Why do they dislike us so???? (homes, living, price)

[Diane Giam]

My Story, Why I hate NJ-
First, I'm not a troll. If you see my posts on the LI board or the Tennessee board, its only to be helpful. I sometimes even make good remarks on the Jersey boards, for instance, saying Manalapan had good schools.

For 10 years I really enjoyed NJ, but then I found I had an underground storage tank that leaked. I had to deal with Permits that sat in the file drawers instead of in the active files. So for months we could not get the job done because permits were needed. Then my insurance company wasn;t going to pay because the town took to long to issue permits. We are not talking pennies, we are talking over $200,000.
My next door neighbor on my left side(new neighbor) complained what a mess it looked like. Well it would not have been such a mess if the town issued the permits in the Spring, but they waited until the winter. By then, the water trucks were on strike, so I had this 10 foot high water tower on my lawn to pump out the ground water that the uil went into. This took months of dregging, they took out one side of my lawn, which I later replaced with sod.
They took my deck down, thank god, the Gazebo stayed as I also had to pay to replace the deck. The pool was not touched or the patio around it.
My front steps were literally pulled of, I replaced that also. The smell during the entire job made us all sick. We did stay a few days at a hotel because some days it became unbearable.
All was finished, we put house on Market because my Husband took a new position that payed more, and involved the transfer that we had requested.
The housing market in 2006 was hitting a decline. My next door neighbors decided they wanted to put a pool , and what looked like a South Seas Island. The noise when I was trying to sell was unbearable. They were the newest on block, rest were ok, except for the one across the street that expanded, doubled the size of their home.THey built a Mcmansion. They will never get their price if they sell because the biggest house there is 2500Sq.They also had men in suits showing up at all hours of the night. Who knew what that was about?
Finally in May we sold the house to people who had close by family. My buyers, and this is the word of THEIR lawyer were nuts.They had at least, if not more 6 inspections before closing. They even had my realtor go at 9pm at night, for final walkthru. This lady was a saint, Native from NJ, and loves country music. She was a great realtor and a friend.
Diane in Music City

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by go phillies

I agree. That's another thing I like in the older towns in PA, and pretty much the entire northeast...the architecture. I'll take the older homes anyday over the sprawling, no-character subdivisions where most of the houses look the same, no trees, etc.

Me too. My husband, when he first moved to NJ (he relocated to be with me) was pretty awed by the homes. He was also amazed by the sense of history. And now two lawns were the same...people were (are) very individual, at least where I used to live. Amazing huge trees that are obviously hundreds of years old...the whole effect is that many neighborhoods have what can be summed up as character. They feel like somebody lives there. They feel alive and rich in history. I love that. I agree that newer subdivisions can't compare. Just my personal feeling on it.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by Diane Giam

My Story, Why I hate NJ-
First, I'm not a troll. If you see my posts on the LI board or the Tennessee board, its only to be helpful. I sometimes even make good remarks on the Jersey boards, for instance, saying Manalapan had good schools.

For 10 years I really enjoyed NJ, but then I found I had an underground storage tank that leaked. I had to deal with Permits that sat in the file drawers instead of in the active files. So for months we could not get the job done because permits were needed. Then my insurance company wasn;t going to pay because the town took to long to issue permits. We are not talking pennies, we are talking over $200,000.
My next door neighbor on my left side(new neighbor) complained what a mess it looked like. Well it would not have been such a mess if the town issued the permits in the Spring, but they waited until the winter. By then, the water trucks were on strike, so I had this 10 foot high water tower on my lawn to pump out the ground water that the uil went into. This took months of dregging, they took out one side of my lawn, which I later replaced with sod.
They took my deck down, thank god, the Gazebo stayed as I also had to pay to replace the deck. The pool was not touched or the patio around it.
My front steps were literally pulled of, I replaced that also. The smell during the entire job made us all sick. We did stay a few days at a hotel because some days it became unbearable.
All was finished, we put house on Market because my Husband took a new position that payed more, and involved the transfer that we had requested.
The housing market in 2006 was hitting a decline. My next door neighbors decided they wanted to put a pool , and what looked like a South Seas Island. The noise when I was trying to sell was unbearable. They were the newest on block, rest were ok, except for the one across the street that expanded, doubled the size of their home.THey built a Mcmansion. They will never get their price if they sell because the biggest house there is 2500Sq.They also had men in suits showing up at all hours of the night. Who knew what that was about?
Finally in May we sold the house to people who had close by family. My buyers, and this is the word of THEIR lawyer were nuts.They had at least, if not more 6 inspections before closing. They even had my realtor go at 9pm at night, for final walkthru. This lady was a saint, Native from NJ, and loves country music. She was a great realtor and a friend.
Diane in Music City

Diane,

This is a truly awful story, and I can sympathize with your frustration. That said, why would you hold the entire state of NJ in disdain for the missteps of bureaucrats that draw their salaries from Manalapan? I think your axe to grind in this case is more with Manalapan (and the individual people in your neighborhood) than it is with the entire state proper. You even said you were reduced to staying at a hotel for a few days. There must have been a grand sense of frustration from your neighbors as well. Think of how some of them felt. Unfortunately, it is human nature to direct some anger at the property owner, when, if they thought it through a little more clearly, they might have inquired to you about your situation, at which time you have mentioned your experience with the township. There are plenty of other reasons to criticize the state at large (and I've even brought a few up here myself) but I'm not sure if this is one of them.

[66nexus]

Originally Posted by UKOK

I agree a million percent. I LOVE NJ for the old established neighborhoods and lack of subdivisions.

I think subdivisions save the developer money (uninspiring architecture) and they're not put on city streets rather big 'parking lots' with several entrances. I'm not saying these things are hideous but at what point is enough-enough?

[Summering]

Originally Posted by Diane Giam

My Story, Why I hate NJ-
First, I'm not a troll. If you see my posts on the LI board or the Tennessee board, its only to be helpful. I sometimes even make good remarks on the Jersey boards, for instance, saying Manalapan had good schools.

For 10 years I really enjoyed NJ, but then I found I had an underground storage tank that leaked. I had to deal with Permits that sat in the file drawers instead of in the active files. So for months we could not get the job done because permits were needed. Then my insurance company wasn;t going to pay because the town took to long to issue permits. We are not talking pennies, we are talking over $200,000.
My next door neighbor on my left side(new neighbor) complained what a mess it looked like. Well it would not have been such a mess if the town issued the permits in the Spring, but they waited until the winter. By then, the water trucks were on strike, so I had this 10 foot high water tower on my lawn to pump out the ground water that the uil went into. This took months of dregging, they took out one side of my lawn, which I later replaced with sod.
They took my deck down, thank god, the Gazebo stayed as I also had to pay to replace the deck. The pool was not touched or the patio around it.
My front steps were literally pulled of, I replaced that also. The smell during the entire job made us all sick. We did stay a few days at a hotel because some days it became unbearable.
All was finished, we put house on Market because my Husband took a new position that payed more, and involved the transfer that we had requested.
The housing market in 2006 was hitting a decline. My next door neighbors decided they wanted to put a pool , and what looked like a South Seas Island. The noise when I was trying to sell was unbearable. They were the newest on block, rest were ok, except for the one across the street that expanded, doubled the size of their home.THey built a Mcmansion. They will never get their price if they sell because the biggest house there is 2500Sq.They also had men in suits showing up at all hours of the night. Who knew what that was about?
Finally in May we sold the house to people who had close by family. My buyers, and this is the word of THEIR lawyer were nuts.They had at least, if not more 6 inspections before closing. They even had my realtor go at 9pm at night, for final walkthru. This lady was a saint, Native from NJ, and loves country music. She was a great realtor and a friend.
Diane in Music City

Well, I could tell at least three horror stories of sales and they were maddening at the time. But........its not the states fault. So I won't blame my state. I chose the house and I have to deal with what my hand dealt me.
Things happen in life, bad things. Its best to go on after that and put it behind you. Underground tanks were a bad thing for many people. It became many homeowners demise.
In a neighborhood where I lived in NJ, the community water well was a big thorn. Ah, but its over and I learned a lot of lessons from that experience.
I've sold in mostly bad markets.........LOL........always wishing that I was one of the lucky ones who sold high.
Life be as it is, we learn lessons from our mistakes. Next time we make better choices.
I spent too many happy times in NJ to ever pan it. It has too many things that make it grand. Great ocean towns, great mountains, wonderful lakes, and a short hop to those fabulous Broadway Shows.
You don't even have to tell NJ people what makes their state grand, they know.
Far be it from me to dice the state I grew up in ,and spent most of my life in, because of a house issue. I've had some buyers who were out of control too.
Jersey will always be a great state.........full of fun and entertainment.What did Frankie sing........" Ya' can't take that away from me, No........You can't"

[mikenbacismama]

Originally Posted by Summering

Well, I could tell at least three horror stories of sales and they were maddening at the time. But........its not the states fault. So I won't blame my state. I chose the house and I have to deal with what my hand dealt me.
Things happen in life, bad things. Its best to go on after that and put it behind you. Underground tanks were a bad thing for many people. It became many homeowners demise.
In a neighborhood where I lived in NJ, the community water well was a big thorn. Ah, but its over and I learned a lot of lessons from that experience.
I've sold in mostly bad markets.........LOL........always wishing that I was one of the lucky ones who sold high.
Life be as it is, we learn lessons from our mistakes. Next time we make better choices.
I spent too many happy times in NJ to ever pan it. It has too many things that make it grand. Great ocean towns, great mountains, wonderful lakes, and a short hop to those fabulous Broadway Shows.
You don't even have to tell NJ people what makes their state grand, they know.
Far be it from me to dice the state I grew up in ,and spent most of my life in, because of a house issue. I've had some buyers who were out of control too.
Jersey will always be a great state.........full of fun and entertainment.What did Frankie sing........" Ya' can't take that away from me, No........You can't"

You are so right. We all make our own beds, and make both good and bad choices in life. That's what life is about...choices, change, and STUFF. The flip side is being six feet under, then you'll never have to worry about STUFF.

[njchick]

Originally Posted by mcf17

The negative reputation Jersey has doesn't really bother me, probably because I'm not a native (if I were, I'm sure it would). But I grew up in an area in a very similar situation - Orange County, CA, which I think is one of the most misunderstood or misrepresented places in the country. In both cases, adjacent media hubs (New York/L.A.) are the ones crafting the images, and the people doing the crafting have no interest in living in, understanding, or getting to know the people of the areas they're caricaturing (is that a word?). At the least, Jersey has a lot more famous native sons/daughters to speak well of the place.

As a non-native, my perspective is that I don't care how bad NJ's reputation is - I know I'm very happy here and I plan on staying here, and if others don't feel the same way, maybe that'll leave more of the state for the rest of us.

You got it, that's my thinking too. This state is overcrowded to begin with, so I think it's hilarious when these Jersey haters come on here and act like everyone is making a mass exodus out of the state. If you don't like it here please leave, we don't need you!

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by mike0421

Diane,

This is a truly awful story, and I can sympathize with your frustration. That said, why would you hold the entire state of NJ in disdain for the missteps of bureaucrats that draw their salaries from Manalapan? I think your axe to grind in this case is more with Manalapan (and the individual people in your neighborhood) than it is with the entire state proper. You even said you were reduced to staying at a hotel for a few days. There must have been a grand sense of frustration from your neighbors as well. Think of how some of them felt. Unfortunately, it is human nature to direct some anger at the property owner, when, if they thought it through a little more clearly, they might have inquired to you about your situation, at which time you have mentioned your experience with the township. There are plenty of other reasons to criticize the state at large (and I've even brought a few up here myself) but I'm not sure if this is one of them.

There should have been regulations by the state of the Thickness of Underground Oil Storage tanks, LI NY had that and a customer of mine replaced his after hearing about mine. His was 40 years old, and no leek. His was 2 inches thick, mine was a 1/4 of an inch, 20 yrs old. If regulations had been in place I would not have had this grief.
My neighbors of 13 years who were on the closest side to me(the others were a ways off, as I had 1 1/4 acres, and a lot of the land fell to that side)
THEY knew what I was going thru and were nice about it, it was the new Neighbors that made a stink. Well, when they put in their pool and woke me up at 5 am banging down tree's, I surely called the town on the pool company. He explained to me that these POOR people were investing in this huge project(Pardon me but this wasn't a nessessity, Mine was) as my house was not saleable until this was completed. I hope they like their new $25,000 a yr taxes.
There are more on my block with the same problem. One is on the DEP list. I have no idea if mine ever was because we had it checked by them as soon as the work was complete.
Btw, some of my long time neighbors were not thrilled with these people either. They had kids that were not nice.
Diane

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by Summering

Well, I could tell at least three horror stories of sales and they were maddening at the time. But........its not the states fault. So I won't blame my state. I chose the house and I have to deal with what my hand dealt me.
Things happen in life, bad things. Its best to go on after that and put it behind you. Underground tanks were a bad thing for many people. It became many homeowners demise.
In a neighborhood where I lived in NJ, the community water well was a big thorn. Ah, but its over and I learned a lot of lessons from that experience.
I've sold in mostly bad markets.........LOL........always wishing that I was one of the lucky ones who sold high.
Life be as it is, we learn lessons from our mistakes. Next time we make better choices.
I spent too many happy times in NJ to ever pan it. It has too many things that make it grand. Great ocean towns, great mountains, wonderful lakes, and a short hop to those fabulous Broadway Shows.
You don't even have to tell NJ people what makes their state grand, they know.
Far be it from me to dice the state I grew up in ,and spent most of my life in, because of a house issue. I've had some buyers who were out of control too.
Jersey will always be a great state.........full of fun and entertainment.What did Frankie sing........" Ya' can't take that away from me, No........You can't"

Other places have nicer and bigger mountain TOwns, I'm sure you have heard of the Smokies, Gatlenburg/Pigeon Forge, TN We have wonderful Lakes and Rivers, the weather is milder. We have 4 seasons but it never gets really cold. We have Broadway shows at the TPAC within 15 min of my home. We have Music, nonstop, all kinds.The shore, not worth the traffic,
I sometimes think there are people from NJ that have never visited any other state, other than NY. I know I met people there that had never been to Phiily. Philly was an hour away and I would rather see historic sites than the beach.
There are many of those here. I spend many a morning visiting Antebellum homes, such as the Hermitage, Home of Andrew Jackson. We have an exact Replica of the Parthenon,Parthenon (Nashville - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
This is part of our history.
I feel more at home here than I ever did in NJ. I do have a History here, I graduated from college here.
Diane in Music City

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by njkate

How many of you regulars jump around on this forum?
How many read all the disparaging comments regarding NJ??

How many of you get really pizzed off, especially if the comments are by fellow or ex fellow Jerseans??? Ok fine maybe they didn't it like it here for one reason or another or are ticking off the days until they leave, BUT there are many who do like it here and for many reasons!!

I mean what is up with this....sure we aren't perfect but I like it here and sometimes have to let my response "sit" for a few minutes before I hit the submit button...good thing I do or I'd be in hot water for sure with the mods as I just want to BLAST these nay sayers and defend my state

Unlike you i was not able to let my response sit for a minute and Did get Slapped by some moderator from canada (moderator not even from Jersey)
He was nice about it and i have no problem with that...

You remember that famous line (If you build it they will come)
I think if we ignore their posts and just post around their stupid remarks then they will go AWAY (probably not because their new states want nothing to do with them)

I can not believe some of the stupid comments these people come up with
from people running them over with shopping carts to the other air heads comments about over priced Donut eating slob cops !