The question on everyone’s mind: Is Bergen County and Passaic County real estate finally shifting? With rising equity, increasing inventory, and mortgage rates adjusting, there are signs of movement in what has been a strong seller’s market. Whether you're a buyer or seller, understanding these trends is crucial before making your next move.
Over the past few months, homeowners in Hackensack and Teaneck NJ have begun taking advantage of strong equity positions, resulting in more homes hitting the market. While inventory levels are still under 3 months of supply, technically a seller's market, these increases may signal an early transition toward a more balanced market.
Hackensack, NJ: Inventory rising to 2.67 months of supply
Teaneck, NJ: Median values surpassing $700,000, with increasing supply
This subtle inventory uptick gives buyers a bit more leverage while still keeping sellers in a favorable position.
Wayne, NJ remains one of the hottest real estate markets in Southern Passaic County:
Average sale price now exceeds $825,000
Prices up over 12% year-over-year
Homes selling 6.5% over list price on average
The combination of strong buyer demand and limited supply continues to drive prices higher in Wayne.
Other neighboring towns like Hawthorne, Clifton, and Fair Lawn NJ are also holding strong. Many still report inventory levels under 2 months of supply, keeping competition high and prices elevated.
Despite small increases in inventory, these communities remain solidly in seller’s market territory for now.
Nationwide, homeowners are sitting on a record-breaking $17 trillion in equity. Of that, $11.5 trillion is accessible for those considering refinancing, remodeling, or selling.
For NJ homeowners, this surge in equity presents huge opportunities:
Use equity to fund home renovations
Relocate while maximizing profits
Cash out before the market potentially shifts
Sellers in Bergen and Passaic County NJ should act strategically, ensuring homes are well-maintained and priced accurately to outperform the competition.
With national mortgage rates hovering around 6.85%, some buyers remain hesitant. However, inventory increases give buyers more negotiating room, especially moving into summer and fall 2025.
For renters still waiting: now is the time to act. Rising home prices and equity gains suggest waiting could price some buyers out of the market entirely.
Whether you're looking to unlock equity or secure your first home in Bergen or Passaic County NJ, success now depends on having the right strategy.
Sellers:
Stage, price, and market your home correctly to maximize your return.
Buyers:
Take advantage of rising inventory and negotiate from a position of strength.
Not sure how these changes impact your specific town or situation? I’m here to help. Call or text me at 973-662-4913 for a personalized consultation. Whether you're buying, selling, or investing in NJ real estate, I’ll create a plan tailored just for you.
Our agents get to know you — Need to move for a job? Want a shorter commute? Getting married? Having a baby? Need to upgrade or downsize? At this stage in the process, we’ll send you notifications about the listings that you’re most likely to be excited about. Be sure to let us know if one (or more) jumps out at you so that we can skip to the next step and schedule a viewing. be there for you every step of the way.
Success for each person looks different. A growing family or new empty-nesters have different needs. Our goal is to map out your goals financially to get a good understanding of what you need in a home but also what makes the most sense for your specific situation - both from a time and money perspective.
We’ll introduce you to our mortgage partner, who can help you determine your buying price range with confidence. Be prepared to dig into paperwork during this part of the process such as pay stubs, W2’s, and tax returns. The lender will do a full review and then tell you what you will be able to borrow in order to purchase a home. This is a vital step in the home buying process!
During this process, we will be sending you some listings to evaluate and provide us with feedback. This helps us to understand, update and revise your criteria and preferences. Our agents are always super involved in the community so they can provide you with tons of information about the areas you are interested in. We will also use this information to setup notifications of listings to you and evaluate any office exclusives (homes that are not yet listed in the MLS) so you are the first to see the property.
Here’s where the buying process gets really fun! We’ll attend open houses together and schedule viewings of the homes that you’ve loved from our listing alerts. Many of our clients prefer us to consolidate to one day of searching or have specific times that work for them. We handle all the coordination so you just have to show up! We’ll talk about how the budget will work and make sure that we find you the perfect home.
When you’re ready to make an offer, your agent will present a written offer to the seller. We also present your offer using video to help make a bigger impact and showcase our commitment to the sale of the home. And while everyone loves getting their offer accepted right away, the seller could come back to us with a counteroffer, or reject your initial offer all together. We’re happy to walk you through each of these possibilities and exactly how to handle them. Once the offer is accepted, it’s time to get your financing in order and move forward to the next step!
The sellers accepted your offer, and the home is going through appraisal and inspection. The appraisal guarantees that the price of the property matches the condition of the property while the inspection makes sure that everything in the home is functioning properly and there are no major issues inside. These are the last steps before the shiny keys to your home are placed in your hand... for good!
Get excited because it’s time to close on your home! This process includes going through all of the final paperwork and signing your name (a lot!). Don't forget to bring all of the paperwork you’ve collected along the way and your down payment.
But we know it doesn't stop here. You likely have a lot to coordinate, movers, painters, handymen etc. We will help you to SEGue into your next chapter seamlessly. Even make some introductions to some neighbors! You can count on us!
82 N. Summit Street, Tenafly NJ 07670
Stacy Esser Consulting LLC
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