Buying in North NJ

For buyers

Most of my buyer clients start with a commute question.

They do not start with "I want to live in Chatham." They start with something closer to "we need more space, we care about the schools, and I still have to be at my desk by 9:30."

That is the right way to think about it, and it is where we should start. On schools specifically, I will point you at the districts' own enrollment figures, state-reported performance data and the New Jersey Department of Education — the primary sources — and help you read them. I will not characterise a district by the families who live in it.

How I work with buyers

We start with the trade-offs, not the listings

Before we look at a single house, I want to understand your actual week: how many days you go into the city, what time you leave, whether you need a car, what your children need, and what you would miss most about where you live now.

Then I will tell you which towns fit that life and which do not — including the ones you had not considered and the ones you should probably cross off.

I will tell you when a town is wrong for you

If your budget does not work in the town you have your heart set on, I will say so plainly rather than show you listings you will lose. Read what your budget actually buys here and you will see what I mean.

I know the streets, not just the towns

Which side of town feeds which train station. Which streets are cut-throughs at rush hour. Where the noise is. Which blocks flood. Fourteen years of living here is not the same as fourteen years of driving through.

I will not rush you into a house

The right house is worth waiting for, and a bad purchase costs far more than a delayed one. If the market is thin, I will tell you it is thin rather than push you toward something that is merely available.

The commute question, honestly

The single biggest difference between these towns is whether you get a one-seat ride to Manhattan or have to change at Newark. On paper that is a few minutes. In practice it is a missed connection, a lost seat, and an unpredictable evening.

I wrote a whole guide on it, because it decides more outcomes than any other factor: one-seat ride vs. Newark transfer.

What it costs to be here

Buyers coming from the city are usually shocked by New Jersey property taxes, and they are usually comparing the wrong numbers. A Manhattan maintenance bill and a New Jersey tax bill are not the same kind of expense. I wrote a straight comparison so you can see the real math before you commit.

And if you have found the tax rates confusing — you are not alone. There are four different numbers published for Millburn alone. Here is what each one means.

What I ask of you

• Be honest about your budget, including the number that makes you uncomfortable. It helps me protect you from stretching.
• Get a mortgage pre-approval early. In this market, a strong offer without one is not competitive.
• Tell me what you actually need versus what you think you should want. They are often different, and the second one costs more.