Lookin for decent place to live in N. Jersey

[Blackbirdws6]

Well I'm getting married in a couple months and we are starting to look for a house in N. Jersey. This is a tough question to ask but We are looking in between Springfield and Franklin Lakes. This where we each work so access to 287, parkway, or turnpike is optimal. Clifton is dead in the middle but I don't want to base everything just on a central point.

Anyone have any recommendations for a good decent area to live. Thanks.

-Brian

[chevyt454]

Metuchen is right off 287

[nj96z28]

franklin lakes is a pricey area and clifton isnt too bad.

[EchoMirage]

plenty of for sale signs here in wallington

[97slpss]

we have a spot for ya here in Fairfield

[GP99GT]

dont move to west milford

[maroman88]

my towns nice, house prices have really started coming down too, like every where i guess lol, access to the parkway is just up oradell ave. taxes are on the high side tho, id look into paramus, near the oradell boarder cuz taxes are lower and houses roughly the same size

[ar0ck]

Come to Hawthorne! Right along 208/287/rt80/Turnpike & Parkway!

[transamkid]

clifton is pretty decent, and theres alot of us fbody guys around
=)
my stepdad is a cop here too

[Blackbirdws6]

thanks for the tips guys. Looks like Essex county is a good area for us to start and we will def. be checking out clifton. We may be takin a ride this weekend to check a few places out. I wish I was checking some places out in S. Jersey but its just too far from where we work. I'm in Piscataway and my lady has a 55 mile drive each way as it is.

-Brian

[79CamaroDiva]

just a word of advice.. traffic in the clifton area is the absolute SUCK within any 3 hr window of AM or PM rush hour. essex county is the most expensive county in the state. Avoid rt. 80 for the 15 miles east or west of Parsippany. Check into Cedar Grove or Verona, right on 23 with easy access to where you need to be.

[Blackbirdws6]

great information. Thanks for the heads up. Damn this house search business kinda blows.

[njcamaroz2895]

Hillsborough is close enough to rt 287, but dollar for dollar you can get way more house and a nice back yard and great neighbors but the commute is worth it!!!

[EchoMirage]

im 5min from any major highway...within 10min from the pike and parkway. NYC is 20min away

[slasherbarb]

i live in the suburbs of Paterson and it isn't so bad...pretty close to 80 46 and the Parkway...tons of affordable houses...some on my block in fact....:-)

[ar0ck]

i live in the suburbs of Paterson and it isn't so bad...pretty close to 80 46 and the Parkway...tons of affordable houses...some on my block in fact....:-)

I'll second that Barb lives in the nice part of Paterson, right next to Totowa.

[Blackbirdws6]

well I scheduled a few places to look at in paterson. I'm not very familiar with the area but I will obviously see it when I check out the houses. The prices looked pretty reasonable so hopefully we will find something we like. How are your taxes?

-Brian

[slasherbarb]

According to my parents, the taxes went down in the past year...they said the taxes would be around $4-6k depending on the size of the house...

[Billfromnj]

Kenilworth...its right off the parkway, and right near springfield and is a nice town IMO...i've been living there for about 1 yr now and have had no complants at all....

[The Fixer]

According to my parents, the taxes went down in the past year...they said the taxes would be around $4-6k depending on the size of the house...

That's nice, taxes go down over there. :moon: Ours have gone UP every year. When we bought our house six years ago, we were paying 6K in taxes. We just got our statement for next year, hello $9K for my little 70-year-old 2-bedroom Colonial on a 50x100 plot. Bergen County taxes FTL.

[Knipps]

That's nice, taxes go down over there. :moon: Ours have gone UP every year. When we bought our house six years ago, we were paying 6K in taxes. We just got our statement for next year, hello $9K for my little 70-year-old 2-bedroom Colonial on a 50x100 plot. Bergen County taxes FTL.

i don't think my family's paying that for a 350*50 in mahwah

[Savage_Messiah]

Metuchen is right off 287

He said north jersey :lol:

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

According to my parents, the taxes went down in the past year...they said the taxes would be around $4-6k depending on the size of the house...

What?! WELL over 12k in taxes here, pretty sure it's more like 15k/yr. It's 2.75 acres.

[chrisfrom nj]

cedar grove looks prety nice

[The Fixer]

What?! WELL over 12k in taxes here, pretty sure it's more like 15k/yr. It's 2.75 acres.

No offense, but that's friggin' cheap, considering the amount of land you have! Let's put it in perspective. One acre is roughly 208x208. You could fit 8 properties the size of what I have on ONE acre, and still have enough room for a street down the middle. If you guys have 2.75 acres, that's equal to roughly 22 50x100 lots with a 16ft. wide street down the middle. That's my whole block!!!

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

No offense, but that's friggin' cheap, considering the amount of land you have! Let's put it in perspective. One acre is roughly 208x208. You could fit 8 properties the size of what I have on ONE acre, and still have enough room for a street down the middle. If you guys have 2.75 acres, that's equal to roughly 22 50x100 lots with a 16ft. wide street down the middle. That's my whole block!!!

As stated, I have no clue exactly what it is, it could be that semi-annually, since I know that's how we pay here. Being 18 and living with the rents, I have no idea what they pay on taxes, I don't ask questions haha. That's only what I've overheard. Not many houses at all in my area are 1 acre, either. Not sure if they take that into account.

[JerzyIroc]

you can always move to jersey city. lol ok stop laughing :)

[Blackbirdws6]

According to my parents, the taxes went down in the past year...they said the taxes would be around $4-6k depending on the size of the house...

Thanks for the heads-up. I've scheduled to look at a couple of places in the Hillcrest area? Supposedly that is the good area, correct me if I'm wrong? Of course after I schedule, I've been hearing iffy things about Paterson. I'll have to see for myself but I'm now a bit more leary.

-Brian

[slasherbarb]

Thanks for the heads-up. I've scheduled to look at a couple of places in the Hillcrest area? Supposedly that is the good area, correct me if I'm wrong? Of course after I schedule, I've been hearing iffy things about Paterson. I'll have to see for myself but I'm now a bit more leary.

-Brian
I live in the Hillcrest section...it is nice, like any basic suburb...I live on Richmond Ave if you are checking any houses near there...just look for the black 4th gen camaro with an SS hood and thats me 8-)...most of the stuff you hear is about the downtown area near the projects and all that, and the border near clifton isn't too good, but Hillcrest is far from all that...

[97slpss]

cedar grove looks prety nice


Cedar Grove is very nice...If your ever going to be around that area, the caldwells, or verona let me know I would be happy to show you around a bit.

[firehawk1120]

PM sent - local Realtor

[zuuhlsT/A]

Butler and some parts of Bloomingdale are nice, so is Kinnelon. It's like 3 to 5 minutes to 287 from these towns.

[BonzoHansen]

just a word of advice.. traffic in the clifton area is the absolute SUCK within any 3 hr window of AM or PM rush hour. essex county is the most expensive county in the state. Avoid rt. 80 for the 15 miles east or west of Parsippany. Check into Cedar Grove or Verona, right on 23 with easy access to where you need to be.

+1 A crap commute can have huge impact on 'quality of life'. I might suggest when you begin to narrow down the choice, actually go up there in the AM and simulate the commute. Also, renting for a year is not a bad thing. It can be better then a $200-300k regretted decision.



Is the Cedar Grove Inn still there on 46 across form the diner & Clove Road entrance to Montclair State? Ah, drunken carry out at 1 AM....

[Blackbirdws6]

+1 A crap commute can have huge impact on 'quality of life'. I might suggest when you begin to narrow down the choice, actually go up there in the AM and simulate the commute. Also, renting for a year is not a bad thing. It can be better then a $200-300k regretted decision.



Is the Cedar Grove Inn still there on 46 across form the diner & Clove Road entrance to Montclair State? Ah, drunken carry out at 1 AM....

I've actually done this for a couple of the areas we are in and the commute was just fine. I think it's mainly because I am heading south and I like to get to work by 8AM if not earlier.

Thanks for the tips.

-brian

[ar0ck]

I've actually done this for a couple of the areas we are in and the commute was just fine. I think it's mainly because I am heading south and I like to get to work by 8AM if not earlier.

Thanks for the tips.

-brian

Have you tried going home in those areas? As in your coming home from the south, heading north. Because that could be a whole nother ball game. Move to Hawthorne!

[Blackbirdws6]

as long as my commute each way is less than an hr...I'm fine with it. Granted the bird will most likely never see this commute. :)

[firehawk1120]

So how is the hunt going? Find anything interesting yet?

By the way not sure if you read it or if you were given the information but the school report for NJ public schools just came out as well as a ranking of the local towns.

[Blackbirdws6]

Found a few interesting homes. We threw a low-ball offer on one we liked that is a short-sale so we will see if they take it. I'm keeping things simple. 3 bedrooms, 1-1/2 bath, eat-in kitchen and of course....a garage for the bird.

I have a busy couple weeks with work but will start actually looking at some again in a week or two.

Thanks for the info on the NJ schools.

-Brian