The housing market is shifting toward buyers. Just not in New Jersey.


In most of the country, it’s getting a little easier to buy a home this spring thanks to growing inventory and stalling price growth.

But for buyers in New Jersey and a handful of other parts of the Northeast, the strong seller’s markets of the low mortgage rate days never fully eased. There, bidding wars are still commonplace as inventory remains extremely limited. And home price appreciation is still tracking above inflation and wage growth, making it harder for first-time buyers to save enough to enter the market.

The stiff competition in the Garden State, at a time when more regions are beginning to favor buyers, is a reflection of enduring demand, limited new homebuilding, and the state’s higher-than-average incomes.

“It’s still not a balanced market here at all,” said Melissa DeSantis, a broker associate and managing broker with REAL Broker in Freehold, N.J.

Northern New Jersey has long been a competitive and expensive place to buy a home, sought after by New Yorkers seeking more space and easy commutes into the city. For the more budget-conscious, the advice was typically to head farther south.

Lately, even going south is no guarantee of a better bargain. Competition in places like Monmouth County, in the middle of the state, and farther down into the Philadelphia suburbs is also intense.

DeSantis, who works in Monmouth County, said she saw a surge in interest in her area from New Yorkers seeking more space, strong schools, and shoreline access during the pandemic. That interest never really died down, which she attributes to the appeal of those lifestyle factors and the area’s numerous commuting options to New York.

Read more: How to get the lowest mortgage rates right now

A drone shot of houses in Freehold, N.J., in summer.
A drone shot of houses in Freehold, N.J., in summer. · Wirestock via Getty Images

Lately, larger, more expensive homes have moved particularly quickly.

“You’re seeing a lot of frustrated local move-up buyers because they’re competing with New York buyers,” DeSantis said. “And it seems like the New York players are coming here with suitcases of cash.”

Ted Koczon, a real estate agent in Red Bank, N.J., an hour south of New York, said recent economic uncertainty and higher mortgage rates are likely giving some buyers pause. But in many neighborhoods, bidding wars are still common. He recently saw a $2 million listing in nearby Holmdel, N.J., garner 20 offers, including one for $400,000 over asking price — in cash. Another $1.5 million listing ultimately went for $200,000 more.

Read more: Home ownership by generation: How housing trends differ across Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and boomers

“I think it will still be a strong spring season,” Koczon said. “The demand is strong. There are a lot of people who are ready to go.”



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