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I'm in dilemma in choosing between a brand new home in Piscataway or 25-30 years old house in North Edison. Both are about same price & size, same distance to train station (to commute to NYC), access to highway etc.
Not considering any demographic/social difference. Considering only school district and ROI (Return on Investment) difference. North Edison High School is better than Piscataway, but could not find element school & middle school ranking differences.
My kid is still 2 years old and it's going to be many years before he goes to high school. This would be my first home, I can sell and move it better high school district if needed in future. 5-7 years are long way and school ranking can change.
What would be expert opinion to choose between a brand new home at Piscataway or 25-30 years old home in North Edison? Which home will have high probability of selling after 7-9 years at decent price?
Hopefully you don't really think that there is a municipality named "North Edison"!
While the northern part of Edison is definitely more desirable than the southern part of the township, it is all Edison, with the same school system, the same police department, the same Public Works department, etc. Realtors coined the term, "North Edison", and this mythical town is simply a real estate marketing ploy.
That being said, the high school that serves the northern part of the township, John P. Stevens HS, is a very good school, and is more desirable than Edison HS, which serves the southern part of the township. Overall the Edison school system is a very good one, so I don't think that you should have any fears about the elementary or middle schools that your children will attend in the future if you move to Edison.
As to the overall desirability of one township vs the other, much comes down to personal preference, IMHO.
Many folks would prefer Edison because of its very good schools, but its crime rate has been climbing in recent years, and since it is next to high-crime Woodbridge Township, that is a negative factor for others.
Some folks would prefer the slightly less-congested nature of Piscataway.
Then, you may want to consider the difference between getting a brand-new house with better insulation, a brand-new roof, brand-new furnace and A/C, etc vs a 25-30 house with systems that will likely need to be replaced or upgraded in a few years. The efficiency of older furnaces, A/C units, windows, and insulation is...not so good.
What would be expert opinion to choose between a brand new home at Piscataway or 25-30 years old home in North Edison? Which home will have high probability of selling after 7-9 years at decent price?
It's a matter of personal preference. You'll likely save in the long run on taxes if you purchase the older home as taxes on new construction are generally a lot higher than older homes.
External factors aside and all things being equal - it is always easier to sell a newer home vice an older one. But keep in mind, there are external factors and all things are not equal.
It depends on where the new home in Piscataway is - as there are a few newer developments in Piscataway that are in a more industrial area that would likely be harder to sell than the older home in North Edison (North Edison being stated as the School system is the factor here).
In 7-9 years time (if history repeats itself, and it does) either home will have appreciated in value roughly the same percentage and you will pay off the same % of the mortgage in the same amount of time.
The most important question you should be asking is which home will make you happier? Which home will you be most comfortable in? Which home do you want to live in for the next 7-9 years?
Answer those questions and you will have your answer.
Retriever, do you have some kind of bone to pick with Woodbridge? Piscataway is next to high-crime Plainfield as well. My g/f was born and raised in Hopelawn within walking distance of the Perth Amboy border and never had any problems. Her mom still lives there and again no problems. I lived in P'way for three years, was mugged there in 2007 and had my car broken into twice in 2008. Feel much safer in Woodbridge near the PA & Rahway borders than P'way near the Plainfield border.
Without getting too far off topic I lived in both P'way and Edison (south side) and my sisters graduated from Edison High (not JP) and would not change their experience for a less-congested suburban area. I moved to P'way in mid-2006 upon graduating college because I liked that it was slightly more spread out in many areas without much concern for my own safety. I taught for one year at Grandview Elementary School there and the mix was more diverse, but also A LOT more seedy. Students have emerged well from their high school, but I can tell you houses in Edison hold up better in value since their school system is far better.
If you do want a more spread out area, I would say come down on this side of the river and look in North or South Brunswick, which have better schools than P'way but not as good as Edison (not to imply they are bad at all), with similar demographics to Edison on the whole too. Then East Brunswick, Highland Park and Metuchen all have a long history of excellence in their school systems, but you will pay more money in those "wealthy" towns.
Try school digger.com and great schools.com for some in depth analysis of the schools as well as rankings for the lower grades.
BTW, where did you look at the rankings if you didn't see it on these sites? If it was from the NJ monthly list take it with a grain of salt that list is garbage!
Thanks for all responses. Now I'm getting more confused about buying a old house in Edison/Metuchen area.
My budget is limited to $500K and I need only smaller house about $1500-$2000 SQF (2-3 Bedroom, 1.5-2.0 Bathroom). How old is too old for a house? Is house build in 1980s are OK to buy or it's going to be trash in next 10 years?
Thanks for all responses. Now I'm getting more confused about buying a old house in Edison/Metuchen area.
My budget is limited to $500K and I need only smaller house about $1500-$2000 SQF (2-3 Bedroom, 1.5-2.0 Bathroom). How old is too old for a house? Is house build in 1980s are OK to buy or it's going to be trash in next 10 years?
I can completely understand the confusion - it's a tough dfecision. I will say this - there's nothing wrong with an older home provided it's been well maintained and upgraded. The better part about an older home is that the taxes are not normally as crazy as well. You should have no problem, at all with finding something in your price range in North Edison. I just did a pretty open search and came up with 73 homes that meet your basic criteria of less than $500k and 3 bedroom minimum.
It's a matter of personal preference. You'll likely save in the long run on taxes if you purchase the older home as taxes on new construction are generally a lot higher than older homes.
External factors aside and all things being equal - it is always easier to sell a newer home vice an older one. But keep in mind, there are external factors and all things are not equal.
It depends on where the new home in Piscataway is - as there are a few newer developments in Piscataway that are in a more industrial area that would likely be harder to sell than the older home in North Edison (North Edison being stated as the School system is the factor here).
In 7-9 years time (if history repeats itself, and it does) either home will have appreciated in value roughly the same percentage and you will pay off the same % of the mortgage in the same amount of time.
The most important question you should be asking is which home will make you happier? Which home will you be most comfortable in? Which home do you want to live in for the next 7-9 years?
Answer those questions and you will have your answer.
~Joey
way too much common sense in this post (with a smile)
It's a close call. But I would say go with the home that makes you happy NOW. 7-9 years is a long time to spend in a home that you liked second best, and wishing/hoping for better resale potential. 7 years ago was 2004 and look where most house prices are. Our home was built in the 80s so yes we have major house envy when we visit these new sprawling homes of some of our friends. But one of them ended up redoing a lot of stuff in a 10-year home. I guess newer isn't always better. (?)
I would go with the home in North Edison for sure.
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I lived in both P'way and Edison (south side) and my sisters graduated from Edison High (not JP) and would not change their experience for a less-congested suburban area. I moved to P'way in mid-2006 upon graduating college because I liked that it was slightly more spread out in many areas without much concern for my own safety. I taught for one year at Grandview Elementary School there and the mix was more diverse, but also A LOT more seedy. Students have emerged well from their high school, but I can tell you houses in Edison hold up better in value since their school system is far better.
about buying a old house in Edison/Metuchen area. 
