For Buyers · New Jersey & Pennsylvania
The Buyer’s
Complete Guide
What to expect when buying a home in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, from first steps to closing day. Written by The JK Realty Group after 20+ years and 600+ transactions.
Step 1: Get Pre-Approved
Before You Shop
Before you look at homes, get a mortgage pre-approval from a licensed lender. That means a full, credit-checked approval, not a pre-qualification. When a well-priced home in Gloucester or Burlington County draws more than one offer, sellers usually look first at buyers who can show their financing.
A pre-approval shows what a lender is prepared to lend you, and it tells a seller you are ready to buy. Your agent can recommend local lenders who work in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
NJ Tip: Many New Jersey buyers hire an attorney to review the contract and handle the closing. Ask about the fee early so it is part of your budget. Your agent will help you see the full cost before you make an offer.
Step 2: Define Your
Priorities and Markets
South Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania run from shore towns to farmland, and each town has its own taxes, commute and price range. Before you tour, decide what you will not give up: commute time, lot size, what is nearby, your budget, and where you want to be in five years.
Our town pages give each town’s 2020 Census population, school district, ZIP codes and history, taken from Census and state records. Use them to narrow your search before you spend time touring homes that do not fit.
Step 3: Working With
Your Buyer’s Agent
Since August 1, 2024, New Jersey has required a written agreement between a buyer and the agent who represents them. It sets out the relationship and how your agent is paid, and we go through it with you before we begin.
Your agent represents you, not the seller. That means MLS access, guidance on value, negotiation, setting up inspections, and speaking up for you from the first offer through closing. How your agent is paid is agreed in writing up front, and in many sales the seller or builder offers to cover it.
Under N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.9, your agent gives you a Consumer Information Statement before discussing your needs or price in any detail. It explains the different ways an agent can work with you, and we provide it at our first meeting.
Step 4: Making an
Offer That Wins
In busy South Jersey markets such as Mullica Hill, Sewell and Washington Township, a well-priced home can go under contract quickly. A strong offer is more than price: the closing date, the conditions the sale depends on, and the other contract terms all count. Your agent will talk through offer strategy based on the market at the time you buy.
New Jersey contracts include standard contingencies for home inspection, mortgage financing, and attorney review. When your agent prepares the contract, a three business day attorney review period runs from the day the signed contract is delivered to both sides, and either party’s attorney may modify or cancel it without penalty. A contract an attorney drafted does not carry the clause. On new construction it goes both ways, so ask who wrote the agreement you are signing.
Step 5: Inspections,
Appraisal & Title
Once your offer is accepted, the inspection period begins and a home inspector reviews the property’s condition. Homes with a well or septic system, common in rural parts of Gloucester, Salem and Burlington counties, often get added tests. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection recommends that every home be tested for radon.
Your lender will order a property appraisal to confirm the home’s value supports the loan amount. A title company will run a title search and provide title insurance, and many buyers and sellers also have their own attorney for the closing.
Step 6: Closing Day
& Keys in Hand
At closing you sign the final loan documents, pay your closing costs and get the keys. The time from an accepted offer to closing depends on your loan, the inspections and the dates in your contract, and your agent will walk you through the timeline for your purchase.
Closing costs in NJ include title insurance, attorney fees, recording fees, prepaid property taxes and insurance, and lender fees. Pennsylvania has similar costs plus a realty transfer tax: 1% to the state and a local share that varies by town. Who pays it is set in the sale contract, and it is often split between buyer and seller.
- Step 1: Get Pre-Approved
- Step 2: Define Your Markets
- Step 3: Buyer’s Agent
- Step 4: Making an Offer
- Step 5: Inspections & Title
- Step 6: Closing Day