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I have been reading this forum for about a week....some great info and very knowledgable posters ! We are looking to "establish" roots in the in next 6- 8 months and contemplating CT...we have lived in chicago for 15 years.
Again, I am sure this has been ask a hundred times...but here goes our story.
We are looking for a community and overall family lifesyle...clearly we would like a nice home, property, etc. We have a child under 2 and we will probably need to have access to NYC, or the NY area, not daily, so we can commute. My initial thoughts are Fairfield County...but should we look at NY or NJ ? So back to fairfield cty..
Our budget is around 700 - 900K....is this realistic ? I know we can find always find a house for that ...but we really want HOME...where we can grow as a family, engage in th ecommunity, etc......we do need a 3 plus bedroom and would like some prpoerty.
Thanks in advance...please ask other questions...appreciate the LOCAL CT knowledge !!
Fairfield county will be far more attractive then NJ. Taxes on Real estate will be lower then Westchester county NY & NJ.
In the price range you suggest- you will be able to find a most desirable home in Fairfield county, not far the shore, in perhaps one of the most attractive communities in the country. Consider Westport, Ridgefield and New Canaan also.
Last edited by skytrekker; 01-13-2008 at 04:37 PM..
i agree with the previous responder. the taxes in NJ are terrible compared to CT. also consider Fairfield. (this is a 1hr 20 min train ride to midtown NYC) so if you are looking to commute daily, then i'd go more south to the towns mentioned in the previous response.
i've been looking at moving closer to the city myself (im in new haven) and the prices of homes in the Stamford area have fallen significantly in the last 6 months
Hi beefskull - Homes in the nicer towns of northern New Jersey and Westchester County wil be expensive. $700k does not go far in a town with very good schools that is commutable to New York. To me, northern New Jersey is nice but congested and densely populated (I use to live there). Westchester is the same. Don't get me wrong, Fairfield county is crowded too, but not as much as NJ and Westchester. Anyway, I agree with eriqoodle, the Town of Fairfield is very nice. It has excellent schools, shopping and restaurants and there are a lot of beautiful neighborhoods with nice homes in your price range. There are nice parks and beaches there plus there are a lot of family oriented activites. You should be able to get a nice 3 or 4 bedroom colonial on a 1/4 to 1/2 acres lot for your price. Good luck, Jay
Fairfield county will be far more attractive then NJ.
That statement is not necessarily true. What would someone from a very distant Northeastern Connecticut know about the New York City area anyway, let alone New Jersey? What you see from the Turnpike is not at all like 99% of New Jersey. I am sorry to come off insulting, but Northern Bergen County is very nice and so is the Morristown area in Morris County. NJ does tends to be a little cheaper than Connecticut, even in these forementioned prestigious areas; but, In Connecticut you are really paying more for the prestige and honor of telling your Manhattan coworkers you live in Connecticut than having better amenities or a fairer commuting distance. Schools, however, are much better in Connecticut. If you look farther out than Westport or Wilton in Fairfield County, you are sure to get much more for your money. Hope all goes well in your search, and if you choose to live in our Nutmeg State, welcome .
We are in the same boat and here what we found out
Quote:
Originally Posted by beefskull
I have been reading this forum for about a week....some great info and very knowledgable posters ! We are looking to "establish" roots in the in next 6- 8 months and contemplating CT...we have lived in chicago for 15 years.
Again, I am sure this has been ask a hundred times...but here goes our story.
We are looking for a community and overall family lifesyle...clearly we would like a nice home, property, etc. We have a child under 2 and we will probably need to have access to NYC, or the NY area, not daily, so we can commute. My initial thoughts are Fairfield County...but should we look at NY or NJ ? So back to fairfield cty..
Our budget is around 700 - 900K....is this realistic ? I know we can find always find a house for that ...but we really want HOME...where we can grow as a family, engage in th ecommunity, etc......we do need a 3 plus bedroom and would like some prpoerty.
Thanks in advance...please ask other questions...appreciate the LOCAL CT knowledge !!
Hi Jay!
We are also looking for houses in both states - kind like not knowing where to go yet, but here what we found out:
In Jersey - West Windsor / Plainsboro - the school district is very good, you can get a really nice house on 1/2 acre to 1 acre within that price range - mostly newer homes. These houses are most in "gated communities" or "developments" with club houses and pool. Some houses in this price range may have its own pool. Taxes are very high in Jersey. Easy access to shopping. Lower or none sales taxes. A lot of parks, bike trails.
Now in CT - Weston, Wilton, Westport - more quaint towns, better schools, houses in this price range are a little older, some of them in need of renovations, a lot of property in Weston (2 acres), Wilton - you can get anything in betwee 1/2 acre to 2 acres as well. Westport - most houses are in smaller lots 3/4 of an acre or less. When you do find a house in a bigger property usually will not be more than 1 acre. Houses in Westport is more expensive. We found that you can get more for your money in Weston or Wilton. Better commute from Westport or Wilton. Weston is more rural -but absolutetly beautiful. I found that shopping is a hike, though, specially if you live in Weston. There is no stores there. Westport is very pretty - great main street and beaches!!! Property taxes are a little lower than Jersey. Also people that live in that area have higher income. In Jersey people feel a little more grounded - like regular.
Oh well, hope it helps a little. We are still confused where to go. I gues we have to put on paper our priorities...
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New Jersey is not THAT bad!
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