It’s a tough question to answer. The basic real estate idea is that if your home is free from any major issues, shows well to buyers, and it’s priced right your house will move quickly. These 3 things sound simple but many time homeowners miss the mark on one or more of these points.

You sit down with your agent and they come up with a price the market is showing for a property like yours. Sometimes for whatever reason the owner has a price they feel they deserve or need to get for the property. They proceed to price it higher than recommended and during the first couple of showings there is no interest. At this point if there is no interest with a decent amount of traffic then it’s time to lower the price.

As a homeowner you need to realize what dragging out the selling process will mean for your bank account. If you’re asked to lower the price 20K and you think thats out of the question and  you keep the price the same. Then the process drags out for a couple months. Think to yourself what 3-4 months of mortgage payment, taxes, utilities, condo fees and whatever else will add up to be. If you break down these costs most times you’ll see what you need to do.

Price is not the only factor a homebuyer looks at when making a decision but in the current market it’s a MAJOR factor. If you do a couple simple things then hopefully your property will move as quickly as you want it to.

If you have any questions give me a call and we’ll get started!

Buying a home is a tough decision no doubt about it. You set your budget you go out and see what you feel you can afford but in the back of your mind one question remains. What would I get if I look at places 20-30K more than what I’m willing to spend.

The answer is different for everyone. In any property decision you need to decide on your wants and needs. You may love a garage but do you need a garage. You may like 3 bedrooms but do you need them? See where I’m going with this?

With that being said in Bridgewater NJ you have plently of options within the condo market. If you move up or down 20-30K your options increase which include a possible deck, bigger bathroom, garage, and various other things.

Whats the moral of the story? Talk to your mortgage professional and see what moving up in price would do to your monthly payments. If the numbers add up and see what these properties look like.

I made the decision when I bought my condo that since it was my first place I went for the lower price point. The price was something I needed. I made my decision based on this converation with myself. Have tha conversation with yourself and give me a call and we’ll get you moving towards your goal.

As a resident of Bridgewater whenever I mention to someone I live here they say, “Oh I know where that is, it’s by the mall right?” If you’ve been to Bridgewater Commons then you understand why people from all around the state know of it. It’s a huge mall with every store you can imagine. I personally LOVE the Chipotle and you can find me there on many nights.

Wikipedia has to say about the store selection:

“The mall has a variety of stores covering three floors. In the early years of the mall, they marketed on the fact that they have three floors and leased space in the mall by theming the floors. The bottom floor was known as the “Commons Collection” and had the more exclusive/upscale stores. The middle floor was known as the “Promenade” and was themed to have stores that sold family related items and gifts. The top floor was known as “The Campus Level” and contained shops that were marketed toward the younger, 15-21 set. The food court called “Picnic on the Green” was also located on this floor. Neon signs displayed the floor names on the Campus level and have since been removed during the construction. Signs and lighting displaying the names “Promenade” and “Commons Collection” still exist but are not as prominent as they once were. In recent years, there has been a noticeable upscale trend as shown by the opening of new stores such as Pottery Barn, J.Crew and Apple.”

What does this mean to you and your property search? It’s just another perk on the list of perks you receive when you move to wonderful Bridgewater NJ.  It’s always great to get excited about where you live and having the Commons mall so close gets a ton of people excited. If you’re selling your condo then this is a major point to make to your potential buyers because it will set your house apart.

For more information on the mall visit:

http://www.bridgewatercommons.com/

Have a great day and happy shopping!

Today’s spotlight is on Finderne Heights an excellent and affordable option for condo ownership in Bridgewater, NJ. Located directly off Route 22 East these brick style condos offer one, two, and three bedroom condos at various price ranges. You have access to a large swimming pool and tennis courts. There are also garages available for an additional monthly charge which is a unique feature at this price point. There are one bedroom condos listed currently for less than $160,000. There are two bedroom properties for less than $200,000. This is a great way to become a homeowner so please take a look at the pictures and browse my main site for what’s available right now. If you see something you like, as always feel free to give me a call.

This is one of the main questions you recieve when you’re speaking with someone interested in living in Bridgewater. I’ve written previous posts on the school system within Bridgewater so that is not the point I want to make tonight. What I want to point out is how to find the information you need. You need to seek information straight from the people who give the school their “grades.”

It may sound simple but the State of New Jersey gives every school in the state a report card. This report card is extremely important because it can answer all the questions you may have all in one place.

For example in 2008 the state had this to say about the Bridgewater NJ school system:

“This is a very good district striving to be better and there is certainly much to be excited about. But a school district is only as strong as the people in it. Thanks to an outstanding community, excellent staff, supportive parents, and motivated students, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District is truly one of the pre-eminent districts in the state. ”

All this can be found at:

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc08/menu/A/B.html

Make sure you check out each narative for the individual schools with the Bridgewater school district to get the full picture.

If you have any other main conerns the best thing to do is make an appointment with the schools in question and get your answers from the source. This tried and true method is a wonderful way to give you the full picture on a given town.

For all other info go to the Board of Education website which is :

http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/

I hope that helps and make sure to give me a call if youhave any questions and we’ll get it done.

The spotlight today is focused on Loft Farm a very luxurious townhome community in the Martinsville section of Bridgewater. For your background Martinsville is an unincorporated section of northeastern Bridgewater. The area has it’s own ZIP code and post office. The properties in Loft Farm have a higher price point than the other communites in the area but when you see the pictures you’ll see why. Most of these properties are 2 bedroom 2 bath units but have a lot of open space. You can notice the level of open space when you enter the property due to the high ceilings. Check out the pictures and I think you’ll agree. There are some properties available at the moment so check my ‘for sale’ section to see more info. Enjoy the tour!

Happy New Year! Today’s spotlight is on Chelsea Village. The condo community is located right off of route 22 east and provides easy access to all the major highways in the area. Residents also enjoy convenient proximity to downtown Somerville and all it has to offer. When you see the community from the street it doesn’t give you an idea of how large it actually is. Take a drive in and you’ll see how this wonderful this Bridgewater Condo community truly is. With that, lets get right to the pictures!

Today’s spotlight is on Bridgewater Oaks. This large community is directly off Route 22 east right back the Raritan Country Club. If you’re coming from Route 22 West just make a quick u-turn in the corporate park on your right and you’re in. The first thing you’ll notice is that Bridgewater Oaks is tucked so there is considerably less traffic in the community. You have a bunch of different color schemes and units to choose from so without further delay take a look at the following pictures. If you see anything you like give me a call.

As a homebuyer the first thing you think you should do is go online, check out some properties you like, call an agent (hopefully me), and see some properties. One major step that is missed in that line of thinking is getting pre-qualified for a mortgage before you go out and see those properties. You’re probally saying “I’ve never heard that before” or “the other agents I’ve worked with didn’t ask for that.” To those comments I say, now it’s time to do it right.

Think about it for a second. You see a property for $400,000 and you LOVE IT. You see yourself in the house, make mental plans and start to daydream. The problem is THEN you set up time with your mortgage professional and they tell you you’re only able to afford $340,000. You’re crushed and discouraged. It’s not a good feeling and can set you back on your goal.

If you got pre-qualified before you saw that$400,000 proprty you would have known it wasen’t for you and avoided the setback all together. Getting pre-qualified is a painless process and don’t get it confused with getting your acual mortgage. That process is much more involved and comes later in the process. Getting pre-qualified involves getting your credit pulled and going over some basic numbers.

With that being said let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to point you in the right direction. Have a great weekend!

During Thanksgiving I reflected on how I was thankful for many things including my living situation. This post is about how I took the plunge when the time was right and now I’m into my 2nd year as a homeowner. When I bought two years ago the market conditions were good for buyers: rates were low, prices came down a little, and loans were available. Today’s enviroment is even better for those of you able to buy. I didn’t have the option of the $8000 tax credit or the some of the lowest mortgage rates one can ask for.

The point of this is to say, the longer you wait the more time passes and you’re not in you new place. I feel like the past two years have flown by and now I have a couple years of paid mortgage, built equity, and the happiness of not paying someone else’s rent. You never know what you can afford unless you take a serious look at the market. That’s why you need to consult your real estate team. I have a previous blog post all about this to provide guidance. Do yourself a favor and look into homeownership today. You have so much working for you in this market get out there and take advantage. Give me a call we’ll get started together.