We Buy Houses for Cash in Mercer County, NJ

Every town in Mercer County sets its own rules for selling a house, so what applies in Hamilton can differ from Ewing, Lawrence or Hightstown. Swifty Home Buyers is a nationwide cash buyer that purchases houses as they are, including in Mercer County. Our offers are firm, no lender is involved, we ask for no repairs, we charge no agent commission, and you set the closing date. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the town and a local attorney. This is general information, not legal advice.

Areas we cover: Hamilton Township, Ewing Township, Lawrence Township, Princeton, Hightstown, East Windsor Township, Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, Pennington, Robbinsville, West Windsor Township

When the owner has died, the executor starts at the Mercer County Surrogate's Office, 175 South Broad Street, Fourth Floor, Room 420, Trenton, phone 609-989-6331. Its listed hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and it asks people to arrive by 4:00. The office says probate starts with the original will together with a certified copy of the death certificate and a list of heirs at law. It says probate of a will cannot occur until the 11th day from the date of death, and lists $100 for the first two pages and $5 for each additional page. An estate attorney can map out the timing for a sale.

Hamilton asks for a certificate of approval from its Housing Inspections office before occupancy changes. The township's FAQ says you do not need a certificate of occupancy to close, though mortgage companies or buyers may require it, and that only the owner, the owner's realtor, attorney or power of attorney can apply. The fee listed is $200 for a non-rental, covering the initial inspection and first reinspection, and $75 for a registered rental's initial inspection with $100 per reinspection. The FAQ says buyers may sign for minor violations, with outside work corrected within nine months. The checklist covers smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a fire extinguisher, GFCI receptacles within six feet of water, roof leaks, sump pumps, and permits for any unpermitted work. The application says open construction permits must be closed before the certificate issues. If ownership changes but occupancy continues, the FAQ says only a smoke and carbon inspection, $100, is needed.

The county's County Connection program says it partners with the Affordable Housing Alliance to offer HUD-certified foreclosure counseling by appointment, on the third Wednesday of each month, at 609-890-9800. The County Clerk's foreclosure notice also points owners to the court system's foreclosure mediation hotline at 888-989-5277 and warns that help with foreclosure should not come with a fee. Speak with a foreclosure attorney about your own deadlines.

• You inherited a Hamilton house and the estate still has to pass through the Mercer County Surrogate before anyone can sign a deed.
• You own a Ewing rental with a tenant leaving and would rather not handle the transfer certificate, inspection and registration forms before selling.
• You are selling a Hightstown house and the 10-business-day timing for the sale certificate does not fit your closing plans.
• You are a landlord in Lawrence, Ewing or Hightstown with units that would need repairs to clear a tenant-turnover inspection.
• You received a lis pendens letter from the Mercer County Clerk and want to look at selling before the foreclosure moves further.

• Selling a house in New Jersey
• Sell as-is
• Inherited house
• Foreclosure

• Mercer County Surrogate: Office Hours and Locations
• Mercer County Surrogate: Probate of Wills
• Mercer County Clerk
• Mercer County Clerk: foreclosure resources announcement
• Mercer County Connection: Foreclosure Counseling
• Mercer County: Our Towns
• Township of Hamilton: Certificate of Occupancy FAQs
• Township of Hamilton: Change of Occupancy Checklist (PDF)
• Township of Hamilton: Change of Occupancy Application (PDF)
• Township of Ewing Code: Article II, Certificates of Occupancy
• Township of Ewing: Housing
• Township of Ewing: Property Transfer Resale Application
• Township of Lawrence: Housing FAQ
• Township of Lawrence: Division of Housing
• Township of Lawrence Code: Code Inspections
• Borough of Hightstown: Certificate of Occupancy Sale Inspection Request (PDF)
• Borough of Hightstown Code: Registration of Residential Rental Properties

Last reviewed: September 2026. General information only, not legal or tax advice. Rules vary by county and municipality and change over time; talk to a local real estate attorney or title company before you decide.