🏡 South Jersey Market Update

Let's address the headline first: the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate just ticked above 7% (7.03% this week, per Freddie Mac). Not the direction any of us were hoping for. But here's what that headline buries ~ this is quietly one of the best weeks of the entire year to be a buyer.

Every fall, right about now, the market hands buyers a rare combination: inventory is still near its seasonal peak, the summer bidding wars have cooled, and prices have eased off their high. In fact, national housing data pegs this exact week ~ late September into early October ~ as the single best week to buy all year. More homes to choose from, less competition, and sellers who are motivated to make a deal before the holidays.

So while everyone else fixates on the rate, savvy buyers are using this window to negotiate. Rates you can refinance later. This kind of choice and leverage? It doesn't last. (Case in point ~ keep reading.)

Thinking about making a move this fall? Let's talk about what today's market actually means for your numbers.

✨ Spotlight of the Week: New Price at 224 Orono Place, Somerdale​

Speaking of buyer opportunity ~ here's one worth a serious look. This 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath home in the sought-after TimberBirch section of Somerdale was just adjusted to $529,900, and it's open this Sunday.

At its heart is a showstopper of a kitchen: a massive country kitchen with granite counters, an oversized center island built for gathering, a stainless double-oven-and-cooktop package, and a walk-in pantry. It opens right out onto a 52-foot deck and a built-in saltwater pool ~ all set on a three-quarter-acre cul-de-sac lot with room to spare for volleyball, bocce, and backyard everything.

Downstairs is made for real life: two flexible bonus rooms (one a natural game or rec room, the other with a cozy log-cabin feel warmed by a wood-burning stove), plus a family room with a wood-burning fireplace for those chilly nights ahead. A solar system helps keep energy costs in check, and it's all zoned to the Black Horse Pike Regional schools.

Newly priced, packed with space, and ready for its next chapter.

​
🗓️ OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, October 4 ~ 1:00 to 3:00 PM
📅 Can't make Sunday? Reply to this email or call Jerry at 856.373.3537 for a private tour.

🗓️ More Open Houses This Weekend
📍 7 Goose Neck Lane, Sicklerville ~ Sun 10/4, 1-3 PM
📍 611 Jackson Road, Magnolia ~ Sat 10/3, 10-12 PM
📍 70 Highland Avenue, Sicklerville ~ Sat 10/3, 10-12 PM

🔧 Home Tip of the Week: Before You Light That First Fire

There's nothing better than the season's first fire ~ but give your fireplace or wood stove a quick once-over before you strike the match. Shine a flashlight up the flue to check for nests, leaves, or debris, and make sure the damper opens and closes freely. If it's been more than a year (or you're not sure), it's worth booking a chimney sweep before you're using it regularly ~ built-up creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires. Five minutes now buys you a whole season of cozy, worry-free nights.

Here's to a beautiful fall ~ and a smart season to make your move.

~ Jennifer, Jerry & The McManus Team