Clayton & Clayton Real Estate Blog - Information for Home Buyers

Picture Looks Good For Ocean County Real Estate & Homes Sales

With just a couple of weeks left before school starts and the lazy, hazy days of summer begin to cool off, a bit of a slowdown in the Ocean County real estate market is not unusual during the summer months. But even with a bit of a slow summer, the overall picture looks pretty good for Ocean County real estate and home sales.

The median sales price of a home in Ocean County this past July was $275,000, up $11,000 from July 2013. In addition, the July 2014 median price of an Ocean County condo-townhome was $182,500 - up $12,500 from July 2013. Not to mention adult community homes sold more an average of 18.8% more this July than July of last year.

Another factor from this past July over July 2013 is single-family home sellers in Ocean County said…

1203 Views, 0 Comments

Mantoloking Steel Seawall Construction Set For June

A new report from newsworks.org says the long-awaited construction of the steel seawall, that will protect Mantoloking and parts of Brick, NJ, from future super storms like Sandy, is set to begin in June.

A company called EIC Associates out of Springfield was awarded the contract (worth $23.8 million) by the state of New Jersey. As part of the winning bid, the contract stipulates the wall must be built within 180 days, meaning it should be done around November, 2014. The project cost will run up to about $40 million, with the federal government covering 80% of the costs, with the state picking up the tab on the remaining 20%.

The plan calls for 45-ft. high steel sheet pile to be driven vertically 30 feet into the ground, creating the foundation of…

1267 Views, 0 Comments

10 Tips When Buying A Luxury Home

For most people, buying a home is very big step in life. Buying a luxury or high-end waterfront home is an even bigger step. Taking that step means a lot of things need to be in order before you sign the contract that give you ownership of a high end home or condo. Here are 10 things to keep mind if you're looking for a home with a hefty price tag.

1. Don't Just Look At Photos

Let's face it, some luxury homes aren't the most photogenic, and photos can hide cheap work. People interested in a specific home should search the property and immediate vicinity using Google Earth in order to see exactly what's around the Bay Head home, for example. Google Streetmap is another fantastic way to see the home as it sits relative to the road and neighboring…

1383 Views, 0 Comments

What Will $1 Million Buy You when it comes to Real Estate on the NJ Coast?

In 1993 a Canadian band called the Barenaked Ladies had a hit north of the border with song called "If I had $1,000,000". So if you had a million dollars and could buy a home in an area along the Jersey Shores gold coast, what would you get for your hard-earned money?

Naturally real estate in some boroughs and towns is more expensive than others, but generally speaking, and looking at only single-family homes, here's what $1,000,000 will buy you: You'll usually get a minimum of three bedrooms, more often than not, a home will have four bedrooms and at least two baths.

Generally speaking, $1 million can get you a home that's often very close to the beach, sometimes even a block of two. In some communities, like Point Pleasant or Manasquan, for…

1161 Views, 0 Comments

New Bill Tosses Insurance Life Preserver to Home Buyers

A bipartisan bill approved by The House in early March would allow sellers to pass along their subsidized, below-market insurance rates to new buyers, while lowering the limit on just how much flood insurance premiums can go up each year.

This is a good step for people in living in oceanside communities in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. The bill was approved 306-91 and the legislation would reel back a recent overhaul of the federal flood insurance program after homeowners in flood-prone regions spoke out about high premium increases.

As residents in areas affected by Superstorm Sandy continue to rebuild, the bill means prospective home buyers won't have to absorb high flood insurance rates, and families across the US can avoid what Rep. Michael Grimm…

1229 Views, 0 Comments