I am a contractor in New Jersey, New York, PA, Delaware area and I work solely with investors.

Greenville, in Jersey City, has a pretty negative reputation (some areas are quite unsafe), and is not particularly well situated to public transit, but certainly offers buy and hold opportunities currently in your budget.

Also Berkshire Hathaway has offices all around the Philadelphia region and offices in South Jersey.

Moe you should Google and pick up Michael Pellegrino's book on investing in tax liens in New Jersey.

I know banks in Northern NJ who will do it but only do it in properties located in Northern Jersey so I'm looking to see if anyone has experience with other banks in the area. 

Depending on the location, types of buildings, and overall condition, you may be better off holding onto them long-term (after the renovations) or getting rid of them before renovations.Some parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens are seeing huge spikes in vacancies as folks move West to New Jersey, North to Westchester and East to Long Island and South to the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. 

I think New Jersey is like everywhere right now.

I am based out of North Jersey and find myself constantly adapting to new strategies and ideas for my investor-clients. 

The 2nd property 576 Palisade Ave unit 2, Jersey City NJ 07303 3 br, 2 bath, $362,900 mortgage, tenant occupied, $2860 month.

Curious on if the rates are actually better and if it works well with investment properties in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, etc.