Moving back home (Newark: mortgage, townhouse, to buy)

[pixieshmoo]

Yeah, we do have streetsmarts. The sad thing about leaving Jersey, I think (besides missing most of my family) is we have that "jersey-thing" between all of us, that understanding, no one can understand our type of talk or slang (unless they study The Sopranos!!). And I think NY/NJ are the only two places in the country that no matter where you go, north, south, east or west, the minute you open your mouth, someone says "Are you from New York or New Joisey" LOL

[mder68]

I have lived here since 1985.

My taxes have quadrupled; car insurance is out of sight; too many people; too many police and other government blood suckers.

We have just bought land in NC.

recommend coming back north to maybe NC unless you really need your extended family.

Jersey is a socialistic republic. Stay away if you can. Drugs are everywhere.

[I'minformed2]

NC..... oh my goodness NC. I have lived here for 11 years now after moving from Beautiful Upstate NY. I remember what it was like, being all excited about the "New South". Guess what, with all of the people relocating here to NC.... it will be just as bad as any northern state in another couple of decades. It's more important to be near your family. I suggest you NOT move to NC, but rather move back up north.... and take me with you. As for the rest of you who think North Carolina is some beautiful Utopic state where nothing bad will ever happen and the weather is perfect.... lol. you are WRONG. Half the classrooms in the schools are trailers, it's a countywide school systen so you end up getting redisctricted every two years, and your kids will probably go to school 20 minutes away from where you live. I have never lived in NJ but I was born, raised and am moving back to Upstate NY. And I suggest to the single mom who said she was considering it. to move there too. The best job opportunites would probably be in Albany or Syracuse. Buffalo is actually starting to recover economically in great strides after decades of decline. Sadly, my hometown of Rochseter is pretty stagnant right now but things are just starting to improve their too. All of Upstate NY has enourmously high property taxes...but the prices of homes there are so affordable that they make NC prices look like Manhattan prices. Also, those property taxes in large part go to fund the TOWN school systems of which Albany, Rochester and Buffalo each have at least 3 schools in the top 50. NC is quite possibly the most OVERRATED state in the union... forget quite possibly, it is.

[Rapture]

wow, a lot of people have an opinion here.

It's really about what are you looking for and how long you plan to stay in whatever area. If you have a lot money (that you don't mind giving to the state) and don't mind winter in NJ then move back....you said you loved Bergen County and NJ does have a lot to offer. I posted a few weeks ago about the cost to live here, jersey mom is a realtor and basically said the same thing, along with mder68.....I bet if you ask anyone in this state they will say the same. Personally, after working hard all day I don't want to give my money to the government and the insurance companies in NJ.

No matter where you go there are pros and cons.

If you want warmer weather and a less expensive cost of living (probaby lower income also, so it's all relative) then stay south.

No matter where you go, do it thinking positive and do lots of research

[bayou black]

i just moved back to Texas from south jersey. if you want north carolina living in new jersey, then move to south jersey in the swedesboro area, glassboro, or mullica hill area (yuppy ville).

south jersey will give you all the comforts of a slower pace of living without all the crime, drugs, and congestion of north jersey.

the property taxes are still high, but not so bad in swedesboro... i paid $4500/yr in 2002 on a 2900 sq ft home on almost 2 acres!!!!!!

south jersey isn't bad at all... i'd move back in a second if there was a job opportunity, and I'M FROM THE SOUTH!!!

[Ms.Charlotte]

True about South Jersey. I had a house in Cape May County for quite a few years and it's a wonderful area. It's not close to your family,but if you check out Upper Township (Seaville, Marmora, Tuckerton), the schools are good, and it is really country living with the benefit of Ocean City/Strathmere/Sea Isle beaches only 5 to 10 minutes away. Real estate is getting up there but not like North Jersey-taxes are fairly reasonable.

[CURT]

i was never a big fan of nj. i grew up in monmouth county and moved to central florida in 1991. each year i have become more and more home sick to the point that i go back atleast 1 time a year to get it out of my system. i must think about moving back a hundred times a year. all my friends fron nj tell me im crazy and assure me nothing is better since i left but i just cant get over the home sickness.
maybe i need to visit sometime in january and see how that feels.

[nj2nc-2005]

I grew up in rural Hunterdon County. Born in Morristown, NJ I lived in Bridgewater until I was 7. We then moved to Whitehouse Station in 1981. At that time, it was rural farmland and had that small town friendly atmosphere. Now 25 years later, most of the farms have been developed with these really large, upscale homes. Readington Township has become home to the wealthy. My parents taxes were $1000 in 1981. Now they are over $8000 and are due to be re-assessed this year. They could break the $10,000 mark!!! They don't get any services from the township for their tax dollar. All those services cost extra. They say the money goes to the schools. I don't know how other states can be more fiscally responsible and keep the tax rate low.

Like Curt, I think about NJ all the time. Just a Jersey thing. We just went up for Easter. After being on pot hole patrol on Interstate 78 and putting up with the traffic at a crawl, I couldn't wait to return to peacful Greensboro, NC! I think the reason I am homesick is because all of my family is still up there. My parents did buy the lot next to mine, and do plan on building a house on it once Mom retires.

[pixieshmoo]

The money goes to the schools? Yeah, right. NJ2NC, you're absolutely right! My parents bought our old house in North Jersey (Belleville, Essex County, ugh) in 1977 and the taxes were about the same as your parents'. The house also cost about $32,500. It was just sold 3 years ago, the taxes were up to $8,000 and (good for us I guess) the house increased in value almost 7, yes 7 times what they paid!!! However, the person buying it, got a fixer upper because only very few things had been upgraded over the years. But because it was a close commute to Newark and New York, these people didn't and don't care what they pay for a house. And believe me, we had a nice average home on a nice average lot, nothing spectacular. I'm a couple of towns over now and you couldn't hand me the downpayment to buy a house here. Nothing goes to the schools (not that I see anyway), my kids' schools are always doing something, fundraisers and what not, to benefit money for the school yet, everything looks and is the same, whether it be the building itself, the books and teaching tools, whatever. Average taxes here are about $10,000/year, for what I don't know, you don't even get decent sized property for that money.

I found a (very) deceased cat on my deck one year and called the town because I had small children and the smell was horrible. They told me when my husband comes home to have him throw it out because it wasn't their job. So my husband took a shovel, put the cat in the street and called the town back and they came and picked it up to check for west nile virus. But for the taxes we paid, west nile wasn't an issue when it was on my deck.

Drugs, gang violence, children becoming thieves, "game-rage" between parents, traffic, high cost of living, smog...New Jersey was a very beautiful place but people have come to ruin it. It's hard to leave family and friends behind, but when you have children, your priorites change. My parent's raised me here because it was better than where they grew up in Newark. But where I grew up isn't the same anymore either, so I guess it's time to raise my children someplace even better...and I can't seem to find it in NJ anymore.

[RUnjersey]

Hi Jersey Girl,

Like you, I moved away from NJ some years ago. I love NJ and had the time of my life at Rutgers. However, now that I am raising two young boys, I will never consider moving home to raise my kids. While I know there are some wonderful schools in Begen and Sussex county, the overall cost of living and way of life is two expensive.

I currently live in Northern VA. The schools in Northern VA are excellent. There are a number of suburban counties to choose from. Loudoun County and Prince William County are the fastest growing counties in the area, and the schools are excellent. Besides the schools, the way of life is excellent. In Northern VA, we are minutes away from Washington, DC and its splendid urban feel, as well as minutes away from the coastline. NJ is a short 4 -5 hour drive away. (Long enough away to have family out of your hair, yet close enough to have them around when you need them.)

Jobs in the area are plentiful. You have your choice of government agencies, technology companies, start-ups, and a number of finance, marketing and consulting companies.

Best of Luck to you!