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My fiance and I currently rent in Watchung but are contemplating a move to the Monmouth County area. Here are the complications we are currently trying to reconcile in a way that makes the most sense:
Commute: My commute is to downtown Newark. Currently about 30-40 minutes, but only on a single rd. - Rt. 78 (which, leaving at 8:30 a.m. and coming home around 6:30-7:00pm is not too bad at all). Heading to Monmouth County - e.g. Manalapan is the best we've seen in our price range so far, that comute seems quite a bit worse, esp. when considering Rt. 9 to the Parkway, etc. While google maps says 50 minutes - and a realtor claims 40-50 minutes is doable - I doubt that's true in practice.
Price range: About $350-400k. First choice would be a single family, but we would also consider a condo to gain newer construction and amenities. We want to be in a neighborhood with similar young professional type families. We aren't looking for a fixer-upper and would be more inclined to go the condo route for a 5-10 year old property with a larger kitchen area and master bath.
Schools - we aren't anxious to move again in 3-5 years. If possible, we would like a solid school system. From what I've heard, heading to places like Sayreville, Middletown, Old Bridge might be a big sacrifice with respect to schools and neighborhoods.
Like for many families, schools and commute are the big variables we are trying to deal with. Aside from Manalapan, we aren't just comfortable with the area enough to really have a good handle on the areas with the best schools/neighborhoods, decent REAL distance from Newark, yet reasonable proximity to our respective families in Howell and Bayville.
Any area suggestions/comments would be most appreciated!
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