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Barnegat, NJ Real Estate News

By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Think you need a down payment to buy home in Barnegat? Not with a USDA home loan guarantee you don't!A USDA home loan is a zero down payment mortgage for eligible rural and suburban homebuyers. USDA loans are issued through the USDA loan program, also known as the USDA Rural Development Guaranteed Housing Loan Program, by the United States Department of AgricultureAdvantages of the USDA Home Loan Guaranteed Program: 100% financing No down payment requirement No Mortgage Insurance No Cash Reserves Required Loan up to 101% of appraised value Seller Contributions Limited to 6% Homes for Sale in Barnegat Ocean County First Time Buyer ProgramsSome Highlights: You can buy a home in Barnegat with ZERO money down! The average down payment for first-time homebuyers is only 6%! Despite mortgage i...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Buying a Barnegat Home will increase your wealth and build financial equity.Over the next five years, home prices are expected to appreciate, on average, by 3.6% per year and to grow by 18.2% cumulatively, according to Pulsenomics’ most recent Home Price Expectation Survey.In Barnegat the average sale price for homes went up 7.63% in 2017! Search for Barnegat Homes for SaleSo, what does this mean for homeowners and their equity position?As an example, let’s assume a young couple purchased and closed on a $250,000 home this January. If we only look at the projected increase in the price of that home, how much equity will they earn over the next 5 years?Since the experts predict that home prices will increase by 5.0% in 2018, the young homeowners will have gained $12,500 in equity in just...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Do you have questions about Flood Insurance in Barnegat and the surrounding area?"Now is your opportunity to get them! Whether you're confused about coverage options or need assistance with flood mapping, in just one session, our professionals can offer you the guidance you need with on the spot mitigation reporting and Flood Insurance Quotes. Presentation will begin at 5pm and go until 5:30pm. Even if you can not make it to the presentation, feel free to stop in any time after 5:30pm, we can still sit down one on one and figure out how to bring your flood insurance premium down!" (Organizer of Barnegat & Waretown Township Flood Insurance Community Outreach - Tyler Ardron)The seminar will be held at the Barnegat Recreation Center, 900 W. Bay Area Blvd.Bring a copy of your Elevation Cert...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Free trees for Barnegat residents from the N.J. Tree Recovery Program: The New Jersey Tree Recovery Program is again distributing free 1- to 4- foot seedlings of different varieties to residents of communities affected by Hurricane Sandy that joined the effort.Barnegat residents can get trees at 900 W. Bay Avenue, Barnegat, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from April 2-6.What’s Your Barnegat Home Worth?The New Jersey Tree Recovery Program is again distributing free 1- to 4- foot seedlings of different varieties to residents of communities affected by Hurricane Sandy that joined the effort.The goal of the Tree Recovery Campaign is to distribute at least 500,000 tree seedlings to New Jersey residents affected by Hurricane Sandy.Barnegat Homes for SaleResearch has proven that trees provide signifi...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Easter Egg Hunt in the Dark, Barnegat Recreation Center, 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring flashlights and baskets. The Easter Bunny will make an appearance. Food will be available for purchase.The custom of an Easter egg hunt began because children believed that the Easter hare laid eggs in the grass.Easter eggs are largely a pagan tradition, and the egg hunt is no different. Although its roots aren't totally clear, it's widely believed that egg hunts date back to the 1700s, when the Pennsylvania Dutch believed in an egg-laying hare called Oschter Haws (or Osterhase). Because this precursor to the Easter Bunny laid eggs in the grass, children were encouraged to build nests for it to lay in — and to search for the eggs it left behind. Oschter Haws eventually became the Easter Bunny, who isn't k...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Getting Your Barnegat Home Ready to SellDon’t just list your Barnegat Home without any advance preparation. A few minor touch-ups can go a long way towards making a favorable impression on potential buyers — and perhaps cinching a deal... for more money!What’s Your Barnegat Home Worth?Here are some helpful hints on ways to prepare your Barnegat home for a sale:Highlights: When listing your Barnegat house for sale your top goal will be to get the home sold for the best price possible! There are many small projects that you can do to ensure this happens! I will have a list of specific suggestions for getting your house ready for market and is a great resource for finding local contractors who can help! Karl Hess & Keller Williams Shore Properties provides expert real estate services to re...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Are you aware of how much equity you have in your Barnegat home? You may be surprised!CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that 675,000 US homeowners regained positive equity in their homes in 2017. This is great news for the country, as 95.1% of all mortgaged properties are now in a positive equity situation.“U.S homeowners with mortgages (roughly 63% of all the properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of $908.4 billion since the fourth quarter 2016, an increase of 12.2%, year over year.”What’s Your Barnegat Home Worth? Get a FREE, no obligation, instant valuation.In Barnegat, sold home prices rose by over 7.5% in 2017 and are expected to continue to rise. The median list price also rose by over 7.5% and the median days on market dropped to 47 days.Price Appreciation...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
The American Legion Post in Barnegat is hosting a dinner for St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, February 17, 2018. So, come on down and listen to some music and enjoy the food! Party starts at 1pm. Music by Simply 3 Band (classic rock) and Irish music played by DJ Jim. Corned Beef and Cabbage will be available to purchase for $7 per person.Did you know that corned beef is not considered an Irish national dish? According to the website Irish Central, the connection with Saint Patrick's Day specifically originates as part of Irish-American culture and is often part of our celebrations in North America. Corned beef was used as a substitute for bacon by Irish-American immigrants in the late 19th century.Beef was not readily available in Ireland and was considered a luxury which is why the tradi...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Barnegat Housing Market Trends for the month of February 2018. (See charts below)Number of Listings Chart: The Number of Listings chart displays listings counts by status. Barnegat Active Listings: 229 total as of the end of February, up 24.5%, up 20.1% year to date Barnegat New Listings: 59 for the month, up 3.5% for the month, down 4.4% year to date Barnegat Sold Listings: 10 for the month, down 58.3% for the month, down 21.2% year to date. Explanation: Active listings: How many listings were for sale during each month. The number of active listings is a "snapshot" of active listings on the 15th of the month. Rather than showing the number of all listings that were active at any time during the month, this chart displays a representation of the number of listings that were active on o...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Barnegat home prices have gone up by over 7.5 percent in the last year and are expected to continue to rise. Combine that with the predicted increase in interest rates; NOW is the time to buy a home in Barnegat.Search Every Home on the Market in BarnegatSome Highlights: The Cost of Waiting to Buy is defined as the additional funds it would take to buy a home if prices & interest rates were to increase over a period of time. Freddie Mac predicts interest rates to rise to 5.1% by 2019. CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by 4.3% over the next 12 months. If you are ready and willing to buy your Barnegat dream home, find out if you are able to! Karl Hess & Keller Williams Shore Properties provides expert real estate services to residential buyers and sellers in Barnegat. Contact us...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Every Barnegat homeowner wants to make sure they maximize their financial reward when selling their home. But how do you guarantee that you receive the maximum value for your house? There’s strategy beyond determining the market value, adding 10K then slapping that price on the home.What’s Your Barnegat Home Worth?Here are some keys to ensure that you get the highest price possible.Price your Barnegat Home at or little below market valueThis works!! It may seem counter-intuitive, but let’s look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their homes a little OVER market value will leave them with room for negotiation. In actuality, this just dramatically lessens the demand for your house (see chart below). Important: Instead of the seller trying to ‘win’ the negotia...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Here are 5 reasons to hire a real estate professional when buying or selling a home in Barnegat. Whether you are buying or selling a home in Barnegat, it can be quite the adventure, which is why you need an experienced real estate professional to guide you on the path to achieving your ultimate goal. But in this world of instant gratification and internet searches, many sellers think that they can ‘For Sale by Owner’ or ‘FSBO.’What’s Your Barnegat Home Worth?The 5 reasons you NEED a real estate professional in your corner haven’t changed but have rather been strengthened by the projections of higher mortgage interest rates & home prices as the Barnegat housing market continues to pick up steam.1. What do you do with all this paperwork?Each state has different regulations regarding the c...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Notice of property tax assessment has been mailed and you should have received yours by now. If you disagree with the assessed value, you have until April 1 to appeal.As a Barnegat homeowner, it’s important to understand the difference between the ‘Tax Value’, usually referred to as the government ‘Assessed Value’ and the bank ‘Appraised Value’ when trying to determine the ‘Fair Market Value’, which presumably is what your home would sell for today.  For a free, instant market valuation of your home, go to Barnegat Home Values. To be clear, market valuation and the tax assessment can be very different.To get a monthly, no cost, report on local real estate conditions go to Barnegat Market Insider and sign-up. Again, there can be significant differences between the 3 ‘values’, but especia...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Barnegat Homeownership: “The Reports of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated”Homeownership rates in Barnegat makes a strong comeback and are higher than the national average. The famous quote above by Mark Twain in the sub-title of this article can be used to describe homeownership in America and Barnegat today. Last week, the Census revealed that the percentage of homeowners in the country increased for the first time in thirteen years. And in Barnegat it’s at 75%See All Homes in Barnegat for Sale right now!A story in the Wall Street Journal gave these new homeownership numbers some context:“The annual increase marks a crucial turning point because it comes after the federal government reined in bubble-era policies that encouraged banks to ease lending standards to boost homeownershi...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
With so much information readily available online, clients sometimes wonder; "Why should we hire a real estate agent to buy or sell a home in Barnegat." I understand the mindset, and some folks do alright, many don't. So if you've wondered the same thing, here are 5 reasons why you might want to consider hiring a professional like Karl HessWhat’s Your Barnegat Home Worth?Search for Homes in Ocean CountyHighlights:Hiring a real estate professional, like Karl Hess, to guide you through the process of buying a home or selling your house can be one of the best decisions you make!They are there for you to help with paperwork, understanding the process, negotiations, and helping you with pricing (both when making an offer or setting the right price for your home).One of the top reasons to hir...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
The interest rate you pay on your home mortgage has a direct impact on your monthly payment. The higher the rate the greater the payment will be. That is why it is important to know where rates are headed when deciding to start your home search.Below is a chart created using Freddie Mac’s U.S. Economic & Housing Marketing Outlook. As you can see, interest rates are projected to increase steadily over the course of the next 12 months.How Will This Impact Your Barnegat Mortgage Payment?Depending on the amount of the loan that you secure, a half of a percent (.5%) increase in interest rate can increase your monthly mortgage payment significantly.Search for Homes in BarnegatAccording to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index, national home prices have appreciated 7.0% from this time last year ...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
2018 Barnegat Bay Field and Research Experience is now accepting applications for this summer.The NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife and Ocean County Vocational Technical School’s Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science are offering a residential intensive research are offering a residential intensive research program for motivated students going into grades 10-12 who are interested in learning hands-on research methods.Students will be taught bow to conduct field research, develop skills to use in the field and work in a team to conduct actual research. At the end of the program students will share their research and findings.Important Information Dates: July 5 – July 10 Location: Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, Tuckerton and Sedge Island Natural Resour...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Buying a home in Barnegat is more affordable than renting, and this is true in 54% of counties across the US. According to ATTOM Data Solutions’ 2018 Rental Affordability Report, “buying a median-priced home is more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property in 240 of 447 [or 54% of] U.S. counties analyzed for the report.”The average rent in Barnegat is about $2000.00 per month, that would buy you a $275,000 with ZERO money down with the USDA Guaranteed Loan Program. With the median sold price of Barnegat homes at approximately $230,000, you could certainly buy a home for less money that you are spending on rent… and it grows YOUR personal wealth!!Search for Homes in BarnegatFor the report, ATTOM Data Solutions compared recently released fair market rent data from the Department o...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
Thinking about selling your Barnegat Home, but you’re waiting until the Spring? Maybe you should reconsider.It is common knowledge that a great number of Barnegat homes sell during the spring-buying season. For that reason, many homeowners hold off on putting their homes on the market until then. The question is whether or not that will be a good strategy this year.What's Your Barnegat Home Worth? Get a FREE, instant valuation.The other listings that do come out in the spring will represent increased competition to any Barnegat seller. Do a greater number of homes actually come to the market in the spring as compared to the rest of the year? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently revealed the months in which most people listed their homes for sale in 2017. Here is a graphic...
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By Karl Hess, on The Jersey Shore
(Keller Williams Shore Properties)
The Barnegat business owner of Recycling the Past on Main Street with be at the Las Vegas Market which has become the most comprehensive furniture, home décor and gift market in the Western United States!With 4,200+ lines in a world-class destination, Las Vegas Market offers efficient access to furniture, bedding, lighting, flooring, accessories and gift resources as well as signature west coast introductions on an easy-to-shop campus at World Market Center.As part of its expanded Pavilions showcase, Las Vegas Market will incorporate a comprehensive collection of temporary exhibitors providing vintage, antique and one-of-a-kind merchandise.Search Barnegat Homes for SaleThe market will offer exclusive programming as an adjunct to the Discoveries exhibitor presentations, such as Vintage S...
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