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I have been on this site for years with possible move-to places requesting assistance. Next up - Princeton, NJ!
My current job has an opening I applied for that will allow for some remote work with the office located in Princeton that I will have to commute to more often than not.
Where are you coming from? Delco, PA
Why are you moving? Job transferring me
Where will you be working ? Princeton, NJ
Will you buy or rent? Rent
What is your budget ? I really do not want to go over $1300 per month for a 3 bedroom (tight, I know. My husband will be unemployed when we move, but we do have a cleaning and maintenance business he is going to work when we relocate until he can find permanent work. Hopefully he gets the business moving though).
What kind of place are you looking for ? 3 bedroom, I would like more than one bathroom (3 boys ), a yard definitely. Safe neighborhood and safe, solid schools. We are Black, so if there's any hint of possible discrimination or a low tolerance for diversity please don't suggest those areas
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? Spouse, 3 boys
Do you need/want good public schools? NEED, definitely. We aren't in a position to pay for private, although if charter is an option that would be a welcome alternative (my boys are in a charter now). Still, we want good public schools in case charter doesn't work out.
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
SAFETY and SCHOOLS first
Can be PA or NJ since we're renting
Families with kids would be nice in the neighborhood
Some diversity would be awesome...
Commute to Princeton within 30 minutes
We have 2 cars, easy parking a plus
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc)
SAFETY and SCHOOLS first! (Counts as 2?)
30 minute commute to Princeton
IWhat kind of place are you looking for ? 3 bedroom, I would like more than one bathroom (3 boys ), a yard definitely. Safe neighborhood and safe, solid schools. We are Black, so if there's any hint of possible discrimination or a low tolerance for diversity please don't suggest those areas
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? Spouse, 3 boys
Do you need/want good public schools? NEED, definitely. We aren't in a position to pay for private, although if charter is an option that would be a welcome alternative (my boys are in a charter now). Still, we want good public schools in case charter doesn't work out.
3 boys is not a small family by NYC-area standards. I believe Princeton has one of the best SDs in NJ, or you can also look at nearby West Windsor or Skillman/Montgomery both of which also have great schools.
Your budget is not tight. It is impossible. No one has 3 bedrooms and a yard that cheap. That's a two-bedroom garden apartment price, IF you're lucky. I'm not sure you could even find 3 beds for that price in a rundown, urban neighborhood, which of course you don't want with three kids.
If someone comes along and proves me wrong, I will be happy for you.
Your budget is not tight. It is impossible. No one has 3 bedrooms and a yard that cheap. That's a two-bedroom garden apartment price, IF you're lucky. I'm not sure you could even find 3 beds for that price in a rundown, urban neighborhood.
It is possible--although not likely--that the OP could find an old, run-down house that somebody is renting-out at that price, but finding it within 30 minutes of Princeton is not at all likely if the OP wants a safe neighborhood. I think that it might be possible to find an old, run-down house at that rental price in Trenton--which is within the stated 30 minute commute time--but when it comes to safety and school quality, I wouldn't recommend Trenton.
Your budget is not tight. It is impossible. No one has 3 bedrooms and a yard that cheap. That's a two-bedroom garden apartment price, IF you're lucky. I'm not sure you could even find 3 beds for that price in a rundown, urban neighborhood, which of course you don't want with three kids.
If someone comes along and proves me wrong, I will be happy for you.
This is what I've been running into, and I hope someone can suggest something
I've been so stressed out trying to figure all this out (boss thinks I can just take the leap and hope for the best, but with 3 kids I can't take that chance... also he has no children sooo.. yeah.)
3 boys is not a small family by NYC-area standards. I believe Princeton has one of the best SDs in NJ, or you can also look at nearby West Windsor or Skillman/Montgomery both of which also have great schools.
For the price I'm looking at, you think I could find something in those areas? I haven't been able to find anything...
It is possible--although not likely--that the OP could find an old, run-down house that somebody is renting-out at that price, but finding it within 30 minutes of Princeton is not at all likely if the OP wants a safe neighborhood. I think that it might be possible to find an old, run-down house at that rental price in Trenton--which is within the stated 30 minute commute time--but when it comes to safety and school quality, I wouldn't recommend Trenton.
Agreed, I cannot do Trenton. It was suggested to me to try Ewing, but that area isn't any better...
Look in northern Burlington county. I rent a house (3 beds) for 1375, and I've seen ones a bit lower than that. I believe Florence township (Roebling area) might actually have some within your range. Commute from Roebling might be slightly over 30 minutes though.
Here's a suggestion based on your husband running a cleaning and maintenance biz...is he handy? He might want to look for a job as a building super. That often comes with an apartment as part of salary. It wouldn't be the house-and-yard rental you desire, but if he gets a job in a nice complex, it could work for your family. My ex-husband does this. When our daughter was growing up, it allowed him to provide a nice bedroom for her in a luxury building in a safe neighborhood when she visited him. He had a gorgeous place, rent-free, plus a salary. It might be worth doing a search on job boards for such a position in the Princeton area, see if anything is out there.
He is at another condo complex now on the Hoboken waterfront, and while he does building maintenance and small fixes, he has to call in contractors for big jobs. You usually need a Black Seal boiler license, but there is a course and then a test you take to get that.
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), a yard definitely. Safe neighborhood and safe, solid schools. We are Black, so if there's any hint of possible discrimination or a low tolerance for diversity please don't suggest those areas 
