Maplewood, NJ

There is the national story of housing sales being down, prices being down and the days on market being at record lengths.

Then there is the local story.  In Maplewood, the number of houses that went under contract in September 2008 is actually UP by 31%.  Further, in the upper end, there are still multiple bids!!!!

You'll hear the story from mega-realtor, Robert Northfield as he tells you about how real estate works in his town - Maplewood, NJ.

Juliet Johnson serves the luxury real estate market of suburban New Jersey with home staging and web 2.0 marketing expertise.

There are currently 140 homes for sale in Maplewood, New Jersey...the same number that was on the market last year at this time.

In September, 2008, the average list price of homes in Maplewood, NJ was $528,679. The average sales price of the sixteen homes sold was just below that at $521,843. Average Days on Market was 73.

Maplewood, NJ Homes Sold September 2008

For the full story and analysis please visit NJ Real Estate Wire

The volume of listings were significantly less for July 2007, at 176 with an average price of $518,660 versus July 2008, which came in at 209 with an average price of $470,426. The change in price point represented a 9% reduction and the change in volume represents a 18.75% increase.

The number of new listings was not far apart with July 2007 at 39 and July 2008 at 44. Here we see a reverse in pricing. Theaverage price point in July 2008 was $525,191, representing an increase over July 2007 by 5.5%.

Now we come to the numbers reflecting the sales activity. July 2007 had 20 properties go under contract averaging $573,670 versus July 2008 with 21 properties averaging $543,090. Very close indeed.

Finally, the month of July 2007 closed out with 35 homes sold averaging $601,626, while July 2008 saw 38 homes sold averaging $519,138.

In summary, the market remains robust for listings. While sales are up, the final sales price is down.

Rich in history, the town of Maplewood is home to the historic landmark of The Durand-Hedden House & Garden. This non-profit consists of a historic house from around 1790 that has been restored to show the continuum of its life from 1790 to 1930. They hold open houses are each month with tours, children's activities and country store. School tours are also available, along with a junior docent after-school program for members in third and fourth grade.

More about the Durand-Hedden House & Garden can be found in the book Maplewood, published by Arcadia Publishing in 1999, available from bookstores like Amazon.com.

Open on Sundays from 1-4pm, September through June, the Durand-Hedden House & Garden is located at 523 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood. You can call them at 973-763-7712.