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公司為了把員工從千裏之外搬過去,可謂費盡了心思。尤其在這樣一個低迷的經濟危機的時期,仍能如此周全,令人心裏溫暖。
除了飲食起居一應顧到,我們抵達的第二天,公司請了 Relocation 專職人員在早餐時開講座,讓我們熟悉當地的環境,接著把我們員工和家屬一並帶到公司總部參觀,那頓午飯雖是在員工餐廳邊的小宴會廳吃自助餐,味道可說是我吃過的眾多員工餐廳最好的。吃完飯,員工得以麵會即將共事的同事和上司,家屬和孩子們得以喝咖啡聊天上網。
我趕緊抓緊時間給我們“中國人在矽穀”寫作圈的輕舟寫了一個伊妹兒。本來想到東部,可以和東部的幾位圈友見見麵,到了才知離人家還遠得很呢,我們時間又緊,加上沒有車(一切均公司安排接送),最後誰也沒見成,假公濟私沒成功。
家屬們吃好喝好聊好,員工們也上司下屬統統見過,大旅遊車載著我們在方圓三十英裏左右的範圍內一個小城一個小城的轉悠,東部的小城鎮與西部的不大一樣,那裏水份多,到處都是綠得讓人心醉的綠草地,又正值深秋,紅紅黃黃的楓葉把一個小城鎮裝點的色彩燦爛、詩意盎然。民宅更是與加州的風格截然不同,一個個正正規規的殖民地風格的房屋,就像《小鬼當家》電影裏麵的那樣,還有那種帶著很重歐式風情的 Tutor 有尖頂的房屋,我非常喜歡。
記得有個中形的城鎮叫 Montclair, 我很鍾情,一條長長的街道,形形色色的店鋪,旁邊一個個小街巷,樹枝般的延伸著,街邊的咖啡店一張張座椅等著人入座,悠閑的行人牽著狗兒漫不經心的邊走邊看,畫廊和藝術品店琳琅滿目,空氣中飄著意大利食物的香味。有一條街,我看得好眼熟,好像去過似的,便問導遊,導遊說那是類似紐約蘇荷區的風格,所以我會有似曾相識的感覺。那個小城有鐵路通往曼哈頓,隻需三十五分鍾就可以從這個寧靜的花園之地進入國際大都市紐約,怪不得很多人住在新澤西的郊外,乘公共交通車去紐約上班。
隔天的一早,每對夫妻都配給一個房產經紀,我們與一位中年的黑頭發的女人凱瑟琳相遇。凱瑟琳是個有著豐富經驗的百萬經紀,剛見麵的時候,她讓人的感覺並不容易接近,幾棟房子看下來,到了午飯時間,她介紹我們到她住的小城裏的一家意大利餐館就餐,那家的味道真是不錯,看我們吃的讚不絕口,一頓飯吃完,她和我們接近很多。
總的來說,東部的房子相對加州的房子,又大又便宜,雖說新澤西的房子在整個東部亦算是價格不低的了。最讓我們 impress 的 是每間房子不僅麵積大,而且還幾乎都有一個巨大的地下室。大多數我們看的房子人家都把地下室裝修好了,有的成了遊戲室,有的成了家庭電影院,還有的成了健身房。另外一個讓我們 impress 的特點是很多房子的後院非常得大,有的後麵直通樹林,完全看不到左右隔壁的鄰居。
不過,東部的房子也有讓我們“跌碎眼鏡”的地方:首先,大多數人家的風格似乎還是加州二十年前的樣子:花花綠綠的牆紙,看得人眼花繚亂;很多人家喜歡把牆塗成鮮豔的紅色,廚房和衛生間的式樣都跟不上時代的步伐。還有大多數人家的後院都沒有欄杆,讓我們看慣了加州一家家木欄杆籬笆牆的覺得有點羨慕這樣的自然景觀,又有點不習慣如此這樣的沒有隱私。令人影響最深刻的是新澤西州相對加州高很多的地產稅,加州灣區的地產稅是房價的 1.125%, 新州沒有固定的百分比率,每棟房子的地產稅都不一樣,有的八九十萬的房子,地產稅可高達兩萬塊一年。讓我們感到有點不可思議!
看看新澤西今天的房地產吧:
我們從五十萬美金的價格開始看起,下麵這棟五十九萬的獨立屋,上下兩層,還加上地下室,三室兩衛,小巧溫馨。隻是,若把我們從加州搬過來,這樣的房子似乎沒有什麽吸引力。
五十九萬的房子
這棟六十多萬的四室兩衛的 split level 的房子,門前的楓樹金黃詩意,屋頂有閣樓,屋下有地下室,隻是廚房老式,衛生間也需要重新做過,家庭間的格局也是稀奇古怪,如果,我從太平洋岸搬來大西洋岸,就為了把這個“螃蟹( crappy ) ” 屋改裝成理想屋,好像也太多工作了。
六十四萬的房子和經紀
接著看七十多萬的獨立屋,這間房子原是一個醫生擁有,主房四室三衛,右麵有一個獨門獨戶的兩房一衛的單位,醫生用來做私人診室。我喜歡那個獨立的空間,想像著在那個與家連接卻又完全獨立的空間裏寫寫畫畫,倒不失一個很好的小天地。隻是,我真地會有時間那麽悠閑地呆在家裏呆想寫字嗎?我懷疑。聽我這麽說的人也哈哈大笑,說我不出三天肯定會嫌這個房子又大又冷,醫生的診所裏留下的陰冷肯定讓我坐立不安。得,接著看。
七十三萬的房子
總算看到一棟 兩個人都比較滿意的房子。門前的小徑鋪滿彩色的落葉,前院的綠草坪上兩個紅楓樹像兩個巨大的紅傘把秋天的美麗盡情地撐起,那尖頂的 Tutor 式風格滿足我對 style 和獨特的苛刻要求。四室三衛,還有陽光房和遊泳池,廚房還算現代化,衛生間裏的獅爪歐式浴缸是我的最愛。經紀卻告訴我們,這棟房子已在市場上快一年了,從開始的一百二十萬跌到今天的九十萬,仍然無人問津。看來東部的房產也跌了不少,這樣的市場,我們衝進去,是不是自投羅網?!
九十萬的Tutor
百萬大宅
門前楓葉
後院樹林
巨大的地下室
待續
東行記 (四) ….危機中的思索
You can ask relocation staff to take your family to see more towns in Morris county next time. I don't think you should only focus in Essex county.
When I moved to NJ from NY, the relocation also took me to see the houses in Essex county. But after I drove around myself, I was so shocked to see the neighbor towns of Livingston and Millburn were in such terrible shapes and I don't want to live in a town which can be invaded later when I have to sell my house. And I don't want to pay the taxes most of which went to support those towns. That is why I choose to move to Montville which is surrounded by all the upper middle-class towns.
It take same time driving to Livingston or Millburn as to some towns in Morris County. My company's CEO lives in Morristown. Many middle level directors live in Montville, Baskingridge, and Bernardsville.
I don't suggest Bergen county at all. $900,000 in Bergen can only buy a small old house. $700,000 -$800,000 in Morris can buy a very good house in an upper middleclass community.
Regarding to the house prices in NJ:
From 1994-2000, the house prices in North Jersey basically were not changed much as those years were just after the ned of one bubble. From 2001 to 2007, there were a big jump. Summer of 2006 to spring of 2007 are the peak time.
Most houses in North Jersey have fallen to 2003 or 2004's price level at fall of 2008. Taken several same year and similar style houses I persoanlly knew in Montville as examples, $490,000(not upgraded) in 2001, $650,000(not upgraded) in 2003, $810,000(not upgraded) in 2006, $700,000 (totally upgraded) in 2008. I don't think the price will fall below 2001's level. So if you are buying now or next year, it is a good time.
North Caldwell and Exssex Fell are both very nice towns in Exssex county. Caldwell and West Caldwell are also very nice. West Caldwell's highschool is very good. I like West Caldwell better. Fairfield is a all-white town, but many houses in Fairfield are in the flood zone.
Personally I like Morris county better than Essex county. Essex county has too many poor and unsafe towns and tax are way too high. In Morris county, you can use all the local libraries. But in Essex county, you only can use your own town's library. Most higher level managers live in Morris county.
All the towns after passing Willowbrook Mall along Rt 46 are very nice. On the north side, Fairfield is an all-white town. On the north side, West Caldwell is very good. Next is Montville which was in the top 20 towns in Money magazine 2006. The next town Parsippany, which was also in the top 20 in 2007's Money magazine, is the second largest town in NJ. Parsippany's school is not as good as that of Montville. Parsippany has a large Chinese Church with more than 1000 people worshiping every weekend. Parsippany also has a very good public golf court.The next town Mountainlake is an old-money town, with every houses over million dollars and 80% male residents are CEOs.
You can check school report, tax, recent houses price trend and many other NJ local information at:
http://www.nj.com/news/bythenumbers/
You can check the current available houses in NJ MLS website and realtor.com websites.
http://new.gsmls.com/publicsite/
You can check the tax information and sold price information(change to the county and town you want and enter street name, you will see all the houses on the street with tax and sold price information) :
http://tax1.co.monmouth.nj.us/cgi-bin/prc6.cgi?&ms_user=monm&passwd=data&srch_type=0&adv=1&out_type=2&district=1421
Montclair is close to Nutley, but only upper Montclair is decent. If you go to Montcliar's high school, you will see too many black kids hanging around. I don't suggest Montclair.
I suggest Montville in Morris County. It is about 25 min drive from Montville to Nutley by Rt 46 and RT 3. There is a train station to NYC. You also can drive 10 min to park at Rt23 or Willowbrookmall to take non-stop express bus (only 35 to 40 min) to NYC. The school system is one of the best in NJ. You can buy a 3000 sqft central hall colonial( 0.5 AC land, built around 1970-1980, with all hardwood floor, and full-finished basement) with $700,000-$750,000 in today's market, which fell to 2003 's price level. The tax is around $11,000-$13,000 with such houses.
I lived there for 10 years before I moved to East Brunswick.
17 Brittany Rd was just listed and asked for $745,000.
http://newmls.gsmls.com:80/public/show_public_report_rpt.do?report=clientfull&Id=38479090_13255
9 Merlin Pl is just under contract and alowed to $709,000 before under contract.
http://newmls.gsmls.com/public/show_public_report_rpt.do?report=clientfull&Id=37835082_13255
我覺得虎妞的意思是說房子貴不值那個價錢和舊金山比。我也覺得是,看看德國的房子就知道了。
Good luck.
NY的夜景漂亮至極。
肯定有點以偏概全。如果真的決定去新州,一定去找你多了解情況。