trying to meet that demand with new apartments going up, new commercial real estate developments going in. And even politically, we've seen changes in Westchester County. We have a new county executive, Ken Jenkins, and he's really focused on enhancing education in Westchester County. Although we are known to have some of the best public school districts in New York State, that's a top priority of his to make something very good, really great. You know, one of the things, and I'm going to throw my wife under the bus here. When we moved up, when we moved up 12 years ago, but don't worry, she doesn't listen to me at home anyway. She's not going to listen to me on a podcast. But when we moved up here, I was new to Westchester and, you know, we, had some friends, in Rye and other, and other towns on the other side, in, the Bronx, Delaria. And so we, that's where we started looking. she's originally from a Maranek and I remember going through the paper and said, you know, poor Chester looks reasonable. And my wife's reaction was like, no, we're not going to Portchester. I could say I live in Portchester. This is my second house in Portchester. I love Portchester. So how would you say, perhaps some towns that were once up and coming that perhaps now are there established and are there others that are going through almost that same kind of transformation today? Yeah, definitely. So Port Chester absolutely comes to mind. The revitalization that's happening there is amazing. I feel like half the town has gotten knocked down and there are beautiful apartment buildings going up. There is really an amazing emerging food scene. When my husband and I want to go out to dinner, Port Chester is where we want to be. And some other places would be Yonkers. So Yonkers is right on the Hudson River. And they are doing a massive waterfront redevelopment. So that's really an area that I view as up and coming, one to watch. Nershell is one of the fastest growing cities in Westchester. prior to becoming a real estate agent in between my career in professional development, I actually owned a restaurant in Nur-a-Shell. And it was amazing to see the transformation from being a teenager and going out in Nur-a-Shell to the Nur-a-Shell as of today. It's beautiful, it's expansive. Iona University, I think, has a lot to do with that. They have bought up a lot of buildings. I feel like they have they have painted the town maroon. Their colors and it is it's really I view it as very much up and coming if not already fully established and and again definitely Port Chester. Last weekend we just ate at Feliz. It's a new restaurant. I don't know if you've tried it out yet. Have you been here? We tried on Friday and they said open for lunch. They weren't open for lunch. We were so disappointed. We were so disappointed while we hit a bar taco. It worked. Okay, you can't go wrong with Bartaglia, that's amazing. That's a good spot too. So if you couldn't make Feliz, that's a good backup plan. But maybe try to sneak in there for dinner if you can. Very good Italian. and try and keep my daughter out of colony. my goodness, Colony Pizza, that's also a go-to. Great like date night spot, but also amazing to go with the kids. Cannot go wrong with that pizza. So, we talked to you kind of touched on inventory and, know, I don't know. I just don't know. That's why I'm doing this podcast is, you know, the elements of Portchester. it, is it a rental market? Is it condos in terms of purchase? you know, and, really the root of the question, cause I, know, we bought last year and housing inventory was a challenge. And, you know, as we're doing this podcast, this is the time people are looking, you know, I want to move. want to get, you know, my kids in school or out, you know, before the summer. You know, so what are you seeing in terms of inventory right now? Yes, so inventory is low. It is definitely, as we say, a seller's market. There is sustained demand. And because of that, the housing prices are going up consistently. I would say, from what I'm personally seeing in kind of the markets that I represent, it's a lot of interest in single-family homes. And, know, it really kind of runs the gamut in terms of who is interested in buying those homes. I've seen a lot of younger folks looking to buy their first house. As of late, people who are coming from New York City, wanting to settle in the suburbs, or even people who grew up in Westchester, who, you know, similar to me, you know, went away to college, went to live in Manhattan for a while, and now are looking to come back. to Westchester. And in many cases, you have the kind of baby boomer generation looking to downsize a bit. And they're actually kind of competing with those first time home buyers. They're both kind of going after the same home. So it does really increase the prices and competition. And what would you say people are looking for? How has that changed? it the commute time? it post-COVID, I need a home office? Is it I just didn't want to be in the city anymore? I want a big outdoor space. Is it the schools? What are the common questions you're hearing? Yeah, I would say really it's all of those things. School district continues to be a big one. People are very interested in that. We have seen a shift because of COVID around commute. So obviously right next to New York City, it's one of the very amazing things about Westchester County is you can get into the heart of Manhattan in less than an hour from almost anywhere. But with folks working from home full time or only going into the city two or three days a week, people have started to look further north. So in the past, maybe folks wanted to be in Tuckahoe and Bronxville, and they wanted that 35-minute commute into the city, now that they're not going in as often, they're kind of expanding where they're looking. And places like Somers and Katona. North Salem have become popular because commute is not as much of an issue as it was in this kind of pre-COVID world. And to some extent, your dollar goes a little bit further in terms of either size of house or price of house per square foot. Mm-hmm. It definitely does. And with COVID and all the things that came along with it, we saw people wanting things, some things to be slightly different in what they were looking for in their homes. And so having a lot of open space in the backyard was important. People wanted pools and decks and patios. They wanted to be... outside entertaining. And so those were things that we were seeing on top of people's lists. And then really, I would say far and away, one of the big things that people want are home offices because people are working remotely now. know, some individuals have gone back into the city, but I feel like working remotely is something that a lot of companies have adopted. And so Buyers like the idea of having a specific space in their home where they can work. Have you heard any stories of kind of bar's remorse? You know, I fled the city now, you know, I'm on a farm, I've got chickens and I just got to get out of here. Interestingly, I have heard of a little bit of buyer's remorse, but it's not folks who bought in Westchester. It's actually people who bought in Connecticut. So Westport, really lovely town. During the pandemic, when you weren't going into the city at all, it was fine to be a little bit further north. But now that some of those companies are some of those staff members back in, maybe not full-time, but part-time, people have realized that, gosh, you know, maybe I went a little too far north. But again, haven't heard any complaints about Westchester because for the most part, anywhere in Westchester, you're gonna be able to get into the city in under an hour. Not to sound like Sarah Palin, but I can see Connecticut from my house. It's literally Greenwich's two blocks away, so please don't start a civil war between me and Greenwich. is safe. Greenwich is safe. It's a little bit further, Fairfield, Connecticut. Beautiful, beautiful places. And some people certainly still do the commute. But I have heard of a couple of people who maybe just went a little too far north. And now are regretting it just a tad. Yeah, personally, I feel 50 minutes is kind of the sweet spot. It's like, you know, we live here, we picked here. was my wife, Christie, she was born and raised in Maranick. My mother-in-law is an hour away. My mother is an hour away. The city's pretty much an hour away. It's perfect. No drop-ins. That is, yeah, that's fantastic. Everyone is just far enough away. So, you know, brought up people are looking for single families, but we're getting all this capacity. And frankly, I'm a little concerned about infrastructure and traffic. you know, where do you see that capacity coming for all this, for all these condos and new construction that's going on right now? Mm-hmm. I actually think a lot of that is coming from young professionals. So I think people are choosing to stay in Westchester, in part because a lot of companies have moved to Westchester. They've moved to Greenwich. And young professionals aren't feeling that pull to work in Manhattan, to be close to their jobs, because in many cases, their jobs are now in suburbia. They're in Westchester. They're in Greenwich. And as you were saying earlier, while Westchester obviously is not New York City, in many ways you have a lot of those same attributes with access to fantastic art centers and restaurants. There's great theater. There's so much culture here that I think a lot of people don't feel like they need to live in New York City, particularly that kind of younger demographic just outside of, just out of I think that they're looking to stay in Westchester. You know, one of the things, especially as someone who came from Long Island, right? Everybody knew, you knew of Rye. mean, obviously you got the Beatles and Mariah Carey and Playland. All right. Maybe, maybe, maybe just the old people who listen to this know about Mariah Carey and Playland. But, you know, where would you say, what are the lesser known towns? are the, what are the secrets that perhaps the savvy buyers should consider before they're discovered? I would throw Porchester in that, but that's just me. Yeah, Portchester, absolutely. Some of my very favorite neighborhoods are in Portchester. I think the homes are beautiful. There are a lot of older homes with a lot of charm and really unique. And Portchester has a bustling downtown. Again, great food scene, amazing. We've got the Capitol there for concerts. So Portchester. far and away is one of my favorites. Definitely a hidden gem that I tell a lot of clients who are looking in the Soundshore area, don't overlook Portchester. It's a great place to be. But in addition to Portchester, I would say Irvington is a great one. It is a picturesque little river town. It's right on the Hudson. You've got amazing views. It's very historic and it has a great community feel. And I think community is also something that is very top of mind with folks who are looking to buy. It's great to have a home office. It's great to have a swimming pool. But people also want to be in a community. They like block parties. They like knowing their neighbors. They want their neighbors to come outside and get to know them. And I feel like Irvington definitely has that vibe. Tocco Ho is also another one. It's a great village. It's Southern Westchester. So for those folks who, you know, are commuting into New York City or want to be close to the city, you can pop on Metro North and it's, you know, 35 minutes and you're, right in the heart of Manhattan and Grand Central Station. And lastly, I would say North Salem is a great place to look. So it's Northern Westchester. It's It has a lot of open space, lots of places for equestrians actually. So if you are a horse lover, if you have a horse, North Salem is definitely one of those hidden gems to check out. I think, what was it, Bill Gates, daughter just got married up in North Salem. A huge, huge, huge wedding. And she's like, why do I think she's trying to go to the Olympics as an equestrian or, or something? I don't know. I, you know, familiar, you know, I wouldn't be surprised. Someone's got to fact check me on that issue. So one other question I had was, what are the soft skills? So one of the things, when Christine and I, moved up into Rye, we loved it. It was a wonderful experience. But I will say, when we came to Port Chester, just the sanitation department was amazing. When I was in Rye, and my cardboard box was not bundled to the to the millimeter of precision. It was there and I'm out in the cold and I'm freaking dealing with all the stuff. And in Port Chester, I think I could dispose of a body weekly if I had to. What about the amenities and the soft skills? Everybody looks at the school districts, but how do you give people a sense of the town and what day-to-day life is? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I mean, that's a great perspective. And I think so much of it is chatting to my friends that live in different towns. And this is a great example. It's easy to throw out your cardboard boxes in Port Chester. It's things like this that I love to chat to my clients about and say, I live in Westchester. I can tell you about my experience in the town that I live in. But I have so many friends. from growing up here, from having my children in school here, that I can kind of gather these real life examples of the small nuances, the good and the bad of living in the different towns and relay that to them. We talked a little bit about inventory. Obviously, there's a little bit of market turmoil going on, know, and uncertainty as it relates to tariffs and rates are still high, albeit, you know, still kind of coming down. How is that impacting the buyer now? You know, are people getting a little nervous or they're going, no, I need to move, I'm coming in, let's go. You know, I think people in some cases have gotten a little nervous, particularly when there were initial talks of the tariffs. We saw a couple of first-time home buyers completely pull out of the market. They decided that they were a little bit nervous about the economic future of the country, and they just wanted to hit pause. on their search. And so we have seen some people who have gotten cold feet just due to some uncertainty in the market. But then there are others who are just full steam ahead. They want to be in Westchester. They want to buy a house. They have all of their financials ready to go. And nothing is stopping them. They're moving forward. So one of the things I wanted to just kind of touch on, which I've heard, and you can tell me I'm crazy because it's just what I heard. A friend of ours lives in Pelham, and Pelham, great schools, great school district. But he was saying part of the challenge is people are just moving in for the schools, and then the minute that their kids are out, they're out. And it's impacting the houses. They're not taking care of the houses the same way. Mm-hmm. Is it, have you discovered truth in something like that or any other particular towns affected? Affected. interesting, interesting. That definitely sounds like there could be some truth to it. And it's unfortunate, especially because part of what so many people are looking for in Westchester is that sense of community. And so I think the idea of having neighbors buy and stay and care about their homes. is important. And so I would say from my perspective at least, I've seen actually a little bit of the opposite where people are moving or have moved to Westchester. And again, I'm thinking of that baby boomer generation. They have moved to Westchester. And now that they're grandparents, they're actually deciding they want to stay in Westchester. So my grandparents, the generation above the baby boomers, they all moved to Florida when I was a kid. But my parents and my in-laws have actually chosen to stay in Westchester. They want to be close to their kids. They want to be close to their grandkids. And so they aren't leaving. In some ways, it's causing, again, that inventory issue where folks aren't selling the houses that they've had for 30 years, they're holding onto them because they want the space for those kids and grandkids to come over. Or alternatively, they are selling the home, they're looking to downsize, but they're kind of clashing with those first time home buyers. so I'm just out of curiosity. Well, as an aside, I've been trying to encourage my mother not necessarily to move, but get a nice condo that I can kind of use in a, know, but that's just, that's just me. Mom, if you're listening, get the place in Florida, please. So. love that too. would truthfully love a place to go visit in Florida. That's also on my wish list. Well, that's the kicker. I definitely not have to pay for it. Well, let's clarify. If mom's not there and she's back in Long Island, that's even better. And then I could just visit her there. It's a whole thing. so what's one piece of advice you'd give someone looking to buy in Westchester today? Okay, so I think I really have two pieces of advice. The first is it is a competitive market. And so you wanna make sure that you have your financials absolutely in check. So speak to your financial advisor, speak to your mortgage broker, make sure that you've got that mortgage pre-approval if you are getting a mortgage. We are seeing a lot of people paying cash, which is why it's even more important. that if you are going to secure a mortgage that you consider the underwriting process ahead of time so that when you find a house that you love, you are fully financially ready to go after it and be competitive. And the final thing I would say around advice would be focus on resiliency. So have. what's important to you, whether it be outdoor space, school district, commute. Keep that in mind. And if for some reason you lose out on your first house or your second house, just keep those top priorities in focus. Be resilient. Keep pushing forward. Find a licensed real estate professional to help you, and you will eventually get that house. So one final question for you, Lindsay, is if you had to describe Westchester in one word, what would that be? I really, I really think the word would be transformative. Well, Lindsay, Lindsay Crowley Walsh, I want to thank you so much for your time, your insight and final takeaway. If someone wants to get in touch with you, they're interested in learning more about the market or they're downsizing, upsizing. How do they get in touch with you? They can get in touch with me. They can give me a ring on my cell phone, 305-915-3123. Call me anytime. I'd be very happy to help. Well, Lindsay, thank you so much. Thanks, Jim.