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We have consider Flemington, Readington, Raritan,(appears to be rural) Basking Ridge, Warren, and Bridgewater (prices for the type of homes we like are over our budget)
Where are you coming from?
We are a family of four...7 year old boy and 11 year old girl moving from Naperville, IL
Why are you moving?
Job relocation
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC?
Union, NJ
Will you buy or rent?
We will buy
Looking to buy, What is your budget ?
Budget is around $800,000...looking for newer homes with open floor plans
What kind of place are you looking for ?
Looking for homes that are not older than 10 years old...4 bedroom 2+baths...located in a subdivision...no more than an acre of land
Do you need/want good public schools?
Excellent public schools are a must...I am a former Special Educator teacher
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
Commute to be no more that 1 hour from Union.
Community with pretty good resale value
We are looking for neighborhood/town that has a diverse population
Numerous activities for the kids such football, baseball, ballet, acting classes etc.
All are good choices but you should definitely look at Holmdel, too. Excellent schools, many new homes and one of the best parks in the state is Holmdel Park with Longstreet Farm. I think you will find that it is more like Naperville in feel than Basking Ridge and your money will go further. It is about a 45 minute commute to Union, however, but you will enjoy your weekends at the ocean in Sandy Hook, the free Jazz in Keyport across the way and great shopping at Holmdel Commons.
Flemington, Readington, Raritan twp is too long a commute on I78 to Union. Go no further West than Bridgewater.
Holmdel will require driving the Parkway to Union and it is heavily traveled especially Friday evenings heading towards the shore in the Summer.
RE in NJ is more expensive than most states so you may have to settle for less house than you are accustomed to.
Some people have no problem trading convenience for house so you will have to make that decision.
As you have probably already heard, NJ is the most populated state and unfortunately the job location is right in the middle of the population center.
One of your challenging constraints will be for a house under 10 years old. Many of the most popular towns with excellent schools are well-established and have used up available space long ago, so there can be limited availability of newer homes. I'd suggest that you consider somewhat older homes (many of which may have been updated).
Basking Ridge has excellent schools. I'd actually start there. It may feel more rural than Naperville, but the community is really suburban (just spread out). You will fine newer homes in one area near The Hills, but I think there are things people don't like about the Mt. Prospect school (more competitive, people moving to The Hills just for the competitiveness, esp of highly competitive ethnic groups, and a more impersonal feeling than the rest of BR - so that one may be diverse but in a competitive way...the rest of BR is not diverse. There are pockets of new homes elsewhere (and many built in the 80-s-90's), but they tend to be very large and pricey (above $1 million). I think you can find something good in your range, though.
Watchung area might be a good fit...there are newer homes there and it is slightly closer to Union, right on the 78 corridor. Westfield is another option (within 20min from Union) and has very good schools, and is a really nice town with more to do...but it is way more congested than Basking Ridge.
Other excellent and more diverse towns close to Union are Summit and Millburn. However, most of the homes are older (but this is a NICE area! most homes will be updated).
We have consider Flemington, Readington, Raritan,(appears to be rural) Basking Ridge, Warren, and Bridgewater (prices for the type of homes we like are over our budget)
Where are you coming from?
We are a family of four...7 year old boy and 11 year old girl moving from Naperville, IL
Why are you moving?
Job relocation
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC?
Union, NJ
Will you buy or rent?
We will buy
Looking to buy, What is your budget ?
Budget is around $800,000...looking for newer homes with open floor plans
What kind of place are you looking for ?
Looking for homes that are not older than 10 years old...4 bedroom 2+baths...located in a subdivision...no more than an acre of land
Do you need/want good public schools?
Excellent public schools are a must...I am a former Special Educator teacher
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
Commute to be no more that 1 hour from Union.
Community with pretty good resale value
We are looking for neighborhood/town that has a diverse population
Numerous activities for the kids such football, baseball, ballet, acting classes etc.
Point of clarification please....will the job location be in this city of Union, (Hudson County) or in Union Twp, in Union County. I know the names can be confusing, but in order to give you accurate suggestions as to areas to live, since the two places are so far apart, clarification would be a good idea.
Point of clarification please....will the job location be in this city of Union, (Hudson County) or in Union Twp, in Union County. I know the names can be confusing, but in order to give you accurate suggestions as to areas to live, since the two places are so far apart, clarification would be a good idea.
KoalaNJ
If the address is "Union, NJ" it's going to be Union Twp. in Union County.
Union City in Hudson County is "Union City, NJ" There is no "city of Union"
I don't really have anything to contribute as far your posts goes, but as someone who just moved from Illinois, I wanted to say good luck! Hope everything goes well for you and your family.
If the address is "Union, NJ" it's going to be Union Twp. in Union County.
Union City in Hudson County is "Union City, NJ" There is no "city of Union"
There is also a Union Twp in Hunterdon County to confuse matters even more. I assume the OP is talking about Union, NJ tho - the first one you mention.
Point of clarification please....will the job location be in this city of Union, (Hudson County) or in Union Twp, in Union County. I know the names can be confusing, but in order to give you accurate suggestions as to areas to live, since the two places are so far apart, clarification would be a good idea.
KoalaNJ
So sorry, didn't realize that...it will be in Union Township off of US 22.
Thanks so much!
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