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I've been stalking this website for awhile now but this is my first post. There seems to be some great information out there and I'm hoping somebody on this site can help me make a decision. My wife and I are currently looking to purchase our first home now that we have a baby on the way. Our price range is in the 600-700K(max). We first started looking in the summit/madison/chatham area (around where I grew up) but weren't too thrilled with what we were seeing there. We're looking for the following; minimum 3bd/2br, 2K+ sq ft, relatively updated (we don't mind an old house but we're not looking to do a major renovation), great schools, family oriented, no more than a 1:30 commute to midtown. What are some other areas one would suggest we look?
A friend of mine mentioned Essex Fells which is a beautiful town that we both love. There aren't many homes in our price range but it seems that you get more for your money here than in the summit/chatham area. Does anyone have any more insight into this town? I'm also considering the Rumson area and commuting by ferry (which is expensive but mostly offset by the lower property taxes). My wife is a teacher and loves the idea of summers by the beach. Would love to hear your thoughts...
Essex Fells has no train and isn't close to one, which is a big disadvantage for a midtown commute. Why not look in Millburn, Maplewood, and South Orange? You might not get quite the square footage (at least finished/finishable), but you should be able to find something close to what you're looking for, and then you're in a train town. Taxes are of course high.
No bergen county? Since you are willing to go with a little longer of a commute I would definitely check out Oakland. School system is great and shares high school with Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff. You'll get 2x the house you'd get in Chatham or Madison with lower taxes. If you want to go for a little smaller of a house your budget would also get you a decent house in Ridgewood or Wyckoff.
Why not check out Millburn or Westfield? Both are nice towns with a great downtown...close to everything including major highways and train stations. I used to live near both and always enjoyed hanging out in those areas. Great place to raise kids...good schools and great parks there.
Try Scotch Plains. Easy access to 22, 78 and parkway for beaches. You can get a beautiful home there for your price range. Great schools, near downtown westfield, lots of shops.
If you like the "look and feel" of Essex Fells, you might also enjoy Mountain Lakes. Great schools and a train, bucolic, stately, and peaceful, yet close to shopping, highways, and action.
With respect to the commute from Essex Fells I'm told many people who work in midtown either drive to Harrison and take the Path train from there or drive to Brick Church (about 15 mins away) and take the train in for a total commute of approx 1:15 mins door-to-door. Does this seem about right?
As for millburn/maplewood/south orange while I agree they are all great towns and the commute to midtown would be easy the taxes in Essex county are outrageous. The only reason I am considering Essex Fells is due to the lower taxes (relatively speaking) they pay for Essex County due to the reservoir which provides water to neighboring towns. Westfield has similar issues to Summit from what I've seen, very little house for the money and high taxes. Mountain Lakes is gorgeous but just too far I'm afraid. I guess I should also point out that my wife works in the Cranford area (another town we are considering) so the commute would need to be reasonable for her as well..30-45 mins max.
Does anyone have any insights into the Rumson/Fair Haven area? Is it possible to find a home in this area that meets our requirements in the 600-700K range? How would the commute be to midtown? I guess I would take the ferry to pier 11 and then hop on the N,Q,R. Seems to me that it would be about 1:20-1:25 mins door-to-door which is probably the same commute I would be doing from a place like Madison.
I'd say wherever you look, take taxes into consideration, as they vary so greatly in NJ and they are really a big part of your mortgage (and you don't get it back when you sell your house.) Essex Fells is tiny, so if you decide on it, you may have to have some patience for the right house to come along. Rumson is lovely-I know the commute is expensive but I don't know how long it takes door to door, I'm sure someone will fill you in. I don't know it well like I do Madison/Chatham/Summit-we've been here since 2009-we moved from Hoboken to make room for baby as well. We looked in Westfield too and I have sold some homes there recently. It's also pretty pricey but lots more homes in your price range so you'll have more to choose from. Big walkable downtown, you have to switch trains though to get to NYC so my husband didn't really want to do that commute. Cranford is more affordable and right next door to Westfield (though watch for flood zones.)
Great schools rule out some of the areas other posters have suggested. Check out schooldigger.com or 2012's rankings...
With respect to the commute from Essex Fells I'm told many people who work in midtown either drive to Harrison and take the Path train from there or drive to Brick Church (about 15 mins away) and take the train in for a total commute of approx 1:15 mins door-to-door. Does this seem about right?
Brick Church has a 4-year wait for parking. Orange has a shorter wait but there are fewer trains. Driving to Harrison is a possibility but traffic and parking there is getting more difficult, and the PATH train is a much inferior commute -- you need to transfer at Journal Square for Midtown, and the trains are often absolutely packed.
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As for millburn/maplewood/south orange while I agree they are all great towns and the commute to midtown would be easy the taxes in Essex county are outrageous. The only reason I am considering Essex Fells is due to the lower taxes (relatively speaking) they pay for Essex County due to the reservoir which provides water to neighboring towns.
Actually it's the higher property values (about twice those in South Orange) which result in lower tax rates in Essex Fells.
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