looking for some nice areas to consider moving to (Emmaus: to rent, buying a house)

[0804tkg]

Hello All,

I just came across this site and plan on doing some research reading through some of the threads here, but thought I could post a question to jump start my search.

I am looking at a possible move and am looking for some great towns to consider moving to within an hour drive of Trenton, NJ. Safety is number one as I will be away from home sometimes for a week at a time. My wife stays home with our two year old and we are expecting another little one in soon, so schools are also very important. I was halfway thinking about PA because I have heard taxes are lower. Going to start out renting and then probably buying a house within a year. Probably looking in the 300-400k for a 4 bed 2 bath house. I would ideally like to rent in the the same town/area I plan on purchasing.

Any suggestions on some nice areas with great schools and not too expensive houses????

Thanks in Advance!

[Love2Golf09]

Originally Posted by 0804tkg

Hello All,

I just came across this site and plan on doing some research reading through some of the threads here, but thought I could post a question to jump start my search.

I am looking at a possible move and am looking for some great towns to consider moving to within an hour drive of Trenton, NJ. Safety is number one as I will be away from home sometimes for a week at a time. My wife stays home with our two year old and we are expecting another little one in soon, so schools are also very important. I was halfway thinking about PA because I have heard taxes are lower. Going to start out renting and then probably buying a house within a year. Probably looking in the 300-400k for a 4 bed 2 bath house. I would ideally like to rent in the the same town/area I plan on purchasing.

Any suggestions on some nice areas with great schools and not too expensive houses????

Thanks in Advance!

Yes, PA taxes are lower, but NJ is probably in the top 3 highest tax rates in the nation, so almost anywhere you move, other than NY, is going to be cheaper. Also, for the most part, the schools in PA are far better. For $200k you can live in the quality of sd that people with $700k+ homes in NJ live in. I never understood why NJ schools sucked so bad, even in the very expensive areas.

One problem is that being an hour away from Trenton is kind of a funky area. You might have to look into the suburbs of Philly, which is going to be more expensive than the lehigh valley. You might want to try and drive it one day, but I just don't think you can get from Emmaus or Coopersburg to Trenton in less than an hour during rush hour. I would give it an hour and a half just to be safe, but I'm not 100% sure about this because I travel 22 and 78 into Jersey and it's crazy, and I'm sure going south towards philly would be nasty too, but who knows. The ideal spot for you would be Bucks County. It has little crime, great schools, but is extremely overcrowded (in my opinion) and I doubt you would be saving much money on the move. The whole Philly area is notorious for high taxes, but I've never checked to see if this was true in Bucks county. Newtown and Doylestown would be a short commute for you, but if I would certainly compare the home prices, taxes, and commute time between there and some places in the southern lehigh valley, like coopersburg, emmaus, saucon valley, etc. Macugnie is also real close to 476, but I have no idea how bad the traffic is going south. All of those places have great schools, little crime, and you could find a VERY nice home there well within your price range. I would look at things south of bethlehem/allentown and north of Quakertown. I hear Quakertown isn't much to look at. Good luck.

[Summering]

I think you would probably love Doylestown and Newtown.........Fantastic towns.
If you put those names in the "search" area up top you might come up with some pictures I put on in the past of Doylestown. A charming place with good schools and wonderful surroundings.

[toobusytoday]

I agree with the above two posts. We have good schools in Pennsylvania and because taxes are lower you can get more house for your money. That's no secret to the many people that live in PA and commute to NJ. Hence, the houses in Bucks county, within the commuting range you are talking about, are quite expensive. The average price where I live in Southern Lehigh School district actually went up this year and is now over $300,000., but it's even more in Bucks.

[0804tkg]

Thanks for the replies! The travel time isn't really that important as I don't see myself making the commute more than 2 times a week. Thanks again, I'll look at those areas

[light2me]

I am considering moving to mechanicsburg pa from maryland. i have been offered a job at NAVICP. does anyone know of a nice place to live in mechanicsburg? It will just be my husband and I. Appreciate any advice that will be helpful. thanks

[toobusytoday]

light2me, You should post this question in the general PA forum. Mechanicsbug is in central PA, not the Lehigh Valley. Good luck to you!