Buying and Selling a Home in Ringwood, NJ

Ringwood at a glance

Ringwood State Park covers 4,444 acres, including Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor and the New Jersey State Botanical Garden, Shepherd Lake and Bear Swamp Lake. The Wanaque Reservoir splits the borough. Residents may be eligible to join private lake communities in Stonetown, Cupsaw Lake, Erskine Lakes or Skyline Lakes, each with annual and initiation fees. Ringwood has no state, U.S. or interstate highways; I-287 interchanges are in neighboring Wanaque and Oakland. Ringwood is in the Highlands region.

What the housing is like in Ringwood

• Lake-community homes in Cupsaw Lake, Erskine Lakes, Skyline Lakes and Stonetown.
• Single-family homes on wooded, hilly lots, often on wells and septic.
• Homes near the state park and reservoir.

What buyers should check in Ringwood

1. Lake membership. Confirm eligibility, initiation and annual fees, and rules for the specific lake community.
2. Wells and septic. Plan for the required well test (Passaic County includes uranium) and a septic inspection.
3. Highlands rules. Check the parcel's designation before planning additions.
4. Winter access on hilly roads and driveways.
5. Property taxes. Look at the actual tax bill for the house, not an average, and compare Ringwood's rate using the state's municipal tax data.
6. Town certificates. New Jersey requires a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm and fire extinguisher certificate at a change of occupancy; ask the town about any added resale inspections.

Selling a home in Ringwood

Ringwood buyers come for the mountains, lakes and parks. Make lake-membership details and system records easy to find.

Want to know what homes like yours in Ringwood have actually sold for? Get a free home valuation, or search homes for sale if you're buying.

A note on fair housing

I describe homes, land and places — not who lives where. For school information, I point you to official sources so you can decide for yourself.