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I have been reading this forum for quite sometime and appreciate all the efforts you guys put in to provide all the guidance for all our questions. So first a big thank you.
My situation:
DH got a job in Brooklyn last year and he moved to Jersey City area to see how he likes it. Me and the kids (2 of them 7yr old and 3yr old) stayed in NC while we tried to figure out if we wanted to make the move. It seems like he really likes it here and now wants us to join him. So I started looking for a job for me and I got one in Roseland,NJ. So my question is regarding the housing scene in NJ.
Since he is ok with a little longer commute we have decided I need to have a short commute - max of 30 min to work. There needs to some kind of public transportation that he could take into the city. I really do not want his commute to be more than 1.5 hrs. Schools are important. The 7 yr old is in 2nd grade. We want to first rent in a town where we want to eventually buy a house. 400K will be the max we can stretch. So I know I cannot afford Livingston, Madison, Chatham etc.
Is this even possible ?
How are town like East Hanover, Whippany, Verona ? What kind of public transportation do they have into the city ? And can we afford to buy a house in these areas ? From what I have read the schools are good in these areas. Any preference of one over other.
Order of preferance:
Commute for both of us, safety, good/average schools, downtown where the 7 year old and I can bike/walk into for maybe a movie or hot chocolate,library,RC church.
Coming to NC from NJ I can give you a little tip on housing. Figure about double to duplicate in NJ what you have in NC
Property taxes about 4-5 times what you pay in NC
As far as schools are concerned NJ schools are far above what most other states have to offer.
You will not have to pay property taxes on your vehicles in NJ.
Lot's of RC churches in NJ just about every town has one, just like Baptist in NC.
I live in West Caldwell which neighbors Roseland. The schools are solid and some nice homes for NJ "affordable prices". I commute to NYC every day using a Decamp bus. Door to door, it takes me on average 1hr 15-30 min. My coworker lives in Verona. The schools are also great. The town is beautiful, however you do notice a jump in property tax for those ameninities. He takes the same bus I do, so shave off 10-15 minutes of the NYC commute there. Like a previous poster said, it all depends on your budget. A lot of towns in that area are actually quite small. If you blink while driving you'll find yourself in the next town, so stay flexible. Good luck on your move!
I do see some nice properties in Verona for my budget. I can up the budget a little bit by 10-15k for the right house. I just wanted to keep this aside for some small renovations that I might need. Its also a 10-15 min commute to Roseland which excites me.
Can someone give me the scoop on East Hanover or Whippany. I see some properties for my budget. But how is the town ? It is walkable ? Perhaps I am better off buying a little nicer property in Mercer county than paying all that money in tax to Essex county.
I do see some nice properties in Verona for my budget. I can up the budget a little bit by 10-15k for the right house. I just wanted to keep this aside for some small renovations that I might need. Its also a 10-15 min commute to Roseland which excites me.
Can someone give me the scoop on East Hanover or Whippany. I see some properties for my budget. But how is the town ? It is walkable ? Perhaps I am better off buying a little nicer property in Mercer county than paying all that money in tax to Essex county.
Appreciate your thoughts on this.
East Hanover and Whippany are in Morris County, which can give you some tax and insurance savings compared to Essex County. Both have some great neighborhoods, but neither has a walkable downtown. East Hanover especially is dominated by the retail congestion on Route 10.
I didn't catch your budget but Roseland is a great little town (I've lived there) with some very cute little homes. Some of the homes are indeed very expensive but you can find a great starter home. The problem with Verona is the taxes are EXTREMELY high making it less afforable than Roseland. Bloomfield is also cute but you hae to shop around a litttle more. I would not give up on Roseland. Just keep your eyes open and you may find something. Lots of older people there who sell homes.
You can find a house in Livingston at your budget, for sure.
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