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Know Your Builder: Who’s Building New Homes in South Jersey?
Buying new construction is different from buying an existing house. You aren’t just choosing a home—you’re choosing a builder.
Builders vary in everything from floor plans and standard finishes to upgrade policies, warranties, incentives and how much customization they allow. And in South Jersey, buyers have an unusually broad mix of national production builders, long-established regional companies and smaller local builders to choose from.
Here are some of the names you’re most likely to encounter.
J.S. Hovnanian & Sons
Don’t confuse J.S. Hovnanian with K. Hovnanian—they are separate homebuilding companies.
J.S. Hovnanian is a South Jersey-based builder with more than five decades of local history and nearly 7,000 homes built in the region. Current communities include Little Pond in Laurel Springs and The Woods at Hidden Mill in Blackwood.
J.S. Hovnanian feels more regional than the giant national builders, with communities concentrated in the South Jersey market.
Know them for: Local history, townhomes and smaller-scale South Jersey communities.
Ryan Homes
Ryan Homes is one of the most active large builders in the region, with communities spread across Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.
Its South Jersey portfolio currently includes communities such as Villages at Moorestown, Grandview Mews in Williamstown, Ashburn Crossing in Swedesboro and multiple communities in the Woolwich area. Ryan generally competes in the townhome through move-up single-family segments, depending on the community.
Know them for: Scale, multiple price points, relatively standardized floor plans and frequent use of affiliated mortgage incentives.
Lennar
Lennar is another national builder with a significant South Jersey footprint.
At Chase Pointe in Sicklerville, Lennar is currently selling three-bedroom townhomes from the low $400s, with its Chase Grande plan offering roughly 2,047 square feet. West End in Hammonton offers three-story townhomes around 1,769 square feet, while Emerson Square adds single-family housing to the mix.
Lennar is particularly associated with its “Everything’s Included” approach, in which many features other builders might classify as upgrades are packaged into the home.
Know them for: Included features, technology packages, townhomes and master-planned production building.
D.R. Horton
D.R. Horton, one of the country’s largest homebuilders, has continued expanding across South Jersey.
Lakeside Village in Gibbsboro has offered new townhomes, while Deptford Walk is a new townhome community currently listed as coming soon in Deptford Township.
Know them for: Value-oriented new construction, townhomes and entry-to-mid-level price points.
Bruce Paparone New Homes
The Paparone name has been part of South Jersey homebuilding for more than 60 years, but there is an important distinction: Bruce Paparone New Homes and Don Paparone Homes are separate builders.
Bruce Paparone has developed communities throughout Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties. Recent projects include Lakeview at Cobblestone in Gloucester Township and the planned Ravello community in Winslow Township.
Know them for: Local roots, single-family homes and smaller community development.
Don Paparone Homes
Don Paparone Homes also traces its South Jersey roots back decades but operates independently.
One of its current projects is Grandview Mews at Monroe in Williamstown, a community of 75 townhomes with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths and basement options. Pricing has started around the $400,000 mark.
Know them for: Smaller regional communities and traditional South Jersey housing.
JPOrleans
JPOrleans is another regional builder worth knowing, particularly if you’re looking in Gloucester County.
Fox Run at Mullica Hill is a community of carriage homes with two-car garages and both first- and second-floor primary-suite options. Recent pricing has started in the low-to-mid $500s.
Know them for: Move-up housing, carriage homes and a more upscale regional niche.
Before You Sign Anything
The builder’s name is only the beginning. Before comparing two new homes, compare:
Base price versus realistically equipped price. A $450,000 model can become a $500,000 house surprisingly quickly.
Included features. Flooring, countertops, appliances, lighting, decks and finished basements vary enormously by builder.
HOA fees and what they cover.
Property taxes and any temporary tax abatements.
Builder incentives. A large closing-cost incentive may require using the builder’s preferred lender or title company.
Warranty coverage and post-closing service.
Community status. Buying in the first phase of a community can be very different from buying one of the last homes.
And if you plan to use a real estate agent, ask about the builder’s registration requirements before your first visit. Some builders require your agent to accompany or register you from the beginning.
The best builder isn’t necessarily the largest, the most luxurious or the cheapest. It’s the one whose homes, process, warranty, location and final—not advertised—price make the most sense for you.
