NMLS #2560393Licensed mortgage broker in New Jersey
Dense urban multi-family in the south, lake and mountain property in the north.
AI REMCO L.L.C. is a licensed mortgage broker based in Oldwick, New Jersey, in Tewksbury Township, serving borrowers throughout Passaic County, New Jersey.
Passaic County splits cleanly into two housing markets. The southern end — Paterson, Clifton, Passaic City, Hawthorne, Totowa and Little Falls — is dense, older and built substantially around two-to-four unit housing. The northern end — West Milford, Ringwood, Wanaque, Bloomingdale and the Wayne uplands — is low-density, heavily wooded, and includes lake communities and properties on private wells and septic systems.
Paterson is the anchor of the southern market and one of New Jersey's most active multi-unit markets. Owner-occupied two-to-four unit purchases let a share of the rent from the other units support qualification, which is one of the more practical paths into ownership here. How much counts depends on the program and on how the existing rents are documented.
Flooding is a serious and specific consideration in this county. The Passaic River and its tributaries have repeatedly affected Wayne, Little Falls, Pompton Lakes and parts of Paterson. Requirements are set by the mapped FEMA zone for the exact address, not by the town, and where coverage is required the premium counts in the payment you qualify against.
The northern townships bring rural-property underwriting into what people think of as a suburban county. Private wells and septic systems, shared or private roads, larger parcels and seasonal construction all carry program-specific requirements, and West Milford's lake communities add deeded lake rights and access arrangements that appraisers and title work both have to account for.
Clifton and Wayne are the county's largest year-round conventional markets, with substantial single-family inventory and steady demand from buyers priced out of Bergen and northern Essex. Both have condominium and townhouse stock where association reserves, insurance and investor concentration are underwritten alongside the borrower.
Much of the southern county's housing predates 1978. FHA and VA appraisals apply property standards conventional appraisals do not, and paint condition, roof life, heating systems and safety items appear regularly as conditions to resolve. Anticipating that before the appraisal is ordered keeps the closing timeline realistic.
Most Passaic County files land in one of a few programs: FHA loans in Passaic County, Conventional loans in Passaic County and First-time home buyer financing in Passaic County. Business owners can start with a self-employed mortgage documented from returns or bank statements, and first-time buyers should read how New Jersey down payment assistance pairs with a first mortgage.
Loan limit figures published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency for 2026 — fhfa.gov conforming loan limits. Last reviewed 2026-09-05. For reference only.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates; FHFA House Price Index, county annual, 2025; FEMA OpenFEMA, National Flood Insurance Program data, as of August 2026. Public estimates for the county as a whole, for general information only; they are not an appraisal, a tax figure for any property or a prediction.
Government and Freddie Mac data, updated as each source publishes.
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Sources: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, HMDA data (loans originated); U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey; Freddie Mac House Price Index (FMHPI). Figures describe the past and are for general information only; they are not an appraisal, a forecast or an offer of credit.
Route 80, Route 23, Route 46 and the Main and Bergen County rail lines shape commuting patterns here.
AI REMCO L.L.C. is based in Oldwick, NJ, in Tewksbury Township, and serves borrowers throughout Passaic County — we do not maintain a branch office in every county we serve.
Wayne, Little Falls, Pompton Lakes and parts of Paterson have repeated riverine flood exposure. The mapped zone for the specific address governs whether coverage is required, and where it is, the premium is part of your qualifying payment. Our flood-map lookup shows the FEMA zone for an address, and our affiliated agency can quote flood coverage in New Jersey — a relationship we disclose to you in writing.
Owner-occupied multi-unit purchases can use FHA or conventional financing, with part of the rent from other units supporting qualification. Non-owner-occupied purchases move to conventional investment-property financing.
Older housing across the southern county frequently draws appraisal-noted repairs under FHA and VA property standards. They are conditions to resolve rather than automatic declines, but they affect the schedule.
West Milford, Ringwood, Wanaque and Bloomingdale include properties on private water and septic, some on private roads. Expect testing, certification and a road maintenance agreement, with requirements varying by program.
Greenwood Lake, Upper Greenwood Lake and the county's smaller lake communities include homes built for seasonal use and properties with deeded or association lake rights. Both affect appraisal approach and program fit.
Older houses converted to multiple units sometimes share meters or heating systems. Lenders treat that differently by program, and it can affect eligibility as well as value.
Clifton and Wayne have meaningful attached-housing inventory. Reserves, master insurance, investor concentration and litigation are all reviewed alongside the borrower.
Effective rates differ considerably between Passaic County towns, and taxes are escrowed into the payment underwriters measure. We use the actual figure for the parcel.
New Jersey property taxes are set at the municipal level and vary widely between neighboring towns, so two similarly priced homes can carry very different monthly payments. Lenders escrow taxes and insurance in most cases, which means the tax bill affects both the payment and the income you need to qualify. We use the actual assessed figure for the parcel rather than a county average, and any figure we quote before the tax collector's current bill is confirmed is an estimate.
New Jersey closings are attorney-review based on the contract side and involve title search, survey where required, recording fees and the state's realty transfer fee on a sale. Those third-party costs are set by the provider, the county clerk and the state — not by the broker — and appear on the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure the lender issues.
Documents, the appraisal, credit review, rate locks and refinancing work the same way in every county: see how the mortgage process works.
Passaic County is a high-cost area for 2026: its one-unit conforming limit of $1,209,750 sits above the national baseline of $832,750. A loan up to that county limit is still conforming here, so buyers can finance more before jumbo credit, reserve and appraisal guidelines apply.
Heavily used in Paterson, Passaic City and Clifton, including owner-occupied multi-unit purchases.
The standard path in Clifton, Wayne, Hawthorne and the northern townships.
The southern county is an active first-purchase market.
NJHMFA programs pair with a first mortgage for eligible Passaic County buyers.
Used at the higher end of the Wayne and North Haledon markets.
For self-employed borrowers and files agency guidelines do not fit.
Financing for eligible veterans and service members countywide.
The 2026 FHFA one-unit conforming loan limit in Passaic County is $1,209,750. Loan amounts at or below that figure follow conventional conforming guidelines; above it, the loan is a jumbo and is underwritten to the investor's own credit, reserve and appraisal requirements.
It depends on the mapped FEMA zone for the specific address rather than the municipality. Both towns contain properties inside Special Flood Hazard Areas where a lender requires coverage, and the premium counts toward your qualifying payment. Our flood-map tool shows the zone for an address.
Yes. Owner-occupied two-to-four unit purchases are common here and are supported by both FHA and conventional financing. A portion of the rent from the other units may help you qualify, depending on the program and how the existing rents are documented.
Expect water testing and septic certification, with the specific standards depending on the loan program. Where the property is on a private road, lenders generally want a maintenance agreement as well. These take time, so we schedule them early.
Yes. The questions are whether the home was built for seasonal or year-round use, how lake access or waterfront rights are held, and what comparable sales are available in that specific community. All three affect the appraisal and the program that fits.
Many do. FHA and VA appraisals apply property standards conventional appraisals do not, and findings on older housing commonly include paint condition, roof life and safety items. Those become conditions to resolve, which affects timing.
Yes. AI REMCO L.L.C. is licensed throughout New Jersey and works across all of Passaic County — Paterson multi-family and West Milford lake property are different files, but both are normal work.
All of them. AI REMCO L.L.C. is licensed as a mortgage broker in New Jersey and works with borrowers anywhere in Passaic County, including municipalities not listed on this page. Files are handled remotely from Tewksbury, New Jersey — there is no Passaic County branch office.
Yes. Taxes and insurance are part of the housing expense a lender counts, so a higher tax bill reduces the loan amount a given income supports. We use the parcel's actual assessed figure where available, and treat pre-closing figures as estimates.
Reach a licensed loan officer at (732) 561-4292 or [email protected]. Mon–Fri, 9am–8pm ET.
Verified against public program guidance as of September 2026.
