CHAPTER 1 Introduction Looking at New Jersey Through a New Lens
Most people who grow up in New Jersey or have lived here for a long time learn to just accept a few things as facts of life. We accept traffic on the Parkway. We accept full diners at all hours of the day (before Covid). We accept that the jughandle was invented by someone who clearly wanted to confuse future generations (and out of state drivers). And we accept that property taxes are high. (But we no longer have to, we have options, that's why I wrote this book) I talk to homeowners every single week who shrug and say some version of the same sentence. “It's New Jersey. Taxes are high. What can you do. It is what it is” But the truth is that New Jersey is not one uniform tax environment. Not even close. It is a patchwork of completely different financial ecosystems, each of them operating under its own set of rules, budgets, and priorities. Many people do not realize just how dramatic the differences really are until they look closely. Two towns separated by a ten to twenty minute drive can differ by fifteen thousand dollars or more in yearly property taxes. A homeowner who feels stuck with a thirty thousand dollar annual tax bill might be shocked to learn that an equally desirable town nearby could offer similar or even better amenities for twenty thousand a year. The problem is that most people never compare. They simply adapt. Human beings can get used to anything if we live with it long enough.
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