“Clifton has enough transportation options to make my daily commute to New York City reasonable. It’s also nice having his family nearby, in case we need something.” Jon’s job is also conveniently located close by. “I currently work two minutes down the road on Route 46.” Having been coached by his father as a child, Jon has now come full circle by working as an accountant alongside his dad at Kotulak & Company, PC. With proximity to their respective jobs in mind, Jon and Kristin worked with realtors, Ralph and Fran Sinisi, to find a home. “We looked at almost 150 houses, so they were saints in terms of patience,” Jon said, smiling. “We didn’t really know what we wanted and we were unfamiliar with the process,” Kristin said. “We were proactive in the search, but almost every house we looked at had something wrong with it, whether price, condition, backyard...” Jon added. “We finally chose this split-level because we liked the corner property and its immaculate landscaping gave a good first impression.” When asked if home ownership is everything they had imagined it to be, both Kristin and Jon laughed. “We were a little overambitious in our initial plans. We got married on October 24, 2009, went on an immediate honeymoon, closed on the house five days after that, and immediately ripped up the entire thing,” Jon said. “We lived with Jon’s parents for three months while we worked on it and finally officially moved in on New
Year’s Day 2010,” Kristin said. During that time, they tore up all the carpets and trim in the house, replaced all the doors, fixed the wood floors, and painted all the rooms. “All the manual labor that wasn’t a skilled job, we did on our own,” Jon said. “With the help of friends and family, we managed to do all that while both working full-time jobs,” Kristin said. While considering their overall experience as firsttime home buyers, Jon said, “It was a lot of work and very challenging, but in the end, definitely worth it. There’s still a lot that needs to be done, but we’re waiting to save up for our next big project.” Since their one year wedding anniversary is quickly approaching, Jon and Kristin summarized their year together as “very active and very busy.” “We could have had a lot more fun and less stress by just getting an apartment, but it’s a good investment and something to grow into,” Jon said. “My only advice is: Don’t try to do everything at once!” Kristin added. As far as their plans for the future, Jon and Kristin hope to stay in their new house for at least five to ten years. “We’ll stay until we outgrow these three bedrooms,” Kristin said, alluding to children in the future. Since Kristin hopes to eventually work in New Jersey to avoid commuting and Jon plans to continue working with his father, they have a bright future ahead of them living in the town of Clifton.
October 2010 • Clifton Merchant
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