Moving back home (Newark, Belleville, Morristown: real estate, house, buying)

[nj2nc-2005]

I transferred with my job to the Greensboro area of NC in 2005 and my wife and I love it here. We both grew up in Hunterdon County, NJ but the only thing we miss is family and friends. My parents plan on moving here in a couple of years once my mom retires. They love the area. It is so much more laid back here. Less stressful, cheaper taxes and car insurance, and that good old Southern hospitality! We sold our condo in Clinton Township for $265k and bought a brand new 2500 sq. ft., 3BR, 2.5BA house with a 4 car garage on an acre for the same price. Our taxes are $1600/yr. Most people in NJ pay at least that quarterly. We are about a ten minute drive to Greensboro, which has all the amenities of NJ shopping and eating. We are also about 3 or 4 hours to Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks, 1.5 hours to Charlotte and Raleigh and 2 hours to the mountains of NC. There is lots to explore here. It is about an 8 hour ride to Jersey when we do go up for a visit. I wouldn't consider moving back for it is not worth the money you pay for taxes and the traffic is terrible on the interstates. I was just recently up and could not believe the cars on I78 coming in from Allentown, PA. Seems like half of NJ moved across the Delaware.

[ksabin]

nj2nc-2005,

I cant agree with you more about the traffic from Pa on 78. I owe some multi family homes in East Stroudsburg PA and your correct a lot of people moved there since 911. If you could help me, My wife and I are looking to buy a second home in North Carolina but do not know much about the area. I want to house ( not big ) in a good vaction area. Can you give us any insite?

Thank You,
Keith

ksabin711@hotmail.com

[nj2nc-2005]

Hi Keith. Boone, NC is in the western mountains. I hear from people that it is beautiful there, and some of them have cabins as weekend getaways. Lake Norman, near Charlotte is also a hot spot for vacationers. Boating and watersports are big there. NC life is great. It is no wonder why three of my neighbors on my street are from Jersey. Two are from Howell Twp. (Monmouth County) and one from Tenafly (Bergen). I bump into NJ people here in Greensboro all of the time. NY and PA transplants are common here as well. I live in a rural area just like I did when I lived in Whitehouse Station where I grew up. Yet a ten minute drive into the city has it all! Best of luck in finding your NC dream.

Alex

[ksabin]

Alex,


Is there anyone you would suggest talking to in the area to help us in buying property?

Wishing you good health,
Keith

[nj2nc-2005]

check your email. just sent you a reply.

Alex

[pavid]

Hi:

If you might consider Essex County, the town of Livingston has good public schools.

Paul

[NC little foot]

Me and my family are also moving out of NJ. I grew up in Old Bridge, Middlesex county, have lived in Woodbridge, and Also purchased a home in Brick Township NJ, Ocean County. Home prices in Brick NJ are about $100,000. cheaper then up "North" but still Out of control. Property tax is through the Roof. We also are moving to either NC, or SC. The major problem I have found from my research is the use of "Corpral Punishment" on the kids in NC schools. Absolutely blew my mind, Wooden paddles with holes drilled in them to beat the kids who forget homework or who are talking when their not supposed to be. Big Problem. I will continue my search to find a community where this is not acceptable. Good Luck, best wishes.

[mertweed1]

I also grew up in Mahwah, NJ. I loved it. Lots of diversity, family, schools but I moved to FL 15 years ago after a divorce for financial reasons. A lot of family moved here also and they love it here. i miss my extended family in NJ a lot and the culture and people. I wish I could afford to move back. The work ethics and manners are not anywhere near the NJ level in FL. I am looking at NC as it's halfway home and affordable, but it's still not NJ. If I wasn't a single mom, I would move to upstate NY.

[pixieshmoo]

Wow, I honestly had no idea that corporal punishment still existed in the US. My husband and I were born and raised in Northern NJ and have decided that although there are many great qualities to NJ, it's not worth raising our children here anymore. Homes and taxes are outrageous, traffic is unbelievable and since we live near Newark, rumors and or proof of gang activity and crime is not my idea of a party. But we were considering going north, Maine/New Hampshire. We also know a lot of people who have relocated to NC and love it there, that seems to be the new "hot spot" for relocation, and we had considered it as well but Jersey is hot and humid enough, I can't live any closer to the equator, but I do like vacationing anywhere from MD to FL!

So after reading what PattyNJ wrote I researched a little more. We have 23 states that still have laws permitting corporal punishment!!! That's almost half of our country...

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming.

However, as for AZ, GA, FL, KS, NC, OK, OH, PA, WY, statistically more than half of these states have schools that DO NOT permit corporal punishment, it's just a matter of finding out which schools/communities do and don't permit it. Just thought all of us future "former" Jerseyans might want to know what we should and shouldn't look for when we venture out. I'm sure the more populated communities or city-like areas will be the ones without that.

For those of you who are considering moving TO New Jersey, we're not knocking it, but remember this is a completely different lifestyle than most other places. It is probably very exciting for many people who have never lived close to The City (meaning NYC) and yes, it can be exciting even for us still. We are a very diversified area that pretty much has whatever your heart desires, we are a short drive to the city, the mountains, the beaches and even the farms all at the same time (how many people get that pleasure?). I've been to the west coast and even though it has similar types of natural landmarks and is beautiful, west and east coasts cannot be compared. We are truly an acquired taste. However, I think all natural born Jerseyans have seen the changes over the years and I think we get tired of that fast-paced life (I feel like all I have done for the past 17 years since I got my license is sit in traffic wherever I go. Imagine what you could do with all of those hours and/or minutes if you multiply them over 17 years? And neither my wallet nor my closets are large enough to keep up with changing trends on what feels like a weekly basis!!) which is why so many of us are restless to raise our children elsewhere. Unfortunately for many other people, I think we Jerseyans and New Yorkers have something that no one else does...some call it streetsmarts, I don't know if there's an actually "name", but that saying "you can take the person out of the city, but not the city out of the person", it's true. I think that's what gives us the confidence to move on elsewhere and succeed, you can't show us anything we haven't already lived through!!! (But not everyone here has an "attitude problem" so come check us out !)

Good luck everyone!!!

[NC little foot]

Street smart's is exactly what we have, lol