ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN

From falling home prices and bankruptcy to increasing challenges with financing and foreclosure rates, the nation has had its fill of bad news about the housing market.

Real estate is a local market, however. What happens in California, Arizona, Michigan, Florida, or, even, Scranton, Pennsylvania, does not dictate how well homes sell in South Jersey.

It is true that New Jersey’s housing market is correcting itself after 15 years of home prices steadily rising. Whether we have hit bottom or not depends upon who you ask. New home construction in South Jersey - south of Trenton - was off 22 percent in 2007. Yet, while the average cost of a new home rose about 5 percent statewide to $528,269 last year, sales prices in South Jersey slipped to an average of $398,395.

What has not dissipated in this market slowdown is the demand for homes in New Jersey: People still need a place to live. 

Unfortunately, the national news is feeding consumers’ fears about investing in a home and their future.

We hear it in our sales centers. While traffic is up, our websites are being visited and our phones are ringing, people are still trying to decide if they should buy now or wait and see if there is a better deal in two years.

The Builders League of South Jersey launched this campaign to address the misconceptions about the housing market conditions in South Jersey as compared to the market nationally. We’d like to provide you with pertinent information on market conditions and trends so that you can make an informed decision about where you live in the future.

Listen to the stories of area home buyers, who also overcame their public opinion and bought a new home in South Jersey because they realized that given the positive market conditions now was the best time to buy a new home.