April, 2026
Today’s Bridgewater Real Estate Market
With the spring market now in full swing, more current homeowners are considering listing their home for sale. In discussions regarding the process, questions about the current Bridgewater market are normally an important part of the conversation. And they should be. Sellers should have the answers to questions such as, what is the Bridgewater market like? Are there a lot of houses on the market? What kind and how many will my home be competing against?
This edition of Market Watch will provide answers to these questions and segment the market into different target price ranges. The data was taken from the Garden State Multiple Listing Service which is the authoritative listing service for the Bridgewater area. The numbers are current as of this writing, April 8, 2026,and will more than likely change as the month concludes. But it still will give readers a solid understanding of what is the current Bridgewater market
Active Listings
As of April 8, there were 77 listings in the Township. Of the total, only 40 were considered active. The remaining 37 are under contract, and for the most part off the market. If a buyer of one of these homes fail to complete the transaction, the home could again become active, but that is not a common occurrence. Of the 40 active listings, 5 were in attorney review, meaning an offer was accepted and the agreement sent for attorney approval. Listings in attorney review are usually not available for any more showings, and will not accept additional offers. Therefore, out of the 77 active listings, only 35 homes are really available for showings and for buyer offers.
Out of these 35 listings, 19 are single family homes and the remaining 16 are townhomes or condos. There are nine (9) listings in the $300K to $499K price slot. Eight (8) are townhomes or condos and one (1) is a single family home. Within the townhomes, Seven (7) are two bedroom models and one (1) three bedroom home. The single family home has one bedroom.
Ten (10) homes are in the $500K to $699K price range. Seven (7) are townhomes or condos and three (3) are single family homes. Of the townhomes, three (3) have two bedrooms and four (4) have three bedrooms. In the single family group, two (2) have three bedrooms and one (1) has a single bedroom.
There are six (6) homes in the $700K to $899K group. One is a townhome and has four bedrooms. Of the five (5) single family units, one (1) has three bedrooms and the remaining four (4) have four bedrooms. In the $900K to $1.1M segment, there are five (5) single family homes. Two (2) have four bedrooms, two (2) have five bedrooms, and the remaining one (1) has six bedrooms.
In the highest priced group, $1.2M to $1.6M there are five (5) homes. Two (2) have four bedrooms, another two (2) have five bedrooms and the remaining one (1) has six bedrooms.
Adjustable Rate Mortgages Are Making A Comeback
(Courtesy of Keeping Current Matters)
One of the main hurdles in today’s housing market is affordability. Affordability when it comes to the price of homes, but also the rate of mortgages. Rates for 30-year conventional mortgages hover around the mid-6 percent area with little reason for decreases considering today’s environment. That is why more home buyers are opting for adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs.
Once popular, ARMs fell out of favor when low fixed rates, 3 percent to 4 percent, became the norm during the 2021 to 2023 time frames. Now, however, with rates much higher, buyers are looking for ways to lower monthly housing costs, and ARMs are one avenue.
Since home sellers may find offers with ARMs for financing the purchase, and home buyers not familiar with this type of loan, here is a good definition from Business Insider. “With a fixed-rate mortgage, your interest rate remains the same for the entire time you have the loan. This keeps your monthly payment the same for years. Adjustable-rate mortgages work differently. You’ll start off with the same rate for a few years, but after that, your rate can change periodically. This means that if average rates have gone up, your mortgage payment will increase. If they’ve gone down, your payment will decrease.”
Basically, to make it simpler, one doesn’t change much over the life of a loan. The other could change, up or down, a little or a lot.
To be completely truthful, things like taxes or homeowner’s insurance can still have an impact on a fixed-rate loan, but the baseline of your mortgage payment is steady. However, the main difference is that with an ARM, the monthly payment could change over time.
The question then is what is the attraction for using an ARM? It is in the initial savings. Business Insider explains it. “Because ARM rates are typically lower than fixed mortgage rates, they can help buyers find affordability when rates are high. With a lower ARM rate, you can get a smaller monthly payment or afford more house than you could with a fixed-rate loan.”
According to Mortgage News Daily and the Wall Street Journal, the upfront rate on an ARM is lower than a fixed 30-year mortgage. And according to research by Redfin, the typical buyer could save approximately $150 per month by taking an ARM instead of a 30-year fixed mortgage. For some buyers that is very attractive and could make a large difference.
A growing number of buyers are willing to accept the uncertainty later for a lower payment now. Data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) indicates the share of buyers now choosing ARMS has increased, especially over the last few years .
This does not mean ARMs are for everyone, but some buyers are going this way so they can buy now.
It is important to note, especially for buyers evaluating an ARM, that the rate will adjust depending on the time frames of when the loan rate is re-evaluated. For many, the hope is that rates will decrease by the end of their term. Then their mortgage rate, and monthly payment, would decrease till the next re-evaluation period. Or, if they drop significantly, there is the option to convert to a fixed rate and eliminate rate exposure. But, there is no guarantee that mortgage rates will decrease. And in that case, the monthly payment could increase with the existing ARM, and refinancing may not be an option.
