Essex County Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP)
Deferred second loan · Income limits
Down payment assistance · Essex County
Buying a home in Short Hills, NJ
1 county program and 19 statewide.Short Hills has no program of its own, 1 across Essex County, and 19 statewide. Here is what each one offers, what the local market looks like, and who near you can walk you through it.
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What’s local to Short Hills
No program of Short Hills’s own yet
No program run for Short Hills alone is listed. A home in Short Hills can use Essex County’s programs below, plus the New Jersey statewide and federal ones.
The closest city that runs its own program is Irvington, about 5 miles away. City programs usually require the home to be inside that city’s limits.
Anywhere in EssexAnywhere in Essex County
1 county program1 county program a Short Hills homebuyer can use
4 more programs are for homes in Newark, Irvington and East Orange. See them 4 programs in neighboring cities — for homes inside those cities, not Short Hills
- Newark — Newark Municipal Employee Housing Assistance Program
- Irvington — Township of Irvington Homeownership Program (First-Time Homebuyer / HOME)
- East Orange — East Orange HOMEBuyers Purchase Program
- Newark — Live Newark Home Closing Cost Program
The Short Hills marketThe Short Hills housing market
Kinds of homes hereWhat’s for sale here, and what the programs accept
Kinds of homes in Short Hills
- 88.9% single-familysingle-family
- 1.3% townhousetownhouse
- 1.8% 2–4 units2–4 units
- 7% 5+ unitscondo & apartment buildings (5+ units)
- 0.9% mobile & othermobile home & other
Condos count. Short Hills’s one local program accepts condos.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Table B25024.
When Short Hills’s homes were built
pre-19401970s2020+
82.8%
of Short Hills homes were built before 1980. Pre-1978 homes come with a federal lead-paint disclosure.of homes were built before 1980. A home built before 1978 comes with a federal lead-paint disclosure, and some programs require an inspection.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Table B25034.
$138,400
County area median income, 4 people (HUD)HUD area median income, Essex County, 4-person household (2026)
$250,001
Short Hills median household incomeMedian household income in Short Hills (Census, 2024)
20 of the 82 programs here set their income limit as a share of Essex County’s area median income, adjusted for household size. See the published limits for Essex County
Free help nearbyFree help near Short Hills
17 HUD-approved counseling agencies within 15 miles17 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies within 15 miles
Create a free account to see who’s near you and pick one.A HUD-approved counselor teaches homebuyer classes and can walk you through your options. Create a free account to see who’s near you and pick one.
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Across New Jersey and nationwide
81 statewide & federal programs19 statewide programs, plus federal options
Short Hills questions
Does Short Hills have its own down payment program?
No program run for Short Hills alone is listed. A home in Short Hills can use the 1 program that cover Essex County and the 19 statewide programs. Each program’s own site has the current terms.
Can I use assistance on a condo in Short Hills?
Short Hills’s one local program accepts condos. Each program’s page lists the kinds of homes it accepts, and the agency confirms it for the home you choose.
What is the income limit in Essex County?
Each program sets its own. 20 of the programs here set theirs as a share of HUD’s area median income for Essex County, adjusted for household size. HUD publishes the median each year; the 2026 figure is shown above and on the published limits page.
Where can I take a homebuyer class near Short Hills?
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies teach homebuyer classes, and 17 agencies are within 15 miles of Short Hills. Create a free account and take the 90-second match to see the ones near you.
ZIP codes
07078
Nearby in Essex
Sources
Sources: agency sites (July–August 2026), Census ACS 2024 5-year, HUD FY2026, HUD counseling list. Hey Prescott is not a lender.Programs: Hey Prescott catalog of 2,000+ programs, each verified with its agency (July–August 2026). Market: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Income: HUD FY2026 income limits. Counselors: HUD list of approved housing counseling agencies. Hey Prescott is not a lender.