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Moving Tips

The Best Up and Coming NJ Places to Move to in 2025

While mortgage rates might have leveled off, housing prices are still going up in New Jersey, especially in locations where people can easily commute to NYC or Philadelphia. Since 2012, New Jersey’s overall population has increased by 4 percent with some locations growing by more than 20 percent! Of course, the cost of houses in these popular areas are also going up significantly. Before the prices get too out of control, you might want to consider looking at these New Jersey towns.

Westwood

Known as the Hub of the Pascack Valley, Westwood offers easy commutes to New York City. In fact, you have multiple forms of public transportation to choose from. Hop on the NJ Transit line at Westwood station to get you to Penn Station or transfer at the Hoboken Terminal for access to other transportation options including the PATH, New York Waterways, or the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. You can also catch a NJ Transit bus that will take you to Port Authority Bus Terminal. 

But you don’t need to leave Westwood to enjoy some amenities. The Downtown area is a regional hub that offers plenty of shopping and dining options. Go to Westwood Cinema and enjoy a movie or check out Fritz Deitl Ice Rink to brush up on your ice skating. Otherwise, go to the community center to check out the many events happening throughout the year. 

While Westwood is by no means cheap, it is more affordable in comparison to its neighbors. Median home prices are around $650,000 and expected to go up in the next few years.

Barnegat Township

Located along the Southern shore of New Jersey, Barnegat Township population has steadily grown since 2000. This is due in part to the town’s focus on building 55-plus housing. In fact, two of the largest builders in this field – Lennar and D.R. Horton – have constructed nearly 600 age-restricted luxury homes, adding to the already 3,000 homes available. Besides 55-plus housing, the town is also building certain areas along the waterfront to encourage more professionals and young families to move in.

This is a great town if you love the outdoors. Even with all the new construction, the area still has a fairly rural feel with the majority of the township being taken up by the Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area to the east and Greenwood Forest Wildlife to the west. Both locations offer extensive hiking trails, making it perfect for those who want to enjoy some nature. Manahawkin is one of the few remaining salt marsh and transitional woodland coastal habitats in New Jersey. On the other hand, Greenwood Forest is the largest tract of land preserved by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife with over 95,000 acres.

So long as you don’t try to get a home close to the water, you can easily find a nice home here for under $400,000.

Griggstown

At just under 50 miles away from NYC, Griggstown is in that sweet spot where it’s a bit too far away to be considered an easy daily commute to NYC but just close enough to still have access on the weekends. As such, it’s not seen as an attractive option for people who want to work in NYC, but it’s definitely a great place for young professionals and families as the town is very safe and, for those with kids, great schools!

When it comes to activities, Griggstown is perfect for the outdoor enthusiasts. Enjoy a scenic walk along the Princeton Highlands/Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve Trail. It’s a lovely trail during all seasons and you get to enjoy a shallow wading brook if you head south or a wide open meadow if you head north! If you prefer a more structured outdoor activity, Griggstown is home to the Bunker Hill Golf Course where you can practice your swing. After a game, head over to Griggstown Farm to buy some seasonal produce.

Griggstown is a great area and as such has a pretty high price with homes selling for almost $500,000. But, if you want to live in a quiet area but still be close enough to a big city, it’s a great option.

Hackensack

While it might not be the most populated city in New Jersey, Hackensack is the most populous municipality in Bergen County with a population of over 45,000. As such, it’s a great place for people who want to have ‘city’ amenities without paying city costs. And, at just under 15 miles away from New York City, it’s the perfect place for young professionals to move to if they want to save some money.

Hackensack is served by three train stations on the NJ Transit Pascack Line with two of them going to Hoboken Terminal. There are also multiple buses that take you to Port Authority Bus Terminal and still more that take you to other major hubs such as Newark and Jersey City. Downtown Hackensack has plenty to offer from delicious restaurants to bars and clubs. If you want to relax a bit, you can enjoy views of the Hackensack River at Foschini Park.

Despite all of these perks, Hackensack is pretty affordable with home prices averaging under $350,000, that is if you can find it. Hackensack has more renters than homeowners, and average rents are high with one bedroom apartments going for around $2,200.

Bayonne

Bayonne has become more popular as Jersey City continues to grow and expand. With more affordable housing and rent, Bayonne is attracting young professionals who don’t mind commuting a little longer for work. As such, the area has seen a huge growth in restaurants, bars, cafes, retail shops and more! It’s a perfect place for young professionals who want to stretch their dollar.

Despite its proximity to NYC, Bayonne was not on many people’s radar until around the early to mid 2000s due to it being designated as an Urban Enterprise Zone. This allowed businesses to hire locally while also encouraging shopping thanks to the reduced sales tax. Thanks to this, more businesses started moving to the area and now there are over 200 businesses that make up the Bayonne Town Center. The revitalization of the downtown area, Bayonne has brought back popular attractions including the Bayonne Hometown Fair which was revived in 2015.

Home prices and rents are expected to increase, especially once a ferry terminal gets built, but for now you can find houses for under $450,000 and one-bedroom apartments renting out for under $2,000. Prices won’t stay this low though as more people realize how convenient the area is!

Prepare for Your NJ Move

Whether you choose the locations listed above or find a place that suits your needs better, NJ Great Movers is here to help with your transition. Our trained team can walk you through the process so you get a better understanding of what we offer and what you need. From there, we’ll make the move as easy and stress-free as possible. So reach out to us for your free estimate!

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General

Pros and Cons of Buying a House in New Jersey

Deciding between buying a house or renting an apartment in New Jersey is an important decision and ultimately boils down to your circumstances. For many, homeownership is often seen as the next step in adulthood as it means you now own an appreciating asset and can decorate and remodel as you see fit without needing to ask a landlord. Still, buying a home isn’t always the best choice, so how do you decide which one is right for your circumstances?

Advantages of Owning a Home

Buying a home is a huge decision and requires a lot more planning than renting a home or apartment. However, there are a lot of benefits to being a homeowner that you might not realize, especially if you have been renting for a long time. 

Consistent Monthly Payments

The biggest benefit is the monthly cost especially in areas with a low cost of living. Gone are the days where you wait for the rent increase letters from your landlord when you want to renew your lease. Instead, you have a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage where the principal and interest rates are the same every month. You can even reduce your payment by refinancing it if the rate drops. If you’re comfortable paying a higher monthly amount, you can go for a short-term mortgage.

Build Equity and Net Worth

Another huge benefit of owning a home is that you build equity with each payment you make. Take a look at the amortization schedule you received that came with your closing paperwork to see how much you’re actually paying towards the interest chargers and loan balance. In the beginning most of your payment will go towards the interest, but over time you’ll pay down more of your loan, which will build equity. In general, it can take up to 10 years to actually build positive equity for your home, but the longer you live there the more wealth you can build.

On that topic, you can convert your home’s equity to cash, which you can use to pay for improvements on your house, consolidate your credit cards, pay for college or a business, or even purchase a vacation home or rental properties. The best part is that you don’t need to sell your house to have access to these funds.  There are a few ways you can have access to the cash:

  • Cash-out refinance – this involves taking out a larger loan amount for more than you currently owe and pocketing the difference. You can usually borrow up to 80% of  your home’s value
  • Home equity loan – a popular choice if you’d rather borrow against your equity without replacing your current mortgage. You’ll get the funds in a lump sum and pay a fixed rate.
  • Home equity line of credit (HELOC) – this works like a credit card but is secured by your home. You only make payments on the amount you use and can pay off and reuse the credit for around 10 years or so.
  • Reverse mortgage – If you’re over the age of 62 you can convert your equity to cash and you won’t have to worry about a monthly mortgage payment

As you increase your equity over the years, your home value will also increase over time so long as there’s no major hiccup in the real estate market similar to the 2008 housing crash. This, in turn, increases your overall net worth and if you do sell, you’ll hopefully be able to pocket a bit of cash.

Build Community

Owning a home provides stability, which is especially important if you have children. Most homeowners live in their homes for 10 years before selling, which means you have plenty of time to get to know your neighbors and for your children to make lifelong friends. Plus, your kids will likely do better in school as they won’t have to worry about moving and you can be involved with community organizations like school boards, PTA, etc.

Disadvantages of Owning a Home

While homeownership is great, there’s a reason why many people opt to rent apartments instead of purchasing a house. Not everyone is right for ownership so it’s important to weigh the pros and cons before you decide to take the plunge.

High Upfront Costs

While owning a house might be cheaper in the long run, you have to put up a lot of money in order to close. People often save for years to have enough to afford the downpayment for a house. And that’s just the beginning of upfront costs. Unless it’s specifically stated that the owner will pay for closing, you will need to provide it. Closing costs generally run from 2-5% of the purchase price and includes fees such as:

  • Property tax – New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation!
  • Mortgage insurance if you end up putting a down payment of less than 20%
  • Home inspection
  • First-year homeowner’s insurance premium
  • Title search
  • Title insurance
  • Points – prepaid interest on mortgage

It can take up to five years to recover all these costs!

Ongoing Costs

On top of the upfront money you need to spend, you’ll also have to pay a lot on a monthly basis. Sure, your mortgage might be cheap, but once you include everything else, you might end up paying the same if not more as rent on a home. If you’re used to renting, all of the costs you need to pay for may come as a surprise. You probably already pay for electricity, gas, and internet, but if you own your home, you have to also pay for:

  • Water
  • Sewage
  • Trash collection
  • Heating
  • Homeowners Association dues (if applicable)
  • Homeowners Insurance
  • Private Mortgage Insurance – if you paid under 20% with your down payment
  • Property Tax

All of this can add up to hundreds if not thousands of extra dollars that you’ll need to include in your monthly budget. Make sure you have enough money to pay for all of these as well as the basics like food, gas, car insurance, clothes, etc.

Maintenance

You are the owner of your house, which means you are responsible for everything! So if your roof leaks or an appliance breaks down, you will need to figure out how to fix that and pay for it. Living in an older house might seem romantic, until there’s something you need to fix every month. Before you fall in love with a place, ask about upkeep on key items like the roof, boiler, septic tank, etc. Ideally, you’ll want a place with a relatively new roof and appliances as they should last around 5-10 years with yearly check-ups/maintenance. 

And speaking of maintenance, don’t forget you have to maintain your entire property. So if a tree falls down into your neighbors yard, you will need to pay for its removal. If you are part of an HOA you will also have to follow the rules set out including keeping your lawn mowed, having a well-kept house, and, if you have a dog, ensuring you have the appropriate enclosures to prevent your dog from entering your neighbor’s property.

Less Mobility

What might have seemed like a dream house can end up being a nightmare. Maybe you hate your neighbors or perhaps you got a great job opportunity on the other side of the country. Whatever the reason, you need to move quickly. Unfortunately, selling a house can take some time especially if you’re moving during the winter. And while houses have been selling quickly, there’s no guarantee this will last. Plus, a fast-moving market means it will also be harder for you to find a new home without putting down a lot of money. If you know your career requires frequent moves if you just want flexibility, home ownership might not be the best option.

Falling Property Values

Homes are generally an investment and their value continues to grow over the years. But that doesn’t mean that’s always the case. For example, in 2008 property values plummeted due to the housing crisis and those who had to move during this time ended up losing a lot of money as their houses were selling for below the initial purchase price. Ideally, you can ride out the downturn and wait for the market to rebound, but that might not always be the case. Still, buying is generally a safe investment and you should only consider purchasing a place if you plan on living there for a long time.

Move to Your NJ Home

Whether you decide to buy a place or rent, NJ Great Movers can help make your transition seamless. We’ve moved hundreds of people all over New Jersey so we know exactly how to navigate the streets and homes of NJ. If you need professional NJ movers, look no further! We can help with local or long-distance moves and offer full packing services and storage.