As a real estate broker, I wanted to share with you four tips that have worked for many of our clients when it comes to finding the perfect place to buy a home and raise a family. Without further ado, here are our four home buyer tips for finding the perfect neighborhood in New Jersey.
Step 1: Create a criteria. What’s important to you? City living? Country? Pool? Walkable downtown? Schools? Nightlife? Everyone is different. List 3 things that are really important to you and remember, you cannot have it all.
Step 2: Identify the towns that have these. Maybe it’s proximity to the Jersey Shore or NYC. Need top schools or low property taxes? You can research which towns fit with your criteria. Certain New Jersey counties have cheaper property taxes than others. Do your homework!
Step 3: Now that you know the towns, identify neighborhoods in the towns that you like. Maybe you want an acre of land or you want to be near a park or train station. Walking distance to an elementary school or high school? Drive the towns and identify the neighborhoods. You will see what areas you like and be able to focus on them.
Step 4: Now you know the neighborhoods, research the homes that have sold in those specific areas and the homes that are on the market. You will get a feel for that neighborhood as well as value. You can even ask your realtor to give you a report for that specific neighborhood. Home values in neighborhoods differ just as much as home values differ in various towns.
Now that you know the area a little better you can feel confident in buying a home that truly fits your needs! You will understand the pricing and desirability of the specific areas and it will make you that much more prepared when it's time to buy a home in New Jersey. If you think you want to work with us to help find your home please contact us today!