Realtors in Haddon Township say for every house up for sale, there are eight or nine people looking to buy it.

"This is the best I've seen it in 10 years," said Linda Rohrer, the owner of Rohrer & Sayers Real Estate on Cuthbert Boulevard. "The values of the homes have increased in the last 10 years. I think the trend will go on."

Rohrer, who has been in the business for 27 years, said homes today are selling for many times more than the asking price because of the amount of competition. She said many of her clients have been first-time home buyers and young couples looking to start families.

Compared to surrounding areas, real estate agents say home prices in Haddon Township are somewhere between those in neighboring Haddonfield and Collingswood, though real estate prices in Collingswood have been inching up in recent years.

Realtors estimate that the price of the average home in the township today hovers somewhere between $115,000 and $ 125,000. In 1990, the average price of a home was about $ 100,000.

The population of the township has been stable between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S. Census. In 1990 there were 14,837 residents and in 2000 there were 14,651, a 1.25 percent decrease.

But as the township puts on a younger and younger face, Realtors say, residents have been adding improvements to homes and generally been taking better care of their property.

"The homes are looking better and better," said Realtor Paula Walter. "I think it's an excellent place to live."

Unlike many newer neighborhoods that consist of developments where the homes largely look the same, the homes in Haddon Township are filled with variety. It is not hard to find three different home styles in a row on many streets, ranging from a bungalow to a Cape Cod to a Colonial.

"That is what is so unique about it," Walter said. " Every house is a little different than the next one."

Apartments in the township's six rent-controlled apartment complexes are also filled. All but one had more than 10 vacancies in March. Apartments with more than 10 units in the township are restricted by rent control, which means that rent cannot be raised each year by more than the percentage reflected in the Consumer Price Index.

Haddonview apartments on MacArthur Boulevard had 16 vacancies in March, while Lynne Garden and Cuthbert Manor apartments had two each.

Also, a proposal to build upscale apartments at the former Russell Cast Stone site on Albertson Avenue is in preliminary discussions, Mayor William Park said. About 65 units, priced at about $1,200 a month each, could be built but community feedback is being sought before plans are formalized, he said.

"If they're upscale rental units, they bring a good ratable base in," Park said.