Little Houses

There are a number of adorable little houses on the market right now. A lot of second home buyers from the city often overlook these little gems because, in addition to fresh air and a garden, they lust for that ultimate city luxury — space. But little houses have a lot going for them. They're less expensive, have lower taxes and cost less to heat and maintain than bigger, more expensive houses.

Thinking that a vacation getaway had to be "regular house size" is a fairly recent phenomenon, at least for the middle class. Look at most "vacation" cabins and cottages built in Sullivan County prior to the 1970's, they were usually less than 1,000 sq. ft. In addition to the typical 2 small bedrooms, many also had a screened in porch that provided overflow sleeping space for guests in the warmer months. Neighbors would often lend their cottages to each other for the occasional big family weekends.

The idea of space has changed dramatically. Most of the clients I work with looking for a moderate range getaway view 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and about 1,500 sq. ft. as a minimum. One reason that space desires have grown is that city dwellers have squeezed themselves into smaller spaces over the past 30 years. In the 1970's, middle class families in the city could afford 3 bedroom apartments. Today, they make do with a Junior 4 with a crib in the hall.

But the current recession, along with the environmental focus of many 30-somethings, may be shifting the pendulum back to smaller, more modest getaway homes. Young families on a budget may still be able to afford their own Green Acres, but on a more modest scale.

I've pulled together about a dozen little cozy charmers, all under 1,000 sq. ft., ranging in price from $109,000 to $299,000 (for a cute little renovated lakefront ranch on Swinging Bridge.) There are a couple of places in this group with nice river or creek settings. (Often little houses have river settings that outshine big houses, because they were built before current setback requirements, and are 'grandfathered' in.) These aren't all the "little houses" on the market, just a selection. If you're into little houses, there are others I can email you, from cottages in Smallwood to a charming renovated one room schoolhouse near Barryville!

You can either click on a house in the slideshow at left to go to the listing for that particular house, or click here to see the listings for all of them together. Afficionados of the little house may also want to check out Catskills Farms' Mini and Micro Cottages, little bundles of uber-cute. And the tiniest house on the market in Sullivan County? A 400 sq. ft. seasonal cottage with lake access to Mohican Lake. Asking price $59,000.