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Howdy;
I am moving with my family, 2+2, from CA bay area to work in Manhattan, both me and my wife got jobs there. Friends suggested that we should consider living in Montclair NJ and daily commute to Manhattan.
We plan to stay there for 3 years only and then get back to CA, so we where thinking that rental is our best option.
Here in the bay area, we are used to Zillow, sometimes craiglists, for finding a rental house.
However, they don't seem super useful for finding nice rental houses in this area of NJ? Should I be using some other websites to search for rental houses? Are there less rental opportunities in these areas?
Craigslist isn’t used a lot in this area, especially not for houses in high-end towns. Also, there aren’t a lot of houses for rent in high-end towns. When people leave, they tend to sell.
Since you don’t know the area, your best bet might be to work with a realtor, although you would have to pay the fee (a month’s rent). It’s pretty common around here. Owners like to use realtors since the realtor handles background checks, etc., and it doesn’t cost the owner anything. Or consider living in an apartment for a year while you learn your way around.
There are some on the NJMLS or GSMLS but you have to call FAST when you see one come up. Don't email, get the listing agent's number and call right away
Rental homes in nice towns go extremely fast.
Having a realtor isn't necessary since you can just call the listing agent on the rental. Depending on how often you are searching, sometimes you can do a better job for yourself
If you're looking at Montclair, you might be interested in checking out South Orange & Maplewood (they're neighboring towns joined at the hip). These towns are popular for families moving from NYC and such, so the market is more about selling than renting, so don't expect a lot of inventory.
You could also look at getting a short term rental at a place like Gaslight Commons in South Orange which offers short leasing terms while you look for a house to rent. We've known a few people that lived there for a few months while house hunting in the area. Real estate tends to be crazier in the spring, so people might be more interested in renting after Summer. (I don't know if there's an equivalent in Montclair.)
Hard to find. They go fast since houses in Montclair go into bidding wars and taxes are high. Lots of potential home buyers on the sidelines that convince themselves to rent. Expand the net to South Orange Glen Ridge and Maplewood.
Be particular over places in walking distance to a train station.
If all else fails I second Gas Light Commons in South Orange. That was our fall back when we were house hunting since they have availability usually. You could get away with a three bedroom or two bedroom w office. There’s also a big rental complex attached to the Bay Street station in Montclair, however the few blocks surrounding it are a bit sketchy. There’s also a nice condo community by Glen Ridge train station called The Reserve. You may want to see if there are any condo owners/investors renting out units.
There’s also a new rental complex attached to Bloomfield train station. Which has a sub 30 min train. But the Bloomfield schools don’t compare. Not sure if your kids are school age
Hard to find. They go fast since houses in Montclair go into bidding wars and taxes are high. Lots of potential home buyers on the sidelines that convince themselves to rent. Expand the net to South Orange Glen Ridge and Maplewood.
Be particular over places in walking distance to a train station.
If all else fails I second Gas Light Commons in South Orange. That was our fall back when we were house hunting since they have availability usually. You could get away with a three bedroom or two bedroom w office. There’s also a big rental complex attached to the Bay Street station in Montclair, however the few blocks surrounding it are a bit sketchy.
They also have a nice pool. My mother-in-law lived there for a year before she bought a condo in Maplewood. If it manages to work out that you're there for the summer months you'll be winning. Most towns out here do have a pool, and South Orange's is actually quite affordable, but the pool at Gaslight is a lot less crowded.
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