Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We're thinking of buying a house in central or north Jersey. We were looking in Berkeley Heights and Long Hill Township, but the price point there might be a bit too high for us. Our sweet spot is really in the $350-400k range, and to get anything decent in the areas we looked at, you'd have to go as high as $450 or more to get anything decent. I know real estate is all about location, location, and location, but you'd have to be able to afford it first, unfortunately.
So, my question is: Aside from those areas, where else can we look at? I work in Piscataway, so ideally, I'd like my commute to be 30 minutes or less during rush hour. So far, we've looked at Long Hill Township (Stirling, Millington, Gillette), Warren, Watchung, Martinsville, New Providence, and Green Brook. We even looked at fixer-uppers, but the ones we looked at were in pretty bad condition.
Ideally, we'd like 3 beds and 2+ baths with a nice backyard. Safety is the most important factor, followed by the school system. We don't mind a small house; we'd be happy with a little cape cod. But even that's hard to find. We really like a (private) school in Chatham, and would like to be within reasonable distance of Newark Airport. Trying to stay away from areas like the Plainfields for obvious reasons.
Both my wife and I are transplants to the area, and it's just so hard to find affordable housing in New Jersey. Are there other areas we should be looking at?
I don't know that area well enough to offer an opinion, but I have to question your plans to use a private school unless you have a really compelling reason (serious learning disability, etc.). Northern NJ has some of the highest property taxes in the country, but in exchange we have some of the best public schools in the country. Going to private school would put a real hole in your budget.
Take a look at Bridgewater. It's an easy commute to Piscataway with excellent schools and the housing prices are much more affordable than Berkeley Heights. I think the taxes are lower too. You'll also have easy access to the Bridgewater train station on the Raritan Valley Line in case you need to go into New York City. You'll be further away from Chatham, but you may find that you like the Bridgewater schools well enough that you change your mind about that.
I don't know that area well enough to offer an opinion, but I have to question your plans to use a private school unless you have a really compelling reason (serious learning disability, etc.). Northern NJ has some of the highest property taxes in the country, but in exchange we have some of the best public schools in the country. Going to private school would put a real hole in your budget.
Thank you for the reply, Kthnry. We'd like to send our kids to this particular school, because it's the only parochial school of its kind in this area; the second closest one is in Pequannock, which is even farther away. So our hands are kind of tied, unfortunately. That said, we may send our kids to public grade school, as this school is only middle school and high school.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shagan64
Take a look at Bridgewater. It's an easy commute to Piscataway with excellent schools and the housing prices are much more affordable than Berkeley Heights. I think the taxes are lower too. You'll also have easy access to the Bridgewater train station on the Raritan Valley Line in case you need to go into New York City. You'll be further away from Chatham, but you may find that you like the Bridgewater schools well enough that you change your mind about that.
That's the one! I've been looking for the name of that area on Google Maps for a while. Thanks!
You might check Scotch Plains and Fanwood as well.
Thanks, Ninasimonejr. One of my coworkers lives in Scotch Plains. He was saying that you can get more house for the money versus neighboring Westfield. He said even parts of historic Plainfield might be okay, but I'm concerned about the schools and obviously safety. At the end of the day, we just want a small house with a nice yard in a safe neighborhood that's reasonably close to my work. Seems so hard to find that in Jersey. Sigh.
Thanks, Ninasimonejr. One of my coworkers lives in Scotch Plains. He was saying that you can get more house for the money versus neighboring Westfield. He said even parts of historic Plainfield might be okay, but I'm concerned about the schools and obviously safety. At the end of the day, we just want a small house with a nice yard in a safe neighborhood that's reasonably close to my work. Seems so hard to find that in Jersey. Sigh.
Don't move to Plainfield.
It is not hard to find a small house with a nice yard in a safe neighborhood (and with good schools) in NJ. Finding one close to your work AND in your budget are the difficult parts, or at least they can be.
It is not hard to find a small house with a nice yard in a safe neighborhood (and with good schools) in NJ. Finding one close to your work AND in your budget are the difficult parts, or at least they can be.
Thanks, JerseyGirl415. Our price range is probably in the $350k range, though we're having to move it higher and higher just to find something somewhat nice. Based on this budget, where do you think we should be looking?
Thanks, JerseyGirl415. Our price range is probably in the $350k range, though we're having to move it higher and higher just to find something somewhat nice. Based on this budget, where do you think we should be looking?
That is definitely kind of a low budget for what you want in the NYC area. You'd probably have to sacrifice something now - house or yard size, school quality, or commute.
Schools in NJ are generally very good, better than many areas in the country. "Average" schools in NJ are still likely better than "good" schools in many other states. You're looking in Somerset and Morris Counties, two of the wealthiest counties in NJ and they often make the top national lists as well for wealth, and other very nice towns elsewhere. So you're looking in the more expensive areas rather than the less expensive but still good areas. Middlesex County - where Piscataway is located - may suit your budget better (though I'm not the best person to ask about lower budget towns because I don't know them as well, but seriously, you are interested in some very nice areas, which is where your problem is given your budget).
It is important to note than despite misconceptions, the vast majority of NJ suburbs are very safe with good schools. People always come here asking for the same stuff (understandably) - a safe area, good schools, a good commute, and within a budget. The only problem usually is finding a place within your budget, and usually people are not realistic about what they get for their money in NJ. It's more expensive than many outsiders expect, I think.
Thanks, Ninasimonejr. One of my coworkers lives in Scotch Plains. He was saying that you can get more house for the money versus neighboring Westfield. He said even parts of historic Plainfield might be okay, but I'm concerned about the schools and obviously safety. At the end of the day, we just want a small house with a nice yard in a safe neighborhood that's reasonably close to my work. Seems so hard to find that in Jersey. Sigh.
I am not sure what your concern about Scotch Plains and Fanwood is. I know people in both and trust me, they are not the sort to stay in unsafe areas.
Are you familiar with this annual publication? (Uniform crime report) Here is the municipality crime data organized by county, so go almost all the way to the end for Union Co. http://www.njsp.org/ucr/2014/pdf/2014_sect_7.pdf
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
