{{{{Most of the "minority" suburbs int Nassau county have been around since the 1960's, and they were delibratly created as "minority" suburbs, by the real estate companies and authorites back in the '60s.}}}}


That is the most ridiculous thing I have read here.

If that is so, then are the Real Estate Companies of Manhattan (Corcoran, Citihabitats, BellMarc) 'Deliberately' keeping most of most of Manhattan all white. Manhattan is no more diverse than Nassau or Suffolk counties (at least below 96th Street on the east side, and below Columbia on the west side).

{{{{Some cities and close-in suburbs that lost whites throughout the 1990s gained or at least stemmed their losses. In New York City, Manhattan lost 18,000 non-Hispanic whites in the 1990s but gained 51,000 from 2000 to 2005. Queens lost 175,000 whites in the '90s but has lost less than a third of that so far this decade. Fast-gentrifying Brooklyn lost 43,000 whites in the '90s but has added more than 5,000 since 2000.}}}

I see a trend of Reverse Immigration and the largest 'Reverse White Flight' ever in the City as well as Long Island.

Surely, you have some parts of Nassau county west of the Meadowbrook Parkway like Hempstead & Roosevelt that 'May' have some Blacks & Hispanics, but the majority are very wealthy whites but more likely to be native NY'ers who left Queens & Brooklyn during the 1970's & 1980's.

{{{"Not only are young people going to Manhattan because it's an exciting place to be, but also empty nesters are going," says James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "But prices have been bid up so high in Manhattan that it has spilled over to Jersey City, Brooklyn and Queens."}}}

Or 'Young People' meaning with Mid Six Figure incomes & Trust Funds. Surely, someone making five figures as a single person cannot afford to live anywhere on Manhattan island at todays market rents & prices. Even Queens is fast becoming 'Unaffordable' for the 'Reported' median or mean income compiled by the census department.

Most of Queens like Jackson Heights, Astoria & Woodside have become playgrounds for the wealthy like Park Slope Brooklyn & Brooklyn Heights.

If you are 20-25 and you like living in a bland, homogenious, mall like environment where everyone is a transplant from the wealthy suburbs of the midwest and New England and worships materialism & trends, then Manhattan or Brooklyn is for you.

Affordable housing should not mean housing for people who are making $30,000 and have 2 kids, but for single people who ARE NOT making in the six figures and don't have $100,000 to put down on a one bedroom condo.

The median income (household income) in Jersey City is $42,000. At todays rents & prices, there are very few available apartments in Jersey City that someone making $40,000 - $50,000 can qualify for let alone afford.

Yes, only $42,000 a year. And most are hard working and not the ghetto folks most are so afraid of from the projects.

Of course if you read the NY Times & NY Magazine, you would think that everyone is a single white collar corporate professional under 35 making $250,000 a year and that if they make less or in the five figures than they don't deserve to live anywhere in this region.

Lets not even discuss buying since that is out of the question given Prices + Property Taxes + HOA fees.

First thing should be to extend the Earned Income Tax Credit to single individuals making less than $75,000 a year.

This is not the time to buy. At todays prices, you need to make in the low six figures to be able to afford to buy anything in any part of Jersey City at todays prices.

The cheapest part of Jersey City (and probably Hudson County as a whole) is in the Heights, Journal Square & Greenville where your average one bedroom 650 square foot condo (Huge & Loftlike by NYC standards) starts in the Mid 300'Ks and HOA fees are another $200 a month or so.

What do need to make to be able to afford (and qualify under any lending scenario with less than 50% cash down)?? to buy in any of the buildings that the OP listed in the first thread?? Not everyone is going to pay $3,000 - $5,000 a month in total PITI (including maintenance) to live in Jersey City after putting the required 20% down as required by these developers.

Actually it makes more sense to rent BUT rents are soaring as well and my observation by looking at the ads and also by driving around and taking a walk in the Heights & Downtown is that there is significantly less rental inventory available than last year and you can't touch a one bedroom anywhere in the county for less than $1,500 a month in rent, but still it is about $1,000 a month LESS than buying and you don't need to put down 20% + another 7% of the loan in closing costs.

{{{{Since 2003, the average sale price of a home in Hudson County has soared by 25 percent - from $287,000 to $408,000, according to the Liberty Board of Realtors. The number of homes sold annually during the same period has also increased by 25 percent, from 4,600 to 6,100 last year.}}}}

What can you get for $408,000 these days??? Not much. You will be limited to one & two bedroom condos. I have to laugh when I see what is listed at $499,000 in Manhattan. Usually a tiny studio thats half the size of what I am paying $720 a month in rent for in Queens.

{{{Those kinds of numbers have residents concerned about their ability to continue living here.}}}}

Not only housing prices but also real estate taxes, payroll taxes, and the highest auto insurance & utility rates in the country.

{{{{In a March 2003 poll, 44 percent of the respondents said they have lived in the county for at least 20 years, and 64 percent said they expected to live in the county for at least another five years.}}}}

I hope those 64% like riding on overcrowded subway & PATH trains, paying close to 30% per pay period in witholding taxes, and spending $2,000 or more on housing costs. Not to mention again, the highest car insurance & utility rates in the country.

Its amazing, it seems like everyone in Manhattan, Hoboken & Jersey City these days is under 30, lived in the area for less than 5 years, but have tons of cash available to pay the ridiculous prices and rents being asked.


{{{However, in the most recent poll, nearly 48 percent of the people said that the rising cost of living in the county may force them to leave.}}}}

Contrary to popular belief there is a large country west of the Delaware river that is doing pretty well and where people are not constantly miserable, not rude & hostile toward each other, don't need to live in a constant police state, and don't have to work 12 hours a day in some corporate office for a $75,000 a year salary.


{{{Of the respondents, 52 percent said they were renters and 40 percent said they own their homes.}}}

Buying does not pay in this market especially with rising interest rates and with condo common charges, real estate taxes & or maintenance (for co-ops) easily negating any savings of buying versus renting.

{{{{The county-wide poll had a plurality of respondents - 42 percent - who said they were from Jersey City and made more than $30,000 annually.}}}}

How does someone who makes $30,000 or $50,000 survive these days???

{{{"I often sit people down and show them how they can afford the house, but it takes a little sacrifice, like entertaining at home instead of going out," Hottendorf said.}}}

Sure, we are supposed to listed to a real estate agent about how much house we can afford to buy. They won't be there when your I/O payment jumps $800 or more when the rate is reset or when your home is foreclosed upon.

{{{I heard that nothing is available downtown for less than $3000 a month. The heights minimum right now is $2900 a month for a studio. And in the last week, Newark rents have risen to a minimum of $2500 a month for a studio in an especially bad part of town.

Does anyone think that I might be able to rent a room in Camden for less than 2000 a month? I heard Camden is a pretty easy commute to Manhattan (less than 6 days walking distance one way.) I've heard it's a nice chic neighborhood too, with lots of restaurants and boutiques.}}}


Those prices may be reality in a few years considering the ridiculous prices are willing to pay..

I have seen listings for $1,300 one bedroom apts in JC heights & maybe $1,500 downtown. The problem is that utilities are not included which can add close to $300 a month additional to the rent (which is why the rent is listed as low as it is)

I just read in the NY times Real Estate section about a couple who sold their house and moved to soho and now paying $6,000 a month for an apartment. I guess paying $2,000 a month for a seedy part of JC, or $1,500 - $2,000 a month JUST IN CC charges & RE Taxes is a great investment, right???

Most of JC is no longer affordable for people making what is reported as the 'median' or 'mean' income for the area. Its great that the area is becoming more upscale, but that means that you need to make in the six figures to afford the cost of living.

The only people who these places are targeted toward are 25 year old single yuppies & of course the trustafarians who are already paying $3,000 a month across the river in Manhattan.

These new condos going up have outrageous maintenance cost & real estate taxes that make the monthly payment prohibitively expensive unless you are making well in the six figures.

I guess at my salary at only $75,000 a year now, the only thing I could afford in the Jersey City area is a $1,200/month rental in JC heights. Downtown there is nothing available for less than $2,000 a month.