Sticker Shocked by Westfield and Cranford! (Rahway, Maplewood: low income, fit in, house)

[emanon]

Originally Posted by Alex07860

:::ehem::: it's all about location, location, location....look what you get in Missouri for 168k....now, how much do you think this home would be worth here in Jersey? OldHouses.com - 1893 Victorian - Historic Horace M. Baker House in Carthage, Missouri

You are absolutely correct North and Central NJ are location anything outside that area is a lesser location. In Somerset county you can go to the next town West and prices are cheaper.
When people spend 10 extra hours a week just getting to and from work they finally understand what location is all about.

E

[kimchee]

Originally Posted by lolamom

THANKS. I think we are staying in Atlanta although DH's job wants him to evaluate Dallas now....We are actually going there to look at homes this week but I am truly feeling like I want to just stay in Atlanta. But we'll see...

What about you--what are you going to do next?

Lola, I'm gonna appreciate the home I have in Hoboken and rethink moving until hubby and I have a baby. Our 2BR condo is not much but it has LOCATION! You can't beat a 10-15 minute commute into the city.

An hour plus commute is such a big sacrifice for a backyard and good school district!

Good luck in Dallas, I've been down there twice and love how clean it is. If only you didn't have to drive so much. Plano and Austin are lovely areas too!

[lolamom]

WELL, we found an amazing home in Dallas!!! Thanks for the support and enjoy Hoboken! I lived there 14 years ago and it was a blast....I was trying to talk DH into doing it again!

[kimchee]

Originally Posted by lolamom

WELL, we found an amazing home in Dallas!!! Thanks for the support and enjoy Hoboken! I lived there 14 years ago and it was a blast....I was trying to talk DH into doing it again!

I'm sure it's amazing, I've seen some of those homes in Dallas from HGTV's "What you get for the money" show and the 1/2 mil. homes there are AMAZING! Hubby and I were watching and practically drooled! If we didn't need to live on the East Coast, Dallas or even Austin would be on the list. Those homes could easily cost 2-3 million here.

[sydney66]

Personally I was looking in Westfield as well and not so impressed. On a budget of 1 million, you can get a shed with a one car garage with .25 acre of land next to a condo complex overlooking the roof. We are upper class NYC folks who really thought we would wind of living there but I was so unimpressed with the home selection.. some areas looked like Hazlet NJ and lower income ... a lot of split levels and just lame houses... we jumped to the 1.3 million range and they got a little better but still not impressed. the house was good but it was next to a 1970 brick ranch on a not so great street.... we had to look at 1.5 million to really see some houses that we liked and frankly they still were not that amazing...
Dont get me wrong... North side..lawrence ave... very nice.. large homes.. but your going up to 1.7 million.... the downtown is great.. but you can always drive there ya know? unless its really important to you.. i just couldnt justify spending over a million dollars on a home that was so small.. just to live in the town.. you live in the house.. you visit the town... everyones different like the other poster said... we decided to move closer to family out in middlesex... beautiful homes. 8 minutes to downtown princeton... in the 800 - 900 range.. different living.. much more rural.. but for people who are sick of living in the city... we are ready..
good luck to you! I think Clark doesnt have the same reputation as Westfield by the way or Cranford.... good luck!!! Depends on what you want!!

[kimchee]

I'm glad you feel the same way. My budget is not nearly as much as yours. I won't even look at a home over 800K but I wholeheartedly agree that Cranford & Westfield are way overpriced. It's not even on the midtown direct line too for chrissakes! If I'm gonna commute 1.5 hours door to door I want at least 1 acre and 2500sf of living space!

Ii started a thread on 'What You Get For The Money' and would love to see some of the homes in the area you're looking into.

[tbone65]

Has anyone seen any significant reduction in asking prices for homes in the more desirable areas of Northern NJ?
I think that some home owners are holding out for prices that they could have gotten two years ago. Unless their homes are spectacular, I don't see them getting what they think their home is worth, IMHO.

[sydney66]

Kimchee:
I agree with you! All that hype and no mid town direct... i hear the transfer in Newark is a pain... I did hear they are getting a direct though and soon I think...Not badmouthing Westfield as it realy is a lovely town...just not what I was looking for in a home.. i think all commuting will suck regardless, its the sacrafic for the burbs and quality of life I guess...We moved from NYC to hoboken NJ.. the commute is like 15 minutes... great commute but dont really want to live in a condo the rest of my life.... sooner or later gotta go... If we are willing to sacrafice a little proximity to NYC.. try maybe middlesex or monmouth counties? Lots of new construction... there are downtowns...freehold.. redbank... east brunswick.. princeton....metuchen.. you just have to drive to them.. but you get a great house.... we went out to monroe twp.... its 45 to holland tunnel... 35 min to the beach... cvery central location for city and beach...
theres always a sacrafice i guess! try these links..
Hallmark Homes and Company New homes in Monroe Township, NJ - Millstone River Preserve
Monroe New Jersey New Homes | New Jersey New Home | New Jersey Home Builder
New Home Builders - K. Hovnanian® Homes™

[CuCullin]

Originally Posted by kimchee

If I'm gonna commute 1.5 hours door to door

Westfield to midtown Manhattan shouldn't take you that long....

[veuvegirl]

If you count in, leaving your house, waiting for the train or bus, then subway ride; door to door; that is what my friends say it takes them daily.