About Mercer County, NJ

The Spring 2010 U.S. Remodeling Sentiment Report reports a 13% increase in the number of homeowners who say they will remodel in the next 12 months. The report surveyed 5,000 homeowners across the country who are considering remodeling, and emphasized the effects of the recession on the plans of homeowners.

For instance, the most popular remodeling projects in past years, kitchen and baths, have decreased and now adding a bath is most popular. Updating a room can be seen as an unneeded expense, while the addition of a room like a bath may greatly impact the quality of life in the home, if - for example - the family has grown.

Do-it-yourself projects are still viable and valuable for remodeling.

Cost of materials is decreasing, as homeowners economize.

A large number of homeowners are "excited" about remodeling - 54%. Those who choose to wait may pay more, as the cost to remodel now can be 20% lower than in 2006, according to a special cost to remodel study published earlier this year.

As reported by RisMedia, here are summary results:

Homeowners who report they: 2008 2010
Plan to hire a general contractor 66% 64%
Plan to do some of the remodeling work 67% 66%
Are excited about remodeling 48% 54%
Plan to remodel a bathroom 49% 42%
Plan to remodel the kitchen 55% 48%
Plan to add a bathroom 49% 53%

If remodeling isn't your idea of a great way to spend your weekends or your money, contact me to look at new homes and resales in Mercer County and surrounding areas. If you have questions on which remodeling projects will bring your New Jersey home the most return, give me a call.

EWING MAYOR'S MEETING - FEB 17, 2010

Ewing Township Mayor Jack Ball has invited members of the Mercer County Association of REALTORS® to make an informal presentation on buying and selling a home in Mercer County at his Mayor's meeting on February 17, 2010 at 7:00p.m. The meeting will take place at the Ewing Township Municipal Building, Two Jake Garzio Drive, Ewing, NJ 08628.
Residents, especially those that are considering buying or selling a home in Mercer County, are encouraged to attend the meeting and learn how to take advantage of the current housing market from some of the area's top REALTORS®.

MCAR member David DePaola of R.A. DePaola, Inc. will begin the program with helpful tips for homebuyers and sellers such as effective negotiating, financing options, the inspection and home disclosure process, preparing and presenting your home sale, foreclosures and short sales. Mr. DePaola's family owned firm was established here in Ewing 56 years ago and he has personally been practicing realty in the area for 27 years. "Buying and selling a home is the largest financial transaction most people ever undertake," said Mr. DePaola. "We appreciate the opportunity to share our expertise as local REALTORS® at this Mayor's meeting, and are hopeful that residents will look to the Mercer County Association of REALTORS® as a resource to help them navigate through the complex process of buying or selling a home."

Frank Mancino, Vice President of Gateway Funding, will follow Mr. DePaola with an overview of the recently extended Federal First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, which gives first-time homebuyers an $8,000 tax credit for purchase of a new home until April 30, 2010. Current homeowners purchasing a new or existing home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010 can also apply to receive a tax credit of $6,500 under the plan. Mr. Mancino will offer guidance on how homebuyers can take advantage of this beneficial program and discuss other incentives that buyers and sellers may find worthwhile. "The record-low interest rates coupled with the terrific incentive programs that are available right now, make it a prime time to buy a home in Mercer County," said Frank Mancino. "I look forward to sharing some insight on how buyers and sellers can best utilize these programs at the meeting on February 17."

There will be a question and answer period at the end of the meeting where residents can ask the REALTORS® follow-up questions and all attendees will be given hand-outs with detailed information on all the items discussed.

Here are the real estate sales for the various townships and boroughs in Mercer County, for single family homes in January, 2010. There are a lot of areas in Mercer County, so the easiest way to represent all the homes sold is by place. I can run a similar report for you of condo sales - just let me know if that is your interest. Contact me for details of any Mercer County or Hamilton, New Jersey neighborhood real estate activity.

Real Estate Sales for Mercer County, January, 2010: Single Family Homes

*Hamilton Township
39 homes sold in January, with a low price of $117,500, and a high of $498,000.
51 homes sold in December, with a low price of $50,000, and a high of $367,000.
90 homes sold in November, with a low price of $20,000 and a high of $505,000.
There were 78 sales in October, 83 sales in September, 69 in August, and 64 in July, 2009.

*East Windsor Township
14 homes sold in January, with a low price of $19,000, and a high of $485,000.
22 homes sold in December, with a low price of $27,000 and a high of $485,000.
21 homes sold in November, with a low price of $135,000 and a high of $554,000.
There were 26 sales in October, 24 sales in September, 16 in August, and 15 in July, 2009.

*Robbinsville Township
8 homes sold in January, with a low price of $163,000, and a high of $475,000.
17 homes sold in December, with a low price of $180,000, and a high of $685,600.
8 homes sold in November, with a low price of $216,000 and a high of $785,000.
There were 14 sales in October, 20 sales in September, 8 in August, and 9 in July, 2009.

*West Windsor Township
16 homes sold in January, with a low price of $225,750, and a high of $755,000.
21 homes sold in December, with a low price of $250,580, and a high of $1,055,000.
24 homes sold in November, with a low price of $223,000 and a high of $757,450.
There were 26 sales in October, 21 sales in September, 33 in August, and 28 in July, 2009.

*Hopewell Borough & Township
10 homes sold in January, with a low price of $138,000, and a high of $359,000.
17 homes sold in December, with a low price of $205,000, and a high of $850,000.
15 homes sold in November, with a low price of $205,000 and a high of $605,000.
There were 17 sales in October, 14 sales in September, 13 in August, and 19 in July, 2009.

*Princeton Borough & Township
7 homes sold in January, with a low price of $236,800, and a high of $885,000.
20 homes sold in December, with a low price of $210,000, and a high of $2,651,000.
14 homes sold in November, with a low price of $320,000 and a high of $1,890,000.
There were 16 sales in October, 29 sales in September, 23 in August, and 28 in July, 2009.

*Ewing Township
19 homes sold in January, with a low price of $43,500, and a high of $413,250.
17 homes sold in December, with a low price of $124,900, and a high of $410,000.
30 homes sold in November, with a low price of $19,500 and a high of $445,000.
There were 24 sales in October, 23 sales in September, 17 in August, and 16 in July, 2009.

*Hightstown Borough
3 homes sold in January, with a low price of $140,000, and a high of $165,000.
2 homes sold in December, with a low price of $218,000, and a high of $390,000.
6 homes sold in November, with a low price of $105,000 and a high of $199,200.
There were 5 sales in October, 4 sales in September, 3 in August, and 4 in July, 2009.

*Lawrence Township
11 homes sold in January, with a low price of $115,000, and a high of $615,000.
22 homes sold in December, with a low price of $137,500, and a high of $572,500.
30 homes sold in November, with a low price of $119,000 and a high of $554,900.
There were 33 sales in October, 22 sales in September, 25 in August, and 19 in July, 2009.

*Pennington Borough
3 homes sold in January, with a low price of $284,500, and a high of $765,000.
3 homes sold in December, with a low price of $305,000, and a high of $655,000.
No homes sold in November.
There was 1 sale in October, 2 sales September, 1 in August, and 5 in July, 2009.

*Trenton City
37 homes sold in January, with a low price of $8,500, and a high of $190,000.
41 homes sold in December, with a low price of $10,000, and a high of $169,000.
51 homes sold in November, with a low price of $5,000 and a high of $210,000.
There were 41 sales in October, 39 sales in September, 8 homes in August, and 7 in July, 2009.

Summary:
*Mercer County
167 homes sold in January. 233 homes sold in December. 289 homes sold in November, 281 sales in October, 302 in September, 216 in August, and 214 in July.

Increases: Ewing and Hightstown recorded increased sales in January.
Decreases: Hamilton, East Windsor, Robbinsville, West Windsor, Hopewell, Princeton, Lawrence, and Trenton sales decreased. Pennington showed no change. County-wide, sales were down for January.

For 2009:
Mercer County - 2986 sales
Hamilton Township - 782 sales
East Windsor Township - 272 sales
Robbinsville Township - 169 sales
West Windsor Township - 303 sales
Hopewell Borough & Township - 170 sales
Princeton Borough & Township - 218 sales
Ewing Township - 259 sales
Hightstown Borough - 44 sales
Lawrence Township - 305 sales
Pennington Borough - 23 sales
Trenton City - 441 sales

For 2008: Mercer County - 2944 sales

For 2007: Mercer County - 4005 sales

Inventory
December, 2008 - 2065 listings; 9.9 months
December, 2009 - 1929 listings; 9.2 months

Market History
Median Price December 2008 - $230,000; Sales Price/O Price 88.0%
December, 2009 - $265,000; Sales Price/O Price 90.1%
Year-to-Year
Median Price in 2008 - $285,000; Sales Price/O Price 91.24%
2009 - $256,000; Sales Price/O Price 89.8%

You can see we have a lot of diverse communities in Mercer County, and many more in the surrounding counties of Monmouth, Burlington, and Middlesex, just in Central New Jersey. Contact me for personal knowledge of our area and the sales trends in any township or borough which interests you. Search Homes for Sale in Mercer County, and call or email when you'd like to set up a personal preview.

Writer Chris Illuminati, a lifelong resident of Lawrenceville and a 2000 Rider University graduate, will sign copies of his new book, A**holeology: The Science Behind Getting What You Want-And Getting Away With It, the humorous and informative new guide for men who wish to become more assertive in business, love and life (Adams Media paperback, 224 pages,$12.95).

The free event will take place at Borders Books in Princeton on Saturday, February 13 from 1 to 3 pm.

As reported by Aol Real Estate, "NeighborhoodScout found America's best family-friendly neighborhood in New Jersey. It is a small town that is completely contained in a single neighborhood: West Windsor. It is in central N.J., not far from Princeton.

"The school district is top-notch, ranking in the top 7% in New Jersey, and the top 3% nationwide. Families with school-aged children are the prevailing family type. It is also rated as safer than 97% of neighborhoods in America."

Scout's Family Friendly Score (100 is best): 98 (Excellent)
Found Within ZIP Code(s): 08550


West Windsor is in Mercer County, NJ. (use these links to search for homes). As reported by the NY Times in July, West Windsor is "The Town That Tries to Keep It Country...

"One of the state's fastest-growing residential areas, West Windsor faces competing demands: how to develop more housing, yet retain some semblance of its history as a bucolic farming community dating to the Revolutionary War.

"On the one hand, there is an open-space program that officials have aggressively applied to preserve about half of the township's land. On the other, there are 1,196 homes going up in the northwestern corner - many on less than a quarter of an acre - in response to a state Supreme Court ruling in 2001 that found West Windsor had neglected its affordable-housing obligation.

"Residents might wait as long as three years for reserved parking at the Princeton Junction train station (named for a neighborhood of West Windsor), which ranks as New Jersey Transit's second-busiest station and Amtrak's eighth-busiest - the only nonurban station in the country to crack that particular Top 10 list. Meanwhile, across town, families can pluck fresh strawberries for $2 a quart at Grover's U-Pick-Em Farm...

"The two most frequently cited reasons for moving to West Windsor are top-ranked schools and easy access to New York, Philadelphia and the Route 1 corridor between Princeton and New Brunswick." To learn more about the West Windsor schools, things to do, the history, and long-range community planning, read the NY Times blog post.

To get information on housing, real estate prices, sales, neighborhoods (there are 2 55+ communities), and amenities, contact me. I live in West Windsor, am a Mercer County native, and am committed to keeping our lifestyle as enviable as it is now, and preserving the family-friendly feeling and small-town values we enjoy. Want to learn more about West Windsor NJ? Just call or email Joe Giancarli.