TN teacher NJ apartment hunting

Submitted by gmoor90 t3_126tpld in newjersey

Hello! First, a little background: I’m a teacher in Memphis, TN. I just accepted a position teaching in Plainfield, NJ and will be moving to the area in August.

I’ve been looking at surrounding towns such as Rahway, Piscataway, Roselle, South Plainfield, Cranford, Linden, etc. I absolutely love the area.

However, my biggest challenge right now is actually finding somewhere I qualify to rent! Some of the requirements are pretty strict. For instance, the last place I spoke to said even if my credit score isn’t bad, they will likely decline anyone who has student loans— even if they are in good standing.

I also have a couple of things working against me:

  1. I have no established renting history. I’ve been living with my dad while I taught in Memphis for the last 7 years. I paid him rent, but there wasn’t any sort of contract or documentation.

  2. The contract with my current school ends July 15th. And the contract with the school in Plainfield doesn’t start until September 1st. So, I’ll technically be unemployed while I’m moving.

I think I’d have a better chance if I could find a landlord that isn’t renting corporate apartments. It seems like there may be a little more wiggle room there when it comes to qualifying.

But if anyone has any advice or can recommend any areas or apartments, I’d be very grateful.

Thanks!

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Unusual-Okra9251 t1_jeat2l2 wrote

Local facebook groups for the towns you're interested in can be a good resource for independent apartments. Also Zillow.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jeatxsw wrote

Excellent idea! Thanks!

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Dfndr612 t1_jebdpwt wrote

Check realtor.com. Look under rentals in the towns that interest you and look for one off condos or multi-family homes, rather than large corporate owned apartments.

Having steady employment, good credit, and no eviction history will make you a desirable candidate.

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F5x9 t1_jebnldr wrote

You could also try a realtor.

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lasermike026 t1_jeb8o2c wrote

Welcome to New Jersey!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebb8zn wrote

Thank you! I can’t tell you how excited I am. It has been my dream to leave the south since I was 17, and I am finally making it happen! I have visited New Jersey a few times and absolutely love it.

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lostmyloosechange t1_jecexgl wrote

I am biased but it is a great place! and Plainfield is very central to everywhere, less than an hour to mountainous woods, beach, and the city.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jech7qp wrote

Stop! I can only get so excited!! 😆

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NextCommittee3 t1_jeevy33 wrote

Wait till you pay NJ income taxes, that will stop your excitement.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jef7nq2 wrote

It’s only 1 percent higher than what I’m paying where I live now in Mississippi. I think I’ll be okay.

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BYNX0 t1_jeayllg wrote

What is your montly budget?
I'd also check out apartment buildings in plainfield. How long are you willing to commute? Keep in mind travel times at 7-8am are VASTLY longer than travel times lunchtime, late at night, etc. Linden could be 40 minutes away from Plainfield (high school).

I'd recommend looking into apartment buildings in Plainfield too, there's a good amount there, and you'd obviously be close.

Other than living in Plainfield, more good town choices would be North & South Plainfield, Northern Edison, Piscataway, and Colonia (in woodbridge)..

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gmoor90 OP t1_jeazmtd wrote

Highest I can go on rent is 2200.

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BYNX0 t1_jeb2beq wrote

That's definitely a reasonable budget!

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E0H1PPU5 t1_jeb1ut1 wrote

Would your dad be willing to co-sign for you? That can help if he has good credit.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebaobs wrote

He would! The only thing is he lives back in Tennessee. I wonder if that would be an issue?

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E0H1PPU5 t1_jebc46x wrote

I doubt it! As far as landlords are concerned….money is money lol.

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wynnejs t1_jebn6nn wrote

Not necessarily. About 10 years ago, I was all set to rent an apartment in Jersey City, they asked for my guarantor information, and refused because my guarantor lived in New York.

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Miserablecollegekid t1_jec1gzv wrote

Of my apartments I’ve had here in jersey (both in central and south jersey) my dad has been my guarantor even though he lives in SC! It’s worth trying!

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Fast_Data8821 t1_jebnv7l wrote

No, it’s very normal in NJ/NY area to have out of states parents co-sign for apts. good luck with your search.

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jersey_girl660 t1_jechfxe wrote

I’m from a different area of state but my mom had family in Wisconsin co sign for her no problem.

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ra3ra31010 t1_jecs3ar wrote

My father co-signed for me and he’s back in Florida

He can co-sign!

Welcome to the north :)

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Notimportanthuman t1_jeayrdu wrote

Piscataway or Plainfield is your best bet for renting, cheapest in the area. Piscataway itself probably has 10+ complexes. My particular complex has a relatively easy application, less requirements than other places. 3x rent w/ paystubs, credit check, etc. although that was almost 3 years ago so it could have changed.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebas83 wrote

Excellent! I’m visiting again in June. I plan to spend a full day or two in Piscataway.

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Tullamore1108 t1_jebcyil wrote

You may have better luck in Piscataway as Rutgers University is a huge presence there. Tons of students - undergraduate and graduate - rent there. Which means complexes may be more flexible on the student loan thing. Good luck and welcome to NJ!!!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebasq9 wrote

Excellent! I’m visiting again in June. I plan to spend a full day or two in Piscataway.

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moobycow t1_jeek59r wrote

Make sure to take a good look around, the areas nearby go anywhere from 'strip mall central' to 'cul-de-sacs' to walkable little downtown and with your budget you should be able to pick which type you want pretty easily.

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QuiGonJosh t1_jec5xqe wrote

Piscataway is a nice town, I lived there near the Dunellen border before moving to Memphis.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jec94l4 wrote

Interesting! We are trading places.

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QuiGonJosh t1_jecbcxn wrote

Enjoy the move! I like it here but NJ can't be beat.

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poolkakke t1_jebgovi wrote

My brother teaches in Plainfield and commutes from Ocean County every day. The traffic is bad up there regardless of where you're coming from.

North Jersey has a faster pace, but you have tons of options for food and culture. Any of the surrounding towns will have rent you can afford. Iselin is right near a major railroad hub, Clark is right next to the parkway. Monmouth County may also be an option for you depending on your car situation.

Welcome to our awesomely cultural, diverse and inclusive state!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebhi2s wrote

Thank you!! Going to shoot you a message.

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JruASAP t1_jeblktr wrote

Welcome to NJ!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebnuu8 wrote

Thank you! Excited to be joining you all. Now I’ve just got to work on getting “y’all” out of my lexicon.

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Miserablecollegekid t1_jec1pxm wrote

We all say y’all here at this point! Hell I have friends in Helsinki, Toronto, and Cairo who say y’all!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jec2u57 wrote

It’s just such a convenient word!! 😆

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WaltO t1_jechkth wrote

Work on the local greeting.... "Hey! How you doing?"

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SnooWords4839 t1_jedf1o8 wrote

Y'all is fine. Just use the Left Lane as a passing lane or keep right!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jedi5aq wrote

Don’t worry. My biggest pet peeve is people who cruise in the left lane. I regularly have to undertake people on the highway in this backwards ass city. It’s infuriating.

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anotherjerseygirl t1_jebmm68 wrote

Definitely try to rent a condo rather than an apartment owned by a giant company. Individual landlords are people and they want to rent to a good human who will take care of the place. I got my place in this ultra competitive market because I wrote a letter with my application telling a little about myself and basically promising to take care of the place. My landlord loved that. I sent him cookies for Christmas and he didn’t raise my rent despite inflation! It’s the little things.

You’ll love jersey. I grew up here, left, and then decided to come back. Generally, the farther south you go the cheaper housing gets, but remember that has a serious impact on commuter traffic. The GSP northbound has tons of traffic in the morning and southbound is bad in the evenings because everyone has the same commute. If you can afford to live north of your workplace and go opposite of the trend, I encourage you to do that!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebo3ma wrote

Thanks for the info! Would you happen to have any recommendations on how to find individual properties?

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anotherjerseygirl t1_jebvg7u wrote

I started with Zillow and a listing there caused me to reach out to a realtor. The place on Zillow went off the market fast, but I stayed in touch with that realtor and she recommended me for the apartment I got. Surprisingly, I didn’t have to pay her because the landlord paid her fees. Sometimes the renter has to pay the realtor, so don’t stay away from realtors, just be sure to ask the right questions before you get involved with one.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jec1ppj wrote

Funny you should say that. One just reached out to me on here. And that was the first question I asked. In his case, the landlord pays the fee. Interesting how that works!

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Linenoise77 t1_jeb8jlg wrote

You are correct in you will best be set with a local landlord who will understand your situation. You will get bonus points for being a teacher, they are generally awesome tenants.

You MAY be able to find larger places in Rahway, Cranford, etc, who take bonding agreements. Basically you pay a 3rd party a fee (usually about a month's rent), who has an agreement with the property that they will cover your rent if something goes south. (note it doesn't get you off the hook for rent, the bonding company will now be the ones who chase you down), but it can help someone without a history, perfect credit, or with an unusual job situation at the time they need to sign a lease.

The student loan stuff is BS, nobody cares as long as your income is in line with the 30 or 40x gross annual income to rent rule and your debt to income ratio is healthy.

One thing you may want to do is reach out to your new school district, and see if they know places that have been cool with renting to teachers in the past. I wouldn't frame it as, "I'm having a hard time" i'd frame it more as "I'm looking at a few different places, do you guys have any recomendations about good spots for teachers to start out from?"

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grilled_cheese1865 t1_jebin0t wrote

Piscataway has a lot of rental options and is close to Plainfield. Rahway especially but cranford does too as well plus both have train stations and a good downtown for to things in. Rahway is more down to earth than cranford, I think that's your best bet

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebl9wj wrote

Thank you! I love Rahway. I was looking at a couple of complexes there, but got priced out. They required a salary of 81,000 to rent a one bedroom!

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caitlynredd t1_jebxcuh wrote

Try Highland Park too! Great little town and it’s where I rented my first apartment 12 years ago.

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PracticableSolution t1_jebhuj8 wrote

Plainfield is on the Raritan valley train line. If your school is within walk distance of the station, consider looking at train stop towns further west out the line.

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CaesarZeppeli_ t1_jebkii0 wrote

Fellow former Memphian who moved up here. Much better, I also saw a Shelby county plate up here once and had to do a double take 😂.

There is seriously way much more to do up here and safer than Memphis. Also if you’re not looking to spend high rent prices you can always go a bit further south than Princeton, the commute isn’t much further and gives you more options.

I wouldn’t listen to people who say South Jersey is bad, full of crazy republicans, etc. these people have never left the state more than likely.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebl34y wrote

Well hey there! Nice to meet a fellow ex-mid southerner.

I can’t wait to get up there. How long have you been living there?

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CaesarZeppeli_ t1_jebly3p wrote

Around 6-7 years now, love it. There’s more to do than just go to the wolf chase mall, Shelby farms and Beale st. I think the thing that was difficult for me to get used to was traffic and the way roads work around here as well as the driving etiquette. If you need any advice hmu

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebmraf wrote

I have been forewarned about the driving! I’m not going to lie. I’m a little nervous. How would you define the driving etiquette?

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Aggressive-Project-7 t1_jebqwa5 wrote

Welcome to NJ. If someone honks are you, don't take it personally :)

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebr4n2 wrote

Yes, I’ve been told New Jerseyans aren’t afraid to communicate how they feel— on the road or otherwise. Lol

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WaltO t1_jechw2s wrote

If someone let you in line, or turn in front of them be sure to smile and wave at them.

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CaesarZeppeli_ t1_jebota8 wrote

Definitely less patient and fast, not uncommon to see people going 90+ on the turnpike sometimes.

Weird ass intersections, jughandles(not that bad), way more roundabouts, on-ramps and off ramps can be crazy as hell depending on time and place, some people say yield signs don’t mean shit around here. Bunch of small things in random places you’ll come to find.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebqxs7 wrote

Oh lord. And I thought Memphis was bad! I will work on honing my defensive driving skills these next few months before I move.

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BYNX0 t1_jebpaqz wrote

What do you mean the commute isn’t much further? Princeton is an hour away from Plainfield during rush hour…

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CaesarZeppeli_ t1_jebrrct wrote

Yeah I misread it as moving to Princeton for some reason. My bad, same principle still applies can always move south for a less bit rent a little more commute.

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Fast_Data8821 t1_jebnoou wrote

So glad your coming to NJ, sorry no apt hunting advice. Just welcome. 😀

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebodg0 wrote

Thank you! I’m honestly so glad to be going. I teach in Tennessee but live across the border in Mississippi. And I’ve never felt proud of calling myself a Mississippian. But you better bet I will proudly declare I’m a New Jerseyan!

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Fast_Data8821 t1_jebpjo4 wrote

You’ll love it! I had a feeling we would be seeing an influx of of teachers from the south. It’s a shame for all the students who will miss out in your old state but we are thrilled to have you join our school system. I can only speak for my northern NJ district but I love it and my kids love their public school.

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bros402 t1_jecny02 wrote

Welcome to NJ! Make sure to have a pork roll, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel!

You can choose if you want saltpeppahketchup, though.

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prezzyplainjane27 t1_jebtjit wrote

I’d take a look in Sayerville and the Brunswick area lots of independent landlords and some decent prices!

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brightsideofmars t1_jebytcc wrote

Hey, I'm happy to see you accepted a teaching position since we last spoke! Echoing what others said below to try to find someone who owns an individual property as opposed to a complex. New Brunswick and Piscataway are good bets since they're college towns. Look for Middlesex County groups on Facebook as people will often post there. Even if you do end up in a larger complex, mentioning that you're a teacher usually has some type of perk. My husband was able to get our security deposit down to $250 since we were renting in the town that he works in.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jec2cdo wrote

Hello again! Yes, I’m officially making the move. 🤗

This is great advice! All of you have been so kind and helpful. Thank you!

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missalaneous t1_jec7ns5 wrote

Have you looked in Garwood? It’s a small town right next to Cranford and there should be rental options beyond expensive luxury apartments. Welcome to NJ fellow educator!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jec96se wrote

Thank you! I will check it out!

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Goldfish2022 t1_jecpsin wrote

Cranford is really nice. I used to live in an apartment downtown and loved it. Movie theater, nice restaurants, and shopping.

I think Rahway is on its way up, but haven't been there in years.

Welcome to Jersey!

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Whalers7997 t1_jedyq97 wrote

Teaching in Plainfield is a little rough. Try Clark or Springfield for places to live. Welcome to the best state for teaching and getting paid as a teacher.

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Low-Pollution2414 t1_jegw6b9 wrote

Congrats! We live in Somerville and it’s an awesome area! We bought a house, but there’s a ton of apartments around here too. It’s totally walkable and not far from Plainfield

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No_Cook_6210 t1_jebvwn0 wrote

Join Facebook rental sites for the area, look up roommates.com, etc. Find someone who is wanting a roommate. Living by yourself is near impossible financially.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jec2imo wrote

This is definitely something I’m looking into. Thanks!

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No_Cook_6210 t1_jec2pk9 wrote

I've moved a lot! The worst/ most expensive thing to do is to sign a year's lease...

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Ill-Classroom-1916 t1_jec4pyi wrote

I just got turned down for a one bedroom garden apartment (not fancy) in Cranford, and I make 80,000 a year with great credit, the same job for 12 years and have never once in my life missed a rent payment. They said I need to make three times the rent NET which is ridiculous. The rent is 2095.00

Just glad I don’t need to move anytime soon.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jec4uz2 wrote

What in the world?? Did they give you a reason why??

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Ill-Classroom-1916 t1_jec5i6c wrote

I just edited it to include more info. I’m sure you and I will find something. Apartments will really start becoming available in the next couple of months. It’s still early as people don’t move in cold weather.

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zebrasezmoo t1_jecbpv4 wrote

Congratulations on landing your teaching job!!

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gmoor90 OP t1_jecgu1u wrote

Thank you!! I’m ridiculously excited.

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Tomorrowsworry1 t1_jeckja8 wrote

Check New Brunswick close to Rutgers and Highland Park, both have plenty of college apartments.

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kiLLxander t1_jecmi3q wrote

Hayes House in the Elmora section of Elizabeth (the nicest section) has apartments that are $1800/month every utility included. Nice apartments too. Parking is $10/month.

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slpquestion55 t1_jeda3wb wrote

You’re going to love NJ, welcome!!! I’m more north in Essex county, but what worked for me was directly calling companies that owned multiple properties in the area and seeing if they had any available units. I ended up touring a garden apartment with the resident manager, applying that night, and got accepted in the next couple days. It’s such a nice place and location, too, so I’m very happy with how it turned out! I definitely think the fact the resident manager met me and could see I was a responsible/respectful person helped. Good luck!!

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Ecstatic-Passage-113 t1_jeeafan wrote

I advertise restrictive and strict policies when I'm renting out my properties. I'm not actually restrictive and strict. I just want to keep as many doors open so that I can refuse people that I don't like. Not discriminatory or anything like that. Sometimes I don't get a positive vibe from someone. So I'll point to one of my restrictive policies so I don't get sued.

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gmoor90 OP t1_jeekov9 wrote

That makes sense. So… about those properties. 😁

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Ecstatic-Passage-113 t1_jeemhvk wrote

I have a house for rent in Edison soon. Amboy avenue area. Really close to several highways.

It's getting renovated so I'll price it out and it'll be ready summer time.

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Electronic_Sea_8550 t1_jec6x4f wrote

Lifelong Jersey resident. I’d recommend Metuchen, Highland Park, Cranford and the nicer parts of Piscataway for towns close to Plainfield, but would advise you to avoid the other towns mentioned.

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Aromatic_Constant865 t1_jef1s98 wrote

You should change your mind and stay out of NJ where you will get taxed to death.

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