Waterfront living in Mystic Islands: what buyers should know

Waterfront living in Mystic Islands means your boat, kayak, or paddleboard lives at your own dock instead of in a storage yard. The neighborhood is a network of man-made lagoons that connect to Great Bay and the mouth of the Mullica River, so on a good day you can be on open water in minutes.

A community built for the water

Mystic Islands was developed in the early 1960s by Lagoon Parks, Inc. on a cluster of seven small islands, with homes laid out along the lagoons rather than the street. It was designed as a family-friendly waterfront resort community, and that character still shows: quiet streets, docks everywhere, and some of the more attainable waterfront prices on the Jersey Shore.

The same site once held the Tuckerton Tower, a wireless transmission station built in 1912 whose concrete monoliths still stand in the area. It is a small reminder that this stretch of the Shore has been a crossroads for a long time.

What the lagoon gives you

A private dock changes how you use a home. Morning coffee on the deck, the boat in the water all season, crabbing and fishing off the bulkhead, and a sunset that arrives over the water instead of the neighbor's roof. Homes here pair that with the everyday convenience of Little Egg Harbor Township: public water, public sewer, and the services of a full township.

Sandy and the rebuilds

Superstorm Sandy flooded parts of Mystic Islands in 2012, in places with around seven feet of water. In the years since, many homes were rebuilt, raised, or replaced, and vacant lots were bought out and left as protected land. The result is a neighborhood where a good share of the housing stock is newer than the streets suggest.

When you look at a lagoon home, ask about elevation, building records, and flood insurance requirements. Every property is different, and a good agent and lender will walk you through what applies to the specific home. 1072 Radio Rd, for example, was completely rebuilt after Sandy, and its systems, siding, and solar array all date from after the storm.

A home that fits the lifestyle

The raised Cape at 1072 Radio Rd gives you six bedrooms and four baths across the main and flex levels, a private dock, an included hot tub, and a paid-off solar system. It was rebuilt with the water in mind: a second-floor deck for sunsets, sliders to the yard, and room for a boat, guests, and about seven vehicles in the driveway.

If you would like to see what the lagoon lifestyle actually feels like, the best way is a walk around the property at sunset. Contact Derek to schedule a private tour of 1072 Radio Rd.