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Where are you coming from? The south
Why are you moving? Our state sucks. We have lots of friends in NJ and we spend a lot of time there. We like NJ because it’s a blue state, close to the city, the shore, places to hike, diversity, amenities, economy
Where will you be working? DH has a job offer in Monmouth Co. but I won't let him commit yet lol.
Will you buy or rent? We’re planning on renting for a year in order to sell our current house and have more time and money to find the right house up there. But if we found the right house we'd buy.
What is your budget? $500,000
What kind of place are you looking for? We’re flexible but we need least three bedrooms and some kind of guest space (4th bedroom, den, finished basement, etc.)
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you? Husband, three kids (8,9,14). We also have a college age kid.
Do you need/want good public schools? This is the first priority. We don’t have to have the best rated academically (we have education backgrounds so we know to take ratings with a grain of salt). But we want somewhere with solid, safe, well-run schools. Good teachers, a warm environment, and lots of opportunities in the arts and sciences. I’m really concerned with my high schooler finding their people (they’re a goth theatre kid.)
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
A neighborhood where the kids can ride their bikes. Close to amenities. Progressive. I'd love to live in a cool town but I'd settle for a nice neighborhood close to a good grocery store.
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.
Schools, amenities, somewhere we can afford a decent place to live.
Thank you so much in advance for any insight and advice! :-)
Although NJ is a blue state overall, you are not going to find many “progressive” towns in Monmouth County or Ocean County. Pretty much just Asbury Park and Red Bank, but they don’t have good schools, and Asbury Park in particular is more known for being a summer destination rather than a year-round place to live. Half of it is posh and hip, and the other half is still rather dumpy and has high crime.
There are plenty of nice suburban towns in Monmouth County, just not progressive ones. There is a difference between a town that tends to vote Democrat and one that is “progressive.” Towns that vote Democrat in Monmouth County are rare enough. As far as nice ones, you might consider Marlboro, but it’s actually more purple than blue. It’s also very expensive. Your budget is a major constraint here.
Depending on where in Monmouth County the job is located, you might be able to look somewhere in Middlesex County where you might have more luck. Again, your budget will be an issue, but a Highland Park and Metuchen would be right up your alley.
For < $500k you're looking at a condo/townhouse or a small single family home. The housing market can get pricey, especially the closer you get to the beach.
Agree not to focus on the school rankings, they are heavily weighted towards school districts where parents can afford SAT prep tutor. Most of the schools in NJ have good teachers. The education will depend a lot on how involved you (parents) are in the student's progression.
In Monmouth county, some well regarded school districts are: Holmdel, Rumson, Marlboro. You might also consider towns a bit farther south (Burlington County) as it is more affordable.
You might want to consider the tiny village of Allentown. The edge on Monmouth County.
There's also Bordentown city which is about 15 minutes West of Allentown. Poster above suggested Northern Burlington county, and Bordentown City may also fit the bill.
I wouldn't consider NJ progressive. We have a progressive governor, who relies on votes from cities and towns that you would never want to visit. Asbury Park has everything that you mentioned, and spends $41k per student but you certainly do not want to put your kids to school there. In Monmouth, Roosevelt has the most democrats at 60% which might be worth looking into. Monmouth is mostly a red county.
This makes me shake my head a bit, but the last time I bought a rather nice house on over an acre of land it was less than $80K,,, I KNOW ,,, just saying,,, There are places and you have to look, my pricing realities are from the 1980's.
This makes me shake my head a bit, but the last time I bought a rather nice house on over an acre of land it was less than $80K,,, I KNOW ,,, just saying,,, There are places and you have to look, my pricing realities are from the 1980's.
You might want to consider the tiny village of Allentown. The edge on Monmouth County.
There's also Bordentown city which is about 15 minutes West of Allentown. Poster above suggested Northern Burlington county, and Bordentown City may also fit the bill.
We have friends in Bordentown and we almost bought a house in Allentown actually!
Although NJ is a blue state overall, you are not going to find many “progressive” towns in Monmouth County or Ocean County. Pretty much just Asbury Park and Red Bank, but they don’t have good schools, and Asbury Park in particular is more known for being a summer destination rather than a year-round place to live. Half of it is posh and hip, and the other half is still rather dumpy and has high crime.
There are plenty of nice suburban towns in Monmouth County, just not progressive ones. There is a difference between a town that tends to vote Democrat and one that is “progressive.” Towns that vote Democrat in Monmouth County are rare enough. As far as nice ones, you might consider Marlboro, but it’s actually more purple than blue. It’s also very expensive. Your budget is a major constraint here.
Depending on where in Monmouth County the job is located, you might be able to look somewhere in Middlesex County where you might have more luck. Again, your budget will be an issue, but a Highland Park and Metuchen would be right up your alley.
Thank you!
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