| Author | Message | ||
     Weberlang |
My husband and I are currently renting in Montclair, and are seriously considering buying a house in Maplewood (I don't know what you'd call the section of town it's in, about midway between the Clinton School and Valley Street, just about 1 mile from the train station). We're very confused, though, about what's going on with the property taxes in town, and aren't sure if we can rely on the 2000 taxes quoted by the listing agent as being an accurate reflection of what the taxes would actually be once we moved in. For what it's worth, the house we're thinking of buying is attractive but relatively modest (3-4 br, one bath), in need of a lot of updating (it was built in the 1920's and not much has been changed since then), and the neighborhood seems quiet and very well kept, though not extravagant (mostly older colonials, no victorian mansions that we noticed). My gut instinct is that this is what I've heard referred to as the "middle" of Maplewood, which, if I understand correctly (and I very well may not), is the kind of place where taxes are pretty much staying the same. What do you think? Am I totally off base? Is there any place I can go for a quick non-technical (number crunching makes my head spin) education on what's going on in Maplewood in general, and in our prospective neighborhood and with our prospective house in particular? Any feedback would be very much appreciated. THANKS!!!! | ||
| Eliz |
Sounds like you are looking in my neighborhood - I would suggest you ask for a copy of the sellers letter from Certified Valuations stating the new assessment value. Or better yet you can just stop by town hall and look up the address and they will tell you what the new valuation is. Then you multiply it by 2.75% (that is the minimum - the number will go up with new school budget etc) to get an estimate of your 2001 taxes. There are many homes in this area getting increases of a few hundred to a few thousand so you better do your homework! Good luck. | ||
| Kap |
There are also homes in that area that are scheduled, for the moment, for decreases. Eliz is absolutely right. Do your homework. | ||
| Weberlang |
Thanks for the good advice, we've definitely got some research to do. On a related note, what is this neighborhood called, anyway? And how do you like living there? Scary that I would seriously consider buying a house without knowing anything about it's location other than it looks nice, but in this crazy "you snooze, you lose" real estate market there isn't much time to think things through before you decide whether or not to bid on a place. I definitely think it's a good sign, though, that the people who use the Maplewood message board are so helpful and proactive -- if that's any reflection on the general population of Maplewood then I think we'll really like it there! | ||
| Njjoseph |
Weberlang -- also, if you consider your purchase price to be the assessment, and multiply by 2.75%, you're likely to get a more accurate tax figure. Valuations are soon going to be modified annually based on sales figures, and if you're buying, you're pretty much setting the price. In addition, if you think the house needs work that you will have done in the next year or so, prepare to add the cost of the renovations into the purchase price, as your valuation will definitely go up. Unless you have an immediate need to move, I'd suggest you look around Maplewood first, get to know the neighborhoods and schools, and don't worry about snoozing and losing. There will always be houses on the market. Good luck! | ||
| Vicdeluca |
Weberlang - I hope you will move into town. I am the mayor and would be glad to discuss this and any other issue with you. Give a call to Maplewood Town Hall, 973-762-8120, and leave a phone number where I can call you during the day and/or night. I will contact you within a few days. Thanks for considering Maplewood. Vic De Luca | ||
| Harold |
Weberlang, before you buy, check to see if a realtor will take you by Columbia High School at approx. 2:45-3:00 p.m. Also please check out the school system very carefully...... | ||
| Njjoseph |
Harold, what are you trying to say? No innuendos, please. | ||
| Nohero |
I had posted a long response to Harold in this thread, but then decided to move it to here: Another Harold Thread. | ||
| Njjoseph |
Thank you, Nohero. I've been considering not paying attention to Harold, and I've now made my decision. | ||
| Weberlang |
Weberlang again. I appreciate all of your help, everyone, the more information we have the better informed our decision will be. I have read postings on this board about afterschool fights on Parker (and the house we are looking at is about 1/2 block off of Parker) and I was frankly unsure what to think about it, but I think it's a good idea to check it out myself and decide how much of an issue it really would be for me. As for the schools in general, since we are recently married and don't plan on having kids for a while they're really not of immediate concern to me personally, except as to how they would affect the resale value of the house (not a small concern at that). Also, as a proud graduate of the NYC public school system, I tend to think that a good education can be found in seemingly unlikely places, and would frankly prefer a diverse educational experience for my hypothetical child over a priveledged homogeneous one (I really couldn't see raising a child in Millburn, for example). But please, level with me -- are you trying to say that the neighborhood we are looking at is "undesirable"? I know how subjective these kinds of opinions are, and frankly we could never afford to buy a house, say, west of Wyoming,so to make comparisons to that section of town really doesn't do us any good. But still, if this is the neighborhood that everyone whispers about, I do want to know. I thought it was a good sign that the neighbors on either side of the house are looking at had swingsets in their yards, evidently they feel ok about raising their kids there . . . | ||
| Nohero |
This is a case where looks are not deceiving. We live a short distance from the area (as you have described the location). The neighborhood is not "undesirable". There are not daily brawls or roaming gangs. It's a nice neighborhood in a nice town, with good schools. With nice people (just like the rest of town), who intend to keep it that way. | ||
| Mim |
I live near the high school too (and no, the realtor wasn't ever cagey about avoiding the neighborhood at certain times of day). I am utterly UNfreaked-out about the HS students who walk to and from Columbia on my street. They don't seem much different from myself and my friends circa 1973, and we all turned out okay. Never saw a fight, tho I'm sure they occur, just as they did back then. Definitely NOT an undesirable neighborhood -- our house has nearly doubled in value in 4 years (according to Certified Valuations AND all other -ahem- objective criteria). | ||
| Lseltzer |
I also live on Parker east of Columbia. I'm not all worked up about the kids walking home, although I must say that I have seen many fights along the way and I wouldn't be surprised to see another. I've called 911 on them. | ||
| Mag |
I also live (very) close to CHS and agree with Nohero and Mim. I have a flexible work schedule and I am out and about in the neighborhood during all times of the day, including drop-off in the mornings, at lunch-time, and at 3PM. Yes, the kids are also out and about during these times, but like Mim said, their behavior is not much different than that of myself and my friends at that age. And yes, we all turned out alright too. The decision to purchase my house in this neighborhood was predicated on alot of factors, including but not limited to: 1) the time frame I found myself working with; 2) the need for proximity to the train station; and 3) I decided that, due to the lack of bussing, it would be nice not to have to drive my children to school when they reached high-school age. Also, as it turned out, I have wonderful neighbors and my children have good friends on the block. | ||
| Davel |
Weberlang Rather than just looking at the value of your property I suggest you look at the whole neighborhood (or the whole town if you want). The former mayor (and still a Town Committee member) posted valuation and tax data for every address in Maplewood at: http://members.aol.com/revalinfo07040 | ||
| Townie |
Weberlang, Please ignore Harold. It seems he's got a bee in his bonnet about some grand conspiracy he perceives is afoot to paint a false portrait of Maplewood as nice place to live. But as Nohero said, the looks aren't deceiving. I checked out a lot of places in the NYC metropolitian area before moving to Maplewood, from Port Washington in Long Island, all through Westcheseter, down from Bergen County through Montclair and I checked out Westfield too. I'm still glad I picked Maplewood. It's a beautiful town with lots of nice people and, alas, a few *ahem" cranky ones. I hope you move here, too. We like mentally alert, inquisitive people! Ask all the questions you like. By the way, when I drive by CHS between 2:45 and 3pm I see a racially diverse student body cutting up, flirting, roughousing, exchanging books, daydreaming, being snotty, playing music, waiting for rides, eating snacks, looking bored -- you know: a bunch of kids finally released from a day of high school. The most worrisome thing I've encountered is kids paying more attention to their friends than traffic before stepping into the street. | ||
| Eliz |
Weberlang - as everyone else says - ignore Harold he lives in a parallel universe. I live on the corner of Parker a few blocks up from CHS. I also read the posts before we moved in this year and expected I don't know what after school. The kids are kids very much like Townie described. I've haven't seen a fight and I'm home almost every day. This is a very nice neighborhood and I'm sure you would be happy here. | ||
| Jem |
Weberlang, Not only do I live fairly close to CHS, but one of the kids walking home from the high school in the afternoon is mine. Lots of the kids walking east are black (although mine is not) and this appears to be the major source of some people's consternation. But, they're all just kids, who respond with a smile if you say "hi," and with a scowl if you scowl at them. The neighborhoods surrounding the school are friendly, full of great houses and interesting people. Hope you choose to join us. | ||
| Yvette |
Weberlang - I just read all the notes under your heading and I just have to add my "two cents" I've been a resident of Maplewood for 3.5 years and I have nothing bad to say about it. When my husband and I were looking in different towns, he insisted on Maplewood, he said it would be best for the kids. He was absolutely right. My children are constantly busy with school and sports and in turn this keeps me busy. I meet alot of parents (from all sorts of backgrounds) through PTA/HSA, soccer, football, cubscouts... it's great. I live on Parker and I take my older son to SO Middle school every morning, I see the kids walking to Columbia, no problem. I take a lot of days off in the spring, I see the kids walking home, no problems. I do hear every now and then about a scuffle, but that to me is expected in any school. The middle schools have scuffles every now and then, as far as it affecting the town, I don't think so. But as stated earlier, please do your hw regarding the tax issue. |
