Relocating - Louisiana to NJ...clueless! (Bayonne, Westfield: real estate, condo, how much)

[bas71873]

Hi. Newbie here. We will be relocating from South Louisiana within the next year. My husband is already working in the Staten Island/Long Islang/Bayonne area, so we will be joining him hopefully this summer when the school year ends and my house here sells.

While I realize I am in for major sticker shock, right now I just want to narrow down some options.

Seeking recommendations on 'burbs of NYC (in NJ) that are safe and have good public schools. Housing budget wise, I just don't know because I'm clueless about cost of living, taxes, etc. up there.

So, can I get some recommendations of safe/educated suburbs please to at least get me started.

Thanks so much.

[Viralmd]

What is your budget? How much of a commute is tolerable? Do you need good schools?

[hrjersey]

It is extremely hard to give you ideas without a budget. How many bedrooms do you need? What are you looking for in a home? What type of environment is it that you like...

But you are talking about the most expensive part of NJ. Anywhere commutable to NY within say, 45 minutes, with decent schools I would say prices for a small, older home will start at $400K. Our property taxes are the highest in the nation so figure anywhere from $6K up for that.

This can be depressing but NJ is a great place to live. You have access to so many great places.

Now, if you throw out a budget, you will get lots of info. Good Luck!

[bas71873]

A budget is just hard to give right now because I just don't know what my house is going to sell for, how much I'll have to put down, etc. BUT, my husband will drive to Brooklyn, NY everyday because that is where his office is. My main concerns are safety and good public schools. I have a kindergartener right now and I really do not want to pay for private school if I don't have too.

Ideally, I would like a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house with at least 2500 sq. feet. That's what I have now. I'm going to die at the prices I know.

Originally Posted by hrjersey

It is extremely hard to give you ideas without a budget. How many bedrooms do you need? What are you looking for in a home? What type of environment is it that you like...

But you are talking about the most expensive part of NJ. Anywhere commutable to NY within say, 45 minutes, with decent schools I would say prices for a small, older home will start at $400K. Our property taxes are the highest in the nation so figure anywhere from $6K up for that.

This can be depressing but NJ is a great place to live. You have access to so many great places.

Now, if you throw out a budget, you will get lots of info. Good Luck!

[Viralmd]

And you don't want to live in Brooklyn? Why did you choose NJ? His commute will be less than wonderful.

Take a look at Trulia.com, because there you can see the real estate taxes in NJ. They're eye opening. Without a budget it's going to be hard to give you much guidance.

[JoeSo]

My condolences on your move

[hrjersey]

In NJ, there are a lot of very good school districts so private school probably wont be necessary. Plus you'll find the best school districts have the highest taxes. It's like paying private school tuition:-)

I'm not sure if there's any public transportation into Brooklyn. The driving commute could be a little tough but plenty of people do it. To get you started check out Cranford, Westfield, Livingston. They all have good schools and the commute is generally under an hour to Brooklyn (however Brooklyn is pretty big so it depends where). There's some towns in Middlesex County but I'm not as familiar with the schools in those towns.

[bas71873]

Is Brooklyn an OK place to live? Safety and Education wise? That would be GREAT if it is? Thanks for the website too. I will check that out.

Originally Posted by Viralmd

And you don't want to live in Brooklyn? Why did you choose NJ? His commute will be less than wonderful.

Take a look at Trulia.com, because there you can see the real estate taxes in NJ. They're eye opening. Without a budget it's going to be hard to give you much guidance.

[bas71873]

Originally Posted by JoeSo

My condolences on your move

Why? I am a born and raised east coast girl (VA) and I HATE Louisiana so this is AWESOME for us......great opportunity to get the h*ll out of here. I''m curious as to your condolences though????

[bas71873]

Thanks! At least I have some starting points

Originally Posted by hrjersey

In NJ, there are a lot of very good school districts so private school probably wont be necessary. Plus you'll find the best school districts have the highest taxes. It's like paying private school tuition:-)

I'm not sure if there's any public transportation into Brooklyn. The driving commute could be a little tough but plenty of people do it. To get you started check out Cranford, Westfield, Livingston. They all have good schools and the commute is generally under an hour to Brooklyn (however Brooklyn is pretty big so it depends where). There's some towns in Middlesex County but I'm not as familiar with the schools in those towns.