NJ rentals near Exchange Place (Jersey City, Union City: apartments, credit check, broker)

[PfcGarcia]

Hi folks,

I will probably move to NJ in autumn so just wanted to ask some questions on that.

Where are you coming from? Moscow, Russia
Why are you moving? New job in US, Intra-company transfer, L-1B visa
Where will you be working? 34 Exchange Place, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Will you buy or rent? Rent
What is your budget? Well for annual salary around 85-90k and as per recommendations to spend 25-30% of gross income on rent it should be 1700 - 2200 I think, including amenities. Thus, 2000, +-.
What kind of place are you looking for? 1BD or even a Studio

Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you? There is a probability my fiancee will join at some time later with her cat
Do you need/want good public schools? Nope

Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in: safe, not very noisy, with enough infrastructure objects like stores etc. May be diverse as well since I'm a newcomer.

List three things that are important to you in order of importance: furniture! At least bed, dresser, a table for laptop and a chair. Or it's easier just to buy it? Proximity to job or short commute. 20-30 minutes of walking would be ideal but 15-20 min on a Light Rail/PATH is fine as well. Then probably easy parking.

So the questions are:

1) is my understanding correct that 1-year lease is just an agreement and I don't have to pay all the 1-year price in advance? And payments are usually done on month-to-month basis or at least using some reasonable timeframes like 3-month max? So the question is do I need pay some insane pile of cash like 24k for 2k rent apartment first time? Or just first month, last month, security deposit and probably broker fee

2) how payments are usually made? Cash, wire transfer, any other cashless method?

3) if I have no credit history at all in US and will probably not have even SSN and bank account yet - how the landlords will treat that? Will e.g. 3-month payment keep their nerves in peace?
Btw I probably will have some papers from my employer confirming my salary.

4) what's the better way to find an apartment as quick as possible in my case? Find a broker? Craigslist? Trulia, Zillow? Looking for ads in local stores/newspapers? Walking across block and looking for actual signs "For rent"?

5) what districts/cities to choose? I'm looking for Newport, Paulus Hook, JSQ, Hoboken and Jersey City. Initially I thought of budget 1500 and looked into Bayonne/Union City but finally decided not to save on the apartment - finally it's a new place, new city (almost NYC!) and new country so comfort is in the first place.

Thanks a lot!

[Sb4779]

Hey you might wanna check pier and also Avalon cove

[lammius]

Hi. Welcome to NJ. I've provided some answers to your questions in bold below. Good luck.

Originally Posted by PfcGarcia

Hi folks,

I will probably move to NJ in autumn so just wanted to ask some questions on that.

Where are you coming from? Moscow, Russia
Why are you moving? New job in US, Intra-company transfer, L-1B visa
Where will you be working? 34 Exchange Place, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Will you buy or rent? Rent
What is your budget? Well for annual salary around 85-90k and as per recommendations to spend 25-30% of gross income on rent it should be 1700 - 2200 I think, including amenities. Thus, 2000, +-.
What kind of place are you looking for? 1BD or even a Studio

Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you? There is a probability my fiancee will join at some time later with her cat
Do you need/want good public schools? Nope

Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in: safe, not very noisy, with enough infrastructure objects like stores etc. May be diverse as well since I'm a newcomer.

List three things that are important to you in order of importance: furniture! At least bed, dresser, a table for laptop and a chair. Or it's easier just to buy it? Proximity to job or short commute. 20-30 minutes of walking would be ideal but 15-20 min on a Light Rail/PATH is fine as well. Then probably easy parking.


Fully-furnished apartments are not very common in the U.S. Landlords here assume you have lots of stuff of your own and will want to bring all of your stuff with you. I think some of the buildings in Newport offer some fully-furnished apartments, primarily for the benefit of short-term foreign nationals. You could buy new furniture. If you do not plan to stay in the US for very long, you could buy cheap stuff from IKEA, or there are shops where you can rent furniture.

For your budget and needs, I think downtown Jersey City (this area includes Newport, Paulus Hook, Grove Street, Hamilton Park, Van Vorst Park neighborhoods) or Hoboken are good choices for you. "Easy parking" is not a characteristic of these neighborhoods, though. Some of the more modern buildings have parking garages. Parking in these garages is typically $150-200 per month in addition to the rent. On-street parking is free, though you must buy a parking permit sticker ($15 per year in Jersey City. I do not know the cost for Hoboken).



So the questions are:

1) is my understanding correct that 1-year lease is just an agreement and I don't have to pay all the 1-year price in advance? And payments are usually done on month-to-month basis or at least using some reasonable timeframes like 3-month max? So the question is do I need pay some insane pile of cash like 24k for 2k rent apartment first time? Or just first month, last month, security deposit and probably broker fee.

Typically you pay your first month's rent when you sign the lease. You'll continue to pay rent every month once you have moved in. Rent is usually due on the first day of each month (your lease will specify the due date for rent payments). In addition to the rent, you will be required to pay a security deposit. The security deposit is usually equal to about 1.5 months' rent and is held in escrow during your stay in the apartment. When you move out, if you have not damaged the apartment, your security deposit will be refunded to you. If you have damaged the apartment, repairs will be made using the money in your security deposit. The landlord can sue you for any damages that exceed the value of the security deposit if necessary.

2) how payments are usually made? Cash, wire transfer, any other cashless method?

Bank check, most often. I pay my rent using PayPal. Your lease will probably state the method of payment expected, or you could make an arrangement with the landlord. I would not advise paying rent using cash, just in case a dispute between you and the landlord arises and you need to have proof that you paid the rent each month.

3) if I have no credit history at all in US and will probably not have even SSN and bank account yet - how the landlords will treat that? Will e.g. 3-month payment keep their nerves in peace?
Btw I probably will have some papers from my employer confirming my salary.

A credit check is standard procedure for screening potential tenants. I'm not sure how you could demonstrate your credit worthiness without a US credit history. Perhaps some proof of assets or steady income would help. Other foreign nationals may have better advice on this question.

4) what's the better way to find an apartment as quick as possible in my case? Find a broker? Craigslist? Trulia, Zillow? Looking for ads in local stores/newspapers? Walking across block and looking for actual signs "For rent"?

I used all of the above each time I've searched for an apartment. I think craigslist has more up-to-date listings than trulia or zillow, but you must beware of scams on craigslist. Livelovely.com is another good source, with listings mostly in large apartment buildings.

5) what districts/cities to choose? I'm looking for Newport, Paulus Hook, JSQ, Hoboken and Jersey City. Initially I thought of budget 1500 and looked into Bayonne/Union City but finally decided not to save on the apartment - finally it's a new place, new city (almost NYC!) and new country so comfort is in the first place.

You have the good areas figured out already. Stick to zip codes 07302 and 07310 in Jersey City (this area includes Newport, Paulus Hook, Grove Street, Hamilton Park, Van Vorst Park neighborhoods), and Hoboken is good too. JSQ isn't terrible, but it's not as nice as the other neighborhoods. Will you be visiting the area prior to signing a lease? If so, spend a day traveling to these neighborhoods to see which suits you best. They're all decent places, but they have very different character (modern versus historic, highrise versus lowrise, busy commercial areas versus quiet streets, etc.).

Thanks a lot!