Honey Meerzon

Honey Meerzon’s family fled religious persecution in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, and both her mother and father had a long and difficult road to America. Honey remembers her mother’s stories of her family being forced to leave, and of struggling to afford an apartment in a new country. Honey’s parents taught her from a young age to work towards financial independence, and to leave a legacy for the next generation.

Honey now owns a multi-family home at 505 Smith Street in Perth Amboy. They bought the home in 2016 after Honey’s split from her ex-husband left her in debt and in need of a way to care for her young children on her own. She saw the home as a way to build income, assert her independence, and provide for her children. And her investment paid off. Through property ownership, Honey has been able to gain financial stability and provide for her children. Today, the property is owned by Honey, her new husband Julian, and her mother Dina through an LLC. It is home to four units, each housing a family with young children, and 14 people in total. None of the tenants own vehicles, so they all rely on the home’s proximity to both their jobs, and local public transportation.

Over the years, Honey and Dina have invested over $150,000 in maintenance and upgrades to the property, including replacing the boilers, installing a new roof, installing new siding and, installing a French drain. Last year, at the request of the City’s fire inspector, she upgraded all of the fire alarms. Because the home is kept in good condition, Honey has a wonderful relationship with her tenants. They pay rent on time and have never complained or had any issues with the neighboring properties. It’s an ideal arrangement overall: the tenants get a well-maintained affordable home close to work, and Honey gets a steady stream of income and a step towards building her American dream.