Placing your home in the Summit NJ listings means getting into top condition first. Small repairs will cost you less money if you do them yourself now rather than making a concession for them later. While you home probably won’t need a major renovation, it could probably use a few fix ups. Plan you repair budget wisely to get the best pay off for your dollar.

Doors and windows
The latest report from the National Association of Realtors puts new doors at the top of their annual list for repairs that add the most value for their cost. Replacing an old wooden door for a fresher, safer exterior door will give your Summit NJ real estate property a whole new look. It’s sure to impress buyers.

Another impressive update is adding energy efficient windows. It may not be a particularly exciting change but it’s certainly attractive to buyers. Replacing your old, drafty windows will make more of an impression on buyers than decorative fixes like light fixtures because it will impact their monthly bills.

Flooring
One of the most commented upon features in a home is the flooring. Your Summit NJ realtor hears it all the time. Hardwood floors are very desirable right now so if yours are covered in broadloom, you may want to consider revealing them. Even if you uncover the wood flooring in one main room of the living area, it will give the buyer a sense of what lies beneath the rug in the rest of the home. If you don’t have original hardwood floors, consider you budget and think about having them installed. If your listing includes the words “hardwood floors” it automatically garners more interest from buyers.

Roofing
If your roof is old or in need of repairs, go ahead and add a new roof to your budget. You won’t be able to conceal it from a home inspector and no one wants to hear bad news with a closing date already scheduled. The cost of replacement will likely be less that the concession you would have to make when the home inspection is completed. Plus, a new roof also looks great in your listing details.

Walls
Fixes to the walls are usually the least expensive on the home seller’s to-do list. Your Summit NJ real estate agent is probably going to ask you to apply a fresh coat of paint anyway, so it’s a good time to patch any holes and repair any damaged spots. A quick lesson at the local hardware store is sufficient to teach most home owners how to make small repairs. This quick and simple step will give your home a fresh, clean, new look that buyers will appreciate.

A few repairs can really pay off when you list your home. Plan out a budget and your home will be a show stopper on the market.

You’ve finally found it: your perfect home.  Or at least one as close to perfect as can be found in the Summit NJ listings.  You’ve researched, budgeted, toured and now it’s finally time to make an offer.  You sit down with your agent to write the offer and she asks you what contingencies you would like to place on it.  This is not the best moment to respond with a blank stare.

A contingency is a type of “if-then” statement that your agent can write into an offer.  It says that if a certain thing happens then you will pay the seller a certain amount of money.  If that thing doesn’t happen, then you are released from the contract without penalty.  That means you get your earnest money back and you have no further responsibilities to the seller.  It’s a small clause that protects you from getting stuck in a bad bargain.

An example of contingencies your Summit NJ realtor may suggest is to make the offer contingent on the home passing inspection.  Another would be to have the offer contingent upon an independent appraisal coming in at or above the negotiated price.  These protect you from ending up with a home in unlivable condition or one that was vastly overpriced for the market.  Other contingencies may include getting your financing approved or seeing your current home sold.  The seller can also ask for contingencies like finding a replacement home prior to closing.

The seller is not obligated to accept your contingencies.  If you include the contingency of your current Summit NJ real estate property selling before you close, the seller may decline your offer and wait for a buyer who is ready to move.  While you don’t want to make your offer overly complicated, here are several contingencies you should consider.

•    Independent appraisal.
•    Home inspection.
•    Pest control inspection.
•    Septic tank or sewer line inspection.
•    Roof inspection.
•    Lead-based paint (if the home was built prior to 1978)
•    Radon and mold testing.
•    Clear title search.
•    Condition of the property at closing and/or the final inspection.

Try to keep your list to a minimum and include only the necessary items.  Asking for a contingency to keep an appliance or piece of furniture may not be worth the risk of having the seller reject your offer outright.  Your Summit NJ real estate agent can help you decide what other contingencies you may need to include based on the age and condition of the home you are buying.

When you start thinking about buying a home, you have to do some planning.  Certainly, you have to look at school systems, neighborhoods and prices in the Summit NJ listings but you also need to take a hard look at any recent changes in your life and budget.   There are a few key things you should and should not do before you buy.

The Dos
Save up
As soon as the thought of homeownership occurs to you, start saving up for a down payment.  It will almost always take longer than you think to sock away the recommended 20% down payment.

Choose a realtor
Buying a home is a complicated process and you will very likely need some assistance.  A qualified Summit NJ real estate agent can make this endeavor much easier for you.  She can help you decipher the MLS, find a great neighborhood and negotiate a fair price.  Your agent is a wealth of information just waiting to be found.  Get recommendations and interview a few agents before you settle on your choice.

Set a budget
You may want to sit down with a financial advisor or planner to figure out a reasonable monthly budget for your mortgage.  Your lender will approve you for a certain dollar amount on your mortgage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can maintain your desired lifestyle with that mortgage payment.  You may be approved for more that you will really want to pay every month.

The Don’ts
No major purchases
If you want to start looking at Summit NJ real estate, don’t make any major purchases or expenditures.  That means if you’ve just paid for the wedding, you may not qualify for the mortgage or rates you want. The same thinking goes for buying a car, furniture, appliances, jewelry and any other big ticket items.  Your lender will look at your debt-to-incomes ratio, not just your credit score, to determine how attractive you are as a borrower.  Put off any big expenditures until after you buy your home and get a feel for how you will manage the mortgage payments.

No job changes
If you’ve changed jobs in the last year, it may not be the best time to call your Summit NJ realtor.  Changing jobs creates a certain unpredictability that lenders don’t like.  This may not be a problem if you are a salaried employee who did not spend a long period of time unemployed.  Hourly employees with a set number of hours may also be in the clear.  However, if you or your spouse has an income is commission-based, a job switch could jeopardize your home purchase.  If you are dependent on bonuses, over-time pay or if you have part-time status, stay in your current position if you want to buy a home.

Plan early and plan well for your new home purchase.

Just the thought of packing up a home and moving to a new location can send shivers up the spine of even the most robust Summit NJ real estate owner. It is probably the least enticing aspect of new home ownership. Unfortunately, it is also the most necessary step in getting into your new home.

Occasionally, a client will be able to move with little more than their wardrobe but it’s a rare occurrence. Recent graduates typically have far fewer large items to move than more established families. I even know one couple who were so unattached to material possessions that they left everything down to the dishes in their old home, which they had sold to their adult son, and avoided packing anything but their clothes! For the rest of us, moving can get a little more complicated. Here are a few tips to help get you moving in the right direction.

Start Early
The day you begin browsing the Summit NJ listings is the day you should start packing your home. This is no joke. The early you start, the better off you will be when you are ready to move. If you find the perfect house, you will want to be ready to make an offer and get the closing table without having to ask for extra time. Some sellers are in a hurry to close so asking for a later move-in date might just be a deal-breaker. Begin collecting boxes from work or other sources early, too. You’ll need more than you think.

Purge your Closets
Start purging old and unused items from your closets and storage areas. You’ll be amazed at what can collect in any dwelling, no matter what the size. Have a tag sale or call your favorite charity to get rid of usable items that you no longer need. Here are a few things you can unload right away.
Clothing you have not worn in 1 year or more. Donate them to a charity reseller.
Tattered or dated holiday decorations like broken light strings, etc.
Outdated text books. See if your local library will take them as a tax-deductible donation.
Outgrown baby items and clothes. Get some of your money back by taking these things to a consignment shop.
Anything broken. If you haven’t fixed it by now, you probably won’t have time when you’re house hunting and moving.

Get Organized
Take a look at the organization aisle at your local discount or office supply store for organizational ideas. Keep like items together and pack by the room. Start in the least essential parts of your home, like the guest room, and work towards your kitchen and bedroom last. Label the intended room for every box in large letters with a dark marker.

Here’s one final trick. Make yourself a “first night” box with all the things you will need on your first night in your new home in one place. Include a set of sheets for each bed, a towel and toiletries plus pajamas and a change of clothes for each person and any personal items like toothbrushes and toothpaste. Mark it with colored duct tape so you’ll be able to find it right way. You’ll be glad you took this extra step when you’re tired and ready for bed on moving day.

As your New Providence NJ real estate professional, I pride myself on giving my clients the information they need to make informed decisions. The chart shown above allows you to see the length of time that properties are on the market in the New Providence NJ area. This chart is updated in REAL TIME and shows the previous 60 day period.

The other statistic shown here is the median price for New Providence NJ real estate. Median (or middle) price is the threshold which divides the real estate market into two equal halves, in reference to pricing. One half of all homes in the market were sold at a price above the median home price, while the other half were sold below that price.

Contact me today for all of your New Providence NJ real estate market needs.

The other day, I had a client approach me in the grocery store. I’d helped her buy the home they’re in now, and her husband had just been transferred across the country. They needed to sell their home, but she was concerned about the economic crisis facing us right now. Unfortunately, this is a fairly common worry these days. However, if you’re in the same situation, and you need to sell your home soon, there’s not really any need for serious worry. Homes are still selling every day, and with the right steps, yours could be one of them.
Realistic expectations are key. Your house may not be worth what it was five years ago, and you have to realize that if you need to sell now. Understand what your bottom line is, and realize that the home improvements you’ve made over the years may no longer be a factor in the price of your home. Moreover, though, trust your realtor to help you decide the value of your home in today’s market.
Be prepared to move immediately. Buyers are a bit more concerned these days, and in some cases, they can be ready to take possession immediately. If you’re going to need a month or two to move out, that can be a real problem with some deals. The sooner you can leave, the better it will be for potential buyers.
Do a bit of home improvement. Before you ever put your home on the market, be sure to add a few touches of improvement here and there. A few cans of paint can do wonders on the inside, and ensuring the outside of your home is pleasing is important too, even in the winter. Simple things like ensuring your driveway is shoveled if it snows, and keeping the mud porch clean can actually improve your chances of selling the home dramatically.
If you need to sell now, there really is no cause for serious concern. The right steps and a bit of patience on your part will get your home sold, even in this market. If you’re ready for an agent who cares about your needs, don’t hesitate to call me right away.

Any real estate market is only as good as its weakest link.  In order to get a really good view of all the nitty gritty details within the average real estate market, you need to look wider than just the real estate offerings that are available.  Sure, the Summit, NJ real estate market is fantastic in terms of what is available for buying or renting, but at the same time that only covers part of your total real estate experience.  Once the actual home transaction has been completed, you need to look around and see a place you enjoy in order to really benefit from making the purchase.

The City of Summit is a bustling city with a modest population of 20,000.  It is a perfect city to live in if you would like to live outside one of the metropolises of New Jersey or New York while at the same time being close enough in order to work at one of them.  Located right on the midtown train line, it’s the ideal solution. Many people who have made purchases in Summit, NJ real estate have been people that did exactly that and because of that, the city is able to maintain a small population while at the same time building a solid infrastructure that will serve you and your family for years to come.

Part of that infrastructure involves excellent amenities such as a great school system, fantastic parks, and some of the best shopping around.  With the addition of several great entertainment venues located in downtown Summit, you’ll be excited to explore your new home at your earliest opportunity

A lot has been said in the news regarding the recent drop in oil prices.  Oil peaked at around $145 a barrel just a few weeks ago and now it seems to have come down to below $120 a barrel.  Summit, NJ real estate as well as real estate markets around the country have been hurting partially as a result of the high price of energy, so this is definitely a welcome respite for anyone looking to purchase a home.

However, you should not take this decrease in oil prices as a sign that energy is slowly going to work its way back to normal.  All indications are that oil prices will rise again at some point in the near future and indeed we can easily expect that the era of cheap oil has been left a long way behind.  This means that while the Summit, NJ real estate market along with the other real estate markets of the country have been made more attractive in the short term, the high price of oil will affect Summit, NJ real estate again at some point in the future.

As a result, you need to act decisively in the present or in the near future if you plan to make a big move in the Summit, NJ real estate market.  There is no telling how long this lull in oil prices will last.  The last time oil prices started to rise, they did so continuously for years before stopping and lowering slightly.  Oil prices not only affect your ability to heat your home, but they also affect all of the services delivered to the Summit, NJ real estate market on the back of oil-based propulsion.  For this reason, using the current plateau in oil prices to secure your Summit, NJ real estate property would be a very good idea.

Lately a lot of people have been stepping up and claiming that they would like to sell their house. They discover before any sale goes through, however, that they are not as interested in truly selling as they believed they would be. Before you put your Summit, NJ real estate up for sale, it is a good idea that you make certain it is what you wish to do.

·      Do you want to sell your house for much more than it is worth? It is natural to want to get a profit off of your home, but if you’re trying to sell your Summit, NJ real estate for a much higher amount than it is worth, today’s market may not cooperate.

·      Have you begun looking for somewhere else to live? What will you do if your Summit, NJ real estate sells and you have nowhere else to go? If you’re looking for somewhere else to live, even if it is another piece of Summit, NJ real estate, you will be safe and comfortable, but if you have yet to search for a new home, you may be fooling yourself into believing that you want to sell when you really do not.

If you have decided that you are truly ready to sell your home, it is to your best advantage to contact a Summit, NJ Realtor. A Summit, New Jersey realtor will know what reasonable value to place on your home, and will be able to help you to find a new home, so that when your Summit, NJ real estate sells, you will have somewhere else to go. For help listing your Summit, NJ real estate, contact Kristin Balsley.

Everyone knows how important it is to use a Summit, NJ Realtor if you are serious about buying or selling a home in the Summit, NJ area, but what most people don’t realize is that they are the biggest reason why a realtor is a success. The communication between you and your realtor is the most important factor in finding the perfect Summit NJ home for you and your family. Some people think that once they hire a realtor, they simply wait for the realtor to show them the perfect house, but the truth is, the better the communication is between the two parties, the better chance you will have of finding the home of your dreams. Let’s take a look at just a few examples of how your realtor can help you find the perfect piece of Summit, NJ real estate.

When you first sit down with your Summit, NJ real estate agent, you will be asked several important questions that will help to determine what kinds of homes your real estate agent will show you. Not only will you be asked about the price you have in mind, but also on the style of house you would prefer, what the home needs to be located close to for you to consider buying it and any other deciding factors that will make a home irresistible to you. However, the questions that your Summit NJ real estate agent will ask you are just the beginning of the process. Your real estate agent is here to help you make your dreams of home ownership come true so take this time to communicate any preferences, ideas, likes, dislikes and must haves that you desire. Let your agent know of any “deal breakers” or any other conditions you have. Many people don’t realize the sheer amount of volume that the average Summit NJ real estate agent deals with so any information that you can provide that will help narrow the search is always welcome.

It is also important to note that the communication process between you and your Summit NJ real estate agent is a process. As your search for your dream home begins, remember to keep your real estate agent updated on any changing needs, wants or conditions that you decide on at a later point. Your Summit NJ real estate agent will only be satisfied when you are satisfied with your new home, so don’t hesitate to communicate along the way.