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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.

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