Maybe Moving to Monroe- Help (White Plains, Warwick: extended stay, real estate, apartments)

[marlena]

My husband just left for a job interview in Monroe Twp and didn't sound like he was too crazy about the area. We are from the Detroit area suburbs and are used to populated areas. The opportunity is excellent from a monetary stand point, but how is the quality of life? I have worked in offices, would I have a hard time finding a job? We are just shy of 30 so it is important for us to have a social life. Are there any more populated towns/citys close to monroe? how about shopping and social activities? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[winnie]

Monroe is a nice town, good schools, low crime. Taxes are very high here.

Shopping right there at the commons, people from all over go there, fron nj, ma, ct Also very good resturants.

Middletown is more populated also inn monroe you are very close to White Plains and NYC. You would most likely find work without problem.

Could you tell me what the salary is? What kind of home you want?

Sorry if this is jumbled i have my 19 mo son on my lap helping me tonight.

[hjlacey]

are you asking about the town of Monroe in Orange County? looked like Monroe TWP

[marlena]

I was asking about the town of Monroe.

The salary would be somehere in the 6 fgure range. I don't think I would consider buying a home before actually living there for a while. When you say taxes are high, what type of range are we talking about?

[winnie]

Here is a link to the property rates through NYS: http://www.orps.state.ny.us/ref/osc/...02rates/99.htm they are a little dated, but they give you a general idea at least. I am having difficulty finding more recent rates.

Monroe is variable depending if you live in the town, village or Harriman..looks like 2-2.5% for town, 3% for village, 3% for Harriman. Many from the area advise against Kyrias Joel.

So my estimate for a 400K house would be somewhere in the 9-12K range (but if you call a realtor they can nail down some better numbers for you). You get a STAR deduction if you are a resident. To live in a nice neighborhood there you are looking at 350-400K, possibly more.

If you are making 6 figures and you don't want to buy immediately I will say renting can actually be quite reasonable.

There are nice apartments in Goshen, Montgomery, Cornwall (has 3 bed 1.5 bath townhomes 1500/month). You can also find houses to rent, a lot of homes there are on a decent amount of property (2+ acres).

If you are willing to do a little driving to go to work you can also look at the outskirts of Middletown, look for either Goshen or Minisink schools. Also Washingtonville is nice, Warwick, Montgomery/Walden area great towns to look into if you are working in Monroe.

You should do well on that salary. The area will take a little adjusting to but the quality of life is very high if you can make ends meet there, and it sounds like you can with that salary.

There is a lot to do in the hudson valley, both city life and country comforts. So if you guys reach a decision to move there let me know and I can help you settle in a little!

[marlena]

First, thanks for all the info! You are so sweet for offering to help us settle in. May I ask why you are so nice?!

I have one more question:

Im still confused about the area Monroe is in. I was looking on Craigslist for temporary places to stay(my husband is going back on Sunday) but don't know in which area to search. Which one is it?

albany
binghamton
buffalo
catskills
chautauqua
elmira-corning
hudson valley
ithaca
long island
new york city
plattsburgh-adirondacks
rochester, NY
syracuse
utica
watertown

[Jason_Els]

Monroe is in the Hudson valley, in the county of Orange. Try using Yahoo! Maps or Mapquest.com or a similar program. They will pinpoint the nearby towns where you can stay. There isn't any lodging in Monroe that I know of except, I think, a motel. Middletown, the largest municipality in the county, has some chain hotels like Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn.

[hjlacey]

Actually Chester just opened a Holiday Inn Express. There is also american budget inn in Harriman, Harriman motor inn. DO NOT TRY JAMES MOTEL IN Monroe!! sleazy I live in Monroe

[winnie]

There is also an Extended Stay America in Fishkill, several nice hotels off exit 17 in Newburgh as well. They may be a little cheaper then monroe.

Some real estate sites will actually list Monroe as part of the NYC listings which I find very frustrating. But it is in the hudson valley. I would check both listings while you are looking.

Tell DH to take a look at the Woodbury Commons and maybe try lunch at one of the nice resturants (I always try to hit Gasho's when I am there LOL) to get a feel for the area. Both are off rte 32. V&J's italian deli in the village is a great place to get lunch and some good cannolis.

[OC-Gal]

Hello Marlena,
Last post seems to have been a few months ago. Have you found a place to lo\ive in the Monroe area? There are lot of nice places... a few more citi-like than others but, we are NOT NY city. Newburgh, by the water is becoming a very cosmopolitian place for city people as are a few other areas. Moderator cut: realtor soliciting

Originally Posted by marlena

I was asking about the town of Monroe.

The salary would be somehere in the 6 fgure range. I don't think I would consider buying a home before actually living there for a while. When you say taxes are high, what type of range are we talking about?