A Town of Twelve Thousand on a Fifth of a Square Mile
The census puts Guttenberg's land area at 0.19 square miles. Its 2020 population was 12,017, which works out to more than 60,000 people per square mile by our own arithmetic, a density few places in the country come close to. Between Bergenline Avenue and the cliff edge above River Road, the housing is a mix of older brick apartment buildings, attached houses on tight lots, and high-rise condominium towers looking across the Hudson.
That mix makes the typical Guttenberg seller hard to pin down. Four households in ten own their home, and about half of the town's residents were born abroad. We buy from landlords with a few units, from owners of a condo they moved out of years ago, from families settling a parent's estate, and from owners who now live in another state or country. We are set up for all of it: one visit, one written figure, and a closing handled through a New Jersey title company or attorney on the date you choose.
- 12,017residents in 2020; 11,910 estimated for July 2025
- 40.0%of occupied homes owned by the household living there
- $379,000median value of an owner-occupied home
- $1,677median gross monthly rent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Guttenberg town, New Jersey (American Community Survey 2020–2024 for housing figures).
Guttenberg's Certificate Before Any Sale
Guttenberg is one of the Hudson towns with a full resale inspection written into its code. Chapter 11 makes it unlawful to sell or take title to a residential building, or to move a buyer in, until the Construction Official has issued a certificate. Before that happens the town's subcode officials inspect the building and, for residential property, the Town Housing Inspector looks at it as well. Each reports any code violations in writing, and the certificate issues once nothing is outstanding and the use fits the zoning ordinance.
The fees, as amended in 2023, scale with the number of units:
| Property | Certificate fee |
|---|---|
| One-family house or apartment | $100 |
| Two units | $125 |
| Three units | $145 |
| Four units | $160 |
| Five units | $170, plus $10 for every unit above five |
| Mixed-use building | $250 |
| Vacant land | $100 |
Source: Town of Guttenberg Code, Chapter 11, Building and Housing.
A few other numbers are worth knowing. An expedited inspection, finished within three business days, costs an extra $50. Every reinspection after a failure costs $40, and so does cancelling or rescheduling with less than a day's notice. A separate $100 tenant certificate is needed whenever a residential tenant changes, which matters if you are filling a vacancy just before you sell. The code also lists who does not need the certificate: transfers ordered by a court, transfers under the intestacy laws or when a will is administered, and transfers between spouses or between parents and children.
When we buy, the application is ours to file. If the inspectors write up violations, we deal with them as the new owner rather than sending you a repair list. The town's Fire Prevention Department separately handles smoke and carbon monoxide alarm inspections, which state law makes a condition of selling a one- or two-family home.
Rent Control Comes With the Building
Guttenberg's rental housing chapter sets up a Rent Control Board, and the town still lists that board on its website. The seller's takeaway: a controlled rent belongs to the apartment, not to you, so it carries over to whoever buys. A buyer also takes over every existing lease, because New Jersey's Anti-Eviction Act does not treat a sale as a reason to remove a tenant.
We buy occupied. You do not need to empty units or settle rent disputes before you sell. At closing the tenants' security deposits and any interest owed move to us, and the tenants receive written notice by registered or certified mail. If a rent increase was never filed properly or a unit's legal rent is unclear, tell us at the start so the figure reflects it. The Simply Sold guide to selling a rental property in New Jersey goes through the rest.
Property Taxes in Guttenberg
The state's 2025 table gives Guttenberg a general tax rate of 4.181 and an effective rate of 2.435 per $100 of value. The effective rate is the fair comparison between towns, and by it Guttenberg's was the highest of all 12 Hudson municipalities that year. Bills fall due quarterly, on Feb. 1, May 1, Aug. 1 and Nov. 1, as they do across New Jersey.
The Tax Collector at Town Hall on Park Avenue is open weekdays from 9 to 4 and can be reached at 201-868-3304, extension 103. Besides current bills, that office collects delinquent taxes and municipal liens and issues redemption statements for properties that went through a tax sale. Payments can go online, by mail, or into the white lock box in the Town Hall lobby, which takes anything but cash.
If you are behind, a sale can still go ahead. Once a tax sale certificate exists it can accrue as much as 18% interest a year, so waiting is expensive, but the title company simply orders the redemption figure and pays it from the price at closing. A 2024 state law also gives an owner facing tax foreclosure the right to demand a sale and keep the surplus. The tax lien selling guide lays out the timeline.
Condos and Older Walk-Ups
A good share of what sells in Guttenberg is a condo unit. With a condo there are two extra pieces of paper: the association's payoff letter for unpaid common charges, and any special assessment that has been voted but not yet collected. The title company pays both from the price at settlement. A unit with deferred maintenance, an outdated kitchen, or an owner who has been renting it out is fine with us.
With the older brick walk-ups and attached houses, the issues are different: boilers near the end of their life, open permits from past work, or a basement unit that may not be legal. Guttenberg's code bars collecting rent for an apartment that lacks a certificate of occupancy or was created without permits, so an unapproved unit is something to raise with us early. We price the building as it legally stands. See selling as-is in New Jersey for how repairs factor into an offer.
Estates, Foreclosure and Other Deadlines
Estates are probated at the Hudson County Surrogate in the Guarini Justice Complex on Central Avenue in Jersey City (201-795-6378). With letters in hand from that office, the executor or administrator has authority to sign our contract. Note that the inheritance itself does not trigger Guttenberg's certificate, but the later sale to a buyer does, and we handle that step.
For a house or condo in foreclosure, the hard stop is the sheriff's auction, which Hudson County holds on Thursdays at its Newark Avenue building in Jersey City. Until then title is still yours and a sale can pay off the lender. If you live in the home, state law gives you ten business days after signing to cancel, and we schedule the closing after that window. The county sheriff refers owners to the Waterfront Project for free housing counseling at (551) 256-7578.
Local Help Worth Calling
- Northeast New Jersey Legal Services runs an office nearby in Union City at 407 39th Street (551-257-6040) for income-eligible residents with housing problems.
- The Hudson County Division on Aging (201-369-4313) can point older owners toward services before or after a move.
- Deeds are recorded at the Hudson County Register, 257 Cornelison Avenue, Jersey City, after we close.
How Our Purchase Works in Guttenberg
- You send the address or call. Tell us about tenants, the condo association if there is one, and when you want to be done.
- We visit once and send a written cash figure, usually the next day.
- After you sign, we apply for the town's certificate and the alarm inspection and deal with whatever they turn up.
- The title company collects payoffs for the mortgage, taxes, association charges and liens.
- Signing happens at the title office or before a notary wherever you are and receive the balance by wire.
Every seller in New Jersey also completes the state's flood risk disclosure, and the seller pays the realty transfer fee. Our written offer lists those costs so there is nothing to discover at the closing table. Thinking about selling a home nearby as well? We also buy in West New York and North Bergen, and the Hudson County page covers the whole county.