New Jersey buyer resources

Before you start looking

• Talk to a licensed lender and get pre-approved
• Check your credit report for errors
• Decide your monthly comfort number, not just the maximum approval
• Identify a New Jersey real estate attorney
• Set your realistic timeline, including lease end or sale of a current home

While you are looking

• Save searches and turn on alerts on our property search site
• Ask for the property taxes and any association fee on every home
• Ask for the flood zone on anything near water
• Note age of roof, heating system, water heater and electrical panel
• Visit at different times of day

Once you are under contract

• Attorney review begins: stay reachable
• Schedule inspections immediately; the window is short
• Formally apply for the mortgage
• Get insurance quotes
• Track your contract deadlines in writing
• Do not open new credit or change jobs without telling your lender

Terms worth knowing

We keep a fuller list on the real estate glossary.

Where to go for official information

• Municipal tax assessor and construction office, for taxes, permits and CO requirements
• New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, for smoke and CO certification rules
• FEMA flood map service center, for flood zone designation
• New Jersey Real Estate Commission, for licensee and consumer information

Requirements and fees change. Verify current information directly with the agency or municipality.

Keep a useful record after each showing

Record your observations while the visit is fresh. Use the same headings for every property: room layout, storage, outdoor space, condition questions, and features that do or do not meet your priorities. Separate what you saw from what you inferred. “A mark on the ceiling” is an observation; its cause is a question to investigate.

Note the details that photographs can make difficult to remember. Could furniture fit the way you would use the room? Was there enough usable storage? Which parts of the property did you not see? If a feature was important to your reaction, describe it specifically so you can compare it with the next home.

After several showings, look for repeated tradeoffs. If the same issue rules out every property, revisit the search criteria with your agent rather than continuing an unproductive list. Our buyer consultation outline helps organize that discussion. Use the real estate glossary for unfamiliar terms, and keep property-specific questions on your own checklist until they have been answered.