For decades, outsiders joked about New Jersey being little more than a turnpike connecting New York and Philadelphia.But with the Garden State recently named the second-best state to live in America — boasting strong schools, relatively low household debt and thriving coastal hubs — the secret is officially out. As national home sales stall, New Jersey’s unique mix of high-paying tech jobs, year-round beach towns and suburban "metroburbs" has transformed it into one of the nation’s leaders in home price growth."I think at the end of the day, it comes down to fundamentals, which is, is this a g...