69 hours, a deer head, and a Somerset dream

The Thomases are venturing deeper into New Jersey today—this time to Somerset, land of the big red “R.” Those R’s aren’t for real estate, royalty, or raconteurs—they’re for Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. A fun local fact, sure, but not necessarily relevant to the Thomases’ home search.

Emily, whom we’ve already met, is a new mom and a career builder at a crossroads. Everything in her life is pulling in different directions. Will moving farther out offer the calm and breathing room she’s been craving—or will it pull her too far from the colleagues, community, and city energy that fueled her rise?

If you’re just joining us, we’re embarking on the Real Garden Estate Adventure, stopping every 15 minutes along NJT’s Northeast Corridor Line, starting from Midtown West, heading out toward Trenton, and ending up on the Lower East Side.

Here’s what the Thomases have seen so far:

• New York Penn Station >>> 340 West 55th Street #7B

• Newark Penn >>> 632 Belgrove Dr, Kearny Town, NJ 07032

• North Elizabeth >>> 216 W 6th Ave, Roselle Boro, NJ 07203

• Rahway >>> 150 Carolyn Ave, Colonia, NJ 07067

• Edison >>> 12 Edgewood Rd, Edison, NJ 08820

Today, we’re de-training at Jersey Avenue, as the Thomases are seeing their sixth property.

Property #6: 10 Julie Ct, Somerset, NJ 08873, 4,924 sq ft in Middlesex County.

Property Details

• 4 bedrooms

• 4 baths

Commute Breakdown

• Location: New Brunswick (Middlesex)

• Train Stop: Jersey Avenue (NJ Transit)

• / To Station: ~13 min (5.2 miles)

• Actual (NJT) Train Ride Time: 76 min

• Total Monthly Commute Time: 68.93 hours

• Monthly Commuter Cost: $1,144.52

Financial Summary

• List Price: $999,000

• Monthly Mortgage (P&I): $4,728.00

• Monthly Property Taxes: $1,214.08

• Utilities, HOA & Other Overhead (Component of Carrying Cost): $680.00

• Total Monthly Cost (All-in): $7,766.60

Pros and Cons Analysis

Pros: Expansive home with vaulted ceilings and skylights, a dual-sided gas fireplace, along with a furnished basement and theater room. Also, the roof is fairly new. When it comes to buying a home—including apartments—it’s a useful exercise to evaluate what might need repairs soon, as no one wants to dip into the Rainy Day Fund to fix a roof shortly after moving in.

Cons: After removing the mounted deer head, the Thomases will want to revisit their color palette — this home features more than a few accent walls. (Emily and her family, of course, may be into taxidermy and vivid colors, and that’s their prerogative. However, were I advising the sellers, I’d probably suggest they cull back some of their aesthetic choices to help more prospective buyers see themselves living there.)

Finally, at nearly 69 hours/month commuting, that’s close to 34 days per year. (Better get a seat on that train, Emily!)

Coming up!

• Hamilton >>> 36 Birdie Way, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

• Reference Point: 530 Grand Street #E8C

Methodology
I identified properties priced around or below $1,000,000 near NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor Line stops, one Midtown West option, and one LES reference point to compare commute time, costs, and ownership overhead. Assumptions span rates, pricing, and a range of factors covered in the full methodology, all intended to normalize monthly costs across property types.

Full methodology here.