Childrens future in NJ (how much, homes, layoffs)

[MaverickDD]

Originally Posted by familymom

Do you think that your children will be able to live in NJ when they are in their 20's? Once my kids are done with their schooling and just starting out in their careers and maybe starting to prepare for marriage and a family, I am not to sure how they will do this in NJ with our high cost of living.

They will probably manage as best they can but I don't want my kids living paycheck to paycheck and always thinking about how to pay the mortgage. Much how we do. It really can make a persons quality of live poor and consume you. I am afraid that the next generation may not put up with this and move away to easier cost of living. Which means my four kids may be splattered all over the US. That would devastate me.

Would you think its better to move to an area where my children may have a better chance at a decent cost of living expense, lower housing prices and hopefully a decent job market? Has anyone done this because of just these factors? I know college or girl/boyfriend may lead any child to a new location in the long run but I hope to keep at least 2 of the 4 close to home, if not all.

My kids are young enough to move them and start a new life. They would make friends at this young age quickly. But my time is running out. Probably 2 more years and the oldest would think I was ruining his life!

I love New Jersey... but I know your dilemma since I faced the same concerns a decade ago. We stayed. If we had to do it over again, we'd have gone... children, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins... the entire clan.

Young couples cannot start a family without maintaining their two-earner status, meaning mandatory childcare for the kids, insanely hectic pace of life, and neglect of the elderly in the family. It's not like this in many other fine places throughout America. By staying, we've condemned our children to repeat our mistakes of tolerating New Jersey's excessive cost of living for middle class people.

Regrets? I've haven't had a lot, but raising my family in New Jersey is one of them -- and it's solely because of time and lifestyle limitations brought on by the high cost of living. That did our family wrong, and now we've set up our grown children for the same fate.

Get out while you can, and take the clan with you. (If you're interested, DM me for ideas of where to go.)

[JG183]

Originally Posted by MaverickDD

I love New Jersey... Get out while you can

B Y E !!

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by UrbanQuest

There are many middle class towns left in NJ if you can calm yourself of the need for a large new house with a large yard. Manville, Dunellen, Middlesex, Union, Milltown, South Amboy, Matawan, Woodbridge, Sayreville, South River, Spotswood, Bloomingdale, Butler, Wallington, Elmwood Park, North Arlington and the list goes on. You can get a nice house for a reasonable price in these towns. Alot of people want to move to the Carolinas, TN, OK and buy a large house for less, to make believe they are living like the upper middle class when they are the lower middle class. In the mean time, how is the access to history, culture and a more advanced civilization in general. NJ's population has generally slowed significantly, immigrants are what is causing all this COL hoopla. They crowd and they don't complain, which is just what our corrupt, inept and tax loving government is just fine with. Our immigrants ,esp. the non-European ones make the best sheeple for our psuedo-liberal nutbags who run this joint.

Sorry, I'm not lower middle class. I bought a house here in the $400,00s. Yes, its much bigger than the house I sold in NJ in the $400,000.Its 4500 sq ft, vs 2600sq.
I did not get that first stimulus check that alot did, because my husband made too much, so you are wrong. I believe that puts us in the upper bracket. I moved so my daughter would have a future. My son has followed, so he will now also.
I moved here from Manalapan, where I bought a house with $3,800 taxes in 92 and now its $12,000. As Far as living in Sayerville, there is no way in the world that I would ever live there. For 1, the schools are not that good. #2 I don't want to breathe in the industrial fumes. There are more, but I won't go into it.

Diane G

Diane G

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by gradstudent77

This is absolutely, utterly the credited response.

People complain about the cost of living here but would never downgrade to "those" towns where they could make the lower mortgage payment. Also, a lot of people act as if living in an apartment (renting or owning a condo) is untenable, especially when raising children. I was raised in an apartment in a lower-middle class town and it was fine.

If you grew up in a house, and you have one, you want that for your children also. My parents had a small home, as that is what they could afford, but it was in a rich town. We lived in a Small Waterfront community, in Lawrence LI. My parents paid only $3000 for that house in the 50S. My friends did not care where I lived even though some had mansions, and it wasn't new money.
I'm not saying an apt is bad, just that most want the American Dream. There are some that have gone beyond what they could afford, and that is wrong.

Diane G

[familymom]

Just catching up on all the drama. You go Diane! I agree 100%. I wouldn't move my kids from the town I am in now to another. I am fortunate enough to have bought a small home in a wealthy town. All is well for us, but I feel there is more to life than working for a mortgage payment. And we have a very low payment compare to many, God how they manage. Would move tomorrow if my entire family would guarantee to follow. I don't think it matters where you live, its the people that are part of your life that make you house a home. Without my Mom or sisters there on Christmas or kids birthdays I would be miserable. Just want my grown kids here for the holidays in the future and to have them happy and unstressed.

[MoorestownResident]

Originally Posted by Diane Giam

Sorry, I'm not lower middle class. I bought a house here in the $400,00s. Yes, its much bigger than the house I sold in NJ in the $400,000.Its 4500 sq ft, vs 2600sq.
I did not get that first stimulus check that alot did, because my husband made too much, so you are wrong. I believe that puts us in the upper bracket. I moved so my daughter would have a future. My son has followed, so he will now also.
I moved here from Manalapan, where I bought a house with $3,800 taxes in 92 and now its $12,000. As Far as living in Sayerville, there is no way in the world that I would ever live there. For 1, the schools are not that good. #2 I don't want to breathe in the industrial fumes. There are more, but I won't go into it.

Diane G

Diane G

But that's exactly the point - nobody needs a 4,500 square foot house. Nobody. I don't care if you have 10-15 kids, you do not need a 4,500 square foot house. Even 2,600 square feet is more than adequate for most people. COL is about choice as much as it is about COL. You could have moved to a bucolic area of western or deep south Jersey and had access to better surroundings and lower housing costs. The only two reasons I see for legitimately leaving NJ - to retire early <=50 or live in an enviroment or region that you prefer with an ecosystem not found in the state like a mountain home, the desert, affordable waterfront, etc.

[JG183]

reading this thread, I can't help but feel that many people had gotten spoiled by prosperity.

it is always one's hope that their children will have a better life than themselves, but it was never a guarantee...

I'm so glad I chose never to have kids, my life is completely free of the emotional & financial stresses of having them

[MoorestownResident]

What makes generations viable in higher income / higher cost of living areas is the cyclicality of the local economy and housing markets. The young generation buying today will have tons of equity in 20 years just their parents. Gas prices were stagnant for 20 years before rising out of control, now back to reversion of the mean. A deep post-war recession means opportunity for new start-ups and innovation as weaker companies fail and the successful ones will earn 10X what they put into it dramatically expanding net worth. Young people buying stock today in their 401Ks will be handsomely rewarded in the next 5-10 years. There are cycles in motion and wheels in the sky that has kept a level of prosperity - through all the doom and gloom- on a rising trend over very long periods of time. None of that will change.

[block911]

Originally Posted by familymom

Do you think that your children will be able to live in NJ when they are in their 20's? Once my kids are done with their schooling and just starting out in their careers and maybe starting to prepare for marriage and a family, I am not to sure how they will do this in NJ with our high cost of living.

They will probably manage as best they can but I don't want my kids living paycheck to paycheck and always thinking about how to pay the mortgage. Much how we do. It really can make a persons quality of live poor and consume you. I am afraid that the next generation may not put up with this and move away to easier cost of living. Which means my four kids may be splattered all over the US. That would devastate me.

Would you think its better to move to an area where my children may have a better chance at a decent cost of living expense, lower housing prices and hopefully a decent job market? Has anyone done this because of just these factors? I know college or girl/boyfriend may lead any child to a new location in the long run but I hope to keep at least 2 of the 4 close to home, if not all.

My kids are young enough to move them and start a new life. They would make friends at this young age quickly. But my time is running out. Probably 2 more years and the oldest would think I was ruining his life!

No absolutely not, people still want to cling on thinking things will turn around.. Go to Detroit or Flynt michigan and see whats left now that the auto industry is dead. Travel up to niagra falls and drive 5 mins around that area and look at all the rusted old factories and busted up homes.. it looks like a bomb went off there. The financial services sector was the life blood of this area. Now that its gone NY is in a panick/raise taxes mode. North NJ is going to feel the harsh fallouts meaning less tax revenue for the state and more pensions to pay. The only way yours kids will survive is if they are doctors or lawyers and even then a HUGE chunk of their taxes will be taken to take care of everyone else. Leave now. I'm here till my wife graduates from her masters program and we are out of here to texas or some other place where the Local gov't can run a semi-balanced budget. At this point the unions have a stranglehold on the state. So even if Corzine or whom ever is the next governer wants to fix things, the unions will crush it and want their money or strike. The middle class will further suffer as the richest of the area can more than likely take a loss and sell and move out. The middle class living paycheck to paycheck can not do the same and will be crushed. The poor are already broke and have no money to give and will instead further leach of the Govn't program. Even if the poor get educated and get middle class jobs they will then get taxed to oblivion so there is no motivation to even try. The ponzi scheme is broke and the middle class is screwed. Ask people in 50's if they would ever think Flynt michigan would ever look like what it does today and they would say you are nuts and there are to many people and things will turn around... sadly it never did... Life isn't a happy ending.

There is no control, taxes will go up, rebates will be taken away toll costs are rising, mass transit costs are rising.. and gov't is finding more ways and things to tax. All with no plan on changing any of this, so things WILL be worse so enjoy staying in NJ while your kids raise a family in a box.


And yes my parents left India in the 70's to come to the US for a better life and I believe they made a good choice. Its time for us to make that same choice. Whats best for our kids and the future generations.

[CaptainNJ]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

But that's exactly the point - nobody needs a 4,500 square foot house. Nobody. I don't care if you have 10-15 kids, you do not need a 4,500 square foot house. Even 2,600 square feet is more than adequate for most people. COL is about choice as much as it is about COL. You could have moved to a bucolic area of western or deep south Jersey and had access to better surroundings and lower housing costs. The only two reasons I see for legitimately leaving NJ - to retire early <=50 or live in an enviroment or region that you prefer with an ecosystem not found in the state like a mountain home, the desert, affordable waterfront, etc.

i want to have more than what i need.