Reminding newcomers, up here we all work together

SALISBURY — Knock wood but it seems that Litchfield County is the New York City escape route that will emerge the most intact after the COVID-19 diaspora. 

New York City residents in March scooped up pretty much all available rental properties in the Northwest Corner and surrounding areas. 

There was a similar run on rentals in the Hamptons on Long Island and in nearby Berkshire County, Mass. — and there has been press coverage of a hostile response from full-time residents of those areas, who said they didn’t want out-of-towners bringing the coronavirus with them. 

Litchfield and Dutchess counties seem to have done a better job of welcoming the renters (some of whom have been up here before, some of whom are completely new to the area) and the part-time residents who are now staying up here full-time during the quarantine. 

Some of the credit for this has to go to the area’s real estate agents, who have all said that they make it clear to their new clients that this is a unique area and they need to respect the locals and the way of life if they want to be happy here. 

Elyse Harney, the doyenne of Northwest Corner real estate sales, and her Realtors (in particular her daughter, Elyse Harney Morris) say that when they welcome new people to the Tri-state region, they tell them they need to try and understand the people and the way of life here. Showing respect garners respect.

“As we were showing properties to people during the recent rush, we stressed as we always do that we expect you to rise to the challenge of joining this community,  meeting the locals and moving forward in a safe environment,” Harney said.

“Everyone was in a state of panic so I think what Elyse and all the agents did was to try and give them some degree of confidence that they could live here and be protected and survive,” she said, referring to her daughter, Elyse.

Volunteers make it happen

It is a co-operative venture.

A recent email blast from the company stressed, as it often does, the great degree to which this part of Litchfield County has its own special ambience because so many essential parts of life are run by volunteers. 

“That’s the fabric of our area: the volunteers,” Morris said. “And one thing we absolutely do when we are out with people is we always speak about the volunteer ambulance and fire department and stress that we are going to need you to participate if you buy in this area, as a volunteer; or by being involved with, say, the Jane Lloyd Fund or Women’s Support Services or the library. As we’re driving around we bring up these things that make our area special. 

“That’s the authentic community, the soul of our community.”

Not the flash of the Hamptons

Harney and Morris are not worried that the big influx of first-time renters and new buyers in the region due to the COVID panic are going to change the way of life here.

“I don’t think our area is going to change with who is buying in the area,” Harney said. “It is definitely not the same buyer who is looking for that high flash of the Hamptons.”

“Or looking for social status,” Morris said. “People come up here to enjoy the outdoors and open space and outdoor activities.”

Many of the renters are already calling the agency and saying they love it here and want to look at houses to buy. That might be a problem as inventory of new houses for sale is the lowest it’s been in 10 years.

But, Harney said, this is the time of year when the most new properties come on the market.  She doesn’t expect that the asking price of properties will bounce to new high levels.

“This area doesn’t see the high spikes up or down when there is an adjustment in the market,” she said.

Booked through summer

The agents are not concerned that anxious renters will refuse to give up their rentals when the summer season begins. 

“The governor issued an executive order saying there are no short-term rentals allowed; it has to be 32 days or more. A lot of our summer rentals hadn’t been booked yet when this started; most started in mid March or April and are now booked through the summer.  The landlords said, ‘I can prepare my house for tenants now [before the summer rental season] but if you want to rent it you will have to take it for the whole summer.”

Some agents have said that new renters immediately had high-speed internet installed at the homes so they could continue to work from up here. 

There is often debate up here about whether having communications towers ruins real estate values.

“High speed internet is more important than the number of bathrooms you have,” Morris said.

Rentals converting to sales

Several agents had said in recent weeks that they were waiting to see if the rental boom would lead to a boom in sales. 

Morris said in an email on Monday morning that those sales have begun and properties are now moving quickly.

“We had observed a continued strong demand across Litchfield County for rentals, as our family and friends looked out across the future and saw summer camps closing and vacation plans canceled,” she said. 

Now, she said, those renters have “spent three to six weeks up in our area and have decided this is where they want their country home. Those renters are moving forward and are committing to buy in our area. Their priorities have shifted and owning a country home is a primary one and the sooner the better!  

“Prior to this pandemic, it was a discussion, but this has now turned into a call to action. Our towns and villages have long been a place where we live and breathe the idyllic and scenic New England experience, and they have fallen in love.

“We are experiencing a greater demand for part-time to full-time residences. Many people are already seeing that they can work full time remotely here. And they may need to get a larger home to accommodate living and working from home.  

“Again, these sales are quick.   This brings opportunities for our communities increasing school enrollment and helping to increase the tax base, which we can use to continue and expand the services our towns offer.”