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We just rode by my old house last week and very surprised to find out it was on the market.
Its about an hour more or less from the Big Yapple in Rockaway Township NJ.
I haven't checked what its going for but originally it was about $80 K back in the early 80's then in the $300K range a while back. About 1 1/4 acres, 3 bedroom, part of a country club lake community, so yes there are such places, and I originally worked in Queens NY when we first bought it, which back then was like a 1 hour or anywhere from 45 to 75 minute drive.
Built in 1962, this property was last sold for $319,500 in 2004 and currently has an estimated value of $287,422. The median price for this area is 327500. There are currently 2,085 similar properties for sale within 10-mile radius, ranging from $99,000 - $649,500.
If you up your budget to 400k and your commute to 1hr 15 minutes you can find something nice in upper Westchester (Croton, Yorktown, etc.). Also, I would drop the lot size requirement since 400k houses on large 1 acre + lots are usually in desolate areas which may not work for a single mom (my 2 cents) -- just get an electric fence in a 1/4 acre lot and the dogs will be fine (a lot better than midtown Manhattan).
Not sure if you are looking for a special someone, but your odds are MUCH higher in NYC than out in the burbs/sticks. Single mom prospects in the burbs are limited since single veterinarians are in short supply and require you to have an amazing applesauce recipe.
thanks for all the input. just to clarify a few things that aren't options:
a) giving up the dogs. i made a lifelong commitment to them, too. and it's not like i can't support them. sure, i'd love to spend more time with them for selfish reasons. but if i don't move in the very immediate future, i'll go back to finding someone to give them 2 hour daily leash walks while i'm at work and confine myself to faster, bladder-relieving walks and indoor cuddles/training until circumstances permit more/better.
b) downgrading to less than two bedrooms. mentioned above, i work from home 50% of the time. it's awesome, because on those days, i hire a babysitter for a few hours in the morning to take him on a park/museum/etc adventure and feed him lunc while i work. then i put him down for a nap and keep working. then i get to spend the whole afternoon/evening with him until he sleeps, when i finish up my 8 hours per day. but being able to work from home requires an office, and a pretty soundproof one with a closeable door, for me to be effective with other people around. currently we both sleep in one bedroom and the other is my office. could not make-do with less than this, which is why moving more downtown, closer to his current daycare doesn't seem all that practical.
i would be willing to consider renting a home for a while though. and needs remain the same, though i'm guessing i'd be paying about $3k per month in rent (at least) for something comparable? also going to be very challenging to find a home with a yard that welcomes two large dogs so that's why i lean towards buying.
love the suggestion of rockaway. but a couple things: googlemaps shows that as being 1 hour and 10 drive away, so... pretty much the same as the town i mentioned, right? 2 hours in traffic? and no public transport options available.
the bottom line is that i think my hardest window is the next two years. where a good montessori type school is just, well, expensive. but when he turns four, there may be public school options. another thing i haven't disclosed is that a friend alerted me to a scholarship at a really fantastic private school that's reserved for foster children and former foster children (think like calhoun or bank street school). in the past five years, no one's applied for it because it's just not well known and is such a specific population. so while a long commute with a kiddo to school in the morning is also not ideal, i'm pretty sure there will be more affordable quality school options for him available if i can just make it to 4
and i think i can do that, even if it involves stopping some 401k savings, delaying college funds, or tapping into other assets. i just really, really, really, for peace of mind's sake, need more space and to get out of the city.
was totally thinking westchester to start, also because of the convenience of commuting to grand central. i do work literally on top of it.
i'd probably go for 400 and a quarter acre, but i was only finding those properties in mount vernon. and i do feel like if i'm going to do the westchester thing, i should at least aim for the good schools. i found some properties in pleasantville and chappaqua for 500 (and an additional 12ish k in property taxes.) but not anything really lower. while i could maybe cover that, it sounds uncomfortably tight, esp with all those additional home ownership expenses i know will creep up, so i haven't pulled the trigger.
thoughts? would also consider a duplex type situation, even though being a landlord's a whole new set of headaches- i think they're ones i wouldn't mind taking on as much, especially if it results in my property tax being covered.
Not sure if you are looking for a special someone, but your odds are MUCH higher in NYC than out in the burbs/sticks. Single mom prospects in the burbs are limited since single veterinarians are in short supply and require you to have an amazing applesauce recipe.
haha. i've actually thought of this. right now, my head's so not there. and honestly, i'm pretty happy with things. finding a husband with a kid...i can't even imagine the additional complications. eep. but if things change, i will still be working in the city. hopefully that helps. in any case, not willing to live here now on the offchance i'll feel up for s/o searching later.
perfecting my applesauce recipe in the meantime is totally doable though. i mean, i have an enthusiastic tastetester (or three) and everything.
was totally thinking westchester to start, also because of the convenience of commuting to grand central. i do work literally on top of it.
i'd probably go for 400 and a quarter acre, but i was only finding those properties in mount vernon. and i do feel like if i'm going to do the westchester thing, i should at least aim for the good schools. i found some properties in pleasantville and chappaqua for 500 (and an additional 12ish k in property taxes.) but not anything really lower. while i could maybe cover that, it sounds uncomfortably tight, esp with all those additional home ownership expenses i know will creep up, so i haven't pulled the trigger.
thoughts? would also consider a duplex type situation, even though being a landlord's a whole new set of headaches- i think they're ones i wouldn't mind taking on as much, especially if it results in my property tax being covered.
I'd keep your budget in the $400K-$450K range with $10K or under in taxes. Ditch the big property for NY, I'd look in Pleasantville,Ossining and Croton On Hudson. You should be able to get a nice little 3BR on a quiet street with a yard.
If you want to try NJ, I'd stick to Fair Lawn and Rutherford. Small Lots but you'll get the most house for your money and lower taxes with a very manageable commute and the dogs will still have room to roam.
love the suggestion of rockaway. but a couple things: googlemaps shows that as being 1 hour and 10 drive away, so... pretty much the same as the town i mentioned, right? 2 hours in traffic? and no public transport options available.
would love options of where to look.
Ha it seems ole Googster Maps is not setup to show buses and trains from Morris County well.
Theres a bus about every 30 minutes during the day from the center of town travels along US 46 then through Denville, Parsippany etc, about 70 minutes and also train stations in Dover or Denville, Mt Tabor, etc.
Back when we bought that house in the early 1980's it was about $74K, I drove to Woodside Queens and back 5 days/week, then later in a diff job took the bus to midtown 6th Ave Manhattan, etc.
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