Countryside Homes NJ Real Estate Blog
Real Estate Advice

The number buyers are actually being quoted is not “just over 7%.” The average 30-year fixed mortgage is 7.49% today — up another 4 basis points from yesterday’s 7.45%, and the highest daily reading in this index since April 2024. The 15-year fixed is 7.12%. Jumbos are 7.55%. FHA is 7.17%. VA is 7.19%. That 7.49% figure is a daily lender index from Mortgage News Daily. It tracks what borrowers are being quoted, including the effect of points. A note rate in the high 6s is still possible for a strong file — usually only if you pay extra upfront. […]

Current Market Overview: Mortgage Rates in Early September 2026 If you’re buying or selling in Northwestern New Jersey, the rate on a home loan matters as much as the asking price. As of early September 2026, national average mortgage rates are still in the high sixes—not the lows many hoped for at the start of the year, but also not a mystery. Here’s a plain-English look at where rates stand, how we got here, and what major housing researchers say may come next. The national benchmark most people watch is Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS). For the week […]

Current Market Overview: August 2026 Analysis Warren County’s August story is less about a slowdown and more about balance catching up. Homes still sold over asking. Inventory stayed tight. And the typical sale happened a little faster than it did in July—while new listing prices moved closer to what buyers were actually paying. The figures below come from Realtors Property Resource (RPR) and cover single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and apartments. They’re a countywide snapshot for towns like Hackettstown, Washington, Blairstown, Knowlton, and the quieter townships around them. Asking Prices Moved Closer to Reality The typical Warren County home that sold […]

Current Market Overview: August 2026 Analysis Sussex County’s August market had a different feel than a straight “everything is racing” month. Prices held. Sales still finished a little over asking. What changed most was the clock: it simply took a little longer for many homes to go under contract. The numbers below are from Realtors Property Resource (RPR) and cover single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and apartments—useful whether you’re looking near the lakes, in a year-round town, or somewhere in between. The Pace Slowed—Prices Didn’t The typical Sussex County home that sold in August brought $492,500, up about 3.7% from July. […]

Current Market Overview: August 2026 Analysis If you live in Morris County—or you’re thinking about moving here—August’s numbers tell a clear story. Homes are still in demand. Buyers are still paying up. And there still aren’t enough houses for sale to call this a “buyer’s market.” The figures below come from Realtors Property Resource (RPR) and cover single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and apartments.  What August Looked Like in Morris County The typical home that sold in August went for $781,000. That’s about 4% higher than July’s median. One month doesn’t rewrite the whole market—the mix of homes that closed always […]

If you are looking at homes in Northwestern New Jersey — Mansfield, Blairstown, Knowlton, Frelinghuysen, Andover, Byram, Sparta, and the townships around them — there is a good chance the property is not connected to a municipal sewer. That is part of the appeal of country living. It also means the home relies on a private septic system to treat wastewater on the lot. A well-designed, well-maintained septic system can serve a family for decades. A neglected or failing one can cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace and can delay or derail a closing. That is why a […]