theconnectionsnj.com HOME & DESIGN PAGE 40 HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR B. Horstmann Septic Service LLC. When Was the Last Time You Had Your SEPTIC TANK PUMPED? Family Owned & Operated Since 1978 908-204-1951 Cleaning out septic tanks, cesspools, drywells & holding tanks for residential, commercial & industrial properties • Jetting, Camera Inspections, Snaking & all repairs on septic systems B. Horstmann Septic Service LLC. $20 www.septictankcleaningnj.com OFF our service Please show coupon for discount. Limit one per customer. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Expires 11/15/19. 8/31/21. 8/31/26. he Somerset Hills real estate market opened 2026 under a blanket of snow and frigid temperatures that held back even a trickle of new listings. The deep freeze of January and February slowed the market’s start, but it did nothing to cool buyer demand. As the season shifts and the spring market begins to unfold, that pent-up energy is catching up and the conditions that defined much of 2025 are firmly back in focus. The first quarter reinforced that story, yet with a twist. Buyers are eager, but they are no longer moving on just anything. They are selective, informed, and increasingly clear about what a home needs to offer before they will compete for it. The shortage plays out neighborhood by neighborhood. In some of Bernards Township’s most established pockets, not a single home has come to market in over a year. That scarcity is not accidental. The Somerset Hills area holds a combination of qualities that is genuinely hard to find elsewhere. The Morris and Essex line provide direct commuter access, a school system that continues to draw buyers from across the region, preserved open space, and a character that people choose and then rarely leave. Those who own here tend to stay, and that long ownership cycle is precisely what keeps supply so tight. After a sluggish start to available inventory in the early part of the quarter, the spring market is now beginning to sprout. New listings are emerging, and in neighborhoods where a cluster of homes has come to market at once, competition is picking up quickly. That energy is welcome, but it also introduces a dynamic worth watching. When several similar homes arrive together, buyers make comparisons rapidly, and pricing relative to condition becomes even more consequential. That is where the tornado market pattern takes hold. One home on a street draws multiple offers and closes above asking, while another a few doors down, sits with little activity. The difference rarely comes down to the street itself. It comes down to pricing, presentation, and how much a buyer would have to invest after closing. Updated kitchens and baths, floor plans that flow and live well, and outdoor space (usable yards, quality landscaping, areas that genuinely extend the home beyond its four walls) have all become baseline expectations rather than pleasant extras. A home that meets that bar moves. One that falls short, even in a supply-constrained market, often does not. The first quarter of 2026 tells a straightforward story: the Somerset Hills market remains defined by a significant shortage of available homes, and the demand that shortage has built up is real and ready. In some neighborhoods, buyers have gone more than a year without a single new listing to consider. As the spring market gains momentum, that pent-up energy is starting to find its outlet, and for sellers who come to market wellpriced and well-prepared, the opportunity is very much there. Marie Young is a longtime real estate professional with Coldwell Banker Realty. Her office is located in Basking Ridge, NJ. Reach her by email at marie@marieyoung.net or by cell at 908-938-2525. Thinking of moving? Think Young! REAL TALK High Demand, Short Supply, and a Market That Rewards the Right Move By Marie Young Somerset Hills · Bernards Township / Basking Ridge, NJ · Q1 2026 Market Report After a sluggish start to available inventory in the early part of the quarter, the spring market is now beginning to sprout. T
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