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Pretty much lifelong NJ resident. Possibly looking to relocate to Raleigh/RTP area but really don't know the area. I'm in tech and my research tells me its pretty stable there for technology-related pursuits.
Most important to us is school system. We are in probably top 5% school system in NJ (Morris County) and not really willing to compromise.
We are in a 2600 sq ft house and probably don't need more than 3000 or so (if that). We are not presently cramped so space isn't a huge issue. We're on 2/3 of acre (more than enough) but also have an inground pool and that's the one luxury I would like to get if we were to move. Other than that I don't need all the fancy stuff like granite countertops.
Budget would be about $625K or so. I hear concerns about snakes/wildlife, well we get bears here so that's marginally a concern . I'd be more worried about the air plane noise I read about here
All I know is I'm fed up with a) NJ taxes, b) Third world transportation/commuting infrastructure, c) The NJ Attitude (anybody from here knows what I'm talking about), d) Overall high cost of living, e) Massive stress associated with living here. I commute into Manhattan and I can think of better things to do than sit on a bus for 3 hours a day.
Any help/advice would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Just be real sure of what you are getting yourself into jobwise - while there is a general vibe about there being a lot of tech jobs I know a lot of tech people out of work and there is a lot of competition for those few roles that are open.
Some of it is due to the summer holidays, some of it is churn, of which there is a LOT here. Too much, even, compared with up north. I just had this conversation with someone.
Pretty much lifelong NJ resident. Possibly looking to relocate to Raleigh/RTP area but really don't know the area. I'm in tech and my research tells me its pretty stable there for technology-related pursuits.
Most important to us is school system. We are in probably top 5% school system in NJ (Morris County) and not really willing to compromise.
We are in a 2600 sq ft house and probably don't need more than 3000 or so (if that). We are not presently cramped so space isn't a huge issue. We're on 2/3 of acre (more than enough) but also have an inground pool and that's the one luxury I would like to get if we were to move. Other than that I don't need all the fancy stuff like granite countertops.
Budget would be about $625K or so. I hear concerns about snakes/wildlife, well we get bears here so that's marginally a concern . I'd be more worried about the air plane noise I read about here
All I know is I'm fed up with a) NJ taxes, b) Third world transportation/commuting infrastructure, c) The NJ Attitude (anybody from here knows what I'm talking about), d) Overall high cost of living, e) Massive stress associated with living here. I commute into Manhattan and I can think of better things to do than sit on a bus for 3 hours a day.
Any help/advice would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks in advance.
We have county-wide school systems here. No way to "guarantee" you get "the very best schools without compromise" for the most part. The one exception being Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools. A small high-performing district...also comes pared with the highest property taxes in the state.
Private in-ground pools are pretty rare. Most neighborhoods have community pools that are part of the HOA. Thus there is not a high demand for private pools and the cost/work associated with them. so most people don't build them.
"Third world commuting infrastructure" seems like an extreme exaggeration. Commuter system in the NYC metro is by far the most extensive in the US and far more advanced than anything we have here
Airplane noise is mostly in Morrisville/West Cary/NW Raleigh.
Thanks for the suggestion re: schools. I wonder what high property taxes are to you. We pay 11K a year.
As for commuting infrastructure: Yes is it that bad. I live 29 miles from NYC and it takes 1.5 hours to get in. Plus our train system is falling apart, NJ Transit is literally coming apart at the seams. Just Google "NJ Transit" and check out news stories. Anyone from NJ will back me up on this.
The taxes in Chapel Hill are high for the state but won't be high to you. For a comparable house to what you're probably living in or even looking to buy you're probably looking at no more than $8000.
You'll get comparable or IMHO better schools here (and we moved here from a "top 5%" district in NY) because there is a very educated population here and there is a huge population of "Tiger Parents" (and they aren't all Asian). Much more diversity of thought because people aren't just focused on careers that their kids can have in Manhattan.
However, if you choose to move to a high growth area you should be aware that there can be reassignments with the schools. This wasn't a big deal to me because I never moved as a child but I went to three different elementary schools due to redistricting. It's not that big of a deal and you're not going to buy a $600K house and get sent to a school in the ghetto.
Pools - yes, most people don't have them because all of the subdivisions have community pools, you're going to be hard pressed to find a house on 2/3 of an acre with a pool in your budget. If you want a bigger property with room for a pool you're not looking at new construction but it sounds like that's ok with you anyway. There are also "impervious surface" rules here that may preclude you from putting in a pool regardless so if and when you decide to relocate you should zero in on that issue.
But above all you should first come for a visit and see if you can see yourself living here. And yeah....the commute thing....was just talking about this yesterday with a friend of mine who is also from Long Island and grew up in Queens....they moved here 25 years ago because they were both commuting 2 hours each way, every day and couldn't see it continuing when their child reach school age. And we complain about traffic here but we both were back visiting this summer and....well, I don't need to tell you. It's an untenable situation that I could not live with. You'll improve that piece of your life immeasurably with a move here and the best part is you can live close to your job pretty much no matter where it is and have a nice house in a nice neighborhood with good schools which we both know is NOT the case up north.
Great feedback twingles. I have heard that the population is very educated. That's reassuring. I would like to avoid private school for my daughter if possible.
With the hollowing out of good suburban jobs up here (they are all going to NYC/Hoboken/Jersey City), it is nearly impossible to get a decent job near where we live.
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. I'd be more worried about the air plane noise I read about here 
