Archive for November, 2009

As a general rule I don’t like to comment on the financial end of the real estate transaction. There are a ton of people who’s only job is to know the in’s and outs of the mortgage process. As a Realtor that’s not the service I provide to myclients. What I can do is speak in the most general of terms when it comes to the title of this blog post. If you see a mortgage rate at 4.78% and you were thinking about getting into the market and your next call isn’t to me then we have bigger issues to deal with. I can’t express in words how low this rate is and how HUGE an opportunity this is. Mortgage rates a year ago were just around 6% and with home prices lower than last year you’re looking at a perfect storm for buyers.

If you had your mortgage professional crunch the numbers a couple months back, call them back and have them crunch them again with these new figures. You will see a major difference if what you pay every month with a rate this low. Home ownership does not have to be an abstract idea. You just need to take a serious look and make a few phone calls and understand exactly what this low rate means for you. I bought my condo at around 5.8% roughly two years ago and I thought that was an excellent deal. I thought home ownership was out of reach until I made the phone calls I talked about.

Do yourself a favor and get moving on this because with the following three factors: 1) Mortgage Rates are historic lows 2) Home prices are down from historic highs and 3) The $8000 tax break there has never been a better time to buy.

It’s that time again for the next installment of Bridgewater Condos spotlight. Today’s featured condo community is Stratton Meadows. This large community has both traditional condo units along with many townhouse units. It’s located directly off Route 22 making for an excellent commute to work. Without further delay check out the wonderful pictures of Stratton Meadows and give me a call if you see anything you’d like to see in person.

Well it’s almost time for my favorite time of year… THANKSGIVING! I love to eat, see the family, and eating some more. This year I’m hosting the big day and there is a ton to do. Even though most of my family in a single family home they all like to come over to my condo. I’m coming upon my 2nd year as a homeowner and I brings me great pride that I can host my family in my own place.

I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again. You purchase  your first place, you sign all those papers, drive home, and sit in your empty home. You’re hungry so you order domino’s pizza. You take a bite of that slice of pizza and you’ve just had the best meal of your life.

This applies to the best meal of the year as well. When you all sit down for turkey and you look around the table it’s another great feeling. I can help you get to this point as well. Give me a call and we can get to work. So to all you readers out there Happy Thanksgiving from Bridgewater Condos!

It’s time again for, what I feel, is one of the best condo communities in Bridgewater NJ: Glenbrooke. This is the one of the two communities located on Milltown Road and is about 2 min from Route 22. I think the pictures speak for themselves but if you’re in the market for a traditional townhouse unit in Bridgewater you should see something you like. You have the options of Townhouses with garages, without garages, with a deck, and with a walk-out basement. Without further delay check out some of the pictures I took and tell me what you think. Give me a call and I’ll take you out to see some of these properties in person.

From time to time I like to point out great websites that keep me informed about my local area. It’s tough sometimes to get information on community events and now theres is a site dedicated to just that. The website is called americantowns.com and it’s you’re one stop shop for learning about what’s taking place in your neighborhood. There is an event’s calendar, news and events, and local reviews of various businesses. The site is driven through local imput so if you have an event you wish to promote head over to the site.

What does this mean for Bridgewater Condos? No only are you buying a property you’re also buying into a community. Learning about what’s going on will make your adjustment that much easier and enjoyable. Go check out the site and let me know if you agree!

www.americantowns.com

It’s that time of the week to feature yet another great condo / townhouse community in Bridgewater, NJ. This will be the last condo community to be featured that is onVanderveer Road. Vanderveer Road is right of Route 28 and The Bridle Club, Beacon Hill, and Vanderhaven Farms are all along the road. Every community has it’s own style so I’m sure you can find something you like. Vanderhaven Farms is tucked into the back of Vanderveer and Milltown Road which creates a higher level of privacy for those who live there. Without further delay lets get right to it:

Even though it’s something I’ve previously mentioned, I’m compelled to
give the following topic its own spot on the blog. When people ask
about some of the perks associated with living in Bridgewater, one of
them has to be: “I live a mile from Wegmans.”

For those who are familiar with the wonders of a grocery store like
Wegmans, then you can understand why this answer is in my top 3.
If you’re looking to move into the area and are not sure what the deal
is with Wegmans, let me break it down. You know your local
supermarket? Take everything you like about it and multiply it by 100
and you still might not come close to what you’d see at the
Bridgewater Wegmans. Experienced cooks will treat it as a second home,
and those who don’t cook will start to!

It’s important to consider something like this as part of why living
in Bridgewater will change your life for the better. And if you still
don’t believe me, get down here and check it out for yourself.

Well after many weeks of debate and speculation the tax credit for homebuyers has been extended to April 30th, 2010. This means you need to be under contract by that time in order to take advantage of the program. This is basic stuff that has been part of every conversation about first time home buyers this year. The new part of the program that is getting everyone talking is the $6500 credit for trading up and buying a new property.

No one can put it better than the New York Times:

“If you’re an existing homeowner, you qualify for the new tax credit of up to $6,500 if you have lived in your current residence for five years or more out of the previous eight years and purchase a home or sign a sales contract for one from Nov. 7 to the end of April of next year.”

Pretty simple rules and many people fall into this group. This allows for a whole new group of buyers and sellers to enter the market. Many of you who live in a condo are looking to expand your space due to many of lifes changes. This tax credit program is a perfect way to make that happen. The time for speculation has ended and we’re not that far away from the deadline of April 30th. Get the ball moving now and see if this program can work for you. Please read the full New York Times article to gain further insight on the situation.

http://ow.ly/ASCZ

Today’s Bridgewater  Condos spotlight will be on the Bridle Club Condo / Townhouse community. I have a special connection to this community because I live here and I’m about to go on my second year as a resident. I feel when you see the pictures you can see why making the Bridle Club your home may be a great option for you. Without further delay lets get started:

The talk of the real estate world and around the real estate water cooler is, will Congress extend this tax credit? A great article from the New York Times was brought to my attention today and it looks like Congress has come to an understanding on the program.

“The homebuyers’ credit — enacted last year, expanded this year and scheduled to expire Nov. 30 — would be extended to cover homes under contract by April 30. Also, it no longer would be limited to first-time buyers; people who have owned a home for at least five years could get a $6,500 credit on a new residence. Income limits for eligibility would be raised, making many more people qualify.”

Sounds good to you right? Sounds good to me. One of the major flaws of the current program is that it only worked for first-time home buyers. What about people in condos looking to trade up? It’s a huge portion of the population and hopefully if the article is correct we should see something by this Weds. But as the ol’ saying goes there are only two things certain in life and the government working on your schedule is NOT one of them.

If you want to read more check out the attached link to the aforementioned New York Times Article.

http://tinyurl.com/yblr8np