Location matters more than you think in New Jersey
Do you know that very over-used phrase in Real Estate? “Location, Location, Location!”
We used to think it was just a hokey marketing slogan. And in essence, it is.
But recently, we became profoundly in-tune with it, and think that it may be the single most important criteria when finding a “perfect” place to live.
Local is yours until it falls out of favor
Earlier this year, we penned an article with a similar tone (Your local world vs. everything else {NJ and beyond!}). It referred generally to city living vs. rural living – and the overall differences. Such as driving or public transport. Or noisy neighbors versus a quiet solace. Maybe even bustling social scene as opposed to being “in touch” more with nature.
Many other factors come into play, too. The most obvious being job opportunities and proximity to those as well as other “must-have” conveniences.
You could even say that it is basically about your quality of life.
And of course, that depends subjectively on what is important to YOU and YOUR “quality of life.”
Some folks are needy. They hate inconveniences. Or perhaps they’re highly social and love people. Contrarily – others might despise most of humanity and want a more isolated life. Everyone has their own unique fingerprint.
Is any location ever “perfect?”
Sensible answers might be “sometimes,” or “for a while,” or “depending.” And in rare instances – perhaps “always.”
Retrospectively – most places people choose to live are ideal for a period of time – until they’re not. Which is why many people move several times within their lives.
Often – some individuals or families may never be fully content with where they live. Ever. There are always some downsides to where you decide to hang your coat.
Neighborhoods, blocks, even streets – MATTER
I guess the whole point of this boils down to literally the exact dwelling you choose. Seriously.
You can do all the research in the world. Find the best city. Even the best neighborhood. Heck, even the best exact street or block to live on.
Until you live somewhere for a while, you may not realize the full scope of it.
- How are the services? From government. Or from private enterprises?
- What are the households like on your block? Perhaps political positions also come into play?
- How about demographics? Similar aged? Wide disparity?
- Wildlife can come into play, as well as other things like unruly teens or even power outages and flooding.
You can even pick “the best” neighborhood and still have a bad time if your neighbors are assholes. There could be long-standing cliques that you will never be part of, and may be always construed as an “outsider.” Weird shit everywhere in this country.
Study long and hard before relocating
The best advice is to not just “glance” at where you are going to live. Your home, apartment, or property are a major part of where you choose to rent or buy. But the locale is equally as important.
Even if you really “love” a particular home or property – it would be wise to study the area for a good while to understand what life would be like living there.
If possible – contact and speak with your immediate neighbors. Gauge who they are and so on.
Spend some time in the nearest commercial areas near your potential home. Not just a few minutes, but many hours. At various points during the day and week. Meet and speak with as many local business owners as you can. Take mental notes.
Do some test drives to essential venues. How long does it take? Is it convenient? Pain in the neck? Stressful?
In other words – try hard to “get a pulse” of what life is like. Pretend you live there – get into that mindset.
It’s very possible you may have found the perfect home – but everything else is far less than ideal. Far too many people look only at the abode they choose to settle down in – and much less at the other attributes at choosing a place to live.
Is this true? Or are we just thinking too logically?
