Need info on Central New Jersey

[avandesande]

It is a huge scam. Rich people can hold onto their farms and pay little or no property taxes (farm rebate) and then turn around and sell it as a subdivision and make millions. Basically the locals are subsidizing the rich person's land investment.

I say once a landowner takes the farm rebate, the land should be zoned as farmland forever. NJ is at a crossroads now where this makes sense.

There are some farms around where I live that are designated as "Preserved Farmland", which I assume means that these tracts of land cannot be build upon. In the four years that I've lived in this area, open space has been disappearing at an alarming rate, replaced mostly by sub-divisions.

 

[SteveH]

I have spent some time driving through SNJ (Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland Co.s), and I must say that it resembles nothing like NNJ. I guess the 195 corridor is the dividing line. There are many historical places down that way actually - I've been researching the old bridges in the area; which are sadly disapearing as roads are reworked to handle heavier traffic.

 

[RAP]

NJ?
The Mafia State, The Soprano State, The Condo State, The Grid Lock State, The Asphalt In Your Face State, The Bird State, The City State.

Anything but the Garden State.

 

[Sanjay Sen]

It is a huge scam. Rich people can hold onto their farms and pay little or no property taxes (farm rebate) and then turn around and sell it as a subdivision and make millions. Basically the locals are subsidizing the rich person's land investment.

I say once a landowner takes the farm rebate, the land should be zoned as farmland forever. NJ is at a crossroads now where this makes sense.

Thank you for enlightening me. I was blissfully unaware of this... quite a scam, I should say.

 

[photobum]

Not quite the huge "scam" that it's made out to be. If you own a very large piece of property it can be taxed at the "farm rate" You have to work the property and have to earn $500. a year from the land. Some sell christmas trees, or board horses.

Now the locals have a nice view because of the "farm". The owners don't have to pay $100,000 a year in property tax for one house and a big field. When that farm gets subdivided the township will now start getting big tax dollars, true. But, with each house comes 2.2 kids. In NJ the average cost per child is $10,000 a year for school. Now that's $22,000. in school bills for, say $5,500. in property tax. So how is that a big scam? I live in Morris county. Lots of rich horse farms etc. I would much rather have the scenic open space with 2.2 rich kids, than a massive subdivision with hundreds of new kids and have to pay for a new school.

Be careful what you wish for. No I do not have a "farm", just a modest little house.

 

[avandesande]

I don't have a problem with the farm rebate. The scam part is turning around and selling the farm for subdivision. Some towns have been reasonably smart about buying these properties and converting them into parks. Middletown would do this (i am from river plaza).
Other towns could give a damn and are turning into a solid block of mc mansions. They are doing this to Tinton Falls right now.

In south jersey they are putting up huge suburbs with no businesses. With no income and all the ratables the property taxes are 7,000 + for a small house.

The lack of urban planning is atrocious.

Not quite the huge "scam" that it's made out to be. If you own a very large piece of property it can be taxed at the "farm rate" You have to work the property and have to earn $500. a year from the land. Some sell christmas trees, or board horses.

Now the locals have a nice view because of the "farm". The owners don't have to pay $100,000 a year in property tax for one house and a big field. When that farm gets subdivided the township will now start getting big tax dollars, true. But, with each house comes 2.2 kids. In NJ the average cost per child is $10,000 a year for school. Now that's $22,000. in school bills for, say $5,500. in property tax. So how is that a big scam? I live in Morris county. Lots of rich horse farms etc. I would much rather have the scenic open space with 2.2 rich kids, than a massive subdivision with hundreds of new kids and have to pay for a new school.

Be careful what you wish for. No I do not have a "farm", just a modest little house.

 

[RAP]

Unless they put up a condo, townhouse complex. The property taxes per unit is comparable to that of a single family house! So then how many units per acre can you build! At five to ten thousand in property taxes per unit, at say ten to twnety units per acre?

 

[avandesande]

And you have the same number of ratables. And the town also has to pick up the tab for widening the intersection down the road, etc. etc.

There is no winning the ratables game. There is a point where population density reaches a critical mass where the quality of life goes down and exceeds costs.

People have different ideas about quality of life though, which is why I left NJ.

Unless they put up a condo, townhouse complex. The property taxes per unit is comparable to that of a single family house! So then how many units per acre can you build! At five to ten thousand in property taxes per unit, at say ten to twnety units per acre?

 

[joeyk49]

It might be a steal in NJ, but compared to the rest of the country... My sister in Florida has a house a little bigger than mine on a quarter acre, her taxes are $800 per year!

Oh yes... for those who don't live here... If you ever visit NJ, make sure you stop at a deli for a porkroll, egg, and cheese sandwich for breakfast! Your arteries will harden, but they are soooooo good!

"TaylorHamEggandCheeseandaCoffeeToGo" must be said quickly in one breath or they'll know you're from outta town. They're really good on bagels too!

The nicer parts of Jersey ARE A SECRET! We don't want more people moving in to build more McMansions. APUGers are always welcome as the will contribute something in a meaningful way and help preserve the Secret Garden State, or what's left of it.

$8,000./yr in property taxes so that I only have a 20 minute drive to work. Ssheeesh!

 

[bobfowler]

"TaylorHamEggandCheeseandaCoffeeToGo" must be said quickly in one breath or they'll know you're from outta town.

Having lived in NJ for the better part of 24 years, I sometimes forget certain things when visiting my Mom in Masasachusetts. I went into a Dunkin' Donuts in Billerica Mass and asked for a large coffee, light and sweet with half & half. What I got was a fluid that was 50% coffee, 50% milk, and enough sugar to make a pound of rock candy.

Made me homesick for my morning coffee stop at Slater's Deli in Leonardo...

 

[roteague]

Makes me glad I live in Hawaii.

 

[RAP]

NJ is about as diverse as you can get, for the most densly populated state in the union. Slums in Passaic, Jersey City, mercury pollution in the salt marshes of the Meadow Lands, to the Delaware Water Gap which has plenty of black bears roaming around and even bald eagles. I have on rare occasion seen a bald eagle out my kitchen window in central Jersey!

Here's a secret location in the Pine Barrens.

Dead Link Removed

 

[photobum]

Back to the tax thing. You equate rich and scam. That's wrong here. The small farm that's been in a family for 200 years pays farm tax. If a rich stock broker now wants to be a gentleman farmer, sell a few christmas trees, and have a nice place to live, God bless him. That rich broker is not subdividing, he's living there.

The farm kids are the ones selling off for subdivision. The biggest reason is because of the inheritance tax. Its a national problem not just New Jersey. That's a fact. Get over the class envy. Should the Township, County or State buy up the property for public use? Sure. That's why we have the Green Acres program. The value of the land here is just so much more than the funding that not enough can be bought up.

I've been watching a couple of real farms near me. As each generation dies off the kids have to sell another chunk of land just to keep a part of the farm. Keep the greedy politicans hands out of the family piggy bank. That's where the scam is.

 

[MenacingTourist]

Update

Looks like I'll be flying out to meet the people I may be working with. After so many phone interviews I feel like I already know them. I'll be enjoying central NJ from Wednesday thru Friday.

Thanks for the education and wish me luck

 

[Sanjay Sen]

Good luck, Alan!

 

[avandesande]

Good luck on your interview! Also get some chinese food while you are in new brunswick, there are some good resteraunts there.

 

[joeyk49]

Good Luck!

...and just in time for a little winter ice storm, yippee!

 

[MenacingTourist]

Good Luck!

...and just in time for a little winter ice storm, yippee!

Dang! We've been having pefect 50 degree weather with blue skies all week.