Down the Shore, Thinking About the Long Game

I’m writing this from the back patio of our rental in Lavallette, got my coffee, the sun and my journal with me. 



We’ve rented here for years now, and every summer I tell myself the same thing, that one day we’ll own down here, even if I can’t say exactly when.

This week I’ve been doing what I always do at the shore, which is walk around and look at every house like it’s a listing. 

Every summer, it seems like more new constructions take the place of where old little shore bungalows once were.

Many of these newer constructions would be valued at over $2.5 million.

And then there’s the little house in between them that hasn’t been touched since the eighties, sitting quietly at maybe $800K-$900K value.

That gap between those two houses is what I keep thinking about. 

Buying a house doesn’t have to mean buying the finished, move in ready version at full price. 

That’s one path, and it’s a fine one if you can swing it, but it’s not the only way in. 

The outdated house is often the smarter entry point, because you’re paying for the bones and the location instead of somebody else’s renovation, and you get to build equity more quickly instead of waiting on appreciation. 

And that equity can do a lot more than just sit there…

Once you’ve renovated/ added to it/ or built it, you can leverage it into another property, use it to consolidate other debt, or sell and roll everything into something that fits your life better a few years down the line. 

Buying the ugly house isn’t just about saving money going in, it’s about giving yourself options later that a full price purchase doesn’t leave you as much room for.

And this idea isn’t unique to the shore by any means, it’s just as true up here in Northern Jersey, in the towns I work in every day. 

The house that’s been sitting because of dated kitchens or a rough looking exterior is very often the one with the most room to grow your equity and your wealth, if you’re willing to put in the work instead of paying full price for someone else’s finished product.

I’ll keep wandering around Lavallette this week, mentally renovating houses that aren’t mine, lol, but the question applies wherever you’re looking to buy. 



Would you rather buy the ugly house and build your equity through sweat and time, or buy something move in ready at full price? 

I’d love to hear which way you’d go!

I actually captured some of these thoughts while walking around Lavallette and looking at these homes. If you want to see the Shore through my eyes, you can watch the full video here.

For more real estate insights, market updates, and behind-the-scenes from my journey, follow along on Instagram: @JerseyFinance | @AlexPreziosiRealEstate