Buying a first home in New Jersey follows the same basic path as anywhere else: budget, pre-approval, house hunting, an accepted offer, underwriting and closing. What differs are local prices, property taxes and the assistance programs available through state and local agencies. Pick your city below for a step-by-step look at first-time buying near you, the questions worth asking and a list of what to gather before you talk with a lender.
Call to talk with a licensed loan officer. Programs vary by borrower, property and investor.
New Jersey's state housing finance agency is New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA). Its homebuyer programs include First-Time Homebuyer Mortgage Program, NJHMFA Down Payment Assistance Program (DPA), First Generation Down Payment Assistance Program. These programs work through participating lenders and have their own eligibility rules. See our New Jersey first-time buyer programs guide.
Where first-time home buyer loans activity is highest in New Jersey
| County | loans originated (2024 HMDA) |
|---|---|
| Ocean County | 6,423 |
| Bergen County | 6,290 |
| Monmouth County | 5,788 |
| Middlesex County | 5,775 |
| Burlington County | 4,889 |
| Camden County | 4,716 |
| Essex County | 4,569 |
| Morris County | 4,230 |
| Hudson County | 3,661 |
| Union County | 3,481 |
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Prefer to talk first? Call (888) 912-6746. Applying is not a loan approval or commitment to lend; programs vary by borrower, property and investor. ClearPoint Mortgage Advisors, NMLS #173855. Properties in FL, NY, NJ, PA, CT and VA only.
First-Time Home Buyer Loans by city in New Jersey
- Absecon
- Allendale
- Asbury Park
- Ashland
- Atlantic City
- Audubon
- Avenel
- Barrington
- Bayonne
- Beachwood
- Bellmawr
- Belmar
- Bergenfield
- Berlin
- Bernardsville
- Bloomingdale
- Bogota
- Boonton
- Bound Brook
- Bradley Gardens
- Bridgeton
- Brigantine
- Brookdale
- Browns Mills
- Budd Lake
- Butler
- Caldwell
- Camden
- Carlstadt
- Carteret
- Cherry Hill Mall
- Clayton
- Cliffside Park
- Clifton
- Closter
- Collingswood
- Colonia
- Cresskill
- Crestwood Village
- Dayton
- Dover
- Dumont
- Dunellen
- East Franklin
- East Orange
- East Rutherford
- Eatontown
- Echelon
- Edgewater
- Elizabeth
- Elmwood Park
- Emerson
- Englewood
- Englewood Cliffs
- Fair Haven
- Fair Lawn
- Fairview
- Fanwood
- Finderne
- Florham Park
- Fords
- Fort Dix
- Fort Lee
- Franklin
- Franklin Center
- Franklin Lakes
- Franklin Park
- Garfield
- Glassboro
- Glen Ridge
- Glen Rock
- Gloucester City
- Green Knoll
- Greentree
- Guttenberg
- Hackensack
- Hackettstown
- Haddon Heights
- Haddonfield
- Haledon
- Hamilton Square
- Hammonton
- Harrison
- Hasbrouck Heights
- Hawthorne
- Heathcote
- Highland Lakes
- Highland Park
- Hightstown
- Hillsdale
- Hoboken
- Holiday City-Berkeley
- Hopatcong
- Iselin
- Jamesburg
- Jersey City
- Keansburg
- Kearny
- Kendall Park
- Kenilworth
- Keyport
- Kingston Estates
- Kinnelon
- Lake Mohawk
- Laurence Harbor
- Leonia
- Lincoln Park
- Lincroft
- Linden
- Lindenwold
- Linwood
- Little Ferry
- Little Silver
- Lodi
- Long Branch
- Madison
- Madison Park
- Manasquan
- Manville
- Margate City
- Marlton
- Martinsville
- Matawan
- Maywood
- McGuire AFB
- Mercerville
- Metuchen
- Middlesex
- Midland Park
- Milltown
- Millville
- Montvale
- Moorestown-Lenola
- Morganville
- Morris Plains
- Morristown
- Mount Arlington
- Mountainside
- Mystic Island
- New Brunswick
- New Milford
- New Providence
- Newark
- Newton
- North Arlington
- North Caldwell
- North Haledon
- North Plainfield
- Northfield
- Norwood
- Oakland
- Ocean Acres
- Ocean City
- Oceanport
- Old Tappan
- Oradell
- Palisades Park
- Palmyra
- Paramus
- Park Ridge
- Passaic
- Paterson
- Paulsboro
- Perth Amboy
- Phillipsburg
- Pine Hill
- Pine Lake Park
- Pitman
- Plainfield
- Pleasantville
- Point Pleasant
- Pomona
- Pompton Lakes
- Princeton
- Princeton Meadows
- Prospect Park
- Rahway
- Ramblewood
- Ramsey
- Ramtown
- Red Bank
- Ridgefield
- Ridgefield Park
- Ridgewood
- Ringwood
- River Edge
- Robertsville
- Roseland
- Roselle
- Roselle Park
- Rumson
- Runnemede
- Rutherford
- Salem
- Sayreville
- Secaucus
- Short Hills
- Smithville
- Somerdale
- Somers Point
- Somerset
- Somerville
- South Amboy
- South Plainfield
- South River
- Spotswood
- Springdale
- Stratford
- Strathmore
- Succasunna
- Summit
- Tenafly
- Tinton Falls
- Totowa
- Trenton
- Twin Rivers
- Union Beach
- Union City
- Upper Montclair
- Upper Saddle River
- Ventnor City
- Villas
- Vineland
- Waldwick
- Wallington
- Wanaque
- Washington
- Watchung
- West Freehold
- West Long Branch
- West New York
- Westfield
- Westwood
- Wharton
- White Horse
- White Meadow Lake
- Williamstown
- Wood-Ridge
- Woodbury
- Woodcliff Lake
- Woodland Park
- Yardville
- Yorketown
Common questions
Should I wait until my credit is better before buying?
Sometimes a few months of work makes a meaningful difference, and sometimes you may already qualify for a program that fits. A lender or HUD-approved housing counselor can review your credit and tell you what would help most, such as paying down card balances or correcting errors on your reports. Get that feedback before deciding to wait, so you spend your effort on the right things.
What is down payment assistance?
Down payment assistance is help from a state housing finance agency, local government or nonprofit toward your down payment or closing costs. It may be a grant, a forgivable loan or a deferred loan repaid later. Programs usually carry income limits, price caps and education requirements, and funding can be limited. Ask a participating lender which programs you may be eligible for and how each one is repaid.
How is pre-approval different from prequalification?
Prequalification is a quick estimate based on information you share, often without documents or a full credit review. Pre-approval goes further: the lender checks your credit and reviews income and asset documents, then issues a letter showing the loan amount you may qualify for. A pre-approval is still subject to final underwriting, an appraisal and no major changes to your finances before closing.
Related guides
- How Mortgage Preapproval Works
- Documents Needed for a Mortgage
- Closing Costs Explained
- First-Time Home Buyer Programs in New Jersey
First-Time Home Buyer Loans overview · New Jersey mortgage overview
- 2024 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data; U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey 2025