Middletown, NJ

Q: I recently sold my house in Toms River and am looking in Middletown, NJ, for a 3 Bed, 2 Bath under $420,000 single family home. I drove around this past Sunday to Open Houses and found myself in some not so desirable areas around Route 36. How do I weed out good from bad when searching in Middletown?

Tom, Home Buyer
Toms River, NJ

A: It's not surprising if you feel a bit overwhelmed at understanding Middletown. Monmouth County's Middletown is about 40 square miles and encompasses many smaller neighborhoods, each with their own character. It's a huge area and frequently a challenge for buyers from outside the area. An illustration in point: there are currently 378 homes (wow!) available for sale in Middletown ranging from about $125,000 to almost $17 million!

In getting to know Middletown, you'll learn it has historic neighborhoods like Locust, the Village and Navesink; bayshore towns like Belford & Leonardo with histories that include commercial fishing & summer bungalows; communities that were developed in the 1980's housing boom, and many more. Middletown caters to all ranges of the economic spectrum so there's definitely neighborhoods that are likely to fit your budget.

What's interesting is, like other towns, Middletown has experienced many changes over the past 10 years and housing options have changed considerably; for instance, because of the high speed commuter ferries to Manhattan, we've seen some very upscale new construction in neighborhoods that previously did not offer it.

Some buyers will use school reports to help guide them, others will examine zoning, and still others will consider proximity to major roadways, public transportation, flood maps, shopping or recreational opportunities (in some parts of Middletown you can ride your bike to the beach!)

My advice: seek out a knowledgeable realtor who services Middletown and is familiar with all of it. Get what I call "the nickel tour" that will give you a clear picture of the town, the pros & cons of each neighborhood, and the relative house values of each. I'd also advise being clear with your realtor about what your needs & wants are: don't presume there's one best neighborhood for everyone's needs.

Lastly, I would encourage your consideration of other surrounding towns. All are smaller in size and each has their individual merits.

I hope that helps.... I'm glad to be of assistance.

Thomas McCormack

Public Works Director Lawrence Werger reports one employee was who operates a front-end loader operator who experiencing increased hunger due to a new aroma in the public works yard.

As part of the township's Green Initiative, Werger has launched a pilot program to reduce the township's fossil fuel consumption by mixing used cooking oil with diesel fuel to operate one of the department's eight front-end loaders. The use of cooking oil as a fuel supplement has reduced petroleum usage by 50% in the test equipment with a projected annual cost savings of $5,500 for the one machine.

"In 1892, Rudolph Diesel introduced a compression ignition engine specifically designed to operate on vegetable oil. A fossil fuel substitution was more economical at the time, but times have changed. As the cost of petroleum continues to rise, we find ourselves returning to Mr. Diesel's original concept." Werger said.

Middletown is one of the first municipalities in New Jersey to use biofuel as a way to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Public Works has arranged the donation of used cooking oil with several local commercial vendors. The actual collection is conducted by the department's recycling personnel during their daily routine. Werger expects to expand the program in the future by involving more commercial vendors and pieces of municipal equipment.

"This program has the potential to save the township tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars in the coming years as it is expanded to other machinery. Innovative techniques like this will have a direct impact on our budget by decreasing the amount of tax dollars needed for fuel, which will help ease the pressure on local property taxes caused by spiraling energy costs," said Deputy Mayor Pamela M. Brightbill.

Implementation of the biofuel pilot program is the latest development in the Middletown Township Green Initiative. The initiative, spearheaded by Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger, represents the township's commitment to find and implement ways to decrease money spent on energy, curb pollution and reduce reliance on foreign energy producers. Other recent green projects include introduction of the free Dock and Roll Shuttle last spring and restoration of native grasses at the Poricy Park Conservancy this summer. Meanwhile, the township continues to explore the possibility of retrofitting existing buildings with solar power, including solar energy in municipal building renovations, and introducing hybrid vehicles into the municipal fleet of vehicles.

NEW AFFORDABLE 1 & 2 BEDROOM RENTAL APARTMENTS AT CONIFER VILLAGE FOR SENIORS AGED 55 AND OLDER
The Township of Middletown announced the availability of 180 affordable housing 1 and 2 bedroom rental units at the Conifer Village at Middletown. These rental units are available to low and moderate income seniors age 55 and older that meet certain income standards. Rents include hot water and are as follows:

Low 1 BR
1 person max. income: $29,750
2 person max. income: $34,000
RENT: $701

Mod 1 BR
1 person max. income: $35.700
2 person max. income: $40,800
RENT: $808

Low 2 BR
1 person max. income: $29,750
2 person max. income: $34,000
3 person max. income: $38,250
4 person max. income: $42,500
RENT: $838

Mod 2BR
1 person max. income: $35,700
2 person max. income: $40,800
3 person max. income: $45,900
4 person max. income: $51,000
RENT: $967

*subject to change

Conifer Village at Middletown is under construction and is located on the northbound side of Highway 36 directly west of Navesink Avenue and the Eastpointe Shopping Center.

Interested households will initially be required to submit an application for affordable housing to the Township for pre-qualification. Pre-qualified households will be matched to affordable units through a random selection process. If your pre-qualified household is selected for consideration, a $25 application fee will be required. All households must provide income documentation and pass a credit check. All successful applicants will be required to demonstrate the ability to pay a security deposit (one and one half months rent), first month's rent and agree to maintain the unit as the household's primary residence.

Applications are available at the Department of Planning at the Middletown Municipal Complex and on the Middletown Township Website by clicking HERE. Applications can also be requested by calling 732-615-2098, 732-615-2280 or 732-291-0809. Applications may be submitted in person, by mail, or via fax at the Middletown Township Department of Planning, Johnson Gill Annex Building, 1 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ 07748. To fax the completed application, please send it to 732-615-2103, Attention: Eleanor.

For more information including directions to the property and floor plans, please visit http://conifervillagemiddletown.coniferliving.com/

Link to Affordable Housing Application: http://www.middletownnj.org/planning/pdf/Affordable-Housing-App-12_07.pdf

Instead of offering you the usual rundown of things a real estate agent typically gives as to why a particular community is a great place to live, I figure it's best to give you my list of why I liked living in Port Monmouth.

I found living on the bay side of Port Monmouth had many advantages:

1. Living just off Wilson Ave, I was on a quiet street. The neighborhood was safe and friendly. When the weather was good, you'd often find my neighbors and me, standing in the middle of the street talking till the sun went down.
2. It's just a short drive to the Spy House with its dock for fishing. We always found friendly faces to chat with there.
3. There's another park, which I've never learned the name for, at the end of Main Street. I have never seen a crowd there, ever. Even on the 4th of July. Which, by the way, you can stand on the beach there and see over 20 fireworks shows, even some of the fireworks from NYC. And 20 is a very low estimate. You can see the fireworks from every town all around the bay, from Sandy Hook, to the Verizono Bridge to NYC. It's absolutely spectacular. Just hose yourself down with mosquito repellent before you go or you'll get eaten alive watching the fireworks.
4. It takes like two minutes to get to the grocery store. Wonderful for those things you forgot to pick up on your big shopping trip.
5. It's right along side Hwy 36. And I've noticed that gas prices tend to be lower on Hwy 36 compared to Hwy 35. Never quite figured out why.
6. They have a cute little thrift store on New St between Main and Wilson. It's only open Wednesdays between 10am and Noon. All the proceeds go to Middletown Helps It's Own.
7. The location is great. Just hop on Hwy 36 and go wherever. And the Belford ferry to NYC is about 5 minutes away.

I'm sure you'd expect a long list. But those were the biggest ones I could think of. Just drive around. Stop by the Spy House and talk with the locals. I'm sure they'll give you many more reasons why Port Monmouth is a great place to live.