montclair: Announcing Keller Williams Red Day, May 13, 2010 - NEED VOLUNTEERS to clean up Glenfield Park/The Glen in Montclair, NJ
- 04/19/10 05:21 AM
IT’S OUR WAY OF GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES. JOIN US! RED (Renew, Energize and Donate) Day is a Keller Williams Realty service initiative dedicated to improving our local communities. KW associates in the US and Canada are donating their time on Thursday, May 13, 2010 to renew and energize aspects of their local communities. Help Montclair’s Keller Williams Towne Square office clean up Montclair! WHERE: Glenfield Park & The Glen behind Glenfield Middle School. WHEN: May 13th, 2-5 PM. Gloves and clean-up materials provided. MORE INFO / RSVP: Nancy Chu, 917-992-3098 or nancychu_homes@yahoo.com. KELLER WILLIAMS TOWNE SQUARE REALTY– 973-783-7400 This … (0 comments)
montclair: April 1st, 2010 - DEADLINE FOR PROPERTY TAX APPEAL!!! Let's File Fast!
- 03/24/10 05:43 AM
In a market where prices have come down, home owners have a lot to gain by appealing their property assessments - especially for owners who may be looking to sell in the next year or two, higher taxes can really deter potential home buyers. If you are planning on selling your home soon, now is the time to appeal you assessment - the deadline is April 1st, 2010 to file the appeal - don't miss it! The best avenue of appeal is hiring a tax appeal attorney, and barring that, hiring a professional appraiser who can testify at your appeals hearing. … (0 comments)
montclair: Clark, NJ...fabulous place to live...well, according to Bloomberg
- 03/04/10 05:37 AM
The eternal question for those of us who are tied to NYC through jobs and general culture is: where do I go if I choose to leave the city? How do I maintain a short commute to NYC, not only for may daily commute for work, but also to see shows, have dinner and enjoy urban life and all the enriching culture that comes with it still? We want the best of both worlds - good schools, affordable housing, space to grow our families or to retire in peace...all within a 30 minute drive to the most exciting city in the … (0 comments)
montclair: My Holiday Events List with Kids
- 12/13/09 02:10 AM
So, every year when the holidays roll around, I get this panicked feeling - school lets out, and I have a crazed, house-bound toddler who rips apart my entire house because he can't wait for Christmas. So to kill two birds with one stone, I plan a series of local (and not so local) holiday events that I can slowly dole out to him starting the first weekend of December and going thru the new year. Here is a cross sample of the events, in case you need some ideas of what to do with your kids before they go stir … (1 comments)
montclair: Nov. 1st slated for Montclair/Bloomfield/Glen Ridge Condo Crawl
- 10/31/09 12:43 AM
With dozens of condos and co-ops on the market in the Montclair area, area realtors are uniting to market them in a new way. Some two dozen agents will participate in the first-ever local "Condo Crawl," from 1 to 4 pm on Sunday, Nov. 1. Sponsored by Baristanet.com, the rain or shine event will present more than 30 units currently on the market in Montclair, Glen Ridge, and Bloomfield. Agents from Coldwell-Banker, Weichert, RE/MAX, Prudential, Stanton, and Zingali Realtors will open the doors to their listings that day. Roberta Baldwin, a Realtor® at RE/MAX Village Square in Upper Montclair, organized the … (3 comments)
montclair: Update on progress for extension of 8K 1st time home buyer tax credit
- 10/29/09 03:43 AM
A Senate Committee reached a compromise yesterday to extend the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers. They also are trying to add a $6500 credit for other primary home purchasers with a raised qualifying income limit to $125,000 for single taxpayers and $225,000 for joint taxpayers. Under the Senate panel compromise, buyers must have sales agreements in hand by April 30th and must close by June 30th, 2010. Let's hope this passes both the Senate and the House! … (1 comments)
montclair: Do I have a cold? Flu? Swine Flu? Who knows the difference???
- 10/26/09 02:21 AM
I was terribly embarrassed to say that my husband and I were late getting the flu shot this year (my son got his early) - we take care of our children, but often not ourselves, thinking that we just don't have to time or the need. Well, I am getting older and my "supermom" days are over. I realized that I am no good to anyone - work, my family, friends - unless I am healthy myself. So last week, we drove from pharmacy to pharmacy, often just missing the last of the available doses in the flu shot clinics held … (4 comments)
montclair: How Do You Get the Most Out of Your School Tours?
- 10/08/09 09:07 AM
SO...I recently had the pleasure (or pain - depends on your POV) of attending school tours for elementary schools in both Maplewood/South Orange and Glen Ridge, NJ - both great towns with great schools, but also very different. At my first tour, I found the experience to be chaotic and uninformative - which turned me off to the school immediately. Oh, what was a mom to do????? Upon further reflection, I realized that I was a poor advocate for myself - I chose a difficult time of day and an inappropriate tour guide and asked very few useful questions! So, of course … (0 comments)
montclair: Summer bugs and tips for keeping healthcare costs down
- 08/25/09 12:40 AM
It's been a difficult summer here in our household - we've struggled, no doubt as many of you had, with summer illnesses that have wracked our family with doctors visits and prescription antibiotics. Even a bout with pink eye after a particular raucous birthday party, and a trip and fall that resulted in a lump the size of Texas and an ER visit because it was followed by vomiting and dizziness. Most of my friends have battled similar issues - upset stomach, coughing and feverish malaise. And with the healthcare debate raging in our country, I had a few thoughts about … (2 comments)
montclair: Staycation Day Trips for Frugal Families
- 05/03/09 03:57 AM
Local festivities seem to be the place to be this summer, as many of us put the big family trips on hold due to the economy - aside from a family wedding in DC, we don't have much of anything planned. Of course, this thought sends me into convulsions - "how do I keep my kid from going insane this summer with boredom? Besides sending them to camp and mini-camp and soccer camp and music class and art class and swim class and joining the town pool and going to gym class (need I go on????), we take advantage of the … (0 comments)
montclair: Higher Home Sale Numbers Starting for 2009
- 03/17/09 12:42 AM
Let's talk a little about some exact numbers of homes sold in Essex County from 2006 (the last "high" year of the market) to the first 2-and-a-half months of 2009. I noticed something interesting, which is that if you look at the chart below, you will see that in the towns we sell the most homes in Essex County, there has been roughly between a 1/5 to 1/3 drop off in the number of home sales, with an average national loss of about 10-15% in home values in general. Amid all this dark and ominous sounding news, I did note one … (0 comments)
montclair: Let's talk TAX CREDIT for first time home buyers
- 02/26/09 11:39 PM
For past, present and future clients of The Baldwin Dream Team: It has been a turbulent time, in our professional and home lives - I know that the real estate market has been bumpy, and that has caused stress for my family, as well. Luckily, here in the northeast, we have mostly managed to keep our heads above water, with our home values dipping, but not in a catastrophic manner. A LOT of information is coming at us at breakneack speed about the new stimulus plan, so over the next couple of weeks, anything I can find that puts it in … (1 comments)
montclair: Essex County is Our Neighborhood - Musings of a Young Mom in Real Estate - 208 REMAX Awards
- 02/18/09 02:28 AM
Okay, I'm not in the habit of showing too much pride or emotion, but I have to share with you the events and awards at ReMax's statewide luncheon that was held in fabulous and sunny East Brunswick yesterday. It was a chilly and gray morning, and my teammates and I stuffed our legs into stockings and donned our suits and drove down together, at the behest of our fearless leader, Roberta Baldwin, and with the aid of her tricky and temperamental GPS system, which I have dubbed "Hal." After what seemed like miles of traipsing through back roads, we arrived at … (0 comments)
montclair: Musings of a young mom in Essex County Real Estate - Renovation and Resale
- 02/09/09 05:22 AM
Recently, a client of mine decided to refinance their home because of the low interest rates - with closing costs of roughly 3500 for a mortgage amount of 550k, even a lowering of the rate by half a point was going to save them a significant amount of money per month. And with rates as low as they are right now, many people are talking about cashing out and remodeling their homes. Which raises the question, where should you spend the money? Below is a breakdown of renovation projects - a national average of how much a particular job costs, and … (0 comments)
montclair: Tracking the Condo/Townhouse Market in Essex County
- 02/02/09 03:24 AM
National news headlines have been the bane of my existence for months. Housing market headlines in particular. Worst housing market in decades...lowest prices in years...foreclosures skyrocketing....and yes, while the national market is suffering, I think it's a good idea to look closely at the statistics behind our local, regional market - just a quick nugget of information that may help clarify the housing market in your town, and how that effects you and your home sale or purchase. *What? Did you think the blog was only going to be funny stuff about my kid and my misadventures as a new mom?* … (1 comments)
montclair: Essex County is Our Neighborhood - Musings of a Young Mom in Real Estate
- 01/28/09 03:10 AM
STOP PULLING YOUR HAIR OUT ON SNOW DAYS This Wednesday morning brings sad tidings to parents across the state as inclement weather cancels school and delays openings, including a noon opening for my own office here at REMAX in Upper Montclair. Trapped at home yet ANOTHER winter day with my 2 year old - I find myself shaking a fist at the weather gods, who seem determined to force me to play monster trucks and watch the Owen Wilson CARS movie for the 298th time - which I have decided is just one time too many. So I look around for things … (2 comments)
montclair: Essex County is Our Neighborhood - Musings of a Young Mom in Real Estate
- 01/27/09 08:37 AM
MOVING FROM THE CITY BLUES So a client and good friend confesses to me last week that after being in NJ for two years, he is finally getting used to it and feeling more positive and upbeat. He, like most of us in Montclair, Glen Ridge, Maplewood/South Orange, and other Essex County towns are NYC transplants - those who discovered that trying to fit ourselves and children into our 800 square foot 2 bedroom apartments in Brooklyn was cruel, both to them and us! So we look west to the Garden State, and discover that the American Dream is available in dutch … (1 comments)
IT’S OUR WAY OF GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES. JOIN US! RED (Renew, Energize and Donate) Day is a Keller Williams Realty service initiative dedicated to improving our local communities. KW associates in the US and Canada are donating their time on Thursday, May 13, 2010 to renew and energize aspects of their local communities. Help Montclair’s Keller Williams Towne Square office clean up Montclair! WHERE: Glenfield Park & The Glen behind Glenfield Middle School. WHEN: May 13th, 2-5 PM. Gloves and clean-up materials provided. MORE INFO / RSVP: Nancy Chu, 917-992-3098 or nancychu_homes@yahoo.com. KELLER WILLIAMS TOWNE SQUARE REALTY– 973-783-7400 This … (0 comments)
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