See why this concrete house for sale in suburban N.J. is called a Horizon Home

Concrete doesn’t typically conjure warm and cozy feelings, but Roy Minieri of Minieri Realty describes a home he just listed in South Plainfield as just that.
“It’s homey, for a stone building,” he said.
The three-bedroom, two full- and one half-bathroom home is listed for sale for $600,000.
Built in 1961, it was one of 85 homes recognized nationally that year for their concrete construction, Minieri said. The homes are known as Horizon Homes and were promoted by the concrete industry to improve and extend the use of concrete in home building.
Concrete homes are believed to be more energy efficient, more durable, more fire resistant and low maintenance, according to industry claims.
“It’s solid block throughout the whole house plus there’s a block wall that’s six to eight feet high around the property,“ Minieri said of the South Plainfield home. ”It’s like a compound.”
The home is set up as a split level. When you enter the front door you can go up five stairs to the living room, kitchen, dining room and den. Or down five stairs to the the bathrooms, family room, laundry room and bedrooms.
The back walls of the house on both levels have floor to ceiling windows and doors leading to a deck on the upper level and the pool on the lower level.
“It’s so open,” he said. “It’s very bright.”
The buyer will likely be young people “who can take control of the uniqueness of the house and how to show it off,” Minieri said.
It’s located on a cul-de-sac, with more traditional homes. “The closest thing you could find to this is on top of a mountain in Bridgewater for $1.2 million or by the Shore for millions of dollars,” he said.
The median sales price of a home in South Plainfield was $510,000 in September, according to the most recent data available from New Jersey Realtors.
The home has been on the market for about a week and has been toured by 35 groups of people.
“We have offers on the table already, well over the list price,” Minieri said. “It’s a very dynamic house.”
But it’s not for everyone. Some who have toured it walked out without saying a word, he said. “You either fall in love with it or you leave the dance.”
Are you an agent, buyer or seller who is active in this changing market? Do you have tips about New Jersey’s real estate market? Unusual listings? Let us know.
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Allison Pries may be reached at [email protected].