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Hi everyone, I am new here and I have a question that I was really looking for some information on.
I am a 27 year old professional that is married and we both work in Morris County. We have a very nice (but small) cottage in a lake community that we absolutely love. Well, with our plans for starting a family in the next couple of years coming about, it is time for us to start looking elsewhere.
I found a house in Mount Arlington that we really, really like. It was built in the 1900s and is situated on a hill overlooking Lake Hopatcong. It has charm, size, and the potential to have a second income through a tenant.
But, is liking the house enough to justify buying it?
We have asked some of our native Morris friends (I am from VA, wife from south Jersey) about the Mount Arlington area and we were met with a lukewarm response. They labelled it as a "blue collar" area that doesnt have very good schools when compared to the student's performance when mixed with the Roxbury kids at the high school level.
Needless to say we were a little disappointed because we thought the small lake community close to Rt. 80 and Rt. 10 would have been perfect.
So, with all that said, what are everyone's thoughts on the Mt. Arlington area? Would it be a good place to raise a family?
With the train station scheduled for completion in Feb providing access on the Morris/Sussex line, could it be a good investment buying there, or are we grasping at straws here?
We enjoy the surrounding areas, Denville, Sparta, etc, but are now concerned with Mt. Arlington.
You'll be just fine in Mount Arlington. I lived there for 3 years, and had no complaints with it, other than the usual that are constants for all of NJ (read: taxes and traffic). When you have that built in expectation that you will endure both of these in large numbers, and then compare Mount Arlington to its neighbors, such as Ledgewood, and Lake Hopatcong, it is what it is: a middle class suburb surrounded by other middle class suburbs. Is it Mountain Lakes? No. But is it Dover or Wharton? No.
Thanks for the response, and that gave some confidence in the area. My only concern is that the house we are looking at is over $450k- it is near Windemere and has a lot of potential, but even if you fix it up, how much can you expect to get out of the property?
Dear Tallguy,
Do yourself a favor and don't purchase a fixer upper for 450. There are so many nice houses for less than that. Look around. If you need someone to help let me know.
My girlfriend went there. She pulled honors every quarter while there. When she got out, she went to County College of Morris (CCM) for two years to get all her gen eds out of the way on the cheap and then went to Montclair for teaching. It took her a long time to catch up to everyone else when it came to writing papers, developing good studying habits, etc. She realized that there were a TON of things that Roxbury high didn't teach her and she was at a huge disadvantage when it came to college. She's now about to graduate from Montclair with a teaching degree. Her GPA is great and she has done well, but she had to work very hard to catch up. I went to Secaucus High School and had no such problems....
Hi everyone, I am new here and I have a question that I was really looking for some information on.
I am a 27 year old professional that is married and we both work in Morris County. We have a very nice (but small) cottage in a lake community that we absolutely love. Well, with our plans for starting a family in the next couple of years coming about, it is time for us to start looking elsewhere.
I found a house in Mount Arlington that we really, really like. It was built in the 1900s and is situated on a hill overlooking Lake Hopatcong. It has charm, size, and the potential to have a second income through a tenant.
But, is liking the house enough to justify buying it?
We have asked some of our native Morris friends (I am from VA, wife from south Jersey) about the Mount Arlington area and we were met with a lukewarm response. They labelled it as a "blue collar" area that doesnt have very good schools when compared to the student's performance when mixed with the Roxbury kids at the high school level.
Needless to say we were a little disappointed because we thought the small lake community close to Rt. 80 and Rt. 10 would have been perfect.
So, with all that said, what are everyone's thoughts on the Mt. Arlington area? Would it be a good place to raise a family?
With the train station scheduled for completion in Feb providing access on the Morris/Sussex line, could it be a good investment buying there, or are we grasping at straws here?
We enjoy the surrounding areas, Denville, Sparta, etc, but are now concerned with Mt. Arlington.
Help!!!
Hey Tallguylehigh...If you want a bargain fixer upper, look in Frelinghuysen Twp. - Exit 19 off of Rt 80 in Warren Co. There's a development called Saddleridge - it has a foreclosure on the market for 479,000 - bank owned so I'm sure you can get it for less. It's only about 10 yrs old... has alot of property, great development and is in a neighborhood of houses selling in the high 500's. Great school system as well..... move in condition but will need some cosmetic TLC. Good luck : ))
Mount Arlington is a hidden gem. The town is small and eneryone is very friendly. New train station to NY is beautiful! It is mostly people with children that live here. There aren't alot of single people. There are brand new teachers in the schools and the standards have GREATLY improved. The superintendant came from Ho-Ho-Kus. In an age where you need to know the whereabouts of your children AT ALL TIMES, living in such a town is a relief. When my child wants to go over to a friend's house, you know the child, the family, the location and who else is going to be there. It is easier than other big towns. The kids are very very sweet. Lots of guidance in the school as far as anti-bullying programs and making the right choices in life. I know that I am not the only one watching out for my children. I have the whole town behind me.
Last edited by Merry in Mount Arlington; 02-22-2008 at 11:33 AM..
Reason: too much info
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Locatin, location, location
