The state’s purchase of a home in Woodbridge last week marks the first of nearly 200 expected buyouts in the township’s floodplain, where superstorm Sandy left an unforgiving mark.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) bought the home on Crampton Avenue for $228,000 as part of the state’s Blue Acres program.
“The buyout process itself is frustrating and it is challenging … but you just keep your eye on the prize,” said Monique Coleman, who organized the Woodbridge Flood Zone Group in the months following the October 2012 storm. Coleman was among several affected residents who petitioned local and state officials to call attention to their need.
“We had no idea about a buyout,” she said. “It was kind of a distant concept, so to speak.”
Now that Coleman and others are getting ready to close on the sales of their homes, the far-off hope has turned into a reality.
“We’re pleased that the closings are starting to happen, and we’re very satisfied with the state’s handling of Woodbridge’s cases,” Mayor John McCormac said. “The state has done a tremendous job.”
Many of the homes being sold to the state are on Watson, Crampton, Bamford, Pearl and Vesper avenues in the lower part of Woodbridge Proper.
The Blue Acres program offers qualifying homeowners the pre-Sandy market value of their homes, based on independent appraisals. The DEP has created a post- Sandy Blue Acres team to work with willing sellers and expedite their buyout applications.
The township has also offered support to residents.
“They’ve really kind of gone above and beyond,” Coleman said of officials, adding that the Woodbridge Flood Zone Group’s tenacity brought the mayor and council on board.
The residents’ group has met regularly throughout the buyout process, with Fawn McGee, director of the Blue Acres program, attending a meeting to provide help and guidance.
“For her to come to our meeting was really great,” Coleman said. “We had a lot of support from Congressman [Frank] Pallone and Sen. [Joseph] Vitale.”
In addition, the residents have been providing support to one another as they navigate the buyout program. “Overall, I think it’s been really healthy, because we’ve been able to share with each other,” Coleman said.
That is not to say that the process is without its issues. Coleman purchased her home during a high point in the housing market, so its pre-Sandy value left her “underwater” on the mortgage, she said.
As a result, Blue Acres has negotiated with the mortgage holder to arrange a short sale, under which the lender accepts a lower amount than what is owed.
Coleman takes issue with having to pay a tax on the short sale, as would be required of a homeowner who fell behind on the mortgage, which is the typical reason for such a sale.
“I don’t feel like we should be penalized,” she said, adding that she and others plan to address the issue.
The DEP has identified 946 properties for buyouts in 10 municipalities that sustained major flooding from Sandy’s storm surge or previous storms. So far, the state has purchased 154 homes — almost entirely in Sayreville and South River — and 48 of those homes have been demolished. Hundreds more homeowners have accepted buyouts and are awaiting closings.
The state has set a goal of buying 1,300 New Jersey homes through the $300 million program, according to the DEP.
As for the Woodbridge floodplain area, Coleman said the neighborhoods are abuzz with residents moving from their damaged homes. She said she will move to nearby Highland Park, while some older residents are relocating to adult communities in areas such as Toms River.
However, many other residents are opting to stay in the township, she said.
“Most people that are here like it here — it’s just the flooding,” Coleman said, adding that the residents’ group has become close during their shared trials.
“We’re already talking about planning a reunion sometime in the spring,” she said, noting that it would not only provide a chance to get together, but also to get some closure.