What Sold in Bloomfield, West Orange & Montclair the Week of Oct 12-18, 2026

In the week of October 12-18, 2026, 49 homes changed hands across Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair, per nj.com's weekly transfer roundups: 17 closings in Bloomfield, 25 in West Orange, and 7 in Montclair. The closings ranged from a $700,000 Colonial on Waverly Terrace in Bloomfield to a $2.1 million six-bedroom on Montclair Avenue, and the pattern is the same one I keep pointing to all fall: homes are still selling at or above their list price, and the listing price is the opening bid, not the final number. Here is what the fresh data means if you are buying or selling in these three towns.

This is the kind of week I love to break down, because it shows the honest range of the Essex County market in one snapshot. No averages can hide what three towns with very different price points actually did over seven days.

The week in one snapshot

nj.com's transfer roundups for the week of October 12-18 posted 17 residential closings in Bloomfield, 25 in West Orange, and 7 in Montclair. These are recorded closings, so they reflect offers accepted six to eight weeks ago, and they are the best window we have into what buyers were actually willing to pay this fall. Week to week, the volume moves around, but the takeaway has been steady all season: demand remains solid, and well-priced homes still draw competition.

For context, mortgage rates were at about 7.40 percent for a 30-year fixed loan the week of October 15, per Freddie Mac, and the Portal Bridge cutover is rerouting weekday trains to Hoboken through November 14. Neither has stopped buyers; they have just made the ones out there more serious.

Bloomfield: 17 closings, led by Waverly Terrace and Benson Street

Bloomfield posted 17 closings in the week, and the two that stand out are both three-bedroom homes in the heart of the town's most-wanted inventory: 33 Waverly Terrace closed October 16 at $700,000, and 35 Benson Street closed the same day at $750,000. The week also included smaller sales at 24 Elston Street ($231,619) and 162 Belleville Avenue Apt 1A ($285,000), which is a useful reminder that the town's entry points still exist for condos and smaller homes.

The bigger picture for Bloomfield is consistent with what the fall data has shown all along. Redfin still pegs the 07003 sale-to-list ratio near 108.7 percent, and the week before, the town's priciest single-family sale cleared $865,000. A good-condition single-family in Bloomfield realistically starts around $625K, and the homes that are priced and presented well are the ones going over that floor by a meaningful margin.

West Orange: 25 closings, the busiest town of the week

West Orange led the three towns with 25 closings, and its posted set is exactly what the town's price point looks like: 167 Marion Drive at $545,000, 69 Davey Drive at $620,000, and 19 Glenview Drive at $620,000. These are solid, typical West Orange numbers, and they line up with a town where the median runs around $656K to $690K and well-priced homes close 7 to 9 percent over list.

The week before, the town's 11 closings averaged $774,091 at about $389 per square foot, topped by a $1.7 million single-family. That spread is the honest shape of West Orange: something for most budgets, but a good-condition house realistically starts around $600K and the most sought-after pockets run well past it.

Montclair: 7 closings and the week's top sale

Montclair posted just 7 closings in the week, typical for a town where inventory stays tight, and the three posted sales show why it is the premium market in Essex County: 9 Hamilton Terrace at $960,000, 39 Essex Avenue at $1,425,000, and 27 Montclair Avenue, a six-bedroom, four-bath home that closed October 16 at $2,100,000.

Over a longer window, Montclair's six-month median sold price is about $1,212,500 at roughly $557 per square foot, with a median list price near $999,000 in October. In practical terms, turnkey single-family homes realistically start around $900K, and the most competitive listings go well above that. Below that line, the town is condo and townhome territory, which just changes the search.

What the numbers mean for buyers

• Budget for the sale price, not the list price. Every town this week shows the same gap between asking and closing. Plan your offer, your appraisal, and your down payment with room for the over-asking reality.
• Know your town's real floor. $625K in Bloomfield, $600K in West Orange, and $900K in Montclair are where good-condition homes begin, and the best ones go over. My guide to how much over asking to offer walks through the honest math.
• You can lose a bidding war and still buy this fall. It happens to nearly every serious buyer. My advice on what to do after you lose a bidding war is the same this week as it was last month: stronger, not riskier, offers win.

What the numbers mean for sellers

For sellers, the week is more evidence that pricing strategy, not the calendar, decides the sale price. The homes closing over list are the ones priced from this week's comps, presented well, and marketed to reach both local and NYC buyers. In a market where 49 homes closed in three towns in one week, the homes that sit are almost always the ones priced above the comps, not below them.

If you are wondering what your own home would sell for right now, the freshest comparison is my Bloomfield and West Orange home value guide: sale-to-list ratio, not list price, is the number that matters. With rates near 7.4 percent, the honest timing conversation is in my October mortgage rates explainer.

The bottom line

One week of closings is a snapshot, not a trend, but it matches everything else we are seeing this fall: steady demand, tight inventory in the best pockets, and homes selling over list in all three towns. For buyers, that means move with a prepared offer and honest expectations. For sellers, the premium is earned with pricing and presentation, not automatic.

If you want to see how the latest closings compare to your situation, buying or selling in Bloomfield, West Orange, or Montclair, I will walk you through it. No pressure, just the real numbers.