South Westfield (Livingston, Scotch Plains, Cranford: real estate, renting, houses)
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We are in the market for our first home. Ideally, we would like 3br+, 1.5ba+ and 1500sqft+ for < 450k. Our priorities for location are above average public schools and safety. A walkable downtown with restaurants, shops, etc., and mass transit into NYC are preferable.
We are not from NJ, but have been renting and working here for the past couple of years. We commute to Morristown and Livingston for work. We really like the Chatham/Madison area, but inventory in these areas at our price point is very low to nonexistent.
I noticed a few 2 and 3br homes on the south side of Westfield (near the town pool/H.S.) listed/recently sold for less than 400k with relatively low taxes, ie < $6000, that do not appear to be complete fixer uppers. We have driven through the area, and while the lots are small, and it certainly is not as "nice" as other parts of town, I do not see the reason for the 50-75k difference in price. Am I missing something? Any info about the area, including how it compares to Chatham/Madison, is greatly appreciated.
We are in the market for our first home. Ideally, we would like 3br+, 1.5ba+ and 1500sqft+ for < 450k. Our priorities for location are above average public schools and safety. A walkable downtown with restaurants, shops, etc., and mass transit into NYC are preferable.
We are not from NJ, but have been renting and working here for the past couple of years. We commute to Morristown and Livingston for work. We really like the Chatham/Madison area, but inventory in these areas at our price point is very low to nonexistent.
I noticed a few 2 and 3br homes on the south side of Westfield (near the town pool/H.S.) listed/recently sold for less than 400k with relatively low taxes, ie < $6000, that do not appear to be complete fixer uppers. We have driven through the area, and while the lots are small, and it certainly is not as "nice" as other parts of town, I do not see the reason for the 50-75k difference in price. Am I missing something? Any info about the area, including how it compares to Chatham/Madison, is greatly appreciated.
That particular section of the south side (Cumberland/downer streets/w. broad) has smaller lots and smaller houses. It has some houses that are simply not very aesthetically pleasing, compared to the rest of the town. West Broad is a busy street, but you get a little discount for that. A 10 minute walk should put you in view of homes >800k and a 15-20 minute walk should put you in view of homes >1m
But to answer your question, I don't see anything wrong with buying a 3 b/r house in that neighborhood. There are some decent homes there. If you have the Westfield zip code, your real estate value will be comparatively strong, and your kid will be in the excellent school system. I think proximity to the fantastic pool complex is a great thing. You've got tennis, basketball, and fields to play baseball, softball, soccer or whatever, and even a couple of playgrounds (one in the pool complex, one outside.)
The house with <6k tax is a fluke, and a home without issues <400k that is not tiny will be tough to find. 500k should do it in that neighborhood, however. Ultimately, the price is determined by the market, but remember - this is North Jersey and Westfield is a destination community. I know you are not from NJ, but around here 50-75k is a drop in the bucket.
I don't see how a 2 b/r house would be a good idea with kids, even if you only have one and are "one and done." A 2 b/r house is probably tough for resale, but talk to a good realtor.
Have you been inside the homes or are you just looking online? If you haven't been inside yet with a realtor, you can't really judge - the homes always look great online. Visit on a hot sunny day if the home is within view of the pool so you assess noise, traffic, etc. if those are concerns.
Thanks for the response. I agree some of the homes seem to be a bit run down in that area. And yes, we are definitely looking for at least a 3br, I mention 2br homes because one is listed now and several in the area have recently sold.
We looked at one home in the neighborhood on west broad street. The interior was nice, but it was a bit on the small side, although it still seemed like a good value. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something obvious about the area that kept prices low, but it sounds like it's just the less expensive, not as desirable part of town.
Overall, I am thinking that being on a somewhat busy street and being among smaller, less aesthetically pleasing homes may be worth it to live in WF. I could see the draw of Westfield continuing to bring younger families to this area, providing a face lift for homes that could use one.
I'm from Westfield! try to find a house on the north side of the town, the elementary schools/Middle School are better. There is also a stigma that goes with the south side of the town that only the north side sees. Westfield is the go to downtown for the surrounding towns cause it has a large amount of amenities (movie theater included) and is seen as a mall town (Lucky Brand, Lord and Taylor...). Cranford is a better option than Scotch Plains (but you better make sure whatever house you're looking at isn't in a flood zone!), it's difference from westfield is that it doesn't have an exuberant amount of mall stores. Also, Basking Ridge is a town that might intrigue you as well.
I am also from Westfield 46 years here. Do not listen to the poster that said the North side schools are better. ALL of the schools in Westfield are excellent. Also the North side South side nonsense is primarily about snob factor. If you prefer a snootier atmosphere, then by all means buy on the North side, but really it's utter nonsense perpetuated by who knows (probably realtors). The area you are looking in has changed a lot over the years for the better. I might steer clear of West Broad St. though, just because it is such a busy road and you have a child. McKinley is a great school by the way small with wonderful caring teachers. Good luck.
Thanks for the info TDSNJ. We have decided to try to live in westfield, if we can, which almost certainly means we will be looking in this neighborhood.. I have read about the north v. south thing before, many people say it is overblown. I doubt it would bother us anyway, as we don't really play in to the keeping up with the jones' mentality.
W broad is busy, but having lived in NYC for a few years, we would be ok with a busy street so long as the property had a decent sized back yard. Thanks for the info re: McKinley, that was one our biggest concerns.
Neon_volt is either trolling or a perfect example of why it's better to buy on the south side of Westfield.
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