Should I check inventory to buy before putting my house up for sale?

It's a good idea to do a brief search. Begin going to open houses and looking on the internet to get a "feel" for the market. The inventory will begin to build in New Jersey in the next 30 days as the weather warms. I think this spring you will have a large inventory of homes to choose from too. In the meantime, you should prepare your home for sale by getting it cleaned out and perhaps having an agent do a market analysis so you know what it's really worth...especially if you need the money from one home to purchase the next home. Depending on the list price of your home the market in New Jersey can see a home in inventory from 6mos to 1yr. so you have plenty of time to search. You can also put in a reverse contingency clause which states "seller must find suitable housing before closing". Let me know if I can help you in your search or find you an agent in your area. Either way, the best place to start a NJ home search and keep current on the NJ real estate market is http://www.JustJerseyRealEstate.com.