| Author | Message | ||
     Townie |
Here's a link to an article in the real estate section of the NY Times about how, in Westchester, homes continue to receive multiple bids and sell for far above asking despite talk of an economic downturn. You need to be registered with the Times to read it, but registration is free. This story is about towns similar to Maplewood within commuting distance of NYC. http://www.nytoday.com/scripts/editorial.dll?fromspage=re/RealEstate.htm&categoryid=&only=y&bfromind=18&eeid=4121880&eetype=article&render=y&ck=&ver=2.5 | ||
| Nicky |
Took NJ advice and went to an open market this afternoon(it's been 10 years since I've done this). The house is on the market for 799k (currently assessed for 681k). According to the realtor, they have three serious bids already. Maybe there's still life in this crazy market. | ||
| Nicky |
oops--I meant "open house". Maybe it has been a little too long. | ||
| Nakaille |
So the value has risen 118K in a couple of months? And there are a couple of "serious bids?" Octofoil, Overtaxed, LydiaL and others, where are you? Maybe it really IS time to put your house on the market, cash in, and buy something else in town, or wherever. Just a thought. Bacata | ||
| Nilmiester |
Bacata: I think people might buy in eastern sections of town but but it is tough when you mention that your house has been robbed. After being robbed, most people move. I have to hand it to you for your understanding and forgiveness for these acts but it is dangerous and you or someone you love could get hurt. I think for the eastern section of town, crime is what is preventing the increase in property value. Has anyone looked into a neighborhood watch for your area? | ||
| Plonk |
With notable exceptions, could it be that the original assessment may have been correct? And the mill rate continues to go up to pay for the now under assessed westerners. | ||
| Nakaille |
Nil, I have absolutely NO "understanding or forgiveness for these acts." I also have no resources to move (where could I buy another house if I were able to get the 163K CV says I could, outside of Hilton/Orchard) unless I want to leave Maplewood. I don't. I also know that houses are broken into and cars are stolen in other parts of town. Most people are simply not as forthcoming with this information as I am. The murder did not happen in my neighborhood, as one egregious example. I think the perception of crime on the eastern side of town is much higher than the actual incidence. And that skincolor has a lot to do with that perception. Just my opinion. Bacata | ||
| Overtaxdalready |
Bacata, I think you're right. I sure don't want to pay over $15,000 per year just to stay in Maplewood. Maybe there is a sucker out there just looking for a "great deal". | ||
| Nilmiester |
Bacata- I thought you chose to stay in your home, not that finances dictated it. MOST of the crime reported in the New Record lists theft and robbery on the Eastern side of town (the majority). Also when suspects are caught or fleeing, they are usually from Irvington, Newark or East Orange. That is not perception, it is reality (as far as the News Record). Maybe there are lots of crimes not reported on the west side but why not? | ||
| Lydial |
Bacata - my husband and I have been debating putting our house on the market and getting out of Essex county entirely. If my eldest (almost 7 years old) was 3 years younger I would move. My husband called me today from Northampton, Massachusetts (Pioneer valley - Western Mass.) good schools, five colleges that offer myriad resources to the town, clean air, free buses, diversity, unspoiled woodlands... Um, anybody wanna buy a 3 bedroom colonial in "mansion" condition? At $427K, you can't afford NOT to buy it! | ||
| Octofoil |
Lydial, We are definitely moving just as soon as my kids finish CHS (3 yrs). I mention this because your post says that you would move if your eldest was 3 years younger. To me, "almost 7" sounds like a great time to move! If mine were 3 years younger, we wouldn't wait, but the youngest is 15! We intend to get out of Essex Co. entirely. | ||
| Overtaxdalready |
Same here Octo. Enough's enough. | ||
| Nakaille |
Nil and others: I chose Maplewood for its diversity, among other things. I would have been happy to look anywhere in the whole town. Out of 50 homes that were available for sale in my price range 10 years ago, only 2 were outside the immediate Hilton/Orchard neighborhood. Those 2 homes had very serious problems that made them worth much less than their immediate neighbors. And yet, as we know, there are many 3 bedroom colonials on comparable lots (50x125) throughout the whole town. This is one of the pieces of evidence to me that home values did NOT rise uniformly throughout the town from 1981 to 1991. So I definitely do not agree with the analysis that the price differential is only the result of the last 2 or 3 years of sales. I would still be happy to live anywhere in Maplewood. If I seriously thought I had the resources and that there was a part of town significantly safer that I could afford, of course I would consider moving. But I would still want to know that a significant percentage of my neighbors were NOT white. I'm not sure that's true in some of the neighborhoods my friends have moved to as they've traded up within Maplewood. I agree that most of the perpetrators of crime in town do not live in town. I like my neighbors very much. For a couple of years we even had a Maplewood/Irvington neighborhood association in recognition of the fact that there is no magic line from one side of a street to another. We had a couple of neighborhood street parties. I will not contribute to white flight if I can help it. So, there are trade-offs even if one can afford to live "anywhere." You make your tradeoffs. I'll make mine. Unless something changes drastically in my finances, I'll stay right where I am. But hey, if you want to sell me one of your lovely homes for around 163K, I'll be happy to consider it. I still think Maplewood is a great town and I'm happy to raise my child here and send her to our public schools. Bacata | ||
| Harold |
Just to let you guys know, not all of the crime is committed in the eastern side of town. As I've posted before, I use a scanner to listen in to Police, Fire, and County calls. I think its fairly obvious why most of the crime reported in the newspaper is shown to be on the eastern side.....to keep the values up on the west side. There are plenty of burglaries, assaults, etc. ALL over town. For example, you just don't hear about the car thefts out of Ricalton parking at night [patrons usually at the movie]. And approx. 2 years ago the assault of a woman in her apartment in the Village, which there is still a reward for info leading,etc. The alarm business is booming in all parts of town. | ||
| Overtaxdalready |
Not really "white flight"..more like "assinine tax flight". | ||
| Cfa |
Harold, The assault of the women in the village was in the newspaper. I read it in the News Record but I'm not sure if it made the Star Ledger. It may have. I wish I had as much time as you to sit and listen to scanners. Seems like fun. I love to thrive on crime, fires, accidents, etc. |
