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, Fri, 5 Mar 2004 09:02:16
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figure out where Pete is, he must be darn close to where I am :-). Hope he or his significant other hasn't run into me when I go on a rampage in the 9K Aero through the S.O. Reservation :-).
Ok, here is the take on NJ:
Highest car insurance rate (except maybe for greater NYC). I pay about $3,000+ for two Saabs with full coverage. My 1995 9000 Aero costs about the same to insure as my wife's 2003 9-5 Aero. This is a DISCOUNTED rate for multiple cars and other insurance policies with the same company. We don't have any moving violations either. Our rates are probably not the cheapest but you get the idea.
Sales tax is 6% (a reasonable rate).
No sales tax on food, clothing, shoes....regardless of amount (i.e. living essentials) and this is a good thing :-).
Property tax ranges from high to very high. Pete and I live in Essex County and that probably has the highest property tax in NJ. For a $350K home, you may pay property tax of somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000 to $15,000+ a year, no typo here. The bigger the lot the more you pay as usual (not a good thing). Some towns used to have cheaper rate, but many have re-valued the properties and the rates have increased throughout.
Well, depending on which job you take, you probably want to live in the state you work in. There are always threats of a commuter tax from NYC so figure that one in. If both jobs pay about the same, I would say take the one in NJ and live in NJ.
Commuting to NYC is relatively easy if you pick the right town to live in as Pete has mentioned. Some towns have shuttle buses to go to the train station so you can forget about driving. You don't want to drive into Manhattan everyday but some people do just that. There are direct trains to midtown NYC. However, if you intend to work in lower Manhattan, you can take the train to Hoboken and take the PATH or drive to Harrison and take the PATH and that would take you to the former World Trade Center. There are also buses going into NYC Port Authority. You get there in a reasonable time as there is special bus lane in the morning but coming back usually takes longer due to traffic.
You didn't mention which town the NJ job is in, I would think somewhere near Weehawkin ?? If so, then you have little alternative but to drive unless you live close to it. Driving anywhere near the tunnels or bridges are not fun.
Existing homes in desirable towns close to NYC have appreciated in value in recent years, so I would suggest you use the internet to browse home prices in the area. I am sure many NJ Saabers can advise on the towns you maybe interested in. I like the area we are in, i.e. South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Chatham, Murray Hill, Madison, Montclair, Morristown. Most of these have direct trains to NY Penn Station as well as buses.
If you are interested in house browsing, try Burgdorff Realty (merged with ERA) or Prudential Realty or Weichert. These are the bigger realtors in the area.
You can live a bit further out but traffic on interstates have not been good as more people moved further west in NJ. Houses are less expensive and taxes not as high but you pay for in commuting time. I do want one of those houses with four door garages :-).
You didn't mention about schools however. Most schools in the towns I mentioned are good to extremely good. There are also independent schools in the area if you want to go that route.
Oh, BTW, my wife works in NYC and I in NJ. We used to live in Upper East Side and I was commuting to NJ (not a fun thing).
Send me an email via Saabnet if you desire more help.
NJ/NY/CT Saabers welcome your potential move to our neck of the woods :-).
posted by 12.42.232...
, Fri, 5 Mar 2004 09:02:16, Sun, 7 Mar 2004 20:52:56
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