Psst! Five Affordable Housing Units Are Now Available in Holmdel

There are five affordable housing units for sale in Holmdel, and no takers. 

Joan Kiehling knows this well, because she is the one trying to match them with a buyer. "I was calling people left and right. I did a mass reach-out. I called every single person in my pile of papers," said Kiehling, the administrative agent for Community Grants, Planning & Housing of East Windsor. CGPH oversees the affordable housing program for Holmdel.

"I've never had a problem for lack of applicants in last six years," she said Tuesday. 

The homes are condos or townhouses in neatly kept developments, located in the northern part of town. Four are in The Orchards, off Laurel Avenue, and one is at Palmer Square, off Palmer Avenue. Pets are allowed.  The housing was built around 1993. 

Kiehling said that for every 25 people she calls, only one will apply. The buyers want three bedrooms, or they make too much money, or they can't get pre-approved for a mortgage, she said. "Some of them don't follow through; they find the paperwork too daunting," she added.

Another very real impediment is that the Orchards is no longer working with the FHA Approval process, which allowed for a minimal 3.5 percent down payments, said Kiehling.

This is the list. Kiehling requests that prospective buyers contact her directly to get involved in the purchase process. Photos of most of the units are linked to this story:

• 8 Durant, The Orchards: 1 bedroom, $86,875. Low income applicant unit
• 16 Ambrose Court, Palmer Square: $96,343. Low income applicant unit
• 13 Alpine Road, The Orchards: 2 bedroom. $119,181. Moderate income unit
• 61 Durant Ave, The Orchards 2 bedroom. $125,590. Moderate income unit
• 24 Alpine Rd., The Orchards. 3 bedroom. $129,360. Moderate income unit

For the sake of comparison, a two bedroom unit in The Orchards is on the real estate market this week for $329,000. 

These are the relevant 2010 Regional Income Limits from the Council on Affordable Housing :

Applicants are eventually selected at random. To being the process, download the Preliminary Application linked in the PDF section of this page and send it to: 

Community Grants, Planning & Housing, 569 Abbington Drive, East Windsor, NJ 08520. Phone: 609 371 1937 Fax: 609 371 1776. The email address is info@cgph.net