Karen Schade, 36, has lived in her Jersey City apartment for 14 years. Her $1,000-a-month pad, next to a noisy bar, was fine for a SWF. But now she’s a family gal, it just won’t do.
With a 1-year-old son and another baby on the way, Karen and her husband, Gary, 33, are hoping to move to a larger home.
“My car getting stolen last week was the icing on the cake,” she says. “We figured it was time to get out.”
The Schades are hoping to find a two- or three-bedroom home in a New Jersey neighborhood with a decent school system. Gary, 33, works for Federal Express in Moonachie, but the couple is willing to move to most parts of the Garden State. “Middlesex, Monmouth and Bergen counties are our top three choices,” says Schade.
With a budget of $150,000, the couple has applied for help from the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing. But their average waiting list is two years. “I’d rather not wait,” says Schade.
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Whether you’re looking for a starter studio, a multifamily brownstone or an upstate mansion, NYP Home wants to help you find your next home.
We know it can be difficult finding the right place for the right price – so let our crack team of researchers be your secret home-finding weapon.
E-mail us at [email protected] and tell us what you’re looking for – and what you can spend. We’re here to hook you up.
Cherry Hill $150,000
18 Moore Ave.
No need to rub your eyes. $150,000 really will buy the Schades this turnkey four-bedroom, 1.5 bath Colonial with a large backyard and – get this – a swimming pool.
Located in the popular suburb of Cherry Hill (read: a town with great public schools), this house has hardwood floors, a full basement, central air-conditioning and ceiling fans throughout.
Now you’re probably scratching your head and wondering, “what’s wrong with it?” Well, there’s no garage, but there’s plenty of street parking. And keep this in mind: when the neighbors are up early to shovel their driveways, the Schades will be drinking coffee in their toasty eat-in kitchen. Agent: Barbara Smith, Exit Realty, (856) 216-0400
Union Beach $149,900
707 Beachview Ave.
For ever-so-slightly less than their budget, the Schades can buy this Colonial with wrought-iron bannisters in Monmouth, a New Jersey county renowed for its public schools. While there’s “just a little work” to be done, they’ll get three bedrooms, a 14-foot-long living room, 1.5 baths, and they’re zoned for Memorial Elementary School.
Throw in wall-to-wall carpeting, vinyl siding and a newly updated heating system and you’ve got a lovely little starter home. Best of all, the Schades can smell the salt of the ocean from the house – Raritan Bay is but blocks away. Agent: Jo Reuter, RE/MAX, (732) 933-0200
Mahwah $150,000
600 Pulis Ave.
Some might call it a mobile home, but we prefer to think of it as a ranch. After all, it’s located in a mobile home park that’s been grandfathered in – the houses across the street are worth millions. The land fee is $600 a month, and for that you get a large lot around the house (for privacy), it’s next to a lake (for fishing) and it’s located in the upscale town of Mahwah (for great schools). The house has three large bedrooms, a fireplace, central air-conditioning, a washer/dryer and best of all, a prime Bergen County location. Agent: Andy Collier, Weichert Realtors, (201) 327-0600