Single retired- Nazareth? Saucon valley? (Easton, Hellertown: apartment, renting, HOA fees)

[am8402]

When are you moving? Within a year
Where are you coming from? Ocean County NJ
Why are you moving? Taxes, congestion
Where will you be working? Retired in my late 60s
Have you been here yet? Family in Easton area, grew up in Phillipsburg NJ

Will you buy or rent? Buy
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? House, 350-425k max
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Single woman
Do you prefer public or private schools?
Do you have pets? Yes one dog
Do you want or need a yard? Yes need a yard
Are you keeping a car? Yes prefer two car garage
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Definitely calm and quiet

What do you want to be closest to? Grocery stores, within 20 minutes for shopping center.
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Near Bus stop? Please note that there is NO rail service in the Lehigh Valley.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Currently in over 55 community which has pros of maintained yards and houses. Cons are nosy people and lack of privacy. I prefer not to move to another community, but being retired not looking for family neighborhood. I like quiet, my current house backs up to woods, but now it’s all weekend noise from ATVs etc.

[toobusytoday]

I think either of those places would be good. I think moving to a 55+ community would be a good choice if you can find one with a two car garage in your price range. I like the town of Hellertown because of it's downtown and proximity to everything. I've never lived in a city and don't know Easton very well, so I can't comment on that.

While you will pay lower taxes overall than most NJ towns, I'm not sure the Lehigh Valley is lower than Ocean County. I found this, "What is the property tax in Ocean County NJ? The average effective tax rate in the county is 2.05%, second-lowest in the state. Likewise, the median annual property tax payment in the county is $5,599, almost $3,000 below the state average."

[blazerj]

Look at the HOA fees for 55+ communities. The taxes may be lower, but they all seem to have high fees.

[am8402]

Thanks for the responses. Yes the HOA fees in Lehigh valley are outrageous! I currently live in Ocean County and it’s much lower. Main issues here are daily dirt bikes/ATV’s noise, and lack of quality stores. I find myself traveling at least 30 minutes for decent shopping.

[am8402]

BTW I have a 1800sq ft home, taxes are just under $8000