Initially, I wanted a
- relatively well-maintained house
- on a relatively clean street
- in an acceptable school district
- within an hour of commute
- below $600k
🙁 It turned out the tax + mtg + maintenance exceeded my estimate, so 600k is possibly too heavy.
🙁 It turned out most of my peers go for top school districts, so I had to think very hard and accepted average school districts.
🙂 It turned out Bayonne psf price is about half of other areas considered
🙂 It turned out apartments are smaller, often better condition and more affordable than houses, but lower rental yield.
🙂 It turned out renting is an easy way to get into some good schools, and long-term renting is fairly popular even among the middle class