It’s
gorgeous outside! And when there is beautiful weather, naturally people want to
get out there and get active! So today, we wanted to share with you some of the
fantastic options that are available to Summit NJ and area residents when it
comes to getting out and getting busy.
We
have some great fitness and health facilities, starting with the traditional
sports clubs like the YMCA and other community centers. There are also some
great options and various programs offered by places like the Lifetime Club in
Berkeley Heights or the newest craze to hit the Summit area, Equinox – a city
gym that has branched over to our neck of the woods.
Julie
and her family spends a lot of time at the Chatham Club – a unique club that
offers all the typical stuff you would expect from a sports club but with so
much more. You can engage in squash and fencing plus the facility is used by
many area private schools as a training spot for squash and other sports.
How
about a tour of these and other great things in the lovely Summit area? Just
give us a call. As your trusted real estate advisors we’d love the opportunity
to show you around...
When people shop around for locales to establish their roots there are many factors that contribute to their decision. Some of the standard things for families are the obvious – education systems, economic growth, extra curricular activities, availability of entertainment options and parks or recreation facilities.
But another aspect of establishing a life in a new area is the community itself – more precisely the diversity of a community. As we spend time among others around us that have come from around the globe, we enjoy varied cultures, new and different ways of doing things, different languages and more. It enhances our lives, expands our children’s experiences in school and provides a wider understanding of our world around us.
With our unique advantage of being a small town yet within such close reach to the Big City, many of our residents thoroughly enjoy this aspect of what the Summit and surrounding areas has to offer.
So as you consider the excellent schools, gorgeous greens, exciting shopping, great restaurants and fantastic community of our towns – remember that you will also be gaining a family of people from all walks of life and all corners of the earth.
Call us today and make this area home!
908 418 3390
When you consider moving to this area you will notice that many people tend to gravitate toward new construction homes. There are several reasons for that. It’s safe to say that most people love new and shiny things – and when buying a home it’s no different. But aside from that, quality brand new homes are constructed with the latest trends in mind. They are built to code, sometimes using state-of-the-art features and materials and often have high trending features that buyers today want.
Depending on when you get in on the process of buying a brand new home, there is the added benefit of being able to customize homes to suit them to one’s specific needs. The luxury features that come with new construction are exactly what buyers are often seeking and no matter how updated a resale home is sometimes it’s just not enough.
Currently in our marketplace we have homes that are completely move-in ready, some are waiting for your input on things like counters, floors, and other finishes and still more homes are so early on in the process that you can completely customize them.
New homes are a little harder to come by – there is not always enough land in the areas that people want new homes in so unless builders come in and tear down existing homes sometimes finding the perfect combination is a stretch. Most of these homes in our area start at around $2M; if you’d like to see one of my listings or any other on the market right now – call me today!
When you think of downsizing from your home, usually the word “condo” comes to mind. The switch is an ideal one for people from many walks of life, whether a young professional looking for the amenities you get with a condo or an older couple wanting to slow down on maintenance.
What makes a condo so attractive in the downsizing process?
Live More, Work Less
The number one most popular reason for many condo buyers is that owners no longer have the need to worry about maintenance. Most condo associations include lawn and garden upkeep plus snow and trash removal. Gone are the days of needing to water your lawn, shovel the driveway or deal with some utility companies month after month.
Resort-Like Amenities
Unlike single-family homes, condo associations often come with some amazing amenities. Pools, hot tubs, club houses, fitness centers and other features depending on the association – are just a few of the perks condo owners get to enjoy. Your Realtor® will help you choose an association that meets all your needs, including finding one with association fees that work with your budget.
Convenience and Ease
Oftentimes people that sell their larger homes and choose to go to smaller condos do so for the ease and convenience as they get older. Single floor and apartment-like living is an added benefit of the condo lifestyle, a choice many people make as they moving to the next stage in their lives.
Added Insurance Coverage
Since the association has a master insurance coverage that typically includes exterior surfaces of the home, condo owners enjoy some perks when it comes to home insurance premiums. The association is also under pressure to maintain the exterior for consistency almost guaranteeing a home that is kept up.
New or Newer Construction Available
There are a lot of new or newer condos that have built in the recent past, allowing buyers to enjoy the amenities and finish that comes with newly built homes. Depending on price range and specific condo association, some units are not small at all and they are decked out with all the bells and whistles you may have wanted in a single-family home!
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We are seeing a lot of condo sales moving and the price range varies widely, anywhere from $300,000 to as high as $1.5M on average.
The process of making a decision to downsize, then getting rid of years worth of belongings to move to a smaller place can be overwhelming. Having a professional by your side will help you to organize the process as well as assist you to get through some of the hurdles that come with such a big lifestyle change.
Everyone’s talking about it. The market is on fire and if you’re a seller, THAT’S GREAT! But if you’re out there trying to find a home to purchase right now there is plenty of competition and quite frankly, it’s probably getting to be very difficult.
But through my many years of experience and dealing with multiple offer situations while representing the buyer’s side of the transaction, I’ve developed some very effective strategies to help you win the bid. Here are five tried and true ways to turn up the heat on your offer and get it noticed.
Know Your Limits Then Reach for the Sky
Now’s definitely not the time to be playing negotiating games. Sure, that might have been a strong strategy just a few years ago when there was an overabundance of homes on the market and not near as enough buyers to accommodate them. But today, it’s a completely different story. Figure out the highest price you are able and willing to comfortably pay in a multiple offer situation and don’t be afraid to offer that much.
Make It Clean, Make It Simple
As a Realtor® that also represents sellers, I often come across a stack of offers and am sitting there sorting through them with the expectation they will be presented to the seller. The last thing I want to do is confuse the seller with jumbled language, lengthy verbiage or unreadable handwriting leaving us both to wonder what an offer says. Write a simple, clean offer with as little room for confusion as possible without being vague. A simple cover letter summary page is a great way to highlight the bullet points of your offer.
Demonstrate Financial Strength
No seller wants to dapple with offers that are not 100% solid in terms of financial viability. When looking at several offers, a small earnest money deposit or limited down payment can be viewed as lack of interest of worse, appear to be an inability to afford the property. If you are offering to make a down payment, show proof of funds through a letter from your bank or investment firm and make sure to include a preapproval letter from your lender.
With Down Payment and Deposit, Less Is Not More
When sellers are reviewing offers they are looking for what they perceive as strong interest. It goes without saying that more money is a demonstration of high interest level but how you offer to pay is another consideration. Cash offers are always very attractive since they entail fewer contingencies and procedural hurdles to jump through. But even a larger down payment is more attractive than very little money down. If you can afford it, put down at least 10 percent on the home and submit an earnest deposit amount of at least 1% of the purchase price.
Minimize Contingencies
Many offers contain contingencies, upon which the purchase agreements depend before being executed. For instance, a buyer might make an offer on a home contingent of the sale of their existing home. There are also inspection and mortgage contingencies. You may not be able to eliminate all of them but whenever possible try to be flexible. Shorten the length of time for buyer investigations by offering to schedule your inspections soon after your offer is accepted.
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These are just a few of the strategies we employ when serving our buyer clients in what is a very strong seller-controlled marketplace. If you’d like to hear some more of the tricks we have to get you the home of your dreams, contact me today at 973-214-0691.
