real estate in berkeley heights: Top 5 Facts You Need to Know about the Expanded Home Buyers Tax Credit - 11/28/09 06:27 PM
On November 6, President Obama signed the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 into law, extending and expanding the important home buyer tax credit, and thereby providing many Americans with just the break they need to buy a first home or move up to a new home.
1. Eligibility: The tax credit is now available for first-time home buyers and eligible current homeowners. A first-time home buyer is an individual who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. This law applies for both parties in a married couple; if you haven't owned … (2 comments)

real estate in berkeley heights: THE GREENING OF AMERICA'S HOMES - 11/10/07 09:30 AM
GOING "GREEN" IS NO LONGER THE SOLE PROPRIETY OF A MINORITY OF ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL.  PROPONENTS OF "GREEN" OR SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS" NOW INCLUDE A NEW GENERATION OF BUILDERS, ARCHITECTS, AND DEVELOPERS.  EACH HAS EMBRACED THE NOTION THAT GREEN CONSTRUCTION INCREASES A BUILDING'S EFFICIENCY, CONSERVES WATER AND BUILDING MATERIALS, AND REDUCES THE BUILDING'S IMPACT ON HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT.  THIS IS ALL ACCOMPLISHED THOUGH BETTER DESIGN, DEMOLITION, WHICH REPRESENTS THE COMPLETE BUILDING CYCLE. 
GOING GREEN MAY COST MORE INITIALLY, BUT ITS BENEFITS OUT-WEIGH THE HIGHER INITIAL COSTS OVER THE COURSE OF A LIFETIME. GREEN BUILDINGS ARE GAINING INCREASED RECOGNITION, AS BUILDERS … (1 comments)

real estate in berkeley heights: Starter Home in Plainfield - 11/08/07 10:24 AM
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real estate in berkeley heights: THE IMAGE OF THE PERFECT HOME - 10/30/07 04:49 AM
TO PRESENT THEIR HOMES IN THE BEST POSSIBLE LIGHT, SELLERS ARE INCREASINGLY "STAGING" THEIR HOMES. THIS STRATEGY INVOLVES HIRING DESIGNERS AND DECORATORS TO COORDINATE THE POSITIONING OF OF FURNITURE WITH THE PLACEMENT OF HIGH-END AMENITIES AND ACCESSORIES IN AN EFFORT TO TRANSFORM A HOUSE INTO SOMETHING OF A MODEL HOME.  IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT MAKING YOUR HOME LOOK LIKE SOMETHING FOUND IN AN ARCHITECTURAL MAGAZINE WILL HELP IT TO SELL, SELLERS REPORT THAT STAGING ADDS 10-20% TO THE SALE PRICE OF A HOME.  IN ADDITION, STAGED HOMES SELL FASTER.  ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF Realtors 80 PERCENT OF … (5 comments)

real estate in berkeley heights: LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR - 10/23/07 06:22 AM
If a house is put on the market at too high a price, it will sit. At this point, sellers have squandered their best opportunity.  Pricing a property correctly has always been a key factor in making a sale.  In today's market, proper pricing is more critical than ever.  While sellers may understandably harbor subjective feeling that may get in the way of setting a realistic asking price, their agents know that pure objectivity is what is needed.  In fact, experience and objectivity are two of the most important elements that agents bring to the table when it comes to selling … (8 comments)

real estate in berkeley heights: PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES - 10/20/07 04:50 AM
By checking the difference between list and sales prices, sellers can learn a number of things.  This differential sheds some light on the validity of asking prices, and it gives some indication as to how strong the market is and how long it might take to sell a home.  Generally, when the average percentage difference stands at 5 % or less, it is indicative of a healthy market in which houses sell close to their asking prices in relatively short order if they are priced correctly. Percentage differences between five and ten percent indicate a softer market in which prices may … (4 comments)