Photo: Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0108 homes sold in Highland Lakes in the last year, at a typical $382K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Highland Lakes homes are listed.
Every place Highland Lakes homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Highland Lakes.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 98% of Highland Lakes’ sales, at a typical $353K (year to May 2026)
108 homes sold in the year to September 2026.
typical sale · 92 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $316NJ $331
- Days to sell
- 33
- Sold over asking
- 58%
- Listings with a price cut
- 18%
Condos: 2 sold, typical $178K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2021, at 3.3 times the 2016 price
108 sales in the last year, against 187 in 2020 and a low of 81 in 2025. The typical sale went from $116K in 2016 to $382K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $400K buys in Highland Lakes
Check a listing against what Highland Lakes homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Highland Lakes are more common than before the pandemic, but three quarters fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Highland Lakes’ home sales since 2016 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 108 sales.
If you’re buying in Highland Lakes
- Shop in April. It brings about 14 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (32% over asking).
- Expect to bid over asking. Buyers paid 102.5% of the list price on average; 55% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 20% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 30 days.
Summer brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 17 a month), but July is the most competitive: 45% of July sales close over asking. April offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (32%). February has the least competition (31%) but only about 8 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and hotter than New Jersey
| Highland Lakes now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NJ now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 55% | 24% | 57% | 44% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 20% | 1% | 1% | 30% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 102.5% | 97% | 101.8% | 100.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 30 | 131 | 93 | 46 |
24 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.4 times the 2024 low (17), 71% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2017’s 93.
Highland Lakes ranks 109th of 300 busy New Jersey markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Highland Lakes is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2016 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Highland Lakes home costs about $2,763 a month
Price: Highland Lakes’ typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Highland Lakes’ 2.4% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Highland Lakes is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 7.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $382K home, about $9,250 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Highland Lakes.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Vernon Center, Hamburg, Franklin and Sussex sell for less a square foot; Hewitt for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Highland Lakes, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Lakes | 108 | $382K | $312 | 55% | 30 |
| Vernon Center | 90 | $220K | $258 | 20% | 64 |
| Hamburg | 81 | $383K | $237 | 50% | 47 |
| Franklin | 50 | $336K | $256 | 54% | 37 |
| Upper Greenwood Lake | 49 | $479K | $311 | 31% | 77 |
| Hewitt | 25 | $643K | $397 | 58% | 67 |
| Sussex | 20 | $364K | $231 | 46% | 58 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Highland Lakes, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Highland Lakes. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Highland Lakes with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Highland Lakes
What do homes sell for in Highland Lakes, NJ?
108 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $382K, $312 a square foot.
Is Highland Lakes a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 21 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 9 sold, about 2.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 102.5% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Highland Lakes?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Highland Lakes?
About 2.4% of a home’s value a year. On a $382K home that’s near $9,250.
Where can I see homes for sale in Highland Lakes?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Highland Lakes’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Highland Lakes.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).