Moving out of NJ

[SeeDisney]

I'm very familiar with Hazlet, New Jersey. Used to live nearby your town at one time for about two years. I was too raised in Union County, New Jersey.

Now I live in Delaware. I know a good handful people who moved here in my part of Delaware from New Jersey due to high taxes, etc.

Good luck to you.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

And you think that is something that happens only in NJ? That people aren't judged in any other state in the country? I know plenty of people who don't have any of those things.

You're right - Here where I live, I think it is more an affulent thing (which I am certainly not - wish I were!) than a strictly Jersey thing. But the "perfect appearance" thing seems so much worse around here than other places I visited. My brother lives in the South (NC), and I feel the attitude towards your general physical appearance is quite more lenient. I just always wondered if I would have fit in better if I grew up somewhere else!

 

[Patricia]

I can relate you how you feel, I have been felt that way more than once. My issue with NJ is simply the number of people and the weather. I hate, hate, hate the winter! But my husband's job is here, our lives and familes are here, and I just could never think of leaving it all. I try to have patience with the crowded roads( Hazlet is pretty crowded btw). I guess all these people are moving here from NY for a reason. We do have a good quality of life with many amenities, that's what keeps the costs up ~ supply and demand. Never had a car insurance problem, I always wonder about that issue...
Good luck with your decision.

 

[MsDisney23]

South Jersey Here, Vineland! Yes the taxes are very high along with the car insurance! Vineland is mostly farmer's, however our town is growing bigger every day! I would like to move south into the Carolina's!

 

[rkrivas]

I have the same thoughts as you, and my first choice is also Charlotte!

I've considered selling our house and using the equity (our house value has doubled in 5 years) to buy a similar house in NC thereby having a much lower mortgage payment (and lower property taxes, too!) My only concern is that once we use our NJ home equity, if we don't like NC, it would be almost impossible to be able to come back to NJ and afford another house.

 

[bethd]

I was born and raised in Central NJ for 40+ years. The Bridgewater area. Loved it and always saw myself being a Jersey girl for life. Family and Friends there.

Well taxes and the horrible weather finally got to us in 2002 and we took the plunge and moved South. After much research we chose Myrtle Beach SC. We're 10 minutes form the beach in the top rated school system and loving every minute of it.

We built our dream home (3000 sq feet) on a pond for well under $300,000. Our taxes are well under $2,000.The weather is great. We're in the high 60's through January and no snow. The kids are swimming again by late March.

Do I miss NJ? Most definitly. We were lucky that each time family members came to visit they also fell in love with the area. Now my parents are 5 blocks away and loving the Southern life. My brother and family are next to make the move. They will be searching for a piece of land over their Thanksgiving week visit.

The most important piece of advice I can give for anybody thinking of making the move to the South is.... research it very well. Visit the area your thinking of moving to at least 2 or 3 times at different times of the year. Stop and talk to current residents. If your concerned about the schools just stop by and visit with the Principal and talk to other parents. We would stop by the elementry school at dismissal time and just start talking to people. Visit the local Police Department they'll be very honest with you about the crime rate in your chosen area. Check out the job situation. Pick up the local newspaper . Lots of good info in there

ALso, keep in mind that not all Southerners like people from the North, but you'll find that 99% will welcome you with open arms.

Good luck to all of you trying to decide if the South is the place for you.

For us, it was the perfect move.


Beth

 

[Sleeping~Beauty]

Thanks for all the advice. It's not an easy decision.

 

[SeeDisney]

Hugsfor Eyeore ---- yes, I do remember the everything for money, everything for appearance attitude about NJ. I was raised in Union County, NJ and moved away in 1991.

 

[chrissyk]

We aren't from NJ, but we did leave MA for the same reasons that you mentioned (high cost of living, high taxes, etc.). I think that NJ has it way worse than MA in terms of property taxes and even auto insurance, though. We moved to FL, but we did consider the Carolinas also. Our main regret is that we didn't do it sooner. The pace of life is just different here. I was just thinking yesterday about how our life in MA was a total rat-race. Everything was go, go, go, and everyone was always just barely scraping by. Our friends (and probably us too) seemed stressed out by everything, all the time. Life is just different here.

I DO miss a few things about MA, but mostly just stores and restaurants (we had a great Whole Foods, I miss Trader Joe's, and a Bertucci's and a Legal Seafoods here sure would be nice...).

It pains me to watch my friends struggle to stay in their homes in MA. I worry about how they'll even be able to pay the heat bills this winter I worry about the true price that my friends and family are paying to try to stay in that area. For us, it wasn't worth the stress, financial or otherwise. Growing up and in my young 20's, I never actually thought that I'd move out of MA; however, I don't regret the fact that I did. Good luck with your decision...I know that it's not easy. You'll know when/if the time is right for YOU to make the move, though.

 

[mickeymost]

I too used to live in NJ. I thought I'd be a Jersey girl forever, but nothing is forever! I lived in Jackson Twp in Ocean County and have recently moved to SE Florida. I'm so glad we did. NJ is a total rat race. I wanted my kids to grow up in a more relaxed area, life is too short to be running around crazy. I have to admit, that my car insurance as well as home owners is doubled here. Go figure! I thought NJ had the highest car insurance. Sure, I could pay less, but I'd also have less coverage than I was carrying up north. I'm not willing to lose my shirt over a car accident! The schools are just as they were up north. Alot of things I like better here. There's only one thing I don't care for down here, pods (open classrooms), but not all counties are like that. It's funny, we bought new construcion and everyone is from NJ,NY, MD or VA. The price of our house had doubled since we contracted a year ago, so like the NE, the price of housing is going nuts here too. We really like it so far, I do miss the fall changing of the leaves and my kids say they'll miss snow, but I tell them we can visit those things. And let's face it I'm only 1 hour from Disney!

It's a tough decision, but once you set your mind to it, you'll go with the flow.

Good Luck!

 

[msdznyduck]

Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin' his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door,
She said,
"Sonny, move out to the country."
Workin' too hard can give you
A heart attack
You oughta know by now
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?
Is that all you get for your money?

It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama, If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.

Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatore's down
On Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
Yeah and he's tradin' in his Chevy for a Cadillac
You oughta know by now
And if he can't drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders

And It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama, If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.

You should never argue with a crazy mind
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money?

And if that's what you have in mind
yeah if that's what you're all about
Good luck movin' up 'cause I'm movin' out.

Long post...........

 

[goofy!]

.....

 

[lazarru]

Sleeping~Beauty

We're in the exact same boat as you. We're currently in Long Branch, I work just outside the Meadowlands so my commute is anywhere from 1:15-2:30 one way each day. We actually just listed our house on the market today, between the schools, commute, cost of housing it's time to move on.

Only problem we've got is my family is all in Jersey and we don't really talk with DW family any more. While it's possible I could move out of state, working from home about 1/2 the time, I'd still need to be in the office the other half the time else it "doesn't look good"

So we're looking right now at Hunterdon country. Housing costs are less, you can get 2-3 acres for less than you can in Hazlet and while the commute will still likely be 1:15-1:30, it will be consistent so works out better that way.

We're going out tomorrow to start looking. You might consider something like that, you get a balance of moving away from the core, but still alot of the benefits.

 

[stm61]

Sleeping Beauty,

We'll be right there with you in Charlotte! I grew up in Monmouth County, where I watched all the farms and small towns turn into housing developments and the taxes go thru the roof. I moved to SC, about an hr south of Charlotte and loved it. Ended up in southern, Egg Harbor TWp, 6 yrs ago due to a job transfer. Guess what's happening here? A wonderful political invention called the Pineland's Committee has designated us a "high growth area"! Seems the politians didn't want developments in their backyards so they gave it to us. Taxes are tripled in the last 4 yrs, my dd's6 have 30 kids in their 1st gr classes, and the local Catholic school isn't any better, they're just as overcrowded. Don't even ask about insurance. The trees and farms are now replaced with developments, it takes 25 min to drive 6 miles at 330 pm. Only good thing is my little 3 bedrm ranch will now sell for about $240,000! I can buy a 4 bedrm, 2 bath, on 10 acres within 40 min of Charlotte for $185,000. I work for the federal govt and as soon as I find an opening and we sell the house, we're out of here!

PS: don't put your kids in the Charlotte metro area schools, stay outside of the city limits. There's a big difference from district to district, check before you move. Same goes for SC, the district I lived in was close to what we have here in NJ, the one right next to it was horrible.