Making the Right Move to Jersey City
Big city couple found their way to a new paradise during a pandemic
Check out our tell-all Q&A with Rex and Tyler, two new home owners in Jersey City who made the leap to home ownership not despite of a pandemic, but because of it.
1. How did you decide to move during a pandemic?
Tyler and I had outgrown our one bedroom apartment in East Harlem. As our first apartment together, the small 500 sq ft apartment with a large terrace was perfect at the time, as we were working and rarely home.
Fast forward to the pandemic, and we were at home a lot more and constantly bumping into one another. Rent had increased about 5-7% a year. We quickly realized that for the amount we were paying in rent was the equivalent of what a mortgage could be. Interest rates were at an all time low which helped with our decision to start looking.
2. How was the journey to finding your new home?
Originally, we wanted to live in Brooklyn. We had a budget of $600,000 and wanted a new, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, with outdoor space and lots of natural light. Once we started looking, we realized that we could barely buy a studio on that budget. That’s when we moved our search to Jersey City.
After viewing plenty of units, we found 32 Liberty on Zillow and immediately texted our agent, Megan Gulick. The next day, we were out in Jersey City and immediately fell in love with the place. It has a huge picture window (that we now like to sit by and do work), plus it’s a quick 7-minute walk from the PATH train and close to a lot of restaurants and little India (we both like Indian food).
On May 11, we made an offer, received a counter, and settled at $569,000. It felt great being below our budget. We closed on July 10 and moved in a day later.
3. How did your agent help you through the process of buying a home?
Megan came into the picture when we looked at one of her other listings. Even though we didn’t put an offer in for that listing, we loved Megan. Through our whole process it never felt like she was rushing us or telling us what to think. We appreciated her realistic advice and responsiveness, she even face-timed us apartment showings when we couldn’t make it out to Jersey City. I had never purchased a home before so it was great having Megan there to guide us through.
4. Given the pandemic, did you ever consider pulling out of the buying process?
We never thought about pulling out during the buying process due to the pandemic. At one point I almost got cold feet and pulled out, but that was just nerves. Despite the pandemic, both Tyler and I felt safe and we were motivated to move forward because we needed more space.
5. How did pandemic change your buying process?
I think we may have looked at more homes had we not been in a pandemic. But the pandemic forced us to really think about each listing we saw before asking Megan to show it to us. We also would have met our lawyer in person, which we never got to do (sad face).
6. What has surprised you the most about your new home?
Overall, we’ve been surprised with how nice the neighborhood is. We didn’t know much about Journal Square before moving here, but everyday we’re finding something new and loving it! We can’t wait to see the area continue to change. Also I love running to Lincoln Park, a true gem in Jersey City.
