How is everyone doing it? (real estate market, apartment, renting)

[SomersetLife]

I have a large home over 500K -- Higher Education (PhD) and Medicine (MD).

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by stmaarten

EXACTLY RIGHT! The word "McMansion" was derived from the name "McDonalds": as in super-sized and same all over.
DUH!

DUH - McDonalds don't look the same all over.
I've seen plenty of subdivisions around the US that didn't look the same, yet comprised of McMansions.

[Onizuka]

Most people know a McMansion when they see one. Particularly amusing ones show up on small 50x100 lots in a middle-class neighborhood of unassuming Cape Cods.

And someone earlier was right when they said that you cannot buy one for $500k or less anywhere in Northern NJ. It's hard enough to buy a regular house in good shape in a good neighborhood for $500k, much less a McMansion.

[njkate]

Originally Posted by stmaarten

Why are property taxes so high in New Jersey? BECAUSE THE CROOKED POLITICIANS IN NEW JERSEY ARE FLEECING THE GOOD PEOPLE OF THAT GREAT STATE!!!
We left the state of New Jersey, not because we hated living there, but we were SICK AND TIRED of being cheated by that state's politicians!
Jersey $uck$ not because of it's location, but because the politicians there are thieves!
Why is it that other states are able to manage on much less property tax income? It's a damn tradgedy!

School taxes in NJ are over the top and if you think your 12-20K a year taxes in Sparta are going to Sparta schools think again. The affluent communities are footing the bill for schools in Jersey City, Camden, Newark etc

[stmaarten]

Originally Posted by tahiti

DUH - McDonalds don't look the same all over.
I've seen plenty of subdivisions around the US that didn't look the same, yet comprised of McMansions.

Why do you feel spoken to? If you've ever been out of the country you'll know that the one major standard all over the world are the golden arches in the McDonald's logo. Hence the term "McMansion". It refers to something being recognizable wherever you go.

[stmaarten]

Originally Posted by njkate

School taxes in NJ are over the top and if you think your 12-20K a year taxes in Sparta are going to Sparta schools think again. The affluent communities are footing the bill for schools in Jersey City, Camden, Newark etc

Not quite sure why you're equating me with Sparta, New Jersey???

[njkate]

Originally Posted by stmaarten

Not quite sure why you're equating me with Sparta, New Jersey???

Not...just using an example of an affluent community. Taxes are out of control and a contributing factor to this is school taxes....affluent communities in NJ are footing the bill for decaying school systems in places like Jersey City etc....the monies collected by these affluent towns are not staying there...for their school district alone.

You also have places like for instance Morris County...most towns are middle class and above...each school district has ther own board of Ed and school superintendent at hefty salaries.....Morris county only needs maybe tops 2 superintendents to over see the schools....regionalization...works well but is a dirty word in most parts,

[stmaarten]

Originally Posted by njkate

Not...just using an example of an affluent community. Taxes are out of control and a contributing factor to this is school taxes....affluent communities in NJ are footing the bill for decaying school systems in places like Jersey City etc....the monies collected by these affluent towns are not staying there...for their school district alone.

You also have places like for instance Morris County...most towns are middle class and above...each school district has ther own board of Ed and school superintendent at hefty salaries.....Morris county only needs maybe tops 2 superintendents to over see the schools....regionalization...works well but is a dirty word in most parts,

Actually, I was just shocked that you mentioned Sparta, because that's the area we moved from. And I agree, why do some of these towns need two principals and two vice principals for two schools?
We love New Jersey, but unfortunately, dirty politics and excessive nepotism have made the state overly expensive.

[njkate]

Originally Posted by stmaarten

Actually, I was just shocked that you mentioned Sparta, because that's the area we moved from. And I agree, why do some of these towns need two principals and two vice principals for two schools?
We love New Jersey, but unfortunately, dirty politics and excessive nepotism have made the state overly expensive.

Sorry didn't mean to spook you...I live on the Jefferson / Sparta border and used Sparta cause most have never heard of Jefferson

[emanon]

NJ Kate,
Actually one of the biggest factor in high NJ taxes is because of Home rule. I don't know how many other states operate the way NJ does but we have way to many chiefs for the number of indians we have.