Archive for December, 2009

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.

Today’s spotlight is on Stratford Place in Bridgewater NJ. This centrally located community is on the other side of Bridgewater near the Chealsea Village community and Finderne Heights. From this location 287 both north and south are extremely close. Also, if you take Chimney Rock Road you can use back streets to get to 78 very quickly as well. Living in Stratford Place allows for easy access to Route 22 east and west for all your shopping needs. The units in this community are your basic condo units and are perfect for a first time homebuyer. Check out my tour and see for yourself. Once your done check the open listings on my site to see whats available then give me a call. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Over here in Bridgewater we’re currently bracing for the blizzard. I just got back from Wegmans and it was nightmare. People were buying shovels and bags of rock salt to prepare for the foot of snow we’re expecting. When you live in a condo do you know what you have to worry about when food shopping? Buying the food. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again when it snows and you’re in your condo NO WORRIES. You just sit back and let the hired company shovel up to your door. When the storm’s over head over to your car and just clean it off. It’s that simple.

I’m not rubbing it in or gloating at all. It’s at a time like this that it’s perfect to point out the benefits of condo living. If you hired a company to take care of every snow event at your house it would cost a fortune. In a condo it’s rolled into your condo fees every month. Those fees go to many different things and snow removal being just one of them.

So as you see the snow falling today check out some of the new listings in the area and give me a call. Be safe and have a great weekend!

That is the question. This weekend Twitter was having a heated discussion about the place for Open Houses in this new world of real estate. Is it worth having them? Should I have them all the time? Should I be conducting open houses in new ways?

There is not easy answer to the proposed questions other thats YES. Everyone is moving to the internet to find the property of their dreams. There is still something to having the house ready and available at a given time on a certain day. Potential buyers know that from around 12-5 on Sunday they can see a bunch of properties in an efficent manner. This is still an effective and powerful way to market your home.

With that being said you need to think about your open houses differently. With the ease of communication currently make sure you make it extremely simple for your clients to visit the property. Use technology to your advantage to provide constant updates via Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail. You need to promote your open houses in new ways in order to get the foot traffic you need to get your place sold.

The bottom line? Continue to conduct open houses but think about them in a different way. Use all the tools you have at your disposal and make your day as effective as possible.

I’m sitting the open house at the aformentioned address even with the ice storm thats going on outside. There have been a couple people very interested in the property and it’s easy to see why. The condo looks great and people love the open feel you get from a loft. The particular unit uses the space as a living room and office space.

You need to see a loft style condo unit to really get a feel for the property. Having extra living space is always a plus and it’s a cool feature. With the skylights the property has you get a ton of natural light which I personally love.

Give me a call so we can see the unit first hand and you can see the loft for yourself!

This Sunday I am sitting an open house in the wonderful Bridle Club Condo community in Bridgewater. I will be there 12/13/2009 from 1-4 at the aformentioned address. I love this property because the unit has wood floors on both the steps and some of the living space. It gives the unit an unique feel. The loft in the unit make the place feel extremely large and allows for a great deal of light. Check out the link below to the listing and see exactly what I’m talking about. See you tomorrow!

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Bridgewater-Twp_NJ_08807_1112385448?mp=1

If you liked head over to http://ow.ly/Lj33 and see all the other properties listed in that price range.

I was tempted to have a cheap baseball pun in the title but I resisted! In another attempt to explain all the wonderful attractions in Bridgewater, NJ let’s talk about the title of the blog post. In a very contained area you have many excellent attractions from both your everyday needs and a fun night out with the family.

It goes without saying that Costco can help change the way you think about food shopping. Having a local Costco will not be the reason you move to Bridgewater but it’s a great added benefit to living here. It can help your family save money and save you a ton of time.

Next to Costco you’ll find a great minor league baseball team the Somerset Patriots. On regular night in the summer you can take your family to a game for a fraction of the price of a Yankee game. The team has a community feel and features various groups and fundraisers. This helps make Bridgewater feel like home and is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood.

Take this information and my previous post about the various cities close to Bridgewater and you’ll have a better picture of what living here is like.

Take a look at the various condos and townhouses available and give me a call.

I wanted to provide an update to an earlier post about Hidden Pond in Raritan, NJ. I’m currently at an open house for the 2nd time and I can tell you this is a place worth checking out. As soon as you walk it you will be stunned by the natural lighting you can expect in your living room.

The lighting in the Hidden Pond living room

I think this is an excellent townhouse that should not be overlooked. Give me a call to get more specifics 732-595-8721

Everyone of my co-workers tells me, “December really slows down because of the holidays.” Now on one hand I can understand this, people are extremely busy with everything that needs to be done before the 25th. The other side of the equation is that there is a wasted month where moves can be made. If you’re listing your home for example, it takes time to get your place good enough for showings. If you get in contact with your Realtor now (hopefully me) then you can get on the right track and know what you need to do. This way in January you’re ready to get your place sold. It goes without saying but it takes time to sell your place and to let a month go by will not help anything.

The home-buyers credit everyone keeps talking about is over by the 2nd quarter of 2010 so every day counts in order to increase the buyer pool. When selling your home it’s important to appeal to a large variety of people in order to move things along. This is why it’s so important to price your place correctly, stage it to look great on showings, and take advantage of macro level programs like the home-buyers credit.

The moral of the story, don’t fall into the December black hole mentality. You can get a lot done this month without a bunch of work. All your work will pay off by being ready to go for 2010!

Give me a call and we’ll get started.

Well the answer is simple… it’s in Raritan township! It’s a little known fact that the Hidden Pond Townhouse community is in fact NOT in Bridgewater. If your up and down Vanderveer Road you will see a large sign for the community on your left. If you take a drive in you’ll see a bunch of beautiful townhouses that are tucked away on their own private street. The one thing that people sometimes confused by the Raritan mailing address. I still feel these townhomes are wonderful and are worth checking out if you have the chance. You’re on a private street in a community much smaller than those in the general area. Each townhouse backs up to the “hidden pond” for a great neighborhood feel.

Check my previous post about taxes in Bridgewater to understand the differences the mailing address can have on your tax bill. The great thing is all Raritan students attend Bridgewater-Raritan High school, one of the best in the state. I figured I would address this interesting situation and give you all the information I have so you can make the best decision possible.

I will be conducting an open house in Hidden Pond this Sunday from 12-4 so stop on by and see for yourself.