New developments
The sales office works for the builder. I work for you.
Hudson County has more cranes than any county in New Jersey, and every one of them has a sales office with a beautiful model and a contract written by the developer's lawyers. Buying new construction well means reading the public offering statement inside the cancellation window, knowing which line and which floor to ask for, and negotiating the things builders will move on: upgrades, closing costs, parking, storage. I have walked the sites, I track the releases, and I am paid by the builder, not by you, in almost every case.
Tell me what you wantEarly releases, real trade-offs
First-phase pricing can sit below what the same line sells for at completion. You pay with time and with buying from a floor plan. I show you both sides of that trade before you reserve anything.
Register me before you visit
In most developments the builder pays the buyer's agent, agreed in writing before we tour. But many builders only recognise an agent named on your first visit or first online inquiry, so tell me before you walk in.
The monthly number, all of it
Some Jersey City buildings carry a tax abatement that steps up over the years; new construction is reassessed after completion. I put the real monthly cost on one page before you fall in love with the model.
In this market since 2020, on a team that closes.
Read the offering statement. Then pick the line.
A sales office sells the amenities. What decides whether you are happy in five years is the public offering statement: the budget, the reserves, the rental rules, the abatement schedule, the developer's right to change the plans. I read it with you inside the seven-day cancellation window New Jersey gives every buyer, and I tell you plainly what is unusual.
Then the part that experience buys: which line gets the light, which floor clears the building next door, which units are priced for the first release and which are held back. Builders rarely cut the price; they move on upgrades, closing costs, parking and storage. That is where we negotiate, and that is where I earn the fee the builder pays.
Six steps, from the model to the keys.
Register me, then the budget
I am named as your agent before the first visit. Then the all-in monthly number: mortgage, taxes or abatement, common charges, parking.
Building, line, floor
We compare the buildings selling right now, then the specific line and floor: light, views, noise, the neighbour's plans for the lot next door.
Reservation, offering statement, contract
The public offering statement read together inside New Jersey's seven-day cancellation window; deposit to escrow only; attorney review of the builder's contract.
A lender who does new construction
Extended rate locks and a closing that fits the builder's calendar. Not every lender does this well; I introduce you to two who do.
Construction, then the walk-through
Progress updates, upgrade deadlines, and a pre-closing inspection with a punch list the builder signs off before you do.
Closing and the warranty
Certificate of occupancy in hand, the state new-home warranty enrolled, one year, two years, ten years, and the keys.
I don't sell the model. I read the offering statement.
Call (201) 584-6156Pick the neighborhood first. The tower comes second.
Journal Square, Downtown and the waterfront, Bergen-Lafayette, the West Side, Hoboken's north end, the Weehawken and West New York waterfront: every one has a "day in the neighborhood" page walked stop by stop. See what a Tuesday is like there before you buy into a rendering. All neighborhoods →
The buildings selling right now, sent to you, not posted here.
Prices, releases and incentives in new developments change weekly, and my MLS feed is still pending, so I do not post a list that would be wrong by Friday. Tell me the neighborhood and the budget in the form below and I send you the buildings that are actually selling this week, with the numbers the sales office will not put in the brochure. Or call (201) 584-6156.
The Investor's Guide.
Many new-construction buyers are buying their first investment. This is the plain-language version: how to read a building's numbers, house hacking a two-to-four family, what a rental actually nets in Hudson County after taxes and common charges, the 1031 exchange, financing for investors, and the mistakes I see people make on their first deal.
From the blog: House hacking in Jersey City: how to buy a 2-4 family and make it work for you
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Download The Investor's Guide (PDF, 2 MB)Honest answers, before you reserve anything.
New construction has its own vocabulary and its own traps. These are the questions I get on the first call, answered the way I answer them on the phone.
Is buying pre-construction cheaper?
Often the first releases are priced below what the same line sells for at completion, because the builder needs early contracts to satisfy the lender. You pay for that with time: you are buying from floor plans and waiting a year or two. Whether the discount is worth the wait depends on the building and the phase, and that is exactly the comparison I run before you sign.
Can I change my mind after I sign?
In New Jersey, yes, for a short window. Under the state's planned real estate development rules the developer has to give you a public offering statement, and you have seven calendar days after signing to cancel the contract. After that, the contract terms govern. I read the offering statement with you inside that window, not after it closes.
How much is the deposit, and where does it go?
Commonly ten percent of the price, sometimes in stages, and it must be held in escrow the way the public offering statement describes until closing. Never wire a deposit to anyone but the escrow agent named in your contract, and never on the strength of an email alone.
What warranty do I get on a new home in New Jersey?
State law requires registered builders to provide a new home warranty: one year on workmanship and materials, two years on the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and ten years on major structural defects. I make sure the builder is registered and the warranty is enrolled before we close, because that paperwork is what a claim rests on.
Do I pay you when I buy from a builder?
Usually not. In most Hudson County developments the builder pays the buyer's agent, and we put how I am paid in writing before we visit a sales office together. One rule matters: register me as your agent before your first visit or first online inquiry, because many builders will not recognise an agent who shows up later.
What about property taxes and abatements?
Some Jersey City buildings carry a tax abatement, a payment in lieu of taxes that runs for a set number of years and then steps up. It can make a real difference to the monthly number, and it can also end sooner than a sales office implies. I pull the abatement term and schedule for any building you are serious about before you commit.
When do I actually get the keys?
When the building has its certificate of occupancy and your unit passes the pre-closing walk-through, and that date moves. Your contract sets an outside date and what happens if the builder misses it, and your lender's rate lock has to fit the same calendar. Those three dates are what I manage during construction.
Can I rent the unit out, or sell it before it is finished?
Depends on the building's governing documents and your contract. Some condominiums limit rentals in the first year or the number of rented units; many contracts forbid assigning the purchase before closing. If renting or a quick resale is part of your plan, we read those rules first, and I will tell you plainly if a building does not fit.
What are you looking for?
Budget, bedrooms, the neighborhoods you are curious about and when you want to move in. I come back within a day with the buildings selling right now and the real monthly number for each.
Got it. You'll hear from me within a day, with buildings and real numbers.