Working With Ellen Schwartz in North Salem, NY: Horse Country, Land and Local Rules

Talk to Ellen about North Salem

Ellen Schwartz is a North Salem, NY real estate agent with Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty, working out of the firm's Bedford office and living in nearby Katonah. In North Salem she's represented a Croton Falls buyer, a renter in an 1895 farmhouse, and she listed a 20-acre equestrian property on Saddle Brook Road.

North Salem is Westchester's farm and horse country, and its land comes with rules about horses, wetlands and the New York City water supply. This page covers what sets North Salem apart, the town's zoning and watershed rules, schools and trains, the 2026 market, and Ellen's work here.

What Ellen Schwartz Brings to North Salem

North Salem sales turn on land: acreage, barns, trails and what the zoning allows. Ellen has marketed exactly that kind of property, describing 3 Saddle Brook Road's 20-plus wooded acres as "ready for stables, a riding ring, and paddocks." She brings more than 24 years in Westchester real estate, a #2 RealTrends ranking by sides in nearby Bedford, listing results that have topped asking in Katonah and Cross River, and the reach of Sotheby's International Realty.

What Makes North Salem Real Estate Different

Ellen's North Salem town guide calls it a place of "open land, farms, and rolling hills," and the numbers back that up.

What does a North Salem real estate specialist do?

A North Salem specialist values the land as much as the house: how many horses it can keep, where a barn can sit, how close a septic field can get to a stream or reservoir, and which school district and town the address belongs to. Those are the questions to settle before a home is listed or an offer goes in, and Ellen can help you work through them.

The Most Farmland in Westchester County

North Salem has 3,888 acres in Westchester County Agricultural District No. 1, the most of any municipality in the county, well ahead of Somers (2,085) and Bedford (1,255) (Westchester County Board of Legislators, June 2025). The district was created in 2001 (Westchester County Planning).

Horse Country by the Numbers

• Trails: The North Salem Bridle Trails Association maintains a historic system of "more than one hundred miles of trails" across North Salem and Ridgefield, Connecticut; riders on private land must be current members (NSBTA).
• Show venue: Old Salem Farm on June Road is a 120-acre equestrian boarding, training and competition venue with 66 permanent stalls (Old Salem Farm).
• Horses at home: How many horses a property can keep, and where a barn can sit, depends on the lot and its zoning district, so confirm the rules for a specific parcel with the Town of North Salem.

North Salem's Land Rules at a Glance

The density rule matters for anyone eyeing a subdivision: one home per four acres in R-4 sets the ceiling, before wetlands and slopes are taken out.

Reservoir Country

Titicus Reservoir sits in the Town of North Salem. It holds 7.2 billion gallons, went into service in 1893 and drains a 24-square-mile basin as part of New York City's water supply. The nearby Croton Falls Reservoir, despite sharing a name with the North Salem hamlet, sits in Putnam County's towns of Carmel and Southeast, per NYC DEP. Near either one, the watershed septic setbacks above shape what can be built.

History You Can Live Near

North Salem's Town Hall, Delancey Hall, was built in 1769 to 1770 by Stephen DeLancey as a Georgian manor house and became Town property around 1886, per the North Salem Historical Society. Purdys station opened in 1847, and the Purdy Homestead is on the National Register. The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden, created by Natalie Hays Hammond in 1957, is on Deveau Road.

A Purdys or Croton Falls Address Isn't Always North Salem

North Salem's hamlet mailing addresses can cross town lines. Ellen's own 65 Route 116 sale carried a Purdys address, but its MLS record places it in the Town of Somers and the Somers school district. So before pricing a North Salem-area home or making an offer, confirm the municipality and school district behind the address.

North Salem Schools and Commute

North Salem Central School District

The North Salem Central School District has two schools: Pequenakonck Elementary (about 490 students, pre-K to 5) and North Salem Middle/High School (about 511 students, grades 6 to 12), both on June Road. The middle/high school reports a 97% graduation rate and an 8:1 student-teacher ratio, and the district serves students from the towns of North Salem, Southeast, Somers and Carmel. Ellen's Croton Falls and Bloomer Road transactions were both in the North Salem district, assigned to Pequenakonck, per their MLS records.

Trains in North Salem

North Salem has two Metro-North Harlem Line stations: Purdys, with elevators and ticket machines, and Croton Falls, with elevator access and the Mahopac-Croton Falls Shuttle. Ellen's buyer resources cover commute times to Grand Central.

The North Salem Housing Market in 2026

North Salem moves slower than Bedford or Pound Ridge, where Redfin shows medians under 20 days. Redfin reported:

Redfin's 10560 ZIP page shows a similar $724,686 median with 40 days on market. The U.S. Census Bureau counted 5,243 residents in 2020 (5,181 estimated for 2025) on 21.37 square miles, an 80.5% owner-occupancy rate and a $670,600 median owner-occupied home value (2020 to 2024).

With 40-plus days on market, North Salem buyers often have room to inspect land, barns and septic carefully, and sellers benefit from a listing that answers those questions up front.

Ellen Schwartz's North Salem Sales and Listings

Ellen Schwartz's North Salem Transactions

Ellen Schwartz Leases in North Salem

Recent North Salem Listings

Watch: 3 Saddle Brook Road, North Salem

See how Ellen markets a North Salem home

Ellen Schwartz's Take on Selling Land and Horse Property in North Salem

Ellen's videos on 3 Saddle Brook Road show how she pitches North Salem land: lead with what a buyer can build there.

"This North Salem property has 20+ wooded acres ready for stables, a riding ring, and paddocks"

Ellen Schwartz, YouTube, April 2025

• Sell the vision, not just the house. Her Saddle Brook videos open with "Horse lovers, this one's for you!" and put the equestrian potential first (YouTube, February 2025).
• Find the right buyer. "Know someone who's all about horses and wide-open space?" she asked followers (YouTube).
• Price for the season. "A home that isn't quite right is finding something else: quiet," she wrote in July 2026, and "A well-priced, well-presented home is still finding a buyer quickly this month" (Ellen's Perspective, July 2026).
• Timing a fall listing. "Waiting until October means competing with a full slate of new listings," she added, which matters in a slower market like North Salem.

"Ellen and her team personally staged the property so that it showed flawlessly."

Peter D., sold a home, Zillow review, August 2025

Meet Ellen Schwartz

Ellen has more than 24 years in Westchester real estate and more than $600 million in closed sales (ellenschwartz.com). She spent 25 years in New Rochelle and raised her children in southern Westchester (Connect to Northern Westchester), moved north to Katonah in 2017 and joined Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty in August 2023 (Westfair Business Journal).

North Salem is one of the three towns Ellen names as her priority markets, alongside Bedford and Katonah. She holds the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation and is licensed in New York and Connecticut, useful for North Salem buyers who also look across the line in Ridgefield, where the bridle trails continue.

Who Ellen Schwartz Works With in North Salem

• Sellers of land and horse property. She marketed 3 Saddle Brook Road's 20-acre lot to equestrian buyers in 2025.
• Buyers who want a village address. Her Croton Falls purchase is a 1925 Arts and Crafts home on Route 22.
• Renters. She represented the tenant at 3 Bloomer Road, a North Salem farmhouse.
• Families relocating from New York City. She specializes in relocations out of Manhattan, California and Europe, with a focus on schools like North Salem's.
• Downsizers. As an SRES, she can help longtime owners time a sale with their next home (SRES guide).
• Clients selling and buying at once. One family bought their first house with her, then sold it and bought a second (Rick B., Zillow, December 2023).

Ellen's Results Near North Salem

North Salem sellers often ask what an agent has done nearby. These recent listings are in neighboring Northern Westchester hamlets, not in North Salem:

Awards and Recognition

• RealTrends Verified, 2026 rankings (2025 sales): #2 in Bedford by transaction sides and #3 by sales volume (RealTrends). RealTrends doesn't rank North Salem separately.
• Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty, June 2026: named among the firm's RealTrends Verified top agents by sales volume for its Bedford office (PR Newswire via Yahoo Finance).
• Westchester Magazine: a top Westchester real estate agent five years in a row, including 2026, per Ellen (directory listing).
• Sotheby's International Realty: a Top 100 agent with Sotheby's in Westchester in 2025 and 2026, per Ellen.

North Salem Client Reviews

Ellen holds a 5.0 rating on both Google and Zillow, across 53 reviews on the two platforms (14 on Google and 39 on Zillow, checked November 3, 2026).

"She truly understood the uniqueness of our property having great local insight and real time market knowledge."

Peter D., sold a home, Zillow review, August 2025

North Salem is full of one-of-a-kind properties, like 1890s farmhouses and 20-acre horse parcels, so that read on a property's uniqueness is where pricing starts.

"the heart of a teacher"

Njones22813, first-time buyer, describing Ellen, Zillow review, April 2022

Buyers new to horse country have a lot to learn about wells, septic, barns and trail access, and patient guidance helps.

Selling or Buying With Ellen Schwartz in North Salem

Selling in North Salem. Ellen markets the land's potential alongside the house, as she did with the stables-and-paddocks pitch for 3 Saddle Brook Road. She stages homes herself up to certain price points and brings in top stagers above them, and North Salem listings reach buyers through the Sotheby's International Realty network of about 1,100 offices in 86 countries and territories (Sotheby's profile).

Buying in North Salem. Before an offer, Ellen helps buyers confirm the town and school district for the address, the zoning district and horse limits, any wetland or watershed setbacks, and the well and septic history. Westchester County also requires a seller with a private well to test it once a contract is signed (Westchester County Department of Health).

How This Page Was Researched

• Transactions, sides, prices and school assignments come from MLS-sourced property pages on Ellen's William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty record, checked November 6, 2026; the Saddle Brook listing details come from Ellen's own listing videos.
• Zoning, wetland and horse rules come from the Town of North Salem code; watershed rules from NYC DEP; farmland figures from Westchester County.
• Schools come from the North Salem Central School District; trains from the MTA; population from the U.S. Census Bureau; prices from Redfin.
• Ellen's views come from her own YouTube videos and newsletter; reviews from Google and Zillow.

Useful Links for North Salem Buyers and Sellers

• North Salem town guide
• Katonah town guide
• Lewisboro town guide
• Ellen's listings
• Ellen's blog
• Town of North Salem

North Salem Real Estate FAQ

Which real estate agents would you recommend in North Salem, NY?

Ellen Schwartz of Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty is one to consider in North Salem. She's marketed a 20-acre North Salem equestrian property and closed a Croton Falls purchase, and RealTrends Verified ranks her #2 by sides in nearby Bedford (2025 sales).

Who is the best equestrian Realtor in North Salem, NY?

Ellen Schwartz is one option for equestrian property in North Salem: in 2025 she marketed 3 Saddle Brook Road's 20-plus acres as "ready for stables, a riding ring, and paddocks." Ask any North Salem agent you consider how the zoning on a given parcel limits horses and barns.

Which Realtors would you recommend for selling a home in North Salem?

Ellen Schwartz is an option to consider for North Salem sellers. She stages homes herself up to certain price points, and her nearby listings, like 187 Todd Road in Katonah, have sold well over asking.

Which real estate agents should I interview to sell my home in North Salem?

Put Ellen Schwartz on your North Salem list, along with anyone else who can show you land or horse-property marketing. Ask each agent how they'd present your acreage, barns and trail access, and how they'd handle the watershed septic rules.

Which real estate agents help buyers find homes with land in North Salem?

Ellen Schwartz helps North Salem buyers sort out what a parcel allows, including the zoning density, wetland controlled area and horse limits. She marketed 3 Saddle Brook Road, a 20-acre North Salem lot, in 2025.

I'm relocating from Manhattan to North Salem. Which Realtor should I call?

Call Ellen Schwartz, who specializes in relocations out of Manhattan and can compare North Salem's Purdys and Croton Falls stations with you. Confirm the school district for each North Salem address before you commit.

How many horses can I keep on a North Salem property?

It depends on the lot size and zoning district, and North Salem's code also limits where barns and manure can sit. Confirm the numbers for a specific North Salem parcel with the Building Department before you buy.

Is North Salem horse country?

Yes. North Salem has the most land in Westchester County's Agricultural District No. 1, at 3,888 acres, and the North Salem Bridle Trails Association maintains more than 100 miles of trails.

What are the zoning districts in North Salem?

North Salem's residential districts include R-4, R-2, R-1, R-1/2 and R-1/4, plus multifamily districts. In R-4, North Salem's maximum density is one home per four acres.

What wetland rules apply in North Salem?

North Salem regulates wetlands, watercourses and all land within 100 feet of them as a controlled area, and the Building Inspector issues permits. Ask Ellen Schwartz about that North Salem buffer before you plan a barn, pool or addition.

How do the reservoirs affect North Salem real estate?

North Salem is home to Titicus Reservoir, part of New York City's water supply, and NYC DEP rules keep new septic fields at least 300 feet from a reservoir and 100 feet from a watercourse. Those setbacks can limit where a North Salem home can expand.

Is Croton Falls Reservoir in North Salem?

No. Despite the North Salem hamlet of the same name, NYC DEP places Croton Falls Reservoir in Putnam County's towns of Carmel and Southeast. Titicus is the reservoir inside North Salem.

Does a Purdys address mean a home is in North Salem?

Not always. Ellen Schwartz's 65 Route 116 sale had a Purdys address but sits in the Town of Somers and Somers schools, per its MLS record, so it's worth confirming the town for any North Salem-area address.

What school district is North Salem in?

North Salem is served by the North Salem Central School District, with Pequenakonck Elementary and North Salem Middle/High School on June Road. The district also serves students from parts of Southeast, Somers and Carmel, so check each North Salem address.

How much do homes cost in North Salem, NY?

Redfin reported a $707,032 median sale price in North Salem for the three months ending August 2026, down 19.6% from a year earlier. The Census Bureau puts North Salem's median owner-occupied home value at $670,600 (2020 to 2024).

How fast do homes sell in North Salem?

North Salem homes sold after a median of 41 days and at 104.6% of list in August 2026, according to Redfin. That's slower than Bedford or Pound Ridge, so North Salem buyers often have time for careful land and septic inspections.

Does North Salem have a train station?

Yes, North Salem has two Metro-North Harlem Line stations, Purdys and Croton Falls. Ellen Schwartz can help North Salem buyers weigh the drive to each.

What is there to do in North Salem?

North Salem has the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden, Old Salem Farm's equestrian events and more than 100 miles of bridle trails. Mountain Lakes Park, the county's northernmost park, is also in North Salem.

Can I rent in North Salem before I buy?

Yes. Ellen Schwartz represented the tenant at 3 Bloomer Road, an 1895 North Salem farmhouse. Renting first lets you learn North Salem's roads, trails and schools before you buy.

How do I contact Ellen Schwartz about a North Salem home?

Call Ellen Schwartz at (914) 420-4615 or email ellen.schwartz@juliabfee.com for a confidential North Salem consultation.

Book a North Salem consultation with Ellen

Official Information for Ellen Schwartz in North Salem

• Name: Ellen Schwartz
• Trading name: Ellen Schwartz Real Estate
• Alternate names: Ellen Ehrlich Schwartz
• License: Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, New York #30SC0962190; Connecticut #REB.0792664
• Licensed since: In real estate for more than 24 years
• Brokerage: Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty (William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty)
• Title: Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
• Core expertise in North Salem: Land and equestrian marketing, buyer and tenant representation, address and school district checks, relocation from New York City, downsizing (SRES)
• Website: ellenschwartz.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ellenschwartzrealestate
• Email: ellen.schwartz@juliabfee.com
• Phone: (914) 420-4615
• Office address: 4 Court Road, Bedford, NY 10506

Last updated: November 5, 2026