T.G.I.F.

It's a nice Friday afternoon. I want to see what I can get into. I feel like taking a drive this weekend. Man, wouldn't it be nice to go to Atlantic City? Wish I had the money but that will come soon. Also, I am supposed to be going to Vegas soon so I'll get my casino fix soon enough..ha ha. If we do decide to take a drive somewhere, we will need to leave early. New Jersey (especially the city) is notorious for not being able to move in any direction when the weather breaks. Everyone and every thing is on the road. I am digging the new place though. We finally got all of our boxes broken down and organized for the most part. We moved into a much smaller place so it was a challenge to find places for things but we're working it out. The neighborhood is nicer and it is a trade off. Oh, this reminds me, listen..if you are moving here from a place where you are used to decent space, allow me to sober you up. You will not really find anything here with decent space in the city. All you will find is dated decor front the 70's, odd shapes, colors, patterns, and layouts. Oh..and no backyards..seriously. I am not saying this to be mean, I am saying this to give people a realistic view of this place. There are so many people that move here or even come to this state to visit and are severely disappointed. Even the extremely wealthy areas of the city are riddled with tiny condos..the high rises have lots of amenities if you are willing to pay the $2500.00 price tag (not an exaggeration). Even in this economy, these prices are sky high. You may be able to find a low rise for just above 2k a month. Unfortunately, you still have to deal with horrible streets that are in disrepair even in these nicer areas of the city (and a few roaming criminals). If you move here, you will be better off living in the suburbs. Most are at least an hour away from the city. However, they are still pretty pricey but you get more space. You will still pay about $1300-1800 for a two bedroom. Buying of course is a whole different animal. We have SUPER high taxes and these houses are way to old throughout the state on average. People do not get even a percentage of what they pay for here. I used to be a realtor and I got first hand looks at the garbage that they try to make people buy. I have seen some really nice places too but not many people can afford to pay $600,000 for a three bedroom house. Right now because of the economy, o have seen a few small breaks in housing costs. You can get a tiny condo for around $150,000+ or a house for 300,000+ but it can be much higher for certain areas of the state. Also, the taxes are really high so you may end up paying 1,000+ per year. This can be significantly higher in certain areas as well. Just wanted to give you a glimpse of how everything is here. I used to live down south and you get much more for the money. People often tell me that the cost of living is lower but the wages are much lower too. I can tell you that it used to be true. Not so much anymore. I challenge you to pick an area in Georgia for example and compare the cost of living vs wages and do the same here in New Jersey. You will be quite shocked at what you find. Well, I'm off to handle some business right now and I will see you soon! Enjoy your day and keep positive energy, thing, and people around you!