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I just don't want to feel cramped as a family of four in a small home in a few years (if we were to go to Metuchen). I like the idea of having enough square footage and a nice yard, so that we'll have adequate space in the future.
It all depends what you consider cramped.
We raised our 3 kids in a 4 bedroom 2000sqft house and it was very comfortable and never felt cramped.
But when trying to sell it we had some families with less than 3 kids thought it was to small for them.
my husband grew up in a 1200 sq ft cape - 3 kids. amazingly enough they're alive to tell the tale. LOL
i would love to downsize, our house is too big (~2600 sq ft). PITA to clean.
Sorry tahiti, but a 2600sq ft isn't considered big these days.
We recently moved to a 55+ down in South Jersey and there are homes over 3000sqft. Mind you this is for 2 people.
My wife grew up in a 2 bedroom apt. Her brother's room was the couch in the living room.
Families and kids today would freak out if they ever had to share a room or didn't have one.
God forbid they don't have every freakin electronic device known to man.
Unfort, this generation is clueless. My wife and I laugh everytime we eat out and see families around the table and each one of them is texting someone on their phones. We've even seen this with the parents. No one talks to each other at the table.
Sorry tahiti, but a 2600sq ft isn't considered big these days.
We recently moved to a 55+ down in South Jersey and there are homes over 3000sqft. Mind you this is for 2 people.
My wife grew up in a 2 bedroom apt. Her brother's room was the couch in the living room.
Families and kids today would freak out if they ever had to share a room or didn't have one.
God forbid they don't have every freakin electronic device known to man.
Unfort, this generation is clueless. My wife and I laugh everytime we eat out and see families around the table and each one of them is texting someone on their phones. We've even seen this with the parents. No one talks to each other at the table.
i get what you're saying, but 2600 is too big for me!!! I would love smaller but a smart layout.
my dad was one of 8, grew up during the depression in small apts in Jersey City. Quite cozy!
Thank you so much. That information is really helpful. Hazlet seemed okay, but we noticed a couple of trailer parks, which we found a little concerning. We've spent a good deal of time looking at homes in the Sayrewoods South section of Old Bridge, as well as the Southwood section. Are these areas okay? They seemed it from the research I did.
As I mentioned we're really struggling with whether or not we want a really small home in Metuchen or a decent home in one of those other towns. We really liked the town of Metuchen a lot, but I don't want to buy a home I'm going to grow out of in a few years (we have our first child on the way).
You want to get the house that will best suit you. You would be served better in an adequately sized home in Old Bridge, Middletown, Aberdeen or Hazlet rather than a shack in Metuchen or Holmdel.
Southwood and Sayre Woods South are fine areas. Sayre Woods South is in the Browntown area off Rt 9 that I mentioned, and actually what I was referring to when I mentioned what resembles the older developments in Hazlet and Aberdeen. I think almost all of these towns have a few trailer parks, it really should not be too concerning. I would just group that in with apartments, condos etc. Really not a big deal.
My wife and I are looking to buy a home and have checked out several areas (Old Bridge, Metuchen, Matawan, Hazlet, and many others). We love Metuchen, but Matawan and Hazlet seem like the best towns to get bang for our buck (our budget is in the low to mid 300's).
I can't seem to get a good read on either area. I've done research online, but I've found conflicting info. We found a very nice home in Matawan near Main Street and Broad Street. Many of the houses on the block seem very nice, but then there are a few that look a little run down. Also, much of Main Street seems a little run down and there seem to be a lot of foreclosures in the area (more so than other areas).
In Hazlet, we've found a couple of nice homes, but I can't get a great sense for how the neighborhood is. One is on the east side of Hazlet off of Middle Road. The neighborhood looks very nice, but I don't love the fact that the area is somewhat close to Keansburg. We also found another home on the west side of Hazlet (west of the GSP). The area seemed nice enough, but again, it's hard to get a good sense for the area.
Can anyone provide any insight on either of these areas? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Buy the best location you can afford. If you want to get into Metuchen, buy an older fixer with the size you need, on a good street
My wife and I are looking to buy a home and have checked out several areas (Old Bridge, Metuchen, Matawan, Hazlet, and many others). We love Metuchen, but Matawan and Hazlet seem like the best towns to get bang for our buck (our budget is in the low to mid 300's).
I can't seem to get a good read on either area. I've done research online, but I've found conflicting info. We found a very nice home in Matawan near Main Street and Broad Street. Many of the houses on the block seem very nice, but then there are a few that look a little run down. Also, much of Main Street seems a little run down and there seem to be a lot of foreclosures in the area (more so than other areas).
In Hazlet, we've found a couple of nice homes, but I can't get a great sense for how the neighborhood is. One is on the east side of Hazlet off of Middle Road. The neighborhood looks very nice, but I don't love the fact that the area is somewhat close to Keansburg. We also found another home on the west side of Hazlet (west of the GSP). The area seemed nice enough, but again, it's hard to get a good sense for the area.
Can anyone provide any insight on either of these areas? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I was born and raised in Matawan (8 1/2 years), worked in Hazlet as a young adult, and go back to the area every year to visit my family (who moved from Matawan to Colts Neck in 1988). My dad lived in Matawan from birth until 1988, and my mom was born and raised in Union Beach. So, I can tell you quite a bit about the area.
Matawan is getting run down due to the influx of people from the city, as well as "day laborers". My dad moved the family out of Matawan due to his perception that the area was on the skids... and he got this feeling in the mid-1980's. Imagine what's happened between then and now. He often speaks with a pained tone about what a great little town Matawan was in the 1940's and 1950's, and can't believe how bad it's become since then. I imagine that all of the other towns in the area have suffered proportionally since that time.
Hazlet still seems to be holding its own, but it was never a very well-to-do town. That has its pluses and minuses. I know that I always like cruising through Hazlet to see the Christmas light displays that people put on their houses... that town, more than the others in the area, seems to pride itself on impressive Christmas light displays.
Why Matawan / Hazlet / Metuchen, anyway? If I had $300,000 to spend on a house, and wanted "bang for my buck", I'd stay far away from the New York City and Philadelphia metro areas. That money will buy you a castle on 100 acres in many areas, whereas it'll only buy you a comparatively small house on a comparatively very small piece of land in Matawan / Hazlet.
Hazlet still seems to be holding its own, but it was never a very well-to-do town. That has its pluses and minuses. I know that I always like cruising through Hazlet to see the Christmas light displays that people put on their houses... that town, more than the others in the area, seems to pride itself on impressive Christmas light displays.
Yup, Kingsbridge Ct off Poole Ave always had a bunch of beautifully decorated houses for years. However, I took a ride over there last night and was kind of disappointed as it did not appear to be as decorated as much as in previous years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RomaniGypsy
Why Matawan / Hazlet / Metuchen, anyway? If I had $300,000 to spend on a house, and wanted "bang for my buck", I'd stay far away from the New York City and Philadelphia metro areas. That money will buy you a castle on 100 acres in many areas, whereas it'll only buy you a comparatively small house on a comparatively very small piece of land in Matawan / Hazlet.
I agree. But they need convenience of location to get to those areas.
Thank you so much. That information is really helpful. Hazlet seemed okay, but we noticed a couple of trailer parks, which we found a little concerning.
I wasn't thrilled about that either when we moved here. But there seems to be trailer parks tucked in in many towns here. Even Holmdel.
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