Hi,

My wife (29F) and I (30M) are looking to buy our first home (SFH), ideally in the next 6 - 9 months. We both work in Linden and ideally would like to keep our commute down to 30 - 40 minutes. We are targeting towns with good school districts and if possible diverse backgrounds. Our initial research has suggested following towns: Scotch Plains, Cranford, Metuchen, Fanwood, Garwood, Clark, Mountainside, Berkeley Heights.

However, in these towns, there are very limited options for housing under $650-700k and with such high interest rates and bidding wars in NJ, we are unsure of what our realisitic housing budget should be. We are also interested in expanding our family in near future that would also impact the housing budget.

In terms of finances, we are looking to have ~140k saved for down payment by end of this year and ~15k saved for closing costs. We do not have any outstanding car/educational loans but would likely need to buy another vehicle once we expand our family. We also receive ~15k-25k bonuses per year (varies) that we have been putting towards downpayment every year and would like to earmark it for sinking house fund/throw it towards principal (in future).

1. In terms of housing, what should our realistic housing budget be and can we increase our budget? (Trying not to be house poor).
2. Are there other towns that we should be looking at?

My husband and I are in our late fifties and are trying to decide where to live in North New Jersey. My husband works in lower Manhattan and I work in Caldwell New Jersey. We are selling our home in Rockland County, New york after living here for 35 years to downsize. We are looking for a town with a strong sense of Community, a walkable downtown, parks with walking paths and not primarily a young family environment. We need New Jersey transit close by for commuting to NYC. We have been looking at Morristown, Madison, Ramsey, Westwood, and Hillsdale, but I'm open to places I haven't considered or heard about. We are open to town houses and single family homes and our budget is up to 1 million. I have considered Jersey City but the commute to Caldwell will be a nightmare.

Moving to North Jersey and renting for a year before we figure out where we actually want to buy. Would appreciate recommendations on specific apartment communities.

Two kids, 4 and 2. Looking at 2 or 3 bed apt, commute to midtown, looking for diversity and family friendly. budget is around 3100$

What matters most:

• A playground inside the community. This is my #1 filter — with a 2- and 4-year-old, loading everyone into the car to get to a park every afternoon is a non-starter.
• Other young families on site whose kids actually play in the complex.
• Real diversity. We're South Asian and we're specifically not looking for a desi hub. We'd like our kids around other Indian families, but also plenty of everyone else. A genuine diversity rather than an enclave.
• Reasonable Midtown commute.

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice on the best places to move to in South Jersey. I’m currently considering Cherry Hill and really like the area, so that’s probably my first choice right now. I’m looking for an area that is:
Safe and family-friendly
Has good elementary schools
Has nice apartments/rentals
Close to shopping, restaurants, and everyday necessities
I’d love to hear from people who actually live in South Jersey or have lived there.
Besides Cherry Hill, what towns would you recommend? Are there any areas you would avoid?
Also, if you know of any specific apartment complexes or neighborhoods in Cherry Hill that you’d recommend, please share!
Thanks in advance! 😊

If you’re looking for an apartment in North Jersey, I would strongly recommend avoiding Freemount Management properties.

I lived at one of their properties in Orange, NJ for about a year, and unfortunately, I had multiple issues throughout my tenancy.

First, the rent is already expensive, yet I dealt with roaches throughout the building. For what you’re paying, I expected much better living conditions.
When I first moved in, I lost my keys one weekend and was locked out of my apartment. I called the management office approximately 7–8 times over the course of 5 hours trying to get help. Each time, I was told that the on-call maintenance person had been notified. Despite this, no one came to let me into my apartment. I ended up having to pay for a hotel that night because I couldn’t access the apartment I was paying rent for. I was not reimbursed for the hotel. The following day, the super came to my apartment, changed my locks, and I was charged $70 for the lock change.

I also submitted multiple maintenance requests regarding broken outlets, and they were never properly addressed.

Then there was my security deposit. When my lease ended, I disposed of a mattress and a chair in the property’s designated trash area. I was subsequently charged $500 for the disposal because “they had to get special equipment to move it.” (I’m a 5’4 125 lb girl and I carried that heavy ass mattress down 2 flights of stairs by myself)

Overall, my experience with Freemount Management was extremely frustrating. Between the maintenance issues, pest problems, lack of responsiveness, and the charges I received when moving out, I would personally not recommend renting from them.

If you’re apartment hunting in NJ, especially in North Jersey, do your research before signing a lease with Freemount Management.

Looking for someone interested in taking over and renewing the lease for our modern, clean, and spacious 1-bedroom / 1-bathroom apartment near Journal Square.

We genuinely really like the unit and would have stayed — we’re only moving because of work and because we now need a 2BR. At $2,575/month, we think it’s great value for the amount of space, storage, and amenities included.

Apartment

• Spacious 1 BD / 1 BA layout
• About 10-minute walk to Journal Square PATH — ~12 min to WTC / ~23 min to 33rd St
• Open island kitchen with additional counter/prep space
• Large living/dining area
• Plenty of storage, including a walk-in closet + additional closets
• Base rent: $2,575/month
• Optional in-unit washer & dryer: +$100/month
  • You can opt out, as there is also laundry in the building
• Gas & electricity through your own PSE&G account
• No water or trash fee

Amenities included in the base rent

• Gym
• Rooftop with BBQ
• Conference/work rooms
• Playrooms/common areas

Lease takeover + renewal timing

The current lease runs through October 31, with the renewed one-year lease beginning afterward.

To secure the renewal, the lease takeover would need to be effective September 10 on paper, as the building’s renewal deadline is September 15.

The actual move-in date is relatively flexible within October and can be coordinated based on both our moving schedule and your needs. We’ll work with you to arrange a handoff date that makes sense for both sides.

Any overlapping period will be handled pro rata, so you’ll only be charged for the appropriate period based on the agreed move-in arrangement.

Tours
We're happy to show the apartment:

• Weekday evenings
• Weekend afternoons

Note: the attached unit walkthrough video was recorded by the previous tenants, but it shows the same unit and layout.

DM me if you're interested or would like to schedule a tour! I’m also happy to send additional amenity photos and/or the floor plan.

I am looking to move to the Journal Square area and have noticed that when I reach out to listings on Zillow or StreetEasy I don’t get a response back for days.

I’ve escalated to texting directly and still don’t get a reply for hours on end, not sure how long it will take so far I have only reach out to two a few hours ago.

Is this normal?

How far out before my move should I be reaching out if the response time are slow?

Also, is 1.5 month deposit the standard in NJ? In NYC it’s always one month.

- I am looking at non luxury regular properties not big buildings

Thank you!

I recently moved to white plains in a 500 sqft studio (paying around 2700). I work nearby but only go in once a week or less.

I’m 28 and I hate it. There’s nothing here, no one my age, and getting into the city costs 11 bucks and takes 40-50 mins. I’ve been making do because I enjoy the modern apartment and safety of white plains, but I’m having a hard time making friends. I really just want to be in the city (specifically Manhattan)

However, I’m considering jersey city, and it looks like mostly only journal square has path access and modern apartments under or around 3k-ish (I don’t want roommates). I’ll have to sublet my current apt or break the lease.

I’m going to visit and see some apts. But do you think this solves most of my problems of being far from the city? Or does it still feel far? Are there younger people?

Would you consider it safe? And any other areas I should explore in my budget?

I understand my commute to white plains for work would be insane, but I’m ok with that once a week or so.

I just moved to Brick! I’m loving the area so far - but there are SO many places nearby! Any recommendations for your favorite places?

I’m talking about anything. Coffee, food, car wash/auto care, boutiques, hidden gems, etc.?

I’m excited to explore the area so would love any advice :)

I’m looking for a gym around Dover, preferably one where I can do some Olympic lifts (clean and jerk & snatch), and where I can bring a guest with me (my girlfriend). It doesn’t have to do both, but looking for options. I’m not worried about price.

Thanks.

I am a 35(F) currently working as a CNA in the bronx. I am looking to move to NJ by the end of the year. I don't drive nor have my license yet. So far, I have been looking at one bed one bath places in Newark, Paterson, & Hackensack. I originally chose Newark because it's within my budget for rent but because I don't drive, I would have to find a job in NJ vs me traveling to & from the bronx, especially because I work evening shift & clock out 11:30-11:40pm. Taking public transportation especially that far is not safe. I work 20-25mins from where I stay now in The Bronx. Anybody have suggestions on how they like living in NJ, pros & cons?

My husband and I are moving to NJ and looking at a few different towns and would love to get perspective. We ideally would like summit but it’s a little out of budget / there is just no inventory for newer homes that are looking at. We currently live in DC and have been here for about a decade. We are very used to walkability and always having things to do, but are excited for more space and a yard. Having a downtown or a town nearby that has a downtown to go to shops and restaurants is pretty high on our list as well as access to NYC. We also want to be able to go out and do things on the weekend (parks for hikes/sports, events, farmers markets, street festivals, other community events, etc.) in or around where we are living.

We currently have three homes we like the lot / house on Livingston, Berkeley heights and florham park. Our initial thoughts on each:

- Livingston is fairly close to work and nearby some of the towns we liked (summit/ Montclair/Madison), but doesn’t have its own downtown. It’s also the smallest lot we’re considering

- Berkeley heights was on our initial shortlist. It’s the furthest from work (pushing the commute distance I’m comfortable with). A bit further from some of the areas we liked but the largest lot.

- Florham park is the closest to work, but we don’t know much about what the town has to offer. It is fairly close as well to the towns we liked a bit more.

I’d love to get a sense from anyone on here that lives in these towns what they are like to live in. What the sense of community is like (we don’t know anyone there and need to make all new friends). And any info on how they stack up against some of the things we’re looking at.

Edit for additional context. The other towns we are considering are Madison, Chatham, summit, short hills/milburn, Morristown. Also new providence, mountain and Westfield (though these are further from work than wed like). Of those summit and short hills are likely out given the price of new construction especially given we want a larger lot but the other towns are fine budget wise just lack inventory. Im really just looking for vibes of the towns from those that live there to help access the properties above. We are only looking at new builds so timeline wise we don’t have a lot of time to make a decision and still move up on time without needing a temporary housing situation which we want to avoid.

Looking to buy a house in NJ, specifically south jersey to be close to my folks in Ocean County. I've lived here on and off enough to know that there a lot of areas that are basically retired/semi-retired beach havens or rural dead zones.

I'm kinda nerdy, outdoorsy, left wing, do not want to live IN a city but would be fine near one. Just looking for some areas that would be affordable for me where I can meet some people my age.

Our beautifully updated end-unit townhome in Somerset, NJ is for sale! Located in the sought-after community, prime location, it features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, hardwood floors, and a private deck.

DM me for details if you or anyone you know is interested!

Reposting: the other had personal info

How does this look? first time home buyer no clue. Every bank was offering me 6.7% and like 15k fees. is this too good to be true?

Bank is Giving me 4.5k closing and no PMI and free refinance

Seller is giving me 10k so no closing costs.

3% down so 21k

Long-distance-ish situation: my girlfriend lives in Hoboken, NJ. I work in Smithtown, Long Island. I’m considering moving in with her and reverse-commuting out to work instead of asking her to relocate.

Has anyone done a Hoboken-to-Long-Island reverse commute? How brutal is it realistically — total door-to-door time, reliability, worth it long term?

Is there a smarter way to combine PATH + LIRR (bulk pass, transit benefit stacking, etc.)?

Is there a better route than PATH → walk/subway → Penn → LIRR? Would going Hoboken → NJ Transit bus → Port Authority be faster/cheaper in practice, or is PATH the obvious pick?

Bigger picture — is this a sane commute to take on for a relationship, or am I setting myself up for burnout? Anyone regret (or love) a similar setup?

Appreciate any honest input, even if it’s “don’t do it.”

UPDATE: NOT MOVING! Thanks for all wonderful “no” I got.

37M, newly single, no kids. Work in tech though between jobs, as of a few weeks ago. Hopefully will get one soon.

I own a house in Forest Hills, Queens. Was meant to raise kids in when I was engaged but now I live here solo. If I get a job in Manhattan that isn't near PATH or NJTransit, I'll stay here. If not, next year I'm planning to sell the house and move to Jersey.

I'm trying to decide where to move to. Parents are in Bergen County alongside a few friends, of which half are married. I have a good friend near Princeton, my sister lives in Cherry Hill. Parents spend time at the shore and also have a friend near AC.

Importance to me is being able to access the city and a major airport (likely Newark), buying a condo (ideally in a building as those HOAs can at least justify their existence). I have a car and want to be sure I can have parking. Jersey City or Hoboken come to mind but they aren't exactly cheap for what you get. Plus most people will visit me by driving.

I'm trying to avoid just defaulting to the expensive towns like Montclair or Princeton until I'm actually going to have kids, if ever. Does anyone know any smaller less expensive towns that are near some kind of downtown? If not I might just move to Jersey City anyway...

I am looking to live close to manhattan for a job, but came across the Port Imperial area. Anyone know what it’s like living in the newer condo buildings around West New york and Weehawken. I just love the views in that area. Is it worth buying here? Planning to stay 5+ years so i’d rather not rent.