Took Job in NYC: Seeking Advice on Where to Live in NJ & Commute (Hackensack: houses, neighborhoods)
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We moved from Dallas to the NYC area for my husband's job 4 years ago. We love it here (we also loved Dallas, btw, so we are probably the types the find neighborhoods we like wherever we go). For your budget, I would focus on towns with good schools, and not towns with "the best" schools. Short Hills is like Buckhead or the nicest area of Brookhaven. So on your budget, I would focus elsewhere.
As PPs have mentioned, property taxes in the price range you mentioned will be higher than you have budgeted. So you might need to lower the desired purchase price, especially since you said a 20% down payment would wipe out your savings...that's concerning to me from a financial perspective, since you have two kids and one not too far off from college. You'll also need to factor in school break care/camps, etc into your budget.
Housing stock is is older, and smaller, than what you would find in similar price ranges in the suburbs of ATL. Embrace it and lower expectations. You only have 2 kids, so you only need a 3 bedroom...maybe with a finished basement for when you have OOT guests. I would suggest Rutherford or Maplewood/South Orange with a purchase price of 650,000 or less. Taxes will be higher, but at least property taxes are a tax write off later. You said you like diversity, and many of the towns you originally listed are not known at all for being diverse. Ridgewood is a possibility...I have many coworkers who live there and it's a nice town. But you will have less house in your price range, and your commute will be longer than an hour door-to-door.
Feel free to ask more questions here. We live in Hoboken and love it for the walkability, urban lifestyle, family friendliness, access to the city.....but we've had many friends move out to the suburbs so I've gotten to hear their impressions of all the places they've chosen.
This house is adorable and in your price range...ish. With 20% down, you are looking at 3.5k a month for mortgage + taxes +insurance.....let's call it 4k even for utilities included. Factor in yard maintenance/snow removal and you might be around 4.3k a month. https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...14_rect/13_zm/
As for Short Hills, NJ being snobbish? I've not experienced that, but I don't feel uncomfortable around people who have wealth. Short Hills is expensive but you get what you pay for too. Millburn is almost part of Short Hills. What you should do, is also look at the train schedules for those train stations in NJ, and figure out where the house you might live in will be located. Summit, NJ is a good hub for trains and has a nice downtown, but the homes you would live in your price range aren't in downtown Summit, so expect to allow 10 minutes or more to drive to the train station with traffic for rush hour.
Yup!
Just as "North Edison" is merely a neighborhood within the municipality of Edison, Short Hills is a neighborhood--albeit a very nice one!-- located within Millburn.
I'd second Union County, Westfield/Cranford/Scotch Plains. Lower taxes, older housing stock, but should fit within your budget.
The biggest sticking point is usually a lack of direct train to Manhattan, but since you're looking to transfer to the PATH anyway it's certainly less of an issue.
Here is the thread MightyQueen mentioned. OP, PLEASE take the time to read it, you really need it. I'm not saying it to be rude, just trying to make you aware of what you are unaware of. Take a stiff drink, and sit down, you'll thank me latter for the advice.
Thanks, read the thread with a drink and then without ... and it's a little depressing either way . Seriously though, people like to complain, and I realize commute isn't fun, but it's about the right balance of things I mentioned I'm trying to achieve.
Several good suggestions for towns, all of which I'll look into, thanks everyone. Keep 'em coming . Planning to create a short list, rent for 2-3 months, check out areas, then settle on a home.
Any realtors reading, if you cover from Metuchen/Edison area and north/east toward NYC, and feel you can work with me based on my posts here, please PM me.
Number 1, you don't have to drive. Taking the train is relaxing. You can nap, you can read.
If you do end up on the Bergen County train line, as you pass through the Meadowlands in October, you will see the sun rising behind the Empire State Building. It is breathtaking.
@Annikan, appreciate your thoughts... BTW, which part of Hoboken do you live in? Rent or own? Wondering what to expect, what makes sense if I consider it as well.
@Mightyqueen801, thanks will look at Bergen county.
Thanks, read the thread with a drink and then without ... and it's a little depressing either way . Seriously though, people like to complain, and I realize commute isn't fun, but it's about the right balance of things I mentioned I'm trying to achieve.
Several good suggestions for towns, all of which I'll look into, thanks everyone. Keep 'em coming . Planning to create a short list, rent for 2-3 months, check out areas, then settle on a home.
Any realtors reading, if you cover from Metuchen/Edison area and north/east toward NYC, and feel you can work with me based on my posts here, please PM me.
Renting first is almost always a great idea. But you might want to plan on renting for a year, or certainly at least 6 months. A couple months will fly by just as you settle in. Then it may take a few months to get a feel for different towns/options. Then it may take a few months to FIND a house and then easily 60-90 days to close on the purchase. A year could fly by.
Why wouldn't you want the op to know? Just like some neighborhoods have a high concentration of any other particular religion (eg, catholics, hindu, etc). Who your neighbors are is a factor in how happy you willbe with the area.
I think you know an answer to this question. You happened to pick one group of people out of many who live in various towns that were suggested to the OP. In a tone that implied that the OP will hate Fair Lawn as soon as he finds out that there is a large Jewish population. IN that case, we will not be big fan of Glen Rock either...
I see that Aziz Ansari was absolutely right when he said in SNL opening:
"I’m talking about a tiny slice of people that have gotten way too fired up about the Trump thing for the wrong reasons. I’m talking about the people where as soon as Trump won they’re like ‘we don’t have to pretend like we’re not racists anymore! We don’t have to pretend anymore, we can be racists again!'"
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... and it's a little depressing either way 
. Seriously though, people like to complain, and I realize commute isn't fun, but it's about the right balance of things I mentioned I'm trying to achieve.
