Diane Glander, Spring Lake, NJ

I did just that a few years ago. My (then) boyfriend moved in with me and we added his name to the deed and he refinanced the house in his name. It is not a problem. - Wed Jul 23 2008, 17:08

I have Chubb and they are excellent! If you need the name of a good insurance rep, who can answer all your insurance questions, email me. I have an excellent one in Manasquan. - Tue Jul 22 2008, 18:09

Don't know that it will give you stats for the past year, but you can order a market snapshot off the homepage of my website which will give you active as well as closed properties. Just don't know how far back it will let you go. Might just be 6 months. It's free and extremely informative, and it will update you monthly, too! - Tue Jul 22 2008, 17:18

Since you asked your question in Spring Lake, I will tell you which towns in that area have condos with pools:
The closest community to the beaches of Spring Lake would be Fairway Mews. It's in Spring Lake Heights. Depending on where in the development you purchase, you can be within 7 blocks to Spring Lake Beach. They have a pool and also are on an executive golf course. It's a mixed community both with children and retirees.
In Brielle, you have Brielle Landing, Braclay Woods, and the Drawbridge. However, Brielle does not have a beach of their own. It's known for being a community along the Manasquan River. The closest beach to Brielle is Manasquan.
Then, there's Wall Twp. where you have Weybridge and Allaire Country Club Estates. Weybridge is just off Rt 35 which is about 1.5 miles to Belmar's beaches and Allaire is on Hwy 138, about 5 miles to the beach.
If you would like pricing for these or have any additional questions, you can search these properties on my website, or drop me an email and I'll send you out some listings to review.
All these towns are kid friendly by the way and as far as getting the most for your money, I would say probably in Fairway Mews where the condos start at $375,000 for a 2 bedroom. You'll pay closer to 5 for a 3 bedroom, though. - Tue Jul 22 2008, 17:07

If it were me (and I own several properties) I would stay put in your rental.

Yes, there are financial benefits to owning, but there are also expenses. A local agent can tell you how "good" a buy you would be getting for the home you are interested in, but keep in mind that in general, housing prices are still declining--some towns at a slower rate than others--you will have to pay for any maintenance issues that arise when you own the home, and you will have to pay a commission to an agent when you sell (unless you FSBO) You might want to take the numbers to an accountant and run them by him/her for a professional financial opinion.

If you told me that you would be renting for 5 years or more, I would tell you to buy. - Fri Jul 18 2008, 08:13