This 1900s farmhouse on 1.2 acres in Chester, N.Y., is under contract to a New York City buyer. The exodus from the city, combined with a pandemic-related hesitance to list houses, has created a historic housing shortage and a pronounced seller's market. ( Becca Tucker) Pandemic-driven house frenzy hits local towns Justin Melia and his family, who usually live in Astoria, Queens, closed in December on a vacation house in Warwick, N.Y.,... News 22 May 2020 | 02:02