MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. –- At 5:00 p.m. on a recent Friday evening, Craig DeAndrea pulled up to the sales and model center for Spruce Hollow, claiming the first spot on line of what would soon be a crowd of purchasers prepared to spend the night outdoors.

As the hours passed, others continued to arrive. These spirited buyers were determined to receive first choice of homesites when the doors opened the next morning for the new Matzel & Mumford single-family home community in Monroe Township.

Andrew Levy arrived just before midnight, the newlywed from Edison who left his wife at home with the assurance of purchasing the larger home they planned to start a family in.

While they all came as competitors of sort, vying for first choice of homesites, they left as neighbors, shaking hands and promising to stay in touch over the coming months as their new homes begin construction.

"It was an interesting experience," recalls Mr. DeAndrea. "I remember a lot of people showing up around 3 a.m. thinking they would be first in line, only to find a bunch of us already there. By 1 a.m. I knew most of my new neighbors and we've been speaking almost weekly ever since."

It was the same for Mr. Levy who spent most of the night talking to other buyers who will now live next to him on one of the community's cul-de-sacs.

For Craig DeAndrea and his wife, Megan, the decision to purchase at Spruce Hollow was made weeks earlier when they first visited Spruce Meadows, Matzel & Mumford's award-winning community which recently sold out in Monroe Township.

"We just fell in love with the models the first time we saw them," says Craig. "We were upset to hear that the community had sold out, but were told that we could join a VIP information list for Spruce Hollow. That was the end of our six-month search."

The DeAndreas purchased the Hampton design for its exciting master suite with a private sitting area, volume spaces, front and rear staircases and gourmet kitchen.

For Andrew Levy and his wife, Elayne, Spruce Hollow simply met all of their needs.

"We both wanted a new and larger home to start our family," Andrew points out. "We looked at a number of different builders and areas, and felt Spruce Hollow offered us the best situation. We loved the models right away and we really like this area. We just felt that we were getting more for our money here."

The Levys selected the Castlewood model, pointing out the home's well-designed layout, expansive rooms, two-story foyer and cozy living room.

Both buyers also felt the entire process was enhanced by the Spruce Hollow team, carrying on the well-known Matzel & Mumford commitment of "Let's Build it Together."

"We can not say enough about the sales staff," says Craig. "They were extremely cooperative and just super to work with." "The experience was just terrific," Andrew noted. "We really loved dealing with The Matzel & Mumford representatives."

Spruce Hollow features 120 half-acre home sites that can accommodate a wide variety of architecturally-distinctive designs priced from the $400,000's.

The homes offer several traditional exterior treatments and feature four or five bedrooms, up to 3 ˝ baths, 2,550 to 3,300 square feet of well-planned living space, a full basement and a two-car garage.

An impressive array of architectural features can be found throughout the homes, including dramatic two-story entry foyers, volume ceilings in several living areas -- including the impressive master suites and baths -- and Gourmet kitchens.