Emerson or Ridgewood, NJ (Tenafly, Glen Rock: real estate, how much, houses)
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I am debating between two potential houses that are great buys in itself, but come with own pros and cons ? Badly need suggestions from third party!!!
Ridgewood House is close to Rt 17 , is it really bad to be close, I don't hear the traffic from Rt 17 but from the main road in front. The house comes with a big lot and finished interiors. but lacks tight knit neighborhood feel. I know great resale potential being in ridgewood.
Emerson house is well placed in the rest of houses, so great neighborhood feel, which is important now as we are young family with a toddler. But this house needs work, new kitchen and bath.
which house you will choose?
I am debating between two potential houses that are great buys in itself, but come with own pros and cons ? Badly need suggestions from third party!!!
Ridgewood House is close to Rt 17 , is it really bad to be close, I don't hear the traffic from Rt 17 but from the main road in front. The house comes with a big lot and finished interiors. but lacks tight knit neighborhood feel. I know great resale potential being in ridgewood.
Emerson house is well placed in the rest of houses, so great neighborhood feel, which is important now as we are young family with a toddler. But this house needs work, new kitchen and bath.
which house you will choose?
Do you mind doing the work/having the work done?
If not, I would take the Emerson house just because of the neighborhood atmosphere in your circumstance. With a young child's growing up years ahead, you may want that. Emerson is a nice town.
It's tough to say without seeing the properties, but based on your description and taking into account the prestige/desirableness of both towns, I would still pick Emerson( even though Ridgewood is a viewed as a more desirable town). A house on a busy street will always be harder to sell. Also when you do your own renovations you get to pick everything, this truly makes the house your own.
I am debating between two potential houses that are great buys in itself, but come with own pros and cons ? Badly need suggestions from third party!!!
Ridgewood House is close to Rt 17 , is it really bad to be close, I don't hear the traffic from Rt 17 but from the main road in front. The house comes with a big lot and finished interiors. but lacks tight knit neighborhood feel. I know great resale potential being in ridgewood.
Emerson house is well placed in the rest of houses, so great neighborhood feel, which is important now as we are young family with a toddler. But this house needs work, new kitchen and bath.
which house you will choose?
It is generally not desirable to be located in front of a street with a double yellow line or a street that permits two-way traffic (marked or not) or a street that acts as a service road to a major artery such as Rte. 17. Some years back, I viewed a home in Glen Rock (next town over) that was nice, except the windows were closed on a nice day - I took one look out the window and discovered why? Rte. 208 was directly behind the backyard, the volume of noise with the window open was loud with nearly no cars zipping by - can you imagine on a busy morning? So we passed.
I've been to Emerson - it's a nice town and close to other desirable towns, taxes are ridiculous in most of N. Jersey, as can be expected. Ridgewood is nice and has desirable qualities including have two train lines in town, but if I had to choose between living on a busy street or not, then I would not buy there.
The Emerson house sounds better for your situation. It is nice to be in a neighborhood with little kids. I'm sure the schools are very good there.
I'd only recommend the Ridgewood option if you're one of those people that HAVE to be in THE BEST school district. But it is more competitive there, too.
I don't know Emerson per se, but the situation sounds better and probably an "easier" town in which to raise a child...plus the neighborhood feel. Not hard to update kitchen and bath -- and then you have them brand new, which is nice.
Thanks alot for so much input. To give more details on both, both are listed at same price.
emerson house need at least $ 30K to get into, which offcourse will add to equity, but first have to put in money.
Ridgewood is a corner lot, drive way is from side lane which is dead end, so still it will be considered on busy lane or it will tone down a bit? To add, this house is move in ready.
great discussion !!!
Thanks alot for so much input. To give more details on both, both are listed at same price.
emerson house need at least $ 30K to get into, which offcourse will add to equity, but first have to put in money.
Ridgewood is a corner lot, drive way is from side lane which is dead end, so still it will be considered on busy lane or it will tone down a bit? To add, this house is move in ready.
great discussion !!!
Busy-ness is a function of noise level and inconvience factor. Is it noisy that you can hear horns blaring/honking or cars zipping past your windows creating "road noise"? Is there a significantly higher volume of foot and car traffic? Corner properties are usually not as desirable due to the busy-ness factor and more upkeep needed to maintain property. Prices may be the same - but are the taxes the same, likely not.
Think of it this way - the prices are the same. Now, 10 years forward, Rt. 17 has picked up more traffic yet, there is more hustle and bustle in Ridgewood - how much traffic will you have outside your window in Ridgewood? No one knows, but you can just guess.
It seems to me you are intrigued with Ridgewood and you want to live in Ridgewood so much, you are leaning towards it. If that is the case and you are willing to put up with the Rt. 17 factor, the potential higher traffic factor, then you have your answer.
What ever you select, remember purchasing real estate is making an illiquid consumption purchase - it is likely the home will hold it's value over time, but you will not be able to sell a home like you are flipping pancakes, even in Ridgewood or Emerson.
Do you plan on raising your kids there? Ridgewood High School is known for its great education system. Emerson on the other hand...not so much. Emerson has a Jr-Sr High School, so many Emerson residents send their kids to neighboring schools like Tenafly HS.
Do you plan on raising your kids there? Ridgewood High School is known for its great education system. Emerson on the other hand...not so much. Emerson has a Jr-Sr High School, so many Emerson residents send their kids to neighboring schools like Tenafly HS.
Not sure how an Emerson resident could even send their child to another town's school district, but Emerson does have a good school system. Its not on the level of Ridgewood, but still good none the less.
In the last NJ Monthly High School Rankings, it was 34th out of 322 high schools. In addition, Emerson was ranked number 1 in its District Factor Group or DFG, schools with similar socio-economic communities.
Personally, I rather live on a quiet street in a house that needs work. You can't move the house.
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Emerson has good schools
