Two Different Parts of Long Island
Merrick is a Nassau County village on the South Shore, known for its canals, proximity to the Merrick Road corridor, and LIRR access via the Babylon Branch. Dix Hills is an unincorporated area within the Town of Huntington, in Suffolk County, further east and inland. The two towns have different character, lot sizes, and commuting options, so it helps to think of this as a move between counties, not just neighborhoods.
Commuting Changes
If you currently use the Babylon Branch out of Merrick, you'll want to re-think your rail plan. Dix Hills itself doesn't have its own LIRR station, but Huntington's station sits at the eastern end of the electrified Port Jefferson Branch, giving residents a one-seat ride west into the city. Depending on where in Dix Hills you end up, driving to the Huntington station or using local roads to reach Route 110 may be part of your daily routine.
Route 110 and the Surrounding Corridor
Dix Hills sits near the Route 110 corridor, which runs through Melville and has seen significant change. The Town of Huntington has rezoned portions of the Route 110 office and warehouse corridor for redevelopment, which is worth understanding if you're evaluating long-term value or watching how commercial development might affect traffic, retail options, or future home values nearby.
School Districts and Lot Sizes
Merrick and Dix Hills fall under different school district structures, and Dix Hills properties tend to sit on larger lots than what you'll typically find in Merrick. If schools are a factor in your move, you'll want to compare specific district boundaries rather than assume continuity, since Dix Hills addresses can span more than one district.
Pricing and Market Conditions
Home prices in Dix Hills, particularly for single-family homes, often run higher than what you might see in Merrick, though the exact gap shifts with inventory and interest rates. Rather than quoting a number that will be outdated by the time you read this, it makes sense to pull current comparable sales for both towns and look at the gap directly. William Soundias and Jeff Nathanson can put together that comparison so you're working from current figures, not guesses.
Inventory Pressure Works Both Ways
Long Island overall is in a low-inventory seller's market right now. Many homeowners who refinanced or bought at lower rates are staying put rather than trading up at today's higher borrowing costs, which keeps available homes scarce in both Merrick and Dix Hills. That means:
- Selling your Merrick home may move faster than you expect, given buyer demand
- Finding the right Dix Hills home may take patience and a clear plan for timing both sides
- Having a coordinated strategy for sale and purchase matters more than in a looser market
Timing the Two Transactions
Whether you sell first and then look, or try to line up a purchase before listing, is a real decision with trade-offs on both sides. Bridge financing, contingency offers, and rent-back arrangements are all options worth discussing before you put a sign in the yard. This is usually where a move between counties gets more complicated than people expect, simply because the two closings and two sets of local rules need to line up.
How The Collab Helps
The Collab, led by William Soundias and Jeff Nathanson, works directly in both the Merrick and Dix Hills markets, which means they can speak to local conditions on both ends of your move rather than just one side of the transaction. They'll pull current pricing data for your specific Merrick home and the type of Dix Hills property you're considering, walk through school district boundaries and commute logistics, and help you think through sequencing the sale and purchase so you're not carrying two mortgages or scrambling for temporary housing. If you're still a few months out from deciding, that's a fine time to start the conversation. Call The Collab at 516-298-6434 to talk through what a Merrick-to-Dix Hills move looks like for your situation.