Welcome Home, To New Jersey
Thinking about moving to the Garden State? Considering upgrading your home in one of New Jersey’s 21 diverse counties? Maybe you are looking for your first home? It is neither a secret nor news, that across the United States, the entire housing industry has stumbled due to unemployment and the recession. When will the turnaround occur? No one knows for sure, it may have already started. That’s the thing about turnarounds, the start cannot be spotted until a few months beyond when it began. Somethings are known for certain including mortgage rates are down, housing inventory is up and opportunities this abundant are rare.
Trying to time the housing market may cause you to miss out on one of those rare opportunities. If your plans of living in your New Jersey home are long term, there is no reason to wait. The biggest decline in housing prices has already been absorbed by the market, the chance of another significant price drop is slim at best. The chance of you missing out on a great deal, well those odds are much higher, and keep climbing the longer you wait.
Where to begin? Start with ordering a credit report. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report, each year, from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Order those free reports and look them over carefully for accuracy. If you find inaccuracies, write a letter of explanation, to the agency who sent the report, to try and clear the erroneous information. If you find accurate and somewhat unfavorable information, such as, late or missing payments, and unhealthy balance between available credit and existing debt, create and follow through on a plan to improve your credit. Increase payments on debts and call creditors when there is an issue, bottom line the shinier your credit, the better your loan terms.
If you have a relationship with your bank or credit union, talk to them about pre-qualifying for a mortgage. They will be able to tell you how much you can borrow. Decide on which area of this beautiful state you would like to live in, or where your new summer home will be located, perhaps the Jersey shore? Consider working with a realtor. They can screen though the multiple listing service based on the features you want, and present you with several choices that fill your need. If you’d rather look on your own, than drive by the areas you are interested in and see what is available.
Choosing which area of this diverse state that you want to live in might be a tough choice. There is 125 miles of eastern shore line from Sandy Hook to Cape May Point that offers activities from swimming, surfing, parasailing and scuba diving for a unique view of the reefs and shipwrecks. There is dolphin and whale watching, as well as, boating and bay kayaking. This area also is a fisherman’s paradise, whether deep sea fishing, or off the beach, in the bay, or on the rivers you will find that fishing and crabbing opportunities are abundant.
Perhaps a place in Northern New Jersey would fit the bill. If you love hiking, the Kittatiny Mountains offer endless opportunities. High Point State Park (1,803 ft) offers easy access to the Appalachian Trail. As you would guess, this area offers skiing, as well as horse ranches, dairy farms, and rivers to explore. New Jersey is also the perfect place to purchase and run a family farm. Seventeen percent of the state is in farm land. There are over 9,000 farms that offer a wide selection of goods. Farm stands dot the roads, and “you pick” opportunities are also available. Known for sweet Jersey corn, and growing 22% of the nation’s blueberries, Jersey peaches and tomatoes are famous as well. This area ranks 3rd in production of cranberries also. If you can farm it, New Jersey can grow it. And yes, there are farms for sale as well, yours is waiting for you.
New Jersey is a hub, sharing 2 of its borders with New York, and in close proximity to Philadelphia, it also has easy access to Delaware, and Pennsylvania. With such natural beauty, from the mountains to the shore, and the lush growing areas in-between, New Jersey has something to offer to everyone. You just need to claim your piece of the Garden State, while there is still so much to choose from.