Possible work relocation to Jersey City, where to live? (Montclair: real estate, rental)

[lermy]

Hello!

My husband was laid off back in September. He's been doing consulting work since then, but has made no progress finding full-time work here in MA. The company where he's been consulting will likely be offering him a permanent position within the next 3-6 months. They are located in Jersey City, NJ.

I like suburbs (needs to have good schools), as opposed to Hoboken or city area (that's about all I know since I've been to Hoboken before). So we need someplace that will get my husband to JC. Commute under 1 hour would be ideal. I pretty much know NOTHING about Jersey other than driving through on the turnpike before.

We would likely rent to begin with, but I'd like to try and rent someplace where we might eventually settle down. We have a 2 year-old son. Ideally I'd like to be settled before he's in kindergarten, so we've got some time. For the time being, I will be staying at home with my son (I'm currently working, so this will be new to me!), so I'd like someplace that's convenient and has lots of options for things to do with a very active toddler! Is this too much to ask?

I'm thinking we'd be eventually looking at homes in the $600-700,000 range. (3-4 bedrooms, 2 bath) Is that doable? We live very modestly here in MA. Definitely in our starter home and space is tight, so we're hoping to get a larger place when we move.

So, gimme your suggestions! Thank you! I'm slightly freaking out about this

[HalfFull]

Yes it is doable! Sounds like you've been going through a stressful period and hopefully the job comes through and you can settlle into a new normal.

In some ways, you have a great situation. Instead of scrambling to buy a place and get your kid into school, you have time to rent for a year or two and get to know the area before setting down roots.

One word of caution on the price range for eventually buying: a $600K to $700k home is likely to have real estate taxes of $12K to $17K (or more in some spots) so be sure to factor that in.

Some towns that are active and family-friendly, but not as cityish like Hoboken or Jersey City: Rutherford, Montclair, Maplewood, Cranford, Madison (some like Westfield & Summit might be a little more expensive and rental options more limited).

[lermy]

Yes, I'm scared of the real estate taxes! I wouldn't mind a less expensive home, but wasn't sure what is considered affordable in NJ. I suppose if we rent for a while, we can really get a sense of where we want to be.

I think we pay $4k on a $300K home in the burbs of Boston. So $12-17K seems enormous!

And yes, it is a very stressful time. Thankfully he's been able to do some consulting so we weren't left totally scrambling for cash.

Thanks!

[MrsPiggleWiggle]

Is his company located in Newport, Jersey City? If so, any towns with trains that go into Hoboken will be a good place to start. It's about a 10-15 minute walk from the Hoboken terminal to the office complexes in Newport, and 5 minutes by light rail (free with your monthly train ticket).

To find town with trains that go to Hoboken, look here: http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/Rail_System_Map.pdf
Popular towns are along the following lines:
- Suffern (Glen Rock, Ridgewood, Ho-ho-kus, and further north)
- Montclair-Boonton (Glen Ridge, Montclair)
- Morristown/Gladstone (South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, and further west)

[MrsPiggleWiggle]

Oh crap I typed a really long and detailed reply and half got deleted. >.<

[mukki great]

We have just moved to Millburn, for schools. Don't know the commute from JC, but schools are great. You pay hi property taxes, but could look at properties around 600k with taxes of around 10k, provided you are not fussed about the size,