Katie & David + Jacqueline

BEACH HOME BUYERS: Katie & David - Married Couple

Current Home: Tom’s River, New Jersey

Beach House Hunting In: The Jersey Shore

Beach Home Budget: $300,000 - $450,000

Katie and David crossed paths in the most Jersey way possible: mid-lift, in a gym, surrounded by sweat, steel, and flirtation disguised as fitness talk. Katie’s the bold, take-charge type. She works in local government. David is steady, and calm, a general contractor working at his father’s business and the baby of nine siblings in a loud, lovable Italian family rooted deep in the Jersey Shore boardwalk scene. Together, they’re recently married, wildly in sync, and hilariously navigating their first big adventure as a couple: buying their first home.

They're currently squeezed into a 763-square-foot apartment, sharing space with weights, computer gaming setups, and dreams of something bigger. With plans to start a family, they’re ready for a forever home near the ocean and the Jersey Shore. For them, a beach house means more than a view. It means kite flying nights, movie nights, and spontaneous run-ins with nieces, nephews, and half the Seaside boardwalk. David’s family owns several small beach boardwalk businesses, so it wouldn’t be unusual for this couple to run into family in the area.

As first-time buyers, they’ve been thrown into the deep end of homeownership. They feel like there’s a huge learning curve, and they’re trying to sort out the property jargon, closing costs, Earnest Money Deposit, contingencies, and all the stuff they never teach you about buying a home in high school. Katie wants a modern vibe and a kitchen worthy of her growing cooking skills; David wants function, no carpet, and a spot for his desk and computer setup. A pool would be a dream... if someone else cleans it (he will he admits.) Despite the stress and confusion of buying their first home, they’re ecstatic to be taking this next step. They’re practical but passionate, funny but focused, and deeply committed to building a life they can grow into, one beach day, family dinner, and mortgage payment at a time.

Real Estate Agent: Jacqueline, Brick, NJ

If you crossed a pit bull with a beach babe and handed her a real estate license, you’d get Jacqueline: a born-and-raised Jersey Shore firecracker who’s been slinging homes since 2013 and landing top-dollar deals ever since. She’s ranked in the Top 100 agents in New Jersey for seven years straight and is known for her “no is not an answer” attitude, savvy negotiation skills, and uncanny ability to outmaneuver the competition, sometimes beating out a dozen offers to get her clients the win. Raised by a master plumber and once a kitchen designer herself, she’s got a sharp eye for what’s behind the walls and what adds resale value. Whether it’s a $375K condo or a waterfront dream home, she brings heart, hustle, and a little Jersey sass to every deal. Off the clock, you’ll find her dancing, sipping cocktails in Asbury Park, or bragging about her daughter in law school—because yes, she’s raising another powerhouse too.