So the wife finally wants to leave the city (we are in Queens).   Our options are Long Island or Northern NJ because we still have to commute to NYC for work.

We are both leaning toward NJ rather than Long Island.   We Love some of the neighborhoods In northern Jersey like Montville and Kinnelon or maybe Wyckoff....we need a neighborhood with good schools and we can get an acre or three and a decent sized house that is somewhat affordable but the taxes are pretty steep.   I’m talking $1400 a month steep......  Some of the houses are nice and reasonably priced.....but the taxes are making me rethink if this is such a good idea.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice neighborhood around here still in commuting distance (express bus) to NYC where the taxes might be a little less?


Thanks

I know that NJ isn’t a great upgrade to NY as far as politics, taxes and guns go but it sure is prettier!  I. haven’t even considered what I’m going to do with my guns yet.....

Unless you move into a small house in a retirement community the property taxes will be high.

Best to pick a town and either google or Zillow an address to see what the property taxes are.

You could always move further south to the Toms River area to save on taxes but the commute is obviously longer. There are several express buses from the Toms River Terminal to Manhattan.

Montville, Kinnelon, West Milford area all very nice and still accessible to New York City. Stay out of Bergen County if you want to keep your money. Good luck!

property taxes are high in NJ, can't avoid it. I live an hours from NYC and I pay a mini fortune.
Still, its better than living in Queens, NY.

I have new neighbors that moved last December from Staten Island to Toms River, the wife commutes to Staten Island and the husband to Queens, both driving.

If a 90 minute commute is acceptable, Easton PA is within range. It's probably about the same commute give or take as Monmouth or Ocean county NJ.

Let me give you an idea how dumb the property tax in Jersey is. For 950 sq foot home, two bed room, one bath, unfinished attic & basement, on .24 acre, the property tax is over 12k a year. We get garbage pickup once a week, recycling every other week, and a few leaf & twig pickups. The first leaf pickup is loose, the second & last better be bagged.
If you want to commute to New York, I am on the main train line (NJTransit) & in 50 minutes you will be in Penn Station.

Just so you know, there will be a new rain tax soon & there is an exit tax when you move out of Jersey.

Maxwell

You might want to reconsider.  Any move from NY to NJ to escape whatever it is you're escaping from, will only be a temporary solution to the growing problems.  And as mentioned, what you get for the extortional property tax is absolutely laughable,  and when you finally decide you've had enough of the entire northeast as a whole for the variety of reasons there are, you will be charged an exit tax when you sell your property....not sales tax, that's paid buy the purchaser....but a real estate sellers tax, paid by you as the seller, if you do not relocate within NJ.  and don't even THINK about trying to collet rain water off of your roof, as that belongs to the state and will be considered theft of state resources.  And as also mentioned, the coming rain tax based on the square footage of your home's footprint in relation to the acreage of the property...….you'd be better off staying in Queens until you figure out which part of Free America you finally want to end up in permanently.

Since when?  Plenty of my neighbors have rainwater collection systems - never saw one of them hauled away in handcuffs.  Got a reference to an actual statute that makes this illegal?

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/environment/2019/03/18/murphy-signs-nj-rain-tax-into-law-heres-what-is-whos-paying/3201036002/

Here is just one of the many references to the rain tax.

Maxwell

My BIL is in Mahwah. I believe he pays 20K + property tax.
I was talking to someone who I went to school with about 20 years ago.
She was living in West orange and paying 15K @ the time.
I own a 3br ranch with no basement and 1 bath. I pay 5k. Considering it was under 2k when I bought the house 20+ yrs ago and my services have actually gone down I consider it plenty.

wallyh4184 , we're neighbors.

I'm in upper Bergen County and pay $8k annually in taxes for a little bungalow. Excellent school system, little crime, quiet, and taxes really are not that high compared to NJ averages.

The market is stupid right now though. I wouldn't buy anything around here. Homes are selling for thousands over asking on just the day they're listed.

As far as your guns go...I have a premonition they may get lost by incompetent workers during the move. Good thing you can insure them!

Great premonition! Shhhh.

We found a couple of neighborhoods that are beautiful but the taxes are insane!  Like 20-22k yearly for an acre or so.   Montville, Kinnelon....holy crap


We have looked at a few houses now and it looks like I’m going to be paying a lot of taxes

An acre within a reasonable commute to NYC?  That's going to cost you.

Yes- Yes it is