My son is looking at buying a home there, but it’s in a flood zone. Does anyone please have more detail on that? Thanks.
OT: Somerville Boro
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I do business in that area as a realtor at times. Somerville is pretty hot, especially with the development downtown. Check FEMA maps for flood zones. We just offered 75k over asking on a house in Somerville, waived home inspection and took 3rd 
Click here and click on the blue button that says launch flood risk. Then you can type in any property in NJ and read the flood risks.
Click here and click on the blue button that says launch flood risk. Then you can type in any property in NJ and read the flood risks.
My wife and I had business in Somerville once and stayed for an early dinner. As I'm sure you know, the main street is lovely.
Thanks so much.I do business in that area as a realtor at times. Somerville is pretty hot, especially with the development downtown. Check FEMA maps for flood zones. We just offered 75k over asking on a house in Somerville, waived home inspection and took 3rd
Click here and click on the blue button that says launch flood risk. Then you can type in any property in NJ and read the flood risks.
@wngarbarini is our man in Somerville. I think he's lived there for over 50 yrs.
Open spaces are dying in that area. I go back at Christmas every year and can’t believe how much it changes each time. Don’t miss Rt 1 at all
I would avoid flood zone. I live in one and in 46 years owned here and have been flooded about 5 times. It is a real pain, and costs money - flood int would cost me over $6,000 a year last I checked. Cheaper to self insure.
Flood zone. AVOID! End of thread.
Gallagher is one of the best mayors in the entire state. A true professional that is dedicated to his town. Somerville is in good hands.
AVOID South Brunswick. Development has crushed the town and SB just got hit with a massive COAH/affordable housing Round 4 mandate that will cause another 2500-3000 housing units to be built. SB is becoming a suburban ghetto.
Cold Neck is building that right now right across from the high school on 537
Ghetto? Hardly. I live in Kendall Park, still a great place to live
My wife and I bought our first house in KP back in 1991 for $125K, great little neighborhood on Newman Rd. You have to admit the new housing units popping up all over the place the last 20 years are a bit much. Don't miss all that traffic
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Somerville is a great example of a town really turning around for the positive
When we moved from Scotch Plains in the late 80's, my parents were considering Branchburg and Readington
They opted for Readington b/c the schools, particualry Hunterdon Central vs. Somerville, were the main difference
Driving in downtown Somerville in the late 80's/early 90's, it felt run down
I remember them telling me that Plainfield used to be nice, and then went to ****
And felt that Somerville had the potential to go that way as well - not to that extent, but it was defintely not a destination town
Now though, it's done a complete 180
Much credit to them
When we moved from Scotch Plains in the late 80's, my parents were considering Branchburg and Readington
They opted for Readington b/c the schools, particualry Hunterdon Central vs. Somerville, were the main difference
Driving in downtown Somerville in the late 80's/early 90's, it felt run down
I remember them telling me that Plainfield used to be nice, and then went to ****
And felt that Somerville had the potential to go that way as well - not to that extent, but it was defintely not a destination town
Now though, it's done a complete 180
Much credit to them
That is what strong leadership can do with a positive vision. The current mayor has been in office for most of the past 15 years (minus a term as county commissioner).
Sorry, suburban ghetto is a Jersey term for a town overwhelmingly developed with cheap cluster housing (not "ghetto" as in the stereotype). My old hometown of East Bruns is a good example. Plenty of nice neighborhoods, but now overwhelmed with crap housing and traffic.
Add those 2500-3000 additional housing units and SB will definitely become one as well.
It might be that the new demographic population buying in SB might not care about the cluster housing.
I grew up in EB and my parents are still there. Very sad regarding what has happened there over the past few decades. No plan, just build on every scrap of land possible. Way too much commercially zoned land so now dealing with a message amount of vacancies.
Route 27 is even worse than 1 with the traffic with all the development on both the Middlesex and Somerset County sides.
We can say the same about just about every town in Middlesex County.
In Middlesex County? Yes, you are probably correct. Can't think of any that did a good, proactive job of preserving open space and adapting zoning ordinances.
Franklin has destroyed their section of 27 (and the secondary roads around 27 are now just as bad).
Ohhhh snap… I think I have an ideaAnd wait till you read up on who is building it
Took a drive down to the HS week or so ago for a track meet, some areas will look like Iselin soon enough, cars on lawns, overflow garbage, etc
You're nuts! It's a great place to live with tons of nice areas...I'm in the "country" off Fresh Ponds Rd. 1 acre, beautiful and quite. GREAT high school, one of the best in the state, and that means alot...
I thought Branchburg has zoning now after the Staat's Farm building boom in the late 90's
Either way, I think it's like 70-80 % of Ville HS are Branchburg kids
Buyer in a flood zone is not for everyone. If there is a mortgage, flood insurance will be required. As for information about damage from the recent major flood, Ida and Floyd. If they decide to go forward, have the foundation checked by specialist to ensure no issues. Last thing, check out the elementary school. I know Somerville has a number of them, some good, some bad.
Depends on the flood plain category. 10 year flood plain, yer gonna see alotta flooding, 500 year flood plain maybe once in yer life time.
I lived in Wayne in a 10 year flood plain, We went 3 years without a flood due to drought. Saw flooding every year but those 3.
flooding is dirty, If it floods in street and yard but not in house "nuisance flood". Mud deposits will be left, some times really bad some times not so much but either way it is messy.
Not sure, buddy has kid there he said something recently about cafeteria issue. Just saw the $45M they want, HS would get a new gym .
Branchburg does a good job, they bought up lot of land recently to prevent warehouses, prob will do nothing with it though. I think they are proceeding with 500-1K unit build for affordable housing though.
We moved to Branchburg in 2002, but I have been coming to Somerville since the early 70’s. My cousins lived over on Nagle Dr and my aunt worked at the old Woolworths on Main Street. Man what a comeback the town has made with the revitalizing of Main Street, and the great activities taking place down there seemingly monthly. I don’t know much about the flood zones around town so can’t help there.
Both my kids went to Branchburg schools and graduated from Somerville HS and had good experiences. My son is out 7 years now and my daughter 2.
Both my kids went to Branchburg schools and graduated from Somerville HS and had good experiences. My son is out 7 years now and my daughter 2.