Play by Play: Retiring in New Jersey
Our Play by Play series gives you a glimpse into what real people experience when dealing with real estate. This week, we're sharing Kathy's story. She moved to a new community during retirement, and is sharing the pros and cons. Do you have a real estate story to share? Email us!
With two and a half years left before she retired from her job as Vice President of Healthcare Marketing at an advertising firm, Kathy M. started making a plan for how her home could help her in her retirement.
That plan paid off.
"I was able to cut my mortgage in half and reduce my taxes by $6,000, which is just unheard of in New Jersey," Kathy said.
At an average 2.78%, New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country, which is a factor when it comes to owning property in the state.
Her previous home was built in the early 1900's with four floors, a garage, and a large backyard--and that caused some issues.
"I loved my house, but it was a complete money pit," Kathy said. "There was always something I needed to fix. It was a lot of work for me, as a single woman."
So, Kathy was looking for something smaller and more manageable that would give her the flexibility to age in place if she chose. She found that in a community in Monroe, NJ that came with common areas like a clubhouse and landscaping covered by her HOA assessment. While the amenities were wonderful to have there are some tradeoffs.
"There are a lot of rules," Kathy said. Many of them are on things she took for granted in her old home, like being able to have a bird feeder in the yard or owning two cats--her current HOA has a strict one cat policy.
Read more → Crazy HOA Rules
While she loves her house, she's still adjusting to the slower pace of life in her new town, which has a median age that's higher than she's used to.
"The amenities in the community are great, but I feel like I'm a little too young for them," Kathy said. "Even when I first moved in, I had to go to a new resident orientation and I told the woman I felt like I was a little too young for the community. And she said 'you are,' " Kathy said. "I recently went to the senior center in town, and it's beautiful, but all the people there were 10 to 20 years older than I am."
The fact that her new home is 30 minutes away from her friends and family adds to the complications.
"I used to be able to just pick up a phone and ask someone to go to lunch, now there's much more planning involved."
No home is perfect, but Kathy says she's happy where she is--for now.
"I'll never say never, especially since I've already moved about 26 times in my lifetime," Kathy said. "I plan on staying a couple more years just to see where all my friends and family end up in retirement and then make the decision in another five years."
Read more →
Is a 55 and Older Community Right for Me?
Thank You for being a Friend: Living with a Roommate in Retirement