A Settled Borough of About 20,000
Hawthorne is a borough of about 3.3 square miles and roughly 20,000 residents, and it has been growing slowly since the 2020 census. About seven homes in ten are owner-occupied, households are small at just over two and a half people, and over a fifth of the population is at least 65. Ninety percent of residents had not moved in the prior year. Long ownership can mean a house that comes to market with dated systems, an attic room finished years ago, or a second unit nobody ever filed with the borough.
- 20,169residents, July 2025 estimate (19,637 in 2020)
- 69.1%owner-occupied housing rate (ACS 2020–2024)
- $533,700middle value of owner-held homes, 2020–2024 survey
- 20.6%of residents 65 and older
Figures from the Census Bureau's QuickFacts profile for Hawthorne borough.
That median value is a borough-wide survey number, not a price for your house. We set ours after seeing the property, and it comes as a single written figure.
Two Certificates for Every Sale
Hawthorne's Building Department at 445 Lafayette Avenue (973-427-4889) requires a Certificate of Continuing Compliance for all property sales in the borough, residential and commercial alike. The borough's Fire Prevention Bureau, on the same floor, separately inspects smoke and carbon monoxide alarms before a resale. Its resale application doubles as the alarm certificate the state requires, and the details are specific:
| Fire Prevention item | Posted rule |
|---|---|
| Fee | $75 per unit, so $75 for a one-family and $150 for a two-family |
| Timing | Apply about 14 days before closing; an inspection is required |
| Rush | $125 more if you apply less than five days before closing |
| Re-inspection | $20 per unit |
| Paperwork | Names and contacts for seller, buyer and both attorneys, or the application is rejected |
| Inspections | In person by appointment; photo inspections ended July 1, 2022 |
Inspectors want a smoke detector on every level and a carbon monoxide alarm within ten feet of each sleeping room. You bring the completed form and the fee to the Fire Prevention office, at 973-427-7544, where the appointment is set. When we buy, we file the application with our attorney's details, keep the two-week window so there is no rush fee, and fix whatever fails.
Attics, Basements and Extra Units
The resale certificate itself carries a warning: attics and basements are not approved as sleeping rooms or separate apartments unless the certificate says otherwise, and using them that way can bring summonses and penalties. The borough's code enforcement office says it is aggressively going after illegal units, including basement and attic apartments, unlicensed rooming houses and homes split up without permits. The certificate can even be revoked over unpaid borough fines.
If your house has a finished attic bedroom or a basement apartment that was never approved, a traditional sale tends to stall right here, because the buyer's lender wants a clean certificate. We buy the house with the space as it is and take responsibility for making it legal or returning it to storage after closing.
Rentals and Landlord Registration
Owners renting out a one- or two-unit house they do not live in must register with the borough clerk under the state's landlord registration law, and the fire bureau charges $30 a unit for a change-of-tenant alarm certificate without an inspection or $40 with one. If a tenant is living in the house when you decide to sell, the lease stays in force with the new owner, a sale is not a ground for eviction, and the security deposit and its interest move to the buyer with written notice to the tenant. We buy occupied homes routinely; our rental property guide covers the details.
Taxes and the December Tax Sale
The borough mails tax bills once a year, in summer. Each bill covers the third and fourth quarters of the current year and the first two of the next, payable in four installments, with stubs dated on the first day of each of February, May, August and November. The borough allows ten calendar days past each date; pay after that and interest is computed from the first. Cash is not accepted by mail or in the drop box. If the assessor adds an assessment for improvements, that bill goes out in October, due November 1, and it is sent to the owner, not the mortgage company, so check for one if you finished a project recently.
For 2026, the borough lists a total rate of 3.344 per $100 of assessed value, of which the school share is the largest at 1.896. The state's 2025 tables show a general rate of 3.144 and an effective rate of 2.316. Unpaid taxes and other charges from the prior year go to an annual tax sale; the borough has set the next one for December 2, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., covering 2025 tax, water and sidewalk assessment balances. The list is advertised for four weeks, the advertising cost is added to what you owe, and you can pay until the day before the sale by cash, certified check or money order. Once a lien is sold, the borough can begin foreclosure six months later if it holds the lien, and an outside buyer after two years. Our tax lien page explains how a sale can clear it.
Borough Water and the Final Reading
Hawthorne runs its own water system through the Department of Public Works, which also serves some homes in North Haledon. Water is billed quarterly and due 30 days from the bill. Before a sale, whoever holds the water account calls 973-427-2378 at least two business days before closing to request a final reading, and the borough asks for the new owner's name at that time. The pipe from the curb to the house and any leaking valve belong to the owner, and a valve shut-off is billed at $60. The borough has also been working through a galvanized service line replacement project, now in its fourth phase; ask DPW whether your street is included before you complete the disclosure. When we buy, we book the final reading and the title company pays the last bill.
How a Sale to Us Goes
- You share the address and describe the place, noting any attic or basement living space and any tenants.
- We see it once and email a written price, usually within a day.
- We apply for the Certificate of Continuing Compliance and the fire certificate and schedule the final water reading.
- On the closing date you choose, the title company pays off the mortgage, taxes and any lien, and you sign in person or with a remote notary.
Hawthorne is one of sixteen towns in Passaic County. Nearby, we also buy in Paterson and in Fair Lawn in Bergen County.
Estates from Hawthorne are probated at the Passaic County Surrogate's office in Paterson, which works by appointment; call (973) 881-4760. Deeds are recorded by the County Clerk at 401 Grand Street in Paterson. Northeast New Jersey Legal Services serves Passaic County residents, with its Passaic office staff working remotely for now. Borough offices at 445 Lafayette Avenue answer at 973-427-5555, on weekday business hours