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I think you would just need to drive by the street where the house is to see if you liked it - Madison isn't very big and all three elementary schools are great so you wouldn't really have to worry about that or safety, but some streets and sections are cuter than others. WHen my husband and I moved from Hoboken in 2009, we considered Westfield too but he commutes to NYC and its a worse commute since there are no direct trains. Time wise, its about the same but if one train is late, then you miss the other, etc... plus, it just kinda stinks having to switch trains. I really liked the downtown and all the town activities there though. We were in the same price range and the homes we saw in Madison for that price were in cuter areas than Westfield. We prefer the downtown in Madison as well, more Mom and Pop kind of feel, easy to get around - and the short hills mall around the corner. Schools are ranked higher in Madison (we are #6 in the state!) We have a great ymca, great town pool, we have a toddler and so many activities around to choose from all over town. Our taxes are very low. Chatham next door is another great town, smaller downtown, 4 minutes closer on the train (both towns under 50 minutes on the express train.)
If you couldn't tell from my profile, I'm a realtor here and you are right, right now not a ton on the market in that range, but there will be, and soon. The spring market is just starting to pick up and its the best time with the most inventory. You should see if you can find the listing for a house that just went under contract on Hamilton street for 579k. Met your criteria, small but updated, and in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in that price range (walk to town/train/pool, kids play on street, etc.) It went in under a week though. You'll see that happens here alot. My advice is to start seeing some homes before you are ready to pull the trigger, that way, when the right house comes along at the right price, you'll be ready!
Are their any area's in Madison that one would want to avoid? I understand that some areas are more desirable than others but are there any sketchy blocks? Or can I feel rather comfortable putting an offer on a house and not worrying about the neighborhood?
No, there are no sketchy areas of Madison. Personal preferences will come into play, such as do you want to be near the train station, or far from the tracks to avoid any noise)
Are their any area's in Madison that one would want to avoid? I understand that some areas are more desirable than others but are there any sketchy blocks? Or can I feel rather comfortable putting an offer on a house and not worrying about the neighborhood?
You would want to avoid areas that experience negative influences from: power lines, commercial properties, public parks, busy roads, railroads, pumping stations, flood zones, firehouses, police station, town hall, municipal use like the highway or sanitation department, poorly maintained residential structures, schools, apartments or multi-family homes, or any other non-residential structure or land use that diminishes peaceful enjoyment of a residential property. So, in Madison or any other smaller borough, that covers quite a bit of ground if you think about it. I am going to throw out a guess that 30%-40% of the properties in the Borough would suffer diminished desirability from one of the influences I just described. So, if you are investing your hard-earned money in your personal residence, you would, if you could afford to, like to stay away from these properties if at all possible.
The bottom line is: no municipality in New Jersey gets automatic Heaven status. Each property needs to be individually evaluated for problems and issues.
Would you also consider a municipal water tower to be an undesirable structure?
Yes. It is unsightly and it needs periodic maintenance. Ideally, in a developed area, you want your house to be surrounded by only one thing - other houses.
You do get some very nice shade here, and at least a modicum of protection from any collateral damage caused by a plane crash. With the added benefit that the contents of the water tower would put out any fire in such a crash. So it's glass half full for me...
Last edited by Marc Paolella; 01-17-2013 at 10:05 PM..
Did an appraisal in the Spring Garden section of Madison today and ran some numbers. Median home price last 12 months: $570,000. Prior 12 months: $554,000. So it looks like we have a little appreciation! About 3%. I also notice that we have only 3.7 months of inventory in Madison, and most homes are selling in less than 60 days. Not bad, given New Jersey's tepid employment numbers.
Last edited by Marc Paolella; 01-17-2013 at 10:06 PM..
Joke #2: That's not a water tower. It's a Contemporary...
Hardee har har.
I actually looked at the house across the street. Didn't really like it anyway, but seeing the enormous water tower walking out the front door was pretty jarring and probably would have killed the deal on its own.
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