Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Read my posts about materialism in the "FYI" thread on this forum. People didn't want to hear the truth that if they're "struggling" on $150,000 annually that it's simply because they're practicing "keeping up with the Jones's" too much and not reigning in their credit cards enough; they didn't like that one bit! I found many liveable homes in North Jersey for under
$300,000; others still said it was "impossible" to find anything "decent" under
$500,000. Apparently, the truth hurts sometimes; there's more to life than trying to have the greenest lawn or the best-adorned driveway. NJ has given me the image of a state full of rude, angry, condascending, materialistic, self-serving jerks, not only from this forum, but also from my visits to the state and from those whom I assist at work. On the PA forum, we'd never stoop to calling someone rude names just because we disagreed with them; on the NJ forum, behavior like that is apparently promoted and defended. I can't believe people would find hostility and pettiness to be so comical; it totally turns my stomach to realize that at one point I had wanted to move to the Lake Hopatcong area to raise my family. I'll instead be moving to Scranton to raise my family amongst people who are more "down-to-earth" and care less about what you own as compared to what you can contribute to our community (I'll also be paying a third as much for a great family home in the city as people are in NE NJ, but I suppose that's just an added bonus).
I'm leaving the NJ forum for good now; Have a Happy Holiday everyone! I just hope some of you don't get left coal in your stockings!
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 12-09-2006 at 09:59 AM..
Reason: Typo
We're a very materialistic group here. Have to drive a newer, foreign car; have to wear the newest styles, have to have the latest gadgets. If you want to feel good about yourself, you have to avoid getting too caught up in the materialism and focus on whatever values are really important to you. There's a lot of folks here that make big bucks (or run up astronomical debt) and like to show it and put down others that don't do the same. But (to quote many, many parents of teenagers): not everyone is doing it even though it seems that way, and just because some people are that way doesn't make it right.
Yeah NJ pretty much sucks. Don't pay attention to what anyone thinks. If they are saying bad things about you, they are probably up to their eyeballs in debt.
Don't worry, the next recession this country will go thru is going to be a blood bath and should even out some of the inequalities you are seeing. Housing market crash anyone?
My 2 cents: I don't think the housing market ever really crash here. There's too many folks here making good money, although many have long commutes to do it. But those who aren't making the big bucks, and have overspent trying to keep up with those who do, might cause prices to come down a bit if they are forced to sell.
3 words for you, adjustable rate mortgage. The next recession is going to be a bad one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by christina0001
My 2 cents: I don't think the housing market ever really crash here. There's too many folks here making good money, although many have long commutes to do it. But those who aren't making the big bucks, and have overspent trying to keep up with those who do, might cause prices to come down a bit if they are forced to sell.
If anyone looks down on you because of your salary, they aren't worth knowing anyway. I live in NJ and I know people from all walks of life and I don't have a problem with any of them. I'm not saying there aren't any snobby people here but that's in any metropolitan area.
My 2 cents: I don't think the housing market ever really crash here. There's too many folks here making good money, although many have long commutes to do it. But those who aren't making the big bucks, and have overspent trying to keep up with those who do, might cause prices to come down a bit if they are forced to sell.
I do agree with you to an extent. There will always be a premium to living in Northern NJ because of high NYC salaries.
However, the median household income even in Bergen County probably is around $65,000 these days. Following the typical rule of thumb that you can afford a house 3 times your salary, these people can only afford a $200,000 house. Right now, there really is no affordable housing for the middle class and prices will have to come down.
Median income for Bergen County in 2003 was $67k, according to census data. (http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Ranking/2003/R07T050.htm (broken link)) I can only assume that it has likely gone up since then. Somerset was at $89k, and Morris at $82k. Heck, even Monmouth was nearly $68k.
There is definitely something wrong with housing prices.
P.S. Great link to the 80s info, that is some interesting reading!
I just want to say that all of NJ is not the way it's painted here. Southern NJ is a different world altogether! People tend to think NJ is all about Bergen County or anywhere else commutable to NYC. Don't forget all the wonderful parts of the state!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I found many liveable homes in North Jersey for under 
