Dear Lily,

I am selling my townhome in West Windsor for $440,000, approx. 2,300 sq ft. 3 bedrooms/ 2.5 baths, finished basement and a full two car garage. Please see my listing on Craigs list.
http://cnj.craigslist.org/reo/1189252356.html

Hi Lily:

I highly recommend you consider NJ's "best kept secret"....Lighthouse Bay, a beautiful community that was initially built in late 2002 to early 2003 on the Raritan Bay.

Lighthouse Bay is a resort-like community comprised of 250+ townhomes and single family homes in the thriving waterfront/beachfront town of South Amboy. The prices in Lighthouse Bay currently range from $410,000 to $1,695,000. For residents of the community, Lighthouse Bay offers private yoga and ZUMBA classes, a tennis club, book club and a career networking club.

The thing that makes South Amboy so unique is that it offers full-service NJ Transit train and bus service, there's a gourmet market, quaint restaurants and vibrant downtown area. Not to mention, Newark Airport is approximately 15 minutes away, Staten Island is less than 20 minutes away, and Manhattan is less than 40 minutes away.

There are very few towns in so centrally located in New Jersey, that allow you to get to NYC so quickly and put you in such close proximity to both the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. South Amboy's public and private schools are becoming increasingly competitive, as the average test scores among students continue to rise.

If you'd like to view homes in Lighthouse Bay, please click here http://amberlovesrealestate.com/view-my-listings.asp.

I'd be happy to show you the either of the 3-bedroom + 3.5 bath townhomes I have listed in Lighthouse Bay, as well as any others listed by other agents.

All the best,
Amber


AMBER NOBLE-GARLAND
Waterfront Home Expert & Short Sale Specialist
Weichert, Realtors (Marlboro~ Manalapan office)
455 Route 9 South
Manalapan, NJ 07726
917-723-5645 - cell
732-536-4400, ext 199 - office

http://www.AmberLovesRealEstate.com

"Your Reliable Resource For NJ Real Estate, Local Info & More"

Hi Lilly, I would add several other communities to your list of those you consider. Let me start with Livingston - there are some very nice townhomes there in your price range - click on the link below:
http://emailrpt.gsmls.com/public/show_public_report_rpt.do?r…

....more to come.

Best,
Jeannie Feenick
Search and connect at http://www.feenick.com

Hello Lily,

Looks like you are in good hands in the Princeton area. Best of luck with your search for a new home. If you, or someone you know, will be considering the Morris Township area please have them contact me. I would happy to help!

Randy Hurley
e-mail: Randy.Hurley@CBMoves.com

Hi lily- How about a single house in Princeton Walk? It is in a Homeowner's Association (HOA) and the benefits include grass cutting, leaf and snow removal and the HOA provides a clubhouse with exercise equipment and an indoor pool. There is also an outdoor pool and tennis courts, all for only $195.00 a month. The house is in great shape. A single house has much more light and less neighbor interaction across the walls. It's listed at only $525,000. Interested? It might be a good substitute for a townhouse.

There are some townhomes that are for sale at the Estates , the top end of your price range. if I can help you at all my cell is 609-977-5343.

Again, thanks to everyone here for your thoughtful responses to my question! I appreciate very much. All your replies help me to sort out my plans and thoughts about where I should stay. Julie, thank you for letting me know that West Windsor provides a bus service to certains private schools which I never knew this even I have lived in the area for 5 years. Yes, I need to drive to Princeton for school drop off every morning and evening. After reading every response here, I think I just keep staying in this area. The estate in Princeton Junction (Toll brothers) is the community I like to be around but the price still seems high. Any available ones which are under $550,000, with 2-car garage?

Hi Lily!
Everyone here has made really good points, one thing to consider is how your children will be getting to their school. There are some private schools which offer buses and some districts give bussing to local private schools. For example I know West Windsor provides a bus service to Hun or you get a refund for bussing non use. Do you want to be driving into Princeton for school drop off and then onto the station? If so then perhaps being near a station may not be so important to you after all. Hope this helps

Hi Lily,

There are plenty of townhomes that meet your needs.
You need to answer a few questions first.

How far do I want my commute to be?
How far do I want my childrens commute to be?
Is having a town center and walkability important to me?

Once you have answered those questions you can substantially narrow your search. Below is a link to the NJ State School Report Card. And although your children will be going to private school it gives a good snapshot of the communities and their school systems which helps hold up property values. Let me know if I can answer any more questions for you. I am best reached at 609 529-6146.

CAmille Lee
Weichert Princeton

Lily: Yep, Ken is right (again.) Property taxes can be lower in PA.

I too am licensed in PA and lived in the Morrisville-Lower Makefield-Yardley Area. I also have commuted to NYC from Trenton, before there was a Hamilton Station. Both the stations have been upgraded. (Trenton's is about 95% brand new.)

The train time is about an hour, depending on the specific train you catch. The two stations mentioned have one great advantage over Princeton. They come first and you get a seat. Newspapers, coffee and a bun can be a pleasant morning ride addition and, going to Trenton, you are going from the last station so you don't even have to watch for your stop.

I'd go as far west as Newtown (I once had my license in an office there) and up to Washington Crossing from the Yardley area in my search but that of course, is up to you.

Hi again Lily, the tax situation is certainly a driving force and needs to be confronted. The Princeton area is not an inexpensive place to live. Do you commute to Newark every day? Do you have a limit for what you would consider in a commute? Is 1-2 hours be too long or would you travel further? What other ammenities do you consider important in the place you live besides a nearby train station and low taxes? Do you like a quaint downtown, a park system to enjoy, an active theater group, to name a few? There are so many places, along the NJ Transit system, that are nice and have lower taxes than the Princeton area. So, I suggest that you list all the things you are looking for, including commute time, and narrow the search from there.

Lily I have clients who like yourself are tired of high taxes and costs of NJ but need access to Princeton for their children also attending private schools. I am licensed in Pa and suggest this for you. You can take either train from Trenton or Hamilton station and are not too far from Princeton yet have much lower taxes.I would be happy to assist.
Kenneth "Ken " Verbeyst CRS GRI ABR SRES GREEN
Broker-Associate
Princeton
LIcensed PA&NJ

Thank you all for taking your time to answer my question. Ok, I take Kenneth and William's advice to narrow the area I'm searching for. The private school my kids are going is in Princeton. As you all know, the tax in this area is killing me, which is not benefit any to me. But I also need to be close to the train station for commuting. Any suggestions for lower tax area for me?

I agree with Jeff. Morris county would be a good option-especially Denville.
Let me know if you would like me to send you some avail. options.
my e-mail is cadonof@aol.com
Regards,Carolle

Morris County is a choice to consider. Great quality of life, easy train access to Newark with also alternate modes of transportation. visit; prudentialnewjersey.com/jeff.halpern for your search and a snapshot of the area I love.
Good luck!!

You do have many choices, "dont care about schools" ? The schools have a tremendous impact upon resale price and time on market.What about your commute to the private schools? Suggest you narrow area then reach out to a couple of agents and ask how they can help you.

Lily: You've chosen an awfully big area to cover, as you can see by the responses already given. If you want to stay in the Princeton area and want to work with a Realtor, I'm ready to sit down with you to further refine your search.

If you are just generally "looking" at this point check out Realtor .com or the Keller Williams site.

Best wishes with your search.

Bill Holt

Hi Lily -

ALso .......... Check outh Light House Bay in South Amboy. I have Listed & Sold Unoits in this development.. what a great Water side community! The Pool is on the Bay.. the house are on the BAy and the Train is right there! South Amboy is a real gem that many people do not know about.. but wait until you see the Townhouses!

http://msx.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=1575862132&…

John Sacktig
Broker / Manager
Orange Key Realty
Office: 732-863-6969
Cell: 732-213-1409

JSacktig@orangekeyrealty.com

Hi Lily...

Take a look - See if any of these are of interest and I can set up someappointments to see them!

http://msx.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=473807900&s…


I can find you others...

John Sacktig
Broker / Manger
Orange Key Realty
Office: 732-863-6969
Cell: 732-213-1409

Hi Lily-

There are lots of choices for you that meet your needs in several Essex County towns and one in Little Falls in Passaic County as well.

Call or email me and I will happy to provide you with those listings.

-Sloan

Sloan Berman
Schweppe Burgdorff ERA Realtors
973-509-3970 office
862-368-4963 cell
sloan-berman@burgdorff.com http://www.burgdorff.com/sloan-berman

Hello Lily,

I am not an expert in the Princeton North area but am sure that you will be able to find a great place to live! I do have a number of associates that would be able to help you, but they would first need to know a few things. For example, what is your time frame? Would you want to move as soon as possible? If so, have you taken the step to get pre-approved? This step is necessary for a buyer to take you seriously. Do you have to sell your current home in order to buy this new home? If so, you may have a contingency situation on your hands. This is not a problem, just something for you to consider when you move forward with an offer. These are just a few of the things your agent would need to know in order to find you the best new home.

I am sorry not to answer your question directly but it is important for your agent to know this information in order to best serve you in your search.

Please let me know if this was helpful and if you would like the name of an agent that specializes in this area so that you can best be served! My e-mail address is Randy.Hurley@CBMoves.com