Highland Lakes sits in the Skylands of New Jersey, inside Sussex County, with a population of roughly 5,000 residents. Locals describe it as private mountain-lake community, and that character drives almost everything about the local housing market.
On the lake-house and four-season-getaway side of the market, Highland Lakes usually trades in step with the Sussex County median of $400,000, with price-per-square-foot heavily influenced by school catchment, lot size, and whether the property has been updated in the last five years.
For buyers, the winning approach in Highland Lakes is pre-approval before showings, daily MLS alerts the moment a new listing hits, and a written offer ready to send the same day. For sellers, the formula is sharp pricing, professional photography, and listing on a Thursday so the property is fresh for the first weekend of showings.