Buying a home can be a confusing process. Even for people who have done it before, the real estate journey can be overwhelming. This can be amplified for first-time home buyers. There are many questions that get asked of our agents often. We’ll cover a few of them that we hear a lot from first-time buyers of Seaside Park homes for sale. This certainly is only just a small portion of information. Anytime you have any questions about anything related to Seaside Park real estate, feel free to contact one of our offices! Our agents have helping people buy, sell, and rent homes in the Seaside Park area and beyond since 1965.

Should I Buy or Rent?

This depends on a number of factors with the main one being money. In order to buy, you need to consider if you have enough money for a down payment, enough money for closing costs, and a reliable monthly income to cover your mortgage. If reaching any of those goals is not attainable at this point, renting might be the better option. In addition to the routine monthly costs of owning a home, inevitably, something in the home will always need fixing, repairing, upgrading, or maintaining. While you can design your own home however you choose, all repairs are up to you. When you rent, your interior may not be exactly what you’d pick, but if anything breaks, you just have to let someone know.

The money you pay in rent each month goes to providing a roof over your head for that month with all associated benefits. However, there is no future return on investment. When you buy a home, not only do you qualify for a property tax deduction, the money you pay for your loan each month will eventually end in you owning a home.

How Do I Know Which Mortgage is Best?

Much of the home buying process is dependent on budget. Obtaining a mortgage is no different. The type of mortgage that is best for you is reliant on your credit score and your monthly income. Even if your credit score isn’t the best, there are some mortgage options. Those options widen the higher your credit score is. People without money for a down payment may be eligible for a VA loan or a USDA loan. Not sure what your mortgage will be? Check out our mortgage calculator. There are mortgage options for people in a range of financial situations. Check with a mortgage lender to see what your choices are. First time home buyers in NJ should check out the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency to find out about all the benefits available.

How Do I Know How Much to Offer When I Want to Buy a Home?

Our agents are here to guide you through every step of the process. This certainly applies to the moment when you are ready to submit an offer. There are many things to consider when figuring out how much you should offer. Take a look at what comparable homes have recently sold for in the area, your mortgage budget, and the condition of the home in respect to the asking price. When you hire a Birchler Realtors agent, we’ll be there with you for every decision including figuring out the right amount to offer.

First Time Home Buyers of Seaside Park Homes for Sale

First time buyers of Seaside Park homes for sale have no need to fear the process. Contact one of our agents today and we’ll escort you through every phase no matter if you are looking to buy, sell, or rent. We’re here to help!

Along the path of life, most of us will experience the journey of putting a house up for sale. This process involves a number of important decisions. Some of the most important decisions are whether to upgrade or not. The biggest factor that drives these specific decisions is if the upgrade is “worth it”. What makes something worth it for homes for sale Lavallette? The answer to this is simple. For a renovation to be worth the cost, you should be able to recoup over the amount of money you spent in the sale of the home. In other words, you don’t want to spend more money than the improvement will make in the sale. There are certain construction projects that pay-off big when it comes time to sell. These are the ones we want to discuss today.

The Simple Stuff

Even small projects can benefit the asking price in a positive way. Something as simple as painting the all the walls with a fresh coat of paint can improve the interior of a home dramatically. Plus, choosing neutral colors helps open the home up to a wider pool of potential buyers. Changing the color of a room a light, neutral color can make a room look bigger and makes it easier for someone to imagine their belongings in the home.

Freshening up the exterior can be very profitable as well.  This can be something as easy as power washing your siding or cleaning up the landscape. No matter what, the outside of all the homes for sale Lavallette realtors have to offer gives buyers their first impression. It is important to make it a good one.

Homes for Sale in Lavallette with Upgraded Kitchens have Higher Asking Prices

It is a fairly well-known theory that putting money into your kitchen is a guaranteed investment. Many times, when the right decisions are made, this is true. However, making too many upgrades or spending too much money on the wrong projects can result in the opposite case. For example, it is important when choosing high ticket items, like countertops and backsplashes, to select a neutral pallet. Also, it can be easy to over-upgrade. For example, those with smaller homes won’t see a return on investment on items like high-end ranges. If you have a limited budget for renovations prior to the sale of your home, invest in items that make a home easier to move in to rather than items that are easy for a homeowner to change themselves. Kitchen flooring with radiant heat with net you a better return than an expensive refrigerator.

Bathroom Upgrades Payoff, Usually

Again, as with kitchens, a majority of the time, with the right choices, renovating a bathroom prior to sale is a good idea. It is crucial to avoid anything to personal or popular. Trends change so skip the decorative tiles. Items like white subway tiles are always a better option as they are well-suited for many design tastes. Smaller chores like updating sink and lighting fixtures, swapping out drawer knobs with new ones, and remodeling things like the mirror can vastly improve a bathroom and are a great decision. However, choosing to splurge on a jacuzzi tub instead of putting that money into more profitable renovations can be a bad idea.

Homes for Sale Lavallette Sell Faster with These Upgrades

In addition to things like room remodeling, there are a few other larger projects that are certainly worth their cost. Upgrading home items to green alternatives like updating the windows is always a good choice. Not only are more people wanting earth-friendly products and energy efficient homes, but other things like solar panels can eliminate energy bills. This can be a big selling point for any homes for sale, Lavallette and beyond. Consider other energy-efficient appliances like a tankless water heater. These provide hot water on-demand without the space invading size and maintenance requirements of a water tank. In addition to that, they last twice as long. This is an appealing amenity to home buyers because it is one less thing they need to worry about both now and later.

Need a Homes for Sale Lavallette Realtor?

If you live in Lavallette or the surrounding area and are looking to put our home on the market, contact one of our experienced realtors. We have conveniently located offices in Lavallette, Seaside Park, and Ortley Beach ready to help buyers and sellers on their real estate journey.

There are some amenities that can take an average home to an outstanding home. Items that make a homeowner feel spoiled or like they are living in a resort-like atmosphere. Things like pools and stainless-steel appliances are great, but we’re talking about more. We’re referring more to things like home elevators, private bulkheads, and fully-equipped outdoor kitchens. Many homes for sale in Ortley Beach have such luxury amenities so we thought we’d highlight a few. These are additions that won’t be found in every home. Luxury and convenience can mean and look like different things to different people. So, if you are searching for a specific indulgence in your next home, contact one of our experienced realtors. They can help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Some Homes for Sale in Ortley Beach Have Outdoor Showers

For some this may not be a must-have, but for others, it is a necessity. When you are buying a house in a shore town, sand in your home may seem unavoidable. A well-designed and well-placed outdoor shower can really cut down on the amount of sand that gets tracked into the home. Not only can you rinse off yourself, but it gives you an easy place to rinse beach accessories like chairs, toys, and boards. We’re not talking about dark enclosures where you rinse off with a hose. Think more of an actual outdoor bathroom with stone walls and floors and actual fixtures. The nicer the shower and surround are, the more it will be used, and the more advantageous it will be.

Elevators are More Common Than You Think

Due to the fact that many lots found in towns near the beach are narrow, many homes have multiple floors. Plus, homes located on a waterfront lot are often raised adding an additional level. It may not seem like huge disadvantage not having an elevator, but we’re pretty sure if you ask anyone who has one, they would beg to differ. They are not only a luxury convenience, but also a safety feature and sometimes a necessity for some residents or visitors. Most home elevators are equipped to work even during power outages, take up a fairly small footprint, and provide homeowners with unparalleled convenience. For people considering a retirement home in Ortley Beach, consider searching for homes with an elevator to save yourself the need for renovations later.

Other Extraneous Details Can Make a Home Luxurious

It’s not always about large, imposing additions in a home that makes it elegant. Sometimes it can be the smallest detail that takes a home from alright to superior. Granite countertops, smart appliances, and green building practices all take homes to the next level. The use of sustainable materials is highly sought-after today and can add a lot of value to homes for sale in Ortley Beach. Opulence can come in many forms and sometimes it is in the form of a bonus room. This can be a home gym, a library, or a wine cellar. For the active family, when space allows, tennis and basketball courts are popular.

Homes for Sale in Ortley Beach Have Great Amenities

No matter what you are looking for in a home, you can find it in one of the many homes for sale in Ortley Beach. Decks on every level, covered porches, and so many more extravagances await in this market. Call one of our talented agents today to help you sort through all the great homes available. We have realtors ready to help in Ortley Beach, Lavallette, and Seaside Park to assist home buyers all over the Jersey shore.

Closing on a home is an exciting day filled with new beginnings. Unfortunately, this can often quickly be followed by a feeling of being totally overwhelmed by your new to-do list. Even if your new home looks perfect visually, there is always something to do when you own a home. For those of you who have recently bought a house on the Barnegat Peninsula like Seaside Park homes for sale, we’ve compiled a few tips to help make and manage that list. There is a lot of information that is important to make note of relating to home emergencies. A few of the other tips are aimed at simply helping items in your new home function as effectively as possible.  

Tip #1 for New Homeowners is to Tackle Projects One at a Time

Even though moving into a new home usually comes with a long list of to-do items, try to only start a new project when another project is complete. It can be very easy to come close to finishing one thing, start an entirely new project, and never complete the first task. Repeat this about five times and you’ll have half-done rooms and unfinished projects all over your house. When you set reasonable goals and finish each project completely before moving on, the items on your to-do list will get checked off faster. Plus, it makes your life a lot less stressful. Prioritize your repairs and upgrades when you first move in to help you stay focused and get what needs to be done completed first.

 A Tip for Home Efficiency for Seaside Parks Homes for Sale

As soon as you buy a home, new or otherwise, it is important to check all the filters. If your home came with a refrigerator with a water dispenser, change the filter. Even if you’ve been told it has already been changed, it’s more important to know for sure how old your water filter is. The same goes for any air filters in the home. Every furnace should have an air filter that needs to be changed every three months. They are typically an inexpensive item. It’s best to start fresh with a brand new one when you move in. A dirty air filter can greatly affect the performance of your heater. You may have a filter in the ceiling too so make sure you know where all the filters are located.

Prepare for the Unexpected

Whether this is in the short-term during a room renovation or for the long-term by creating a savings plan, the unexpected will always happen. When you have well set emergency plans, it will be a lot less stressful when it does.

If your new house has a fireplace, prior to using it for the first time, be sure you know when your chimney was last cleaned by a professional. For the instances where it was just simply visually examined for a home inspection, it is a good idea to call a chimney cleaner. Removing creosote from masonry and identifying any repairs ensures the safe use of your fireplace.

Living at the shore means you know flooding is a possibility. Occasionally, the water comes from inside. Know where your main water shut-off valve is. Hopefully you will never need to use it in an emergency. But if you do, you need to know where it is and how to use it. Typically, the shut off valve inside a home is located within five feet of where the water enters the home. If you are unable to find it on your own, you can also refer back to your inspection report. Review the plumbing section and there should be a detailed description of where to find the valve. There is also a shut off on the exterior perimeter of your property called a curb valve.  These locations are important to know in the case of a burst pipe.

If you have moved a significant distance, you probably have all new utility companies. Be sure to make note of the emergency numbers for your gas company, electric company, and water company where appropriate.

Contact Our Realtors Today for the Best Access to Seaside Park Homes for Sale

For those who aren’t lucky enough to have recently purchased a home, but would like to look at some Seaside Park homes for sale, contact one of our realtors. We have three convenient locations. Each is filled with knowledgeable, helpful, competent agents ready to help you find the home of your dreams.

Take it from us, a real estate transaction from start to finish can be a tough journey. It can be a real roller coaster of emotions. Sometimes you find a home you love, but it’s not in your budget. Other times, you may be outbid on a home.  For some who have never purchased a home before, it may seem like you should be able to do it like car shopping. Start off with a location and a model, narrow down by bedrooms and bathrooms, and bingo! You’ve found your dream home! Unfortunately, real estate just doesn’t work that way. This is why it’s important to keep an open mind when searching homes for sale in Lavallette. While your list of wants may not seem like too much to ask, it just may not exist on the market.

The Perfect Home Can be Created

Sometimes everything you want doesn’t exist in one house. However, there are a lot of things that can be changed about homes. Rooms can be painted, walls can be taken down or added, and additions can be built. Real estate agents have a lot of experience with before and after stories of homes. They can be a great resource for discussing possible changes to a home. While homes are in fact set in stone, everything about them isn’t. The top three things that can’t be changed about a home and should drive your home buying process are location, size, and budget. If the things that can’t be changed about the home work for you, consider what adaptations you can make to the house to make it closer to your dream home.

View as Many Homes as You Can

Trust your real estate agent and view as many homes as they want to show you. The more homes you view, the idea of what you want may change. An agent may select homes to show you so that you have a better idea of what is available in your budget. On the flip side, homes may be selected that check off a good portion of your must-have list so you can see what the price of those homes are. No matter what, even if you think you are going to hate the house, trust your agent and take a look. You may find something that surprises you. An item that you thought you wouldn’t like, may end up suiting you perfectly in the right home.

Communication is Key When Purchasing Homes for Sale in Lavallette

Have a clear conversation with your realtor about your expectations. Not only in what you are looking for in a home, but what you expect of the agent as well. Understanding your agent’s availability and that they may not be able to get back to you immediately all the time can save you a lot of stress. Decide what the best method of communication is between you, whether it be text, email, or by phone, and try to stick to that. If it’s not working, discuss it. Communication breakdown is a big contributing factor in a lot of confusion and mental pressure during the buying and selling process of a home. It doesn’t need to be that way. Avoid unnecessary tension between you and your real estate agent with clear communication.

Keep an Open Mind When Searching Homes for Sale in Lavallette

Keep an open mind when searching for homes for sale in Lavallette and in any market. A home that fulfills your entire wish list may not exist, but a very close replica can be created. Once you find a home that checks your size, location, and budget boxes, be flexible with other decisions. You may just end up finding the home of your dreams! Contact one of our agents today to get started.