buying a home: We lost a contract today but gained a client!
- 08/31/12 11:31 PM
A house sale that we've been working on for MONTHS fell apart about a week before closing. About 6 months ago, we were holding an open house in one of our Union homes and a very nice couple came in. Let's call tehm Doug and Sally. Although they were not interested in this particular house, they wanted to compare their own house, about 4-5 blocks away, with this one since they were priced about the same. Their house was listed with an agent, we'll call her Marion, who hadn't done any of the marketing that this couple saw we had done … (2 comments)
buying a home: Free Market Report of Rahway Homes!
- 08/13/12 12:34 AM
If you're thinking of buying or selling a home in Rahway, NJ, don't do it until you've read our free market report! Be sure that you're getting top dollar for your home by comparing it to other homes in the area that are like yours and have sold in the past few months.
Homes for sale in Rahway: 483 Jensen Avenue 2258 Elizabeth Avenue Market Reports for Rahway: First half of 2012 March, 2012 … (2 comments)
buying a home: Free Market Analysis of Linden, NJ
- 07/30/12 09:24 AM
If you're in a position to buy or sell a home in Linden, you should be aware that the market is fluctuating often. Please feel free to contact us for a free market analysis of your home and of the market so that you can be better able to predict the value of your home!
Earlier Posts on Linden: Linden Market Report - 1st half of 2012 Time to Sell in Linden! … (2 comments)
buying a home: 3 Ways to Get Multiple Offers on Your Union County Home
- 07/10/12 10:22 PM
Although still rare, Union County homes have sold above list price and with multiple offers this year! Here's a four step way to get it done right for your home: 1. Price low. I don't mean to price it so low that you feel cheated, but price it low enough to generate excitement. 1-2% below appraisal value is usually enough to get the ball rolling, but 3-4% is even better. Think like an auctioneer - lots of peopl interested in your home means the price is going to go up! 2. Make it easy to show. Have a lock box. Be … (6 comments)
buying a home: Would you try to climb Mount Everest without a guide?
- 06/30/12 12:51 AM
Would you try to climb Mount Everest without a guide? We wouldn't! There's the constant danger of sudden changes in the weather or wind, altitude sickness, and the technical problems of climbing a mountain. A successful climb takes months of preparation. Sherpas map out the path and set ropes to help guide the climbers. Although more than 5000 climbers have successfully climbed the summit, there have been at least 200 deaths while attempting to climb.
I'd be about as likely to buy or sell a home without an agent as I would be to climb Mount Everest without a … (4 comments)
buying a home: "House Hunters" isn't as realistic as you think
- 06/15/12 10:20 PM
HGTV's "House Hunters" is a great show that shows a home buyer choosing between three homes and finally settling on the perfect home. Revealed in "Hooked on Houses" is news that "House Hunters" isn't what it claims. "Hooked on Houses" recently published a blog in which a recently featured family describes their experience on the show. They claim that they had already purchased the house when the producers had them pretend to tour and consider buying two other houses. The houses they toured weren't even for sale but were actually the homes of friends who had agreed to contribute to the … (1 comments)
buying a home: How many Realtors should you interview?
- 06/08/12 07:28 AM
If you're planning on buying or selling a Union County home, you want to make sure you're in the hands of a competent, experienced Realtor. The New Jersey Association of Realtors interviewed buyers and sellers to see how many Realtors they interviewed before hiring one and the results surprised us. 57% of respondents only interviewed one Realtor. 18% of respondents interviewed 2 Realtors. 11% interviewed 3 Reltors. 14% interviewed four or more Realtors. Do the results of the survey surprise you? How many Realtors did you interview before you chose on to buy or sell your home? If you're interviewing Realtors, … (2 comments)
Dear Bob and Bernice, Congratulations and welcome to Clark! You're going to love it here! When you put an offer in on an house, your agent will show you some comps which are comparable homes that have sold in the area. You'll also want to look at the ratio of sale price to list price for similar homes. In Clark for example, the average home sells for 95% of list … (1 comments)
buying a home: What every Homebuyer needs to know about 203k
- 04/16/12 01:28 AM
What is 203(k)? The 203(k) program is the Federal Housing Administration’s program for the rehabilitation and repair of single family properties. It's goal is to revitalize communities and to expand homeownership opportunities. How does 203(k) work? When you buy a home, most mortgage financing is based on the appraised value of the property. If a property requires repair, the homebuyer usually has to obtain financing first to purchase the dwelling and then additional financing (usually at a high interest rate) to do the construction. With 203k, the borrower can get just one mortgage loan to finance both the purchase and the … (20 comments)
buying a home: Dear TZ - I found a great house but it needs a lot of work. Can a 203k help me?
- 04/12/12 09:03 PM
Dear TZ, After a long time of searching, I finally found the perfect house. But it needs a new kitchen and new windows and some more work that I won't be able to afford the repairs. Can I borrow more money than the house is worth to help pay for the repairs? Fixer-Upper Fred
Dear Fred, The simple answer is yes, you can. You'll need to find a Renovation Loan Specialist who can help you out. Here in NJ they will do an appraisal on the property and determine what the value will be based on the repairs. Once a … (1 comments)
buying a home: Survey says - Now is a good time to buy!
- 04/10/12 11:30 PM
In its quarterly report, Fannie Mae reported that 73% of surveyed people believe that this is a good time to buy. 48% of respondents reported that they believe that rental prices will go up, and on average they expect rental prices to go up by 4.1%. This is the highest level of consumer confidence in over a year, reports Keeping Current Matters. It's becoming more and more obvious that buying a home is a better financial decision than renting. 84% of the general population believes that buying a home makes more sense than renting one. Is buying a better emotional decision, … (2 comments)
A house sale that we've been working on for MONTHS fell apart about a week before closing.
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