Posted on

What are the best schools in Atlantic County NJ

Here are the best schools and school districts in Atlantic County

Traditionally Linwood has always been sought after as one of the best school districts in the county.  Linwood is still one of the best school districts and as I studied for this article I found a few surprises.  According to www.niche.com the number one Elementary school was:  William H. Ross III Intermediate School in Margate.  This school received an A+ rating.  Eugene A. Tighe Middle School in Margate was also the number one public middle school with an A rating.

Margate’s schools are fantastic.  However Margate’s high school is Atlantic City High School which is not top rated and received a B grade.  The number one high school was Mainland Regional High School in Linwood with an A rating and number two was Egg Harbor Township High School also with an A rating.  Linwood’s Bellhaven Middle School and Seaview Elementary School came in number two behind Margate so overall Linwood is still the best ranked school district.

When you’re buying a home and need help selecting the right school district you need a real estate agent that knows the school systems and districts and can help you determine what schools are best for your needs.  Contact me for a free consultation.  Also, comment on this post and let me know what you think are the best schools and school districts in Atlantic County.  Best wishes, Matt

 

Posted on

When Is The Best Time Of Year To Sell A Home In Four Seasons Smithville, NJ

Here is a look at 2018 sales in Four Seasons Smithville, Galloway Township, NJ

Four Seasons Smithville is a fantastic 55 and over active adult community built by K. Hovnanian. This is the largest 55 and over community in Atlantic County and has some of the best amenities activities and clubs for active adult home buyers. Recently I met with a couple who will be relocating and wanted to know when would be the best time of year to sell their house.  Their new home would not be ready until July or August and they wanted to time the sale of their Four Seasons home with the purchase of the new home.  I studied the 2018 sales in the community to give them an idea of when they would need to put their house on the market for sale.
The chart shows the number of sales each month for the community.  Average days on market for Four Seasons was 57 for the year.  So that means it took 57 days on average for a home to sign a contract.  Then typically it would take another 30-60 days to close from that date.

The biggest sales month was July followed by April and September.  If you are looking to sell at one of the peak months March or April is a great time to list the house for sale.  Who do you know that needs this kind of advice in selling their home?  Contact me for a free consultation.

Best wishes, Matt

Posted on

Woods Landing Homes, Mays Landing NJ’s best 55+ community

If you're looking for a 55+ community in Mays Landing consider Woods Landing

There are three 55 and over communities in Mays Landing and if I had to choose the best one I would say Woods Landing is the winner.  Woods Landing is a community of detached single family homes located in Hamilton Township(Mays Landing) Atlantic County NJ.  The original homes were build by Kara homes around 2006 and Fernmoor Homes took over the community and is currently building new homes.  Woods Landing has a fantastic club house with game rooms, fitness center and outdoor heated pool.  Many of the homes are very large with 3 full bedrooms and 3 full baths.  Home sizes range from 1,500 square feet to 3,000 square feet.  Contact me for more details on this community and other communities in the area.

Posted on

Feb 2019 Atlantic County Announces First Time Home Buyer Grant Money Now Available – $10,000

It's back! $10,000 available for Atlantic County, NJ First Time Home Buyers

Good news!  As of today the Atlantic County, NJ grant program is now funded with grants available of up to $10,000 for first time home buyers!  All funds are forgiven after 5 years.  This program is administered through the Atlantic County Improvement Authority.  This program does not work for everyone so I’ve outlined the key requirements below.  If you don’t think you’ll qualify for this program the state grant program is also giving $10,000 grants and it’s easier to qualify.  Click here for details on the state grant.  You will need to be pre-qualified by an a approved mortgage company.  My preferred lenders are on stand by to help qualify potential first time home buyers asap and get them qualified to receive the grant money.  Complete the form below and we’ll reach out to see if you qualify.

Atlantic County, NJ First Time Home Buyer Grant Money Is Now Available

Eligible Applicants:

     HOUSEHOLDS

  1. Who have resided in Atlantic County for the last 12 months or are employed in Atlantic County.
  2. Who have not owned a home for the last  three years.
  3. With acceptable credit history and the ability to obtain an approved mortgage.
  4. With incomes below 80% of Median income:

These income levels are (2019):

# of Household Members 80% of Median Income

1 Person

$42,850

2 Persons

$49,000

3 Persons

$55,100

4 Persons

$61,200

5 Persons

$66,100

6 Persons

$71,000

7 Persons

$75,900

8 Persons

$80,800

If you or someone you know may be eligible to qualify for this grant please call me for more details at 609-338-3773.  Time is limited and funds are usually gone in a few months so please call me now.  Matt

Posted on

Real Estate Market Update For Mays Landing, NJ

Here is the latest update for the real estate market for Mays Landing, Hamilton Township, NJ Atlantic County

So first let me say that this update is for Hamilton Township (AKA Mays Landing), Atlantic County, NJ.  There are two Hamilton Townships in NJ so if you are looking for Atlantic County in South Jersey you’ve come to the right place!  Mays Landing is located about 20 minutes east of Atlantic City and Ocean City.  Mays Landing is also the regional shopping and retail hub of the county and home to The Hamilton Mall and many other strip centers and chain restaurants.

Here is an update for the Hamilton Township real estate market.  New listings were down slightly for December.  Closed sales were up.  Days on market was down to just 63 days.  The median sales price was lower for the month however it is up 14% year to date to a median sales price of $173,250.

This report also takes a look at condos and townhomes in Mays Landing.  New listings were down for the month and median sales price is up 21%.  Monthly supply of inventory is up slightly to 6 months.


If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling real estate in Mays Landing please let us know. We can help them analyze the real estate market in their neighborhood to see if this is a good time to buy or sell for them.

Posted on

Hammonton NJ Is The Best Downtown In Atlantic County

Hammonton NJ has a thriving downtown with great activities and restaurants.

Hammonton is located on the Western border of Atlantic County about 30 minutes from Atlantic City and 30 minutes from Philadelphia.  Hammonton is also known as the Blueberry Capital Of The World!  What you may not know is that Hammonton has a thriving downtown.

Date night at downtown Hammonton, NJ

The downtown area centers on Bellevue Avenue and branches off from there. The downtown includes art galleries, restaurants, wine and sports bars, banks, clothing stores, offices, a theatre, a park, and a college satellite campus, attracting shoppers from South Jersey.

The main reason I go to Hammonton is for the Mexican food.  Hammonton has about a half dozen Mexican restaurants.  My favorite is El Mariachi Loco.  It’s located at the corner of Bellevue Ave and the railroad in a beautiful historic building.  The food is made fresh and the service is excellent.  They also have live music on the weekends.

Check out downtown Hammonton.  Enjoy the local eateries and shops and let me know what you think.  Is this the best downtown in Atlantic County?

Best wishes,

Matt

Posted on

Your award winning real estate team!

Thank you to our clients, friends, family, and colleagues for your support of our business.  At The Haviland group almost all of our business is referral based.  We are blessed to work with great clients each year.  Once again we have received awards form the NJ Association Of Realtors.  Matthew earned the silver award and Richard earned the Bronze award.  Combined The Haviland Group had 67+ transitions sides and over $12 million in sales volume.  And it’s important that you know we always have time for more clients.  Who do you know that needs expert help from on one of the top real estate teams in NJ? .

Posted on

Why You Should Buy Or Sell A House In Atlantic County Right Now.

There are many reasons to buy and sell a home right now in Atlantic County, NJ.  Let’s take a look at this from the perspective of home buyers and sellers.

Home Buyers In Atlantic County, NJ.

  1.  Interest rates are still low.  You still have great buying power.
  2. Atlantic County, NJ home prices are on the rise in many of our communities as inventory is shrinking.  Purchase now before prices go up.
  3. Right now there are less buyers looking for homes in the winter.  Less buyers means less competition and you are less likely to get in bidding wars with other buyers.  You can often negotiate a great price and terms this time of year.

Home Sellers In Atlantic County, NJ

  1. Right now inventory is lower in Atlantic County.  If your neighborhood has no other homes for sale or just a few for sale this could be a great time to sell before more homes come on the market in the Spring.
  2. If you are moving up to a larger home this is the perfect market to move up to something bigger.  Demand for lower price homes in the $200,000 range and below is high.  Demand for higher priced home is not as great.  That means you can get top dollar for your home and get a great deal when you purchase your next home.
  3. Rates remain low.  Higher interest rates mean less buying power for home buyer.  If rates go up home prices will go down.  Sell now before any likely interest rate hikes occur.

Figuring out when to buy and sell a home ultimately depends on your circumstances and situation.  Contact me for a free consultation.  I can ask a few simple questions to help you determine if this is the right time to buy or sell for you.

Best wishes,

Matt

Posted on

Should I get a real estate attorney when buying or selling in NJ?

Here are 5 reasons to hire an attorney when buying or selling a home in NJ.

As a real estate agent I often get asked from buyers or sellers should I hire an attorney?  In NJ having an attorney is not required.  There is a difference in how closings are handled in North Jersey versus South Jersey.  If you are in North Jersey it’s customary for an attorney to handle everything in the transaction including title search and handling the closing.  If you’re in South Jersey title companies typically handle the closing and title work.  Regardless of what part of NJ you are buying or selling a home, here is my list of 5 reasons you should consider hiring an attorney.

  1.  Real estate agents can’t give legal advice.  Real estate agents can go over the contingencies of a contract but they can’t give legal advice.  Only an attorney can advise you on legal matter.
  2. Inspection Negotiations.  Attorneys can help in negotiating acceptable inspection terms.  Often a well drafted letter from an attorney can be more well received if it is coming from an attorney rather from an agent or home buyer or seller.
  3. Review of contract terms.  Your real estate agent will most likely be using standard New Jersey Association of Realtors contract forms.  These work well for most homes however every home and circumstance is unique.  It’s wise to have an attorney review the terms of the contract during the three day attorney review period once the contracts are fully signed.  During this time an attorney can cancel, or revise a contract on behalf of a home buyer or seller.
  4. Review of contract deadlines.  Attorneys will also help keep track of important deadlines in a real estate transaction to help ensure your agent does not miss any important deadlines.
  5. Problems at the closing table.  At the day of closing there can be problems.  In my experience there are two common problems.  The first is the seller not moving out all their personal items in time for closing and the second is repair issues.  Sometimes a new repair issue is discovered at closing.  For example the air conditioning is not working properly.  An attorney can help successfully negotiate agreeable terms for the buyer and seller and make sure they are legally protected if such a problem would occur at closing.

We have worked fantastic attorneys.  We would be happy to recommend one to you depending on your location and circumstances.  Contact us and we’ll be happy to recommend an attorney for you.

 

Posted on

Margate City, NJ Real Estate Market Update

Here is a quick look at real estate statistics for Margate, NJ for December 2018

Margate is on of my favorite South Jersey Shore beach towns.  I prefer the Ventnor/Margate beaches in the summer because they are not as crowded as Ocean City.  Margate has more year round residents than some of the other shore tows.  Margate is also home to my favorite summer eatery the Margate Dairy & Burger Bar.  So lets take a look at the real estate market for Margate.

Margate City, NJ Real Estate Market Update

For single family homes new listings were down 40% and down 2% year to date.  Closed units were down 20% for the month and 5.5% year to date.  Days on market was just 50 days.  Median sales price was also up 8%.  Inventory of homes for sale is down 9.5%.

Margate City, NJ Real Estate Market Update

For condos and townhomes.  New listing were down slightly.  Closed sales were up 200% for the month and up 2% year to date.  Days on market was up in this category.  Median sales price was up 50% which indicates a few higher priced sales took place.  Median sales price is up 11.8% year to date.  Inventory of condos is down by 11% and months supply of inventory is down to 13 months.

If you or someone you know is looking to buy sell or invest in Margate real estate contact us now.  Inventory is shrinking and prices are on the rise.  This makes it a great time to sell and also a great time to buy before prices increase further.

Best wishes, Matt