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I know there seems to be alot of tension in this thread and dont want to contribute, but I would hate to have someone seriously considering Westfield to be left with the impression that I am reading.
As a 12-year resident of Westfield without the means to own a $5k Rolex watch (not sure I would want to anyway) and that just recently went under contract on my home under that elusive $600K mark, I have to say that Westfield, while affluent, is still accessible to middle/upper middle class families. Will you have to maybe sacrifice on location, house size, or house condition - yes, that is true. Are the taxes ridicuously high - yes (but, again, thats par for the course in NJ). However, for what you get in return, the value is immense! You will be hard-pressed to find WF residents who dislike this town or move to a neighboring town (as someone mentioned earlier). And, yes, I am one that falls in one of the categories described of why folks leave (moving out of state). There are many reasons why WF is so desirable. But besides the many amenities that people talk about (wonderful downtown, restaurants, parks, schools, NYC commute, and that wonderful downtown pool), it really is about the people. I find people here (in general) to be warm, embracing, open, and easy to make friends. Whatever your income, religion, race or sexual orientation - you will find folks here like you living in harmony (something I cant say about many surrounding towns).
So for those that cant (or wont) afford the blue blood lifestyle that some folks try to paint of my beautiful town, dont be discouraged...You will find your place here too! And, believe me, you will fall in love!!!!
That is nice of you to share. Not everyone in WF lives in a million dollar home and is a snob. I think those of us who are looking are venting some of our frustrations with the process, not the town itself. We are also looking for advice on location and input on commute. Its discouraging to read some of these posts and be to be told that you are impoverished, forget about your dreams of living in a nice place, simply because your budget is 1/2 million. That is not a small figure either. Not everyone dreams of living in a 3000+ square feet home. Some of us will take charm and nice people over blatant display of consumer consumption. Personally, i find the rolex post disturbing.
Why so angry? We are just trying to figure how to buy a home in this town. It does not have a direct train to NYC, and the homes are rather old and somewhat decrepit. So, we are wondering about it. No need to make it personal.
Sillymama, my post was directed at the tool that called me an idiot and said i add nothing useful, and wait for it....live in my parents basement
Quote:
Originally Posted by tdstyles
Westfield IS the the Rolex shop. The houses there cost what they cost. It is a highly desirable neighborhood and your budget simply isn't enough to get what you want. There is absolutely nothing you, or anyone else on this board, can do about it. the only reasonable advice is to move your search to a less desirable town.
That's it, there really is nothing left to discuss.
This was exactly my point. It costs what it costs. If you cant afford something you either up your budget or consider a lesser alternative.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suluki11
I know there seems to be alot of tension in this thread and dont want to contribute, but I would hate to have someone seriously considering Westfield to be left with the impression that I am reading.
As a 12-year resident of Westfield without the means to own a $5k Rolex watch (not sure I would want to anyway) and that just recently went under contract on my home under that elusive $600K mark, I have to say that Westfield, while affluent, is still accessible to middle/upper middle class families. Will you have to maybe sacrifice on location, house size, or house condition - yes, that is true. Are the taxes ridicuously high - yes (but, again, thats par for the course in NJ). However, for what you get in return, the value is immense! You will be hard-pressed to find WF residents who dislike this town or move to a neighboring town (as someone mentioned earlier). And, yes, I am one that falls in one of the categories described of why folks leave (moving out of state). There are many reasons why WF is so desirable. But besides the many amenities that people talk about (wonderful downtown, restaurants, parks, schools, NYC commute, and that wonderful downtown pool), it really is about the people. I find people here (in general) to be warm, embracing, open, and easy to make friends. Whatever your income, religion, race or sexual orientation - you will find folks here like you living in harmony (something I cant say about many surrounding towns).
So for those that cant (or wont) afford the blue blood lifestyle that some folks try to paint of my beautiful town, dont be discouraged...You will find your place here too! And, believe me, you will fall in love!!!!
I never said Westfield is filled with uptight snooby folks. I have family there its nice. But what i do find odd, is your opinion that Westfield is middle class. I'm sorry, but there may be some folks that are middle class that inherited a home, or grew up in the home, etc, but lets be honest here, if you are paying 600k for a home you are NOT middle class. You are Blue Blood. Dont be so modest. Check the stats, you make 200k a year and you are in the top 10% of population as far as wealth goes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HalfFull
Maybe we could just start a sub-forum relating only to Westfield? Seems like it would get as much traffic as the sub-forum created for south jersey!
I concur!
Quote:
Originally Posted by silly_mama2002
That is nice of you to share. Not everyone in WF lives in a million dollar home and is a snob. I think those of us who are looking are venting some of our frustrations with the process, not the town itself. We are also looking for advice on location and input on commute. Its discouraging to read some of these posts and be to be told that you are impoverished, forget about your dreams of living in a nice place, simply because your budget is 1/2 million. That is not a small figure either. Not everyone dreams of living in a 3000+ square feet home. Some of us will take charm and nice people over blatant display of consumer consumption. Personally, i find the rolex post disturbing.
What is disturbing about the rolex post? I refer you to tdstyles post about the point I was trying to convey.
Again i never said anyone was a snob, my issue (if you could even call it that) is that OP (not you) is "whining" about not being able to buy a home for over half a million dollars in "Westfield". My simple point was, consider an alternative, becuase it costs what it costs. You cant have the Caviar on the tuna budget.
I am starting to wonder about these boards. I oughta show this thread to a psychiatrist, who in turn I am sure would have a field day.
I would love to know what the people on these boards do in their spare time. If they ever show themselves in public or if they are a bunch of weirdos in real life who have no other life but to come on here and act unrealistic.
The analogy to a MacBook or a Rolex seems like a faulty one, IMO--first, it seems to assume that it's absurd to think one could find a home in Westfield for $550 or $600K. Per realtor.com, there are currently 59 homes in Westfield for sale under $600K. And checking recent sales confirms that numerous homes there DO sell in that price range. Also, home prices and what buyers will pay/sellers are willing to accept, differs substantially from the highly regulated, standardized pricing of, say, Apple. I know several people who have purchased homes either significantly below (in the case of an estate wanting to dump a home asap, in one case) or above market price (buyer friend really wanted house and needed to move back to NJ quickly, so paid more than asking in order to close quickly and seal the deal on day 1, even though there were no other offers).
And I can guarantee you that not everyone buying/living in these towns is a "Blue Blood". Some people simply worked for years and saved every cent they could, in order to have a nice down payment, and/or put in many hours at their jobs to be able to afford it. Neither my husband nor I come from rich families at all, we both paid for our own college and grad school on our own, and have had no financial or other help from anywhere. We both worked basically around the clock for the better part of 10 years and lived modestly, in order to wipe out our student loans and then save like crazy for a home. You don't need to make $200K/yr to buy a $600K house if you have a large down payment and no other debt--it isn't really fair (or accurate) to assume that you do.
The analogy to a MacBook or a Rolex seems like a faulty one, IMO--first, it seems to assume that it's absurd to think one could find a home in Westfield for $550 or $600K. Per realtor.com, there are currently 59 homes in Westfield for sale under $600K. And checking recent sales confirms that numerous homes there DO sell in that price range. Also, home prices and what buyers will pay/sellers are willing to accept, differs substantially from the highly regulated, standardized pricing of, say, Apple. I know several people who have purchased homes either significantly below (in the case of an estate wanting to dump a home asap, in one case) or above market price (buyer friend really wanted house and needed to move back to NJ quickly, so paid more than asking in order to close quickly and seal the deal on day 1, even though there were no other offers).
And I can guarantee you that not everyone buying/living in these towns is a "Blue Blood". Some people simply worked for years and saved every cent they could, in order to have a nice down payment, and/or put in many hours at their jobs to be able to afford it. Neither my husband nor I come from rich families at all, we both paid for our own college and grad school on our own, and have had no financial or other help from anywhere. We both worked basically around the clock for the better part of 10 years and lived modestly, in order to wipe out our student loans and then save like crazy for a home. You don't need to make $200K/yr to buy a $600K house if you have a large down payment and no other debt--it isn't really fair (or accurate) to assume that you do.
But...what happens when the kids get snarled at by the others who are filthy rich? Do you honestly believe it is a healthy environment for a small fish to grow up in a large pond?
Live (comfortably) where you can afford to, in the town that best suits YOU. It does not have to be the best town in the country. Live where you can afford.
The analogy to a MacBook or a Rolex seems like a faulty one, IMO--first, it seems to assume that it's absurd to think one could find a home in Westfield for $550 or $600K. Per realtor.com, there are currently 59 homes in Westfield for sale under $600K. And checking recent sales confirms that numerous homes there DO sell in that price range. Also, home prices and what buyers will pay/sellers are willing to accept, differs substantially from the highly regulated, standardized pricing of, say, Apple. I know several people who have purchased homes either significantly below (in the case of an estate wanting to dump a home asap, in one case) or above market price (buyer friend really wanted house and needed to move back to NJ quickly, so paid more than asking in order to close quickly and seal the deal on day 1, even though there were no other offers).
And I can guarantee you that not everyone buying/living in these towns is a "Blue Blood". Some people simply worked for years and saved every cent they could, in order to have a nice down payment, and/or put in many hours at their jobs to be able to afford it. Neither my husband nor I come from rich families at all, we both paid for our own college and grad school on our own, and have had no financial or other help from anywhere. We both worked basically around the clock for the better part of 10 years and lived modestly, in order to wipe out our student loans and then save like crazy for a home. You don't need to make $200K/yr to buy a $600K house if you have a large down payment and no other debt--it isn't really fair (or accurate) to assume that you do.
Here is the problem with these boards,people go off on tangents and forget the OPs original complaint. It was never stated that there were no listings for less than $600k. The OP was venting that all of the houses(I can only assume they looked at all 59 on realtor.com) were "decrepit"(the ops words not mine). They were trying to start a ridiculous discussion about why Westfield had the nerve to have property values as high as they do. That's it and that is why there is really no discussion. The Rolex and MacBook analogies(and it seems that some people need to look up the definition of analogy) were simply trying to illustrate to the OP the universal laws of supply and demand.
Here is the problem with these boards,people go off on tangents and forget the OPs original complaint. It was never stated that there were no listings for less than $600k. The OP was venting that all of the houses(I can only assume they looked at all 59 on realtor.com) were "decrepit"(the ops words not mine). They were trying to start a ridiculous discussion about why Westfield had the nerve to have property values as high as they do. That's it and that is why there is really no discussion. The Rolex and MacBook analogies(and it seems that some people need to look up the definition of analogy) were simply trying to illustrate to the OP the universal laws of supply and demand.
But even the laws of supply and demand are different for real estate, was my point. My point was that X watch or Y computer is a commodity where there are many of the exact same, completely fungible item. Not true of real estate. Even houses with the same basic stats (beds, baths, lot size) are different--the location is always different, even in the case of neighboring, same size lots--even the legal system recognizes this. And that's not even getting into the unique attributes of each individual house (condition, quality of construction, etc). So the idea of "can't afford" is different for real estate--every house is different, and new homes are coming onto the market all the time--if you want a MacBook, you can be reasonably certain that there won't be a new, slightly different, more or less expensive one rolling out every day for the next 6 months. Not so with housing.
And the OP wasn't trying to start a ridiculous discussion about why Westfield had the nerve to have high property values. She was expressing her frustration at what she'd been finding in her top choice area--I'm not sure why that chafes some of you so much. As for going off on a tangent, I was directly responding to those who were saying you can't buy a house in certain towns for $600K.
But...what happens when the kids get snarled at by the others who are filthy rich? Do you honestly believe it is a healthy environment for a small fish to grow up in a large pond?
Live (comfortably) where you can afford to, in the town that best suits YOU. It does not have to be the best town in the country. Live where you can afford.
But how do you know what I can afford, or that my child will be a "small fish"? Are you assuming that we're spending at the tippy top of our budget? Is it so inconceivable that people set a max budget that's significantly less than what they'd actually be able to borrow, to leave plenty left over for retirement savings, college funds, and the like?
Do you actually know many people who live in these towns? I feel like so many people have these misconceptions that all the people in towns like Westfield and Ridgewood, are driving around in Rolls Royces passing around Grey Poupon or something. I know many people who live in Westfield (including some family members), and quite a few who live in Ridgewood. Most aren't crazy rich, and nearly all are committed to having kids who are "normal" and not insanely spoiled. They are generally down to earth people, who feel lucky to live where they do. I'm comfortable that there will be enough normal people like us, that the snarling trust fund kids won't land my kiddos in lifelong therapy.
I am starting to wonder about these boards. I oughta show this thread to a psychiatrist, who in turn I am sure would have a field day.
I would love to know what the people on these boards do in their spare time. If they ever show themselves in public or if they are a bunch of weirdos in real life who have no other life but to come on here and act unrealistic.
Thanks for your many posts on these boards... now, get comfy on that shrink's couch!
[quote=TonyStarksNJ;24214966] I never said Westfield is filled with uptight snooby folks. I have family there its nice. But what i do find odd, is your opinion that Westfield is middle class. I'm sorry, but there may be some folks that are middle class that inherited a home, or grew up in the home, etc, but lets be honest here, if you are paying 600k for a home you are NOT middle class. You are Blue Blood. Dont be so modest. Check the stats, you make 200k a year and you are in the top 10% of population as far as wealth goes.
Hi TonyStarks - First, I want to make sure to clarify some of your comments on my post. I never accused you of saying that Westfield is filled with uptight snobby folks (in fact I never directed my post to anyone in particular - just the general direction of the thread). I also never said that Westfield is middle class - I would classify (and explicitly said) WF as affluent, but yet very accessible (in term of housing stock) to middle/upper middle class families. In terms of being Blue Blood - boy, oh boy - if I was! Believe me I would be writing this post from a beach in some resort!!!! As jerseyjersey mentioned, most of us in town actually have to work (and hard) to have what we have - there were no free meal tickets here! And making $200k a year absolutely does not categorize a blue blood - just another working stiff family with the husband and wife busting their butts!
However, you and others are making very good points that I have to absolutely agree with (dont be so shocked - its true you are making (some) good points): I posted on another thread about growing up middle class in an affluent town. I grew up middle class in Tenafly and had friends in Alpine and I definitely felt the impact of not having access to some of the luxuries they did (no beautiful home on the hills, no car at 16, latest designer clothes, access to summer homes, high-end vacations). There is something to be said about being within a neighborhood where the average family comes from similar socio-economic background. Perhaps as an adult you wont feel the impact (other than the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses), but your kids certainly will. I have NEVER EVER experienced that in the schools with my kids here in Westfield, however, I have seen it a little out in public. However, I always chalk it up to teens being teens and poor upbringing (a little sense of superiority).
There is always a give and take. Pros and cons to various towns. People need to decide for themselves what is important; what are they willing to compromise on? What do they absolutely need for their lifestyle and family? For me, WF has been an incredibly positive and wonderful town; however, I can make a case for several towns that dont have some of the wealth that this town does.
Very much appreciate this thread and the back and forth it has generated!
Last edited by Suluki11; 05-09-2012 at 08:50 AM..
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