I Love New Jersey (Atlantic City: mortgage, relocation, foreclosures)

[Mab7]

I second that, it takes my hubby an hour to drive from Jackson to Carteret, and he drives way...too fast!! Hey I love NJ too, have lived here my entire life down the shore during the winter and in Ringwood during the summer ( I know, we did it backwards) but it really is getting out of control with the property taxes.. when I moved down here to Jackson in 2000, my taxes were 4800, now they are 8300, and I love our school system and the town is nice, even though the builders have bought up every ounce of empty space and built those big ugly brick cookie cutter homes, that are 4000 sq feet, cost way too much money, and they all look the exactly the same! I just personally feel that it is becoming overcrowded and all the charm and personality is being washed away by all these huge ugly homes on no land that are selling for 800K. It takes away from everything the NJ used to be. What's nicer, going through Spring Lake and seeing all the older smaller homes on the side streets, or all those mansions that cost 5 million along Ocean Avenue? Ringwood NJ is prob the most beautiful town in NJ, if you like the mountains, but be prepared to spend 7K plus in property taxes at least! Yea it's great if you can afford it, I can afford it, but I know, somewhere out there, we can live a beautiful life minus the congestion and the high taxes, and personally when Im 65, I don't want to be spending 8K on taxes, LORD knows if social security will still exist then.

[berryjuice4life]

Just wait until we are reassesed i live in Jackson by java moon, im selling my house and have interest thank goodness, we are here since 04 we lived in Millstone Twp before coming here....I love the Elms school and My son like Goetz but we moved here my taxes were 8200 and now they are 10k and tax assesor said my taxes might be 12.5 if not more, so we have decided to move out of state...We love it here in Jackson as my kids have alot of friends...but what can you do Life goes on I tell them...My parents live in an adult community love Jersey as well and have tried getting my sister here for years she is in Staten Island NY but she just cant afford a starter home because of the taxes....anway we love the shore and will that but unfortuantley got too expensive and for dh commuting up to livingston every day well he just cant do it anymore..

[Meyersd]

Some people I know have moved out of NJ, bshing it all the the way to the airport. Manyof those people moved to the West Coast, HAwaii or down South. 99% of those people all moved back. The state has it's problems, but when you compare it to other places, it's still the best. the NY-NJ-CT trei state area is still the center of the universe. ALl my friends that moved said they moved for a slower pace,cheaper housing etc, but when they got where they wanted to go, they either couldn't stand the slow pace, housing wasn't any cheaper or got turned off my the amount of people they met from ...here. I been to a lot of places, but I still haven't found a place outside of NJ that I would want to live. Maybe when I retire, I can buy a nice place in FL or something.

[berryjuice4life]

MEYEr you couldnt be so wrong, you should spend some time in the NC boards and u will see that 10% of the people have gone back....and it was in the paper locally there about the amount of people who stay and love it....and no one is bashing NJ we just choose to live and give our children a better life which is what we persieve to be..doesnt mean everyone has to agree with it....and Im from bklyn born and raised NY and lived in colorado for 5.5 years came home due to personal family reasons and moved to jersey and well we are now moving to NC and dont plan on coming back like most..

Staci

[JBrown]

Originally Posted by Meyersd

Some people I know have moved out of NJ, bshing it all the the way to the airport. Manyof those people moved to the West Coast, HAwaii or down South. 99% of those people all moved back. The state has it's problems, but when you compare it to other places, it's still the best. the NY-NJ-CT trei state area is still the center of the universe. ALl my friends that moved said they moved for a slower pace,cheaper housing etc, but when they got where they wanted to go, they either couldn't stand the slow pace, housing wasn't any cheaper or got turned off my the amount of people they met from ...here. I been to a lot of places, but I still haven't found a place outside of NJ that I would want to live. Maybe when I retire, I can buy a nice place in FL or something.

"99% of those people all moved back" and one reason was they " got turned off my the amount of people they met from ...here. ". Hmmmm ....
I think the flaw in that argument speaks for itself.

[berryjuice4life]

LOL JB...I needed that laugh after the week ive had

[Meyersd]

Originally Posted by Coming back to NJ
I can speak from experience we moved to have a better lifestyle down south. Well... we are moving back. We have been gone for 5 years, and the grass is NOT greener. NJ has everything to offer that most of the country does not. Better to live in a small home or townhouse and be with the ones you love, than have a huge house with land to share with no one. New Jerseyans are some of the best in the coutry, southerners just don't match up.( No offense)"

Most of my friends who moved south have said exactly what this person has said. New Jersey is expensive to live in, but it's more community orientated. Probably because everybody is on top of one another another, and we are almost forced to be friendsly with our neighbors. A big house and acres of land are nice, but in the end, if you don't have friends or family to share it with, you are isolated.

[Meyersd]

The problem in NJ is many people live well beyond their means. They buy more house than they can afford, and but cars they can't afford to pay or insure. If they can't have a million dollar home, then it becomes how much NJ sucks. He's an idea for everybody, buy what you can afford. Pick up the star ledger during the week and see how many foreclousures there are every week. It's rediculous, and it's all homeowners who got in way over their heads. Nobody is denying this state is expensive to live in, but it's not impossible. As many people on this board have stated, it's better to live in a smaller house close to family and community, than to live isolated on a large piece of land out in the middle of nowhere.

You can't compare property values in NJ vs. the south or midwest. Many people who move to metropolitan areas in the south move back because they realise they aren't saving as much as they though, they arent getting paid as much as they were up here and they don't have friends down there, and people aren't as friendly as reported.

[JBrown]

A couple of things...
" As many people on this board have stated, it's better to live in a smaller house close to family and community, than to live isolated on a large piece of land out in the middle of nowhere. "
I think that was you...reread your previous post " A big house and acres of land are nice, but in the end, if you don't have friends or family to share it with, you are isolated. " Sounds familiar huh.

Seriously though " It's rediculous, and it's all homeowners who got in way over their heads. "
I think that statement is a little out of touch with the reality of the current state wide economics. You apparently completely ignore the thousands of average working people who have been laid off, forced into early retirement ,down sized or whatever you wanna call it. Everyyear peoples tax burden and other "fees" are increasing at a rate unmatched by inflation,or their annual salary increase etc etc. Then when they get laid off they face having to pickup medical insurance for the family on top of everthing else.. I am not at all suprised many folks have gotten into financial trouble . Of course there are many who fell into the interest only and/or ARM trap but for many others personal irresponsibility has nothing to do with it.

And to ignore that fact is as you said "rediculous" (sic)

[Carat98]

Originally Posted by NJmomof2

MEYEr you couldnt be so wrong, you should spend some time in the NC boards and u will see that 10% of the people have gone back....and it was in the paper locally there about the amount of people who stay and love it....and no one is bashing NJ we just choose to live and give our children a better life which is what we persieve to be..doesnt mean everyone has to agree with it....and Im from bklyn born and raised NY and lived in colorado for 5.5 years came home due to personal family reasons and moved to jersey and well we are now moving to NC and dont plan on coming back like most..

Staci

I don't get on these boards daily.....so sometimes it's difficult to keep up, but weren't you thinking about moving to GA recently? ......right after you mentioned something about 10,000 in NC closing costs? .....Please correct me if I have you mixed up w/someone else. Thanks.