The bad rap on Long Island is that there’s no affordable housing. Not true.
There’s something unfinished about the $279,000 brand new home on Soccer Road in Mastic Beach.
Builder Justin Pollio deliberately left an upstairs room partly done, with studs up but no sheet rock or walls on them.
“It keeps the cost down,” said the president of 21st Century Homes in Medford.
By leaving a room unfinished, homeowners save about $5,000 off the listing price and have the option of making it into a bedroom, office or whatever they want, he said.
In this cooling market, with more than 300 listings in Mastic Beach, Pollio’s using several different strategies to lower the cost of his homes. He’s put in stainless steel kitchen appliances, central air and a fireplace in the three-bedroom house, when two years ago, he would just use basic materials and the properties would still “fly off the market.” He’s also trying to keep listing prices down on his listings to attract more potential buyers.
Two years ago, Pollio began leaving a "bonus room" unfinished in his newly-built homes when he saw builders do it in South Carolina, where he owns properties. It’s been a big selling point for buyers there, he said.
So far, Pollio said he doesn’t know of any other Long Island builder who’s recognized the value of leaving the studs exposed. “They’re not smart enough to put it together,” he said.