Northern New Jersey House Hacking Search

[Alex V.]

Hi BP Community!

My wife and I recently decided that our first home purchase is going to be a house hack. I work in finance (read really long hours), in downtown Manhattan, so having a short commute is a must. My wife works near the GWB so we also can't go too far south. We started looking where we currently live but the property taxes just kill any 2 families we've looked at so far. People keep telling me that I'm crazy for even trying, it can't be done, blah blah blah. I refuse to believe this! We've considered Newark but my wife is wary about moving too far in front of the path of progress and there aren't many 2-4 family buildings that are close to the nicer high rises. Are there any BP'ers out there that have successfully pulled off a house hack in decent towns in Southern Bergen, Essex, Union, or Hudson counties?

[Eric S.]

I'm in a similarly boat as you are, still very new. I hope to eventually invest in Jersey City. On the MLS you can find, every so often, a decent place. The better deals seem to be the ones that need to be gutted near Journal Square. You can also find some places in Jersey City heights that aren't as bad and are still a walkable distance to the path. If you want better deals in Jersey City you have to go to the rougher parts. Alternatively, Bayonne is a good place to look too. They have some decent multi families and you still have the ferry, light rail and buses to get to the city.