Those last few days before closing on a new home in New Jersey can be nerve wracking. I asked Tom Wragg (First Choice Bank) to put together this list for my first time home buyers in New Jersey: From Contract to Close: How NOT to Mess Up Your NJ Mortgage In this environment, it is important to adhere to the following guidelines in New Jersey in order for your mortgage company to maintain your...
Buying a Home in NJ
One of the first questions I am asked after homeowners close on their new home along the Midtown Direct Train line is "How do we set up our home network?" and "Who do you know that can help us out?" Here are five tips to consider when setting up a simple home network: Here are five tips to consider when setting up a simple home network: 1) Get wired-wireless networks are convenient, reasonably priced,...
Last night I was "hanging" with The New York Jets at a Fashion Show sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue, MasterCard and The New York Jets at the Short Hills Mall. The proceeds went entirely toward the New York Jets Foundation whose main focus is to provide resources for local area youth initiatives that encourage education, sports and physical fitness, the creation of scholarships and donations to schools,...
OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY OCTOBER 26, 2008 1-4 PM 345 Old Short Hills Road Short Hills, New Jersey When Millburn High School was named the Top High School by NJ Magazine last month you could feel the sigh of relief ripple through Short Hills and Millburn. Everyone has been focused on the economy, more specifically home values. The accolades received from the #1 designation reinforced the strength of the...
Here are my Top Ten Reasons to Live in Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Township was named the #1 Place To Live in New Jersey by NJ Monthly in 2007. Less than 40 minute commute into Manhattan via Midtown Direct Train Line and twenty minute drive to Newark/Liberty International Airport. Small town feel in spite of its close proximity to NYC with its quiet, safe, and friendly community. Hundreds of...
It has been so wonderful watching the growth of our Keller Williams office over the past three years. Red KW signs are easily spotted in communities along and adjacent to the Midtown Direct train line Representing both Buyers and Sellers, Keller Williams home sales are closing...not easy in this economy. Just look at this one section of Short Hills. Out of the eighteen homes sold in the Hartshorn...
Steve Lupton of MetroCities Mortagage just shared this take on our current "credit crisis" to help you understand WHY. "The Chinese have a proverb: "May you live in interesting times." And we are living through interesting times indeed.Whatever the political posturing regarding the rescue plan, a plan needed to be passed. Credit markets are frozen and banks are going bust every day. This is not totally...
Have you been on Long Hill Drive and Briarwood Drive in Short Hills NJ lately? You won't recognise it. Home buyers are smitten with this Hartshorn School neighborhood located just blocks away from Gero Park, town pool, Little League fields, tennis courts and 3 Par Golf. Houses are here today...Sold for $999,999 Aug...
I have four families moving into and out of homes over the next four weeks, and everyone wants to know which movers to use. Here is a short list of New Jersey Movers that recent Keller Williams Buyers and Sellers have used and recommended: Chatham Movers 973-377-1100 Harrington Movers 973-313-2246 First Class...
Housing prices in Livingston, New Jersey saw a dip in the the first half of 2008 over last year. However, come May & June 2008, the average sale price was over that of 2007...in spite of the gloom and doom portrayed by the media. Why? The downtown is thriving, the schools are Top Rated and you can be assured Top Value for your home in Livingston, New Jersey. There is still a little more than 5.5...
Tennis Anyone? There are some wonderful places to play tennis in New Jersey along the Midtown Direct Train line from South Orange to Morristown and in the adjacent communites as well. In fact, South Orange has its own version of Wimbledon at Orange Lawn with grass courts, mandatory white tennis attire and a new clubhouse equipped for elaborate catering for parties of all sizes. CenterCourt Athletic Club...
The trio of Consignment shops just off of Main St. in Madison NJ are none other than hidden gems. Only locals know where to find them, but people come from near and far to peruse their eclectic shelves. Time after Time, Once and Again, and A New Leaf offer low prices on items ranging from flapper dresses from the fifties, to modern wears from just last season. Each offers a different array, Once and...
Chatham New Jersey has a lot to be proud of: In February 2008, Chatham, NJ was named the best place to live by New Jersey Monthly and the 2008 Graduating Class from Chatham High School is sending four to the Ivys including Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth and Harvard. Where are the rest of the 2008 graduates going? 8-Villanova University 7-St. Josephs University 6-University of...
The 2008 graduates of Livingston High School have big plans for their Freshman year at college. Twelve will be entering Ivy League Schools including Brown, Columbia, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania. Where are the rest going? It is quite an impressive list: 29 - Rutgers University 16 - County College of Morris 12 - SUNY €“ Binghamton 11 - Montclair State University 10 - University of...
Madison, New Jersey is home to three important Universities: College of St. Elizabeth Drew University Fairleigh Dickinson University With a bustling downtown, great restaurants and college feel, Madison, New Jersey has long been a favorite community along the Midtown Direct Train line. So where are the 2008 graduates of Madison High School off to next year? Two students are off to the Ivy's:...
On a beautiful June evening 241 Seniors graduated from Summit High School at the Metro Homes Field in Summit, New Jersey. Eight students are heading to the Ivy's: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth and Princeton. Where are the rest going? It is quite an impressive list: 9 Rutgers University 5 Bucknell University 5 George Washington University 4 County College...
Short Hills, New Jersey was ranked sixth in the GLBT Gay Ghetto Top 10 based on their analysis of demographics and real estate sales data throughout the USA linking towns that are "most in vogue with the diverse GLBT community." Short Hills was tied with Dallas/Fort Worth (Metuchen/Surrounding NJ was included...but for those not in the know, these two towns are too far enough apart and different to...
South Orange, NJ home sales for the first six months of 2008 saw a 19% drop in volume and a 10% drop in average price of homes sold versus last year. The good news is that buyers are continuing to view properties in town and that homes that are priced well are selling. Average Days on Market are up only 1% over the first six months of 2007. So if you are looking for a 3-4 bedroom home thirty minutes...
So often Buyers call needing a home within 30 minutes to New York City. Look no further. This 1552 square foot Classic Colonial in South Orange, New Jersey is Perfect! Four Bedrooms and Two Baths, a Sunny Living Room, Formal Dining Room, Cozy Den and Updated Kitchen...and priced at only $450,000. The jitney to the Midtown Direct Train in South Orange stops in front of the house, or, if you wish, it is...
If you have been in Summit, New Jersey these past few months you have noticed that the Springfield Avenue Bridge is closed. What a Pain!!! At 4pm Friday, June 27, 2008, the Springfield Avenue Bridge is OPENING!!! What terrific news for Keller Williams as the bridge sits in front of our office. There will be a ceremony on Tuesday, July 1 at 6pm. JOIN THE CELEBRATION and stop into Keller Williams to...
It has been very busy in Millburn this week with the 5K race on Monday, the opening of the Farmers Market on Tuesday and the Spring Sidewalk Sale Days from Wednesday-Saturday June 18-21. You should stop by. There are many bargains from local merchants, from maternity (Shelly Belly) to furs (Schultz) to tabletop (Jalm at RBA's). Take a stroll down Millburn, Essex and Main Streets and enjoy this lovely...
Don't miss the opening of the Millburn Farmers Market Tuesday, June 17, 2008. The market will run every Tuesday through October 28th from 8am-2pm at the corner of Essex and Main Streets. Today's festivities include: 10 am Ribbon Cutting by Secretary of Agriculture, Charles Kuperus, Senator Tom Kean, Jr. and local dignitaries 11 am restaurant.mc will have a cooking demonstration & tasting. Two tickets...
So after the trees came tumbling down last week due to a quick moving storm, the damage was done. New Jersey homeowners were in search of roofers to fix the holes left by the felled trees. Once again, Keller William agents provide their short list of reliable roofers in Essex, Morris and Union Counties: Deegan Roofing 908.322.6405 Pfister Roofing 973.569.9930 Steifel & Sons 908.464.0047 Peter...
Wow!!! I have been driving around a lot with buyers this past month. They are thrilled to be putting in offers and having them accepted. Before they take the plunge, however, there is one site that seems to have caught buyer's attentions: RottenNeighbor.com Ever hear of it? None of the recent purchases have ended up in neighborhoods that were negatively taagged...yea!!! But I thought the concept was...
Summit and Springfield February single family home sales can be found below. They are both within Union County, New Jersey. Statistical data was provided by the Garden State MLS. You will find Summit just a short twenty minutes from NYC along the Midtown Direct Train line. Springfield provides a Jitney to the Short Hills Train Station...just down the street. If your town is not listed and you would like...
John L. Scott Real Estate separates fact from fiction in the Pacific Northwest real estate market in this RISMedia article that helps home buyers assess the current market objectively: FACT: The housing market is undergoing a natural cyclical correction. FACT: Low mortgage rates give buyers more house for their dollar. FACT: Heavy speculation and overbuilding result in an increase in foreclosures when...
Below you will find the statistical data provided by the Garden State MLS for February closed sales of single family homes from 2/1/08 to 2/29/08 in Morris County, NJ. If your town is not listed and you would like to receive a FREE report for your particular area, please contact Perri@MidtownDirectHomes.com and we will be happy to provide that report to you. Town #...
Below you will find the statistical data provided by the Garden State MLS in regards to closed sales for the month of February from 2/1/08 to 2/29/08, based on single family home status in Essex County, New Jersey See if your town stood out from the rest. If your town is not listed and you would like to receive a FREE report for your particular area, please contact Perri@MidtownDirectHomes.com and we...
Welcome Home To Country Club Living In Desirable Livingston, New Jersey Minutes to Manhattan and within easy reach of train and bus service. Home to an exciting collection of outstanding restaurants, stunning parks and eclectic entertainment venues, and just minutes from world-class shopping at The Mall at Short Hills, The Regency Club reflects sophisticated living at its best. OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, MARCH...
New Jersey Home Buyers should benefit from the new FHA and Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac conforming loan limits released by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development on March 6, 2008. The new loan limits for FHA and Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac are now calculated at 125% of the HUD published median prices, with a floor of $271,050 and $417,000, respectively, not to exceed $729,750. Use this link to find...