Younf Family - need help deciing where to look for houses (New York: real estate, lawyer)

[megale]

we are relocating very soon to NY. we are a young family with two elementary school aged children. schools are extremely important to us, as it a neighborhood with other kids. have been looking in the NJ areas, we would prefer to keep it around the hour commute at most. job is locating right between the two train stations so it's convenient. budget on a home is 500-600, any thoughts of where to be looking?

we like areas of NJ we saw, just wondered what other parts to consider in NY or surrounding areas.

[Viralmd]

I've responded on the NYC thread.

[Raffaella]

Hi there,

we are in a very similar situation to yours in that we might have to move to New York next summer. Have three kids and are looking for a safe area with good schools and decent commuting time. We have a similar budget to yours. So far I found Croton-on- Hudson if you are looking to buy in Westchester and Springfield, Madison, Chatham, Cranford, Edison and Metuchen and Summit if you are looking into NJ.

Good luck
Raffy

[mead]

Not all towns on your NJ list are equal. I wouldn't group towns like Madison, Chatham, and Summit with towns like Edison and Metuchen.

The problem with NJ is that the commute is invariably longer into NYC by NJ Transit than coming from Westchester. If you don't want to live in Jersey City or Hoboken, the closest suburban towns to Penn Station (places like Rutherford and North Arlington) are 35 minutes on NJ Transit. A town like Chatham or Madison, while they are extremely nice towns, will generally take around 45 minutes or possibly longer to get to Penn Station. Summit is a little bit closer, but not by much. Milburn is also extremely nice and upscale.

Originally Posted by Raffaella

Hi there,

we are in a very similar situation to yours in that we might have to move to New York next summer. Have three kids and are looking for a safe area with good schools and decent commuting time. We have a similar budget to yours. So far I found Croton-on- Hudson if you are looking to buy in Westchester and Springfield, Madison, Chatham, Cranford, Edison and Metuchen and Summit if you are looking into NJ.

Good luck
Raffy

[megale]

we have actually looked at some homes in the madison/chatham area and even as far out as morristown. the towns are nice, but i am trying to see what other options there might be because as you mentioned it is a longer commute.

[philm72]

Hi - If you are still interested in Croton-Hdsn, may I suggest you view our townhome in Half Moon Bay. This community is right on the Hudson, with a variety of townhomes. If you prefer new, low property taxes and great schools - then HMB could be the answer for you. We've lived here for 1.5 yrs and love it. So much to do with nature, easy shopping, simple and enjoyable town center. Our neighbors are friendly and quiet.

We are having to move to do a job relocation - starting in Jan 08. You can review our townhome by contacting me directly - seems I can't post the url correctly.

In NY, all real estate transactions require a RE lawyer (who write up the actual contract btw buyer/seller). When, if you decide to buy, do consider to leave out an agent, this can allow you to purchase a home for less (since the seller could discount it) This is our current intention, since we need to get moving to California.

Best of luck in either case!

Philip

[LillianMom]

I am in the same situation as you are. We have 2 children in elementary school and we are looking in the 500-600 range in Westchester, taxes $5,000-$7,000 with good schools. It seems almost impossible. Have you decided on an area?

[sallyg]

Maybe look at West Harrison. Good schools, low taxes, right outside White Plains. It is a working/middle class neighborhood.