Considering buying waterfront property in New Jersey? Check out this article from New Jersey.com written by Kathleen Lynn.  Read on for highlights/inserts and my  own quote from Kathleen’s article.

"....you don't need to move to the Shore to live near the water. North Jersey has a number of lake communities — natural havens, hidden away from the highways and shopping malls.

Homes in lake communities don't necessarily cost more than similar properties nearby, but houses right on the water do. Realtors estimate that lakefront properties go for 30 to 35 percent more than similar homes that are landlocked. But many people are willing to pay that price.

In fact, home values range widely among North Jersey's lake communities. You can find small two- or three-bedroom homes in Ringwood or West Milford lake neighborhoods for as little as $200,000 to $350,000 — or pay more than $1 million for luxurious, newer waterfront homes on Greenwood Lake or Pines Lake or in the Smoke Rise gated community in Kinnelon.

However, there are trade-offs. Many of North Jersey's lake communities were developed in the first half of the 20th century as summer colonies and some started their lives as tiny summer cottages or log cabins. They sometimes lack the size, closet space or multiple bathrooms that buyers crave. And many of North Jersey's lakes are in hilly, remote towns such as West Milford, making for long commutes and a rural lifestyle that might include too many bears for some families' comfort.

The sprawling town of West Milford has many lake neighborhoods that started as summer communities, including Pinecliff Lake, which is near the downtown shopping district and has a lot of log cabins, and Upper Greenwood Lake, where lots were sold in the 1930s for $97.50 each in a marketing gimmick by the New York Daily Mirror newspaper.

The real beauty of Pines Lake is that the real estate is very diverse, from starter homes to bigger homes. It's not like you have to spend a million dollars to get started here…”

"Some people come here because it's affordable and commutable, and they discover a gem of a community and never want to leave," said Orly Steinberg, a Coldwell Banker agent in Ringwood who sells many lake homes.”

 Click here to view Orly's Ringwood NJ Real Estate and Wanaque NJ Homes for Sale

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