October 2013 Real Estate Newsletter presented by Jeana Cowie of RE/MAX Real Estate Limited

By Jeana Cowie

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Real Estate Limited

October 08, 2013 01:35 PM

https://activerain.com/droplet/45fR

Call Jeana Cowie, your Bergen County REALTOR© C# 201-982-2200

Jeana Cowie, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES

October 2013

Over 600+ Homes SOLD. Paramus Real Estate Agent Specialist. Selling Bergen County Real Estate for 20+ years.
Call Jeana Cowie today at cell 201-982-2200

How Does Your Home Compare to Others On The Market?

Real estate agents use comparable sales or "comps" (properties recently sold in the area) to see what the market bears for a listing price or value range marketing.
But what makes a home a good comp? A few things must line up in order for the agent to utilize the comp to justify your listing price. The same neighborhood, school district, similar street and, of course, similar housing features and size. If these things align, then a comp can be used to provide a current estimated value of your home.

Mortgage Rates

U.S. averages as of September 26, 2013:

30 yr. fixed:   4.32%
15 yr. fixed:   3.37%
1 yr. adj:        2.63%

View current rates

Ideally, using a comp from a home that is the same model in the same subdivision is key. Even better is if a sold comp closed escrow very recently. Taking comps from many weeks or months

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Wondering What Your Bergen County Home Is Worth in Today's Market?

Call me for a free, no obligation market analysis 201-982-2200. Thinking of buying a Bergen County home? Call or email me today Email: jmcowie@optonline.net

Seller Advice: Stay Calm During Negotiations

     After much soul-searching and working the numbers, you decided to put your home on the market. You may be selling to change cities for a job or are needing to downsize. Regardless of the reason, this is a big and important decision!
      The time has come, though. You have received an offer on your home. How can you make it through? This can be a very trying time. How do you know which offer to take or what counteroffer to make?
      Here are 10 tips to help you stay calm during negotiations.

Trust your Agent: You hired your agent for a reason. They have experience handling negotiations and contracts. Feel free to ask any questions you have, but don't let the pressure of every minute detail overwhelm you.

Eat and Sleep: Our body needs to refuel in two ways: food and rest. Be sure to get plenty of both so that your brain is well-prepared for any big decisions you may need to make. Pack a bag lunch or some snacks if you think you may be too busy to stop for lunch or dinner on the way to your agent's office.

Have Downtime: Getting your mind off of a stressful situation means you can

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Interest Rate vs. APR - What You Don't Know Can Hurt You!

     When lenders advertise mortgage rates, they are required to display an additional number called the annual percentage rate, or APR.
      The advertised rate is the one used to calculate your mortgage payment. Borrow $100,000 at five percent with a 30-year term, and the payment is $537. But an advertised rate tells you nothing about the cost of the loan or if it's a good deal. Suppose you're offered two loans. Both have a five percent rate, but one costs $1,000 and the other costs $4,000. They're obviously not the same!
How is APR calculated?
      In the example above, the payment for both loans is $537 per month. But because the first loan costs $1,000, you're only actually getting $99,000 for that $537 monthly payment. When you pay $537 a month to borrow $99,000 the rate is 5.09 percent. The second loan costs $4,000, so for your $537 a month, you only get to borrow $96,000. In that case, the APR is 5.35%.
      You don't really need an APR calculation to tell you that the first loan is the better deal - it's pretty obvious. But what if a five percent loan costs $1,000 but a 4.5 percent loan costs $4,000? Which is a better deal? That's where APR comes in. The APR of the five percent loan in this case is 5.09 percent. The APR for the second loan is 4.85 percent. That means over the life of the loan, the second loan costs less than the first loan.

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Mahwah, NJ home for sale $655,000

Mahwah Colonial home for sale 4 Bedroom 2.5 Full Bath home for sale ~ $655,000

Important Reasons To Keep Your Gutters Clean

     A recent report from Prime Time Window Cleaning gives a clear picture of the damage that can be caused by failing to clean out your gutters each year.
      They report that millions of dollars in damage are caused to Chicago area homes. The lesson to be learned can be applied across the nation. When Fall comes calling, homeowners must clean out their gutters.
      One Prime Time Windows customer writes, "Naturally you might be thinking that this is one chore you would rather avoid this year especially with the busy holiday season rapidly approaching.

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Daily News and Advice

Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.

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Jeana Cowie, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Broker Associate/REALTOR©
E-mail: jmcowie@optonline.net
Web: http://www.jeanacowie.net
201-982-2200 (cell)

RE/MAX Real Estate Limited
201-599-1100 x 348
297 Kinderkamack Rd
Oradell, NJ 07649

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September 2013 Real Estate Newsletter

Presented by Jeana Cowie of RE/MAX Real Estate Limited

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4193211/september-2013-real-estate-newsletter-#sthash.S0OQ6AsD.dpuf

September 2013 Real Estate Newsletter

Presented by Jeana Cowie of RE/MAX Real Estate Limited

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4193211/september-2013-real-estate-newsletter-#sthash.S0OQ6AsD.dpuf

October 2013 Real Estate Newsletter presented by Jeana Cowie of RE/MAX Real Estate Limited

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