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New listings coming soon
I am so excited to present my two newest listings! On June 1st, I will list 258 Alexandria Way, a greenbriar model in Spring Ridge – this is a duplex with a first floor master. The current owner has replaced many windows, installed maple hardwood floors, new wool carpet upstairs. The ran a gas line to the kitchen so the new Bosch range/oven is gas; the diswasher was also recently replaced with a Bosch. Topping this all off is a beautifully renovated main bath! List price is $475,000 – a great value considering the prices of our competition are $489,000! Come visit the open house on Sunday, 6/5.
My other new listing is still a secret, but I can tell you it’s a great ranch – one floor living with a finshed lower level and an updated kitchen. A wonderful deck overlooking a beautiful pool; nestled on three acres in the northwestern section of town. I sold this house six years ago and it remains one of my favorite properties in town! Own your own piece of paradise!
Market Absorption
With 221 active listings in town and 41 sales in the last thirty days, the Basking Ridge market is at 5.4 months of inventory. 14 of those sales were under $500,000, 10 were between $500,000 and $700,000, 13 were between $700,000 and $1,000,000 and four were over $1,000,000. There were no sales over $2,000,000.
Current Inventory
- 32 properties under $300,000
- 27 between $300,000 and $400,000
- 26 between $400,000 and $500,000 (with six at $499,000)
- 22 between $500,000 and $600,000
- 17 between $600,000 and $700,000
- 15 between $700,000 and $800,000
- 19 between $800,000 and $900,000
- 5 between $900,000 and $1,000,000
- 38 between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000
- 6 between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000
- 5 over $2,000,000
- 87 of the active listings are townhouses or condos (search here)
- 134 of the active listings are single family homes (search here)
There are eight properties that are under contract with contingencies. I am seeing more and more contracts with home sale contingencies; it is no longer unheard of. There are ways to do that while protecting the best interests of both the buyer and the seller. Feel free to call me for more information about that; I’m happy to help!
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
Whether you’re doing some much-needed spring cleaning or de-cluttering in advance of selling your home, it is inevitable that you will wind up with many items that you’d like to get rid of. As they say, your trash may be someone else’s treasure, so think carefully before just throwing all of your unwanted items in the garbage.
There are many ways to give your stuff new life, and help the environment while you are at it. In fact, Consumer Reports recently provided suggestions to its readers looking to recycle larger household items.
- Many charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill and the Salvation Army will accept donations of appliances, furniture and other household items. Here in Basking Ridge the Commmunity Service Center does furniture pickups on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. It’s really easy!
- A website called Earth911.com offers solutions for recycling a variety of items, such as mattresses, electronics, building materials, hazardous waste and more.
- The Yahoo group – Somerset Freecycle – is another avenue to donate stuff; it’s also a great place to find second hand items that you might not even know you need!
- If you don’t mind paying a small fee, services such as 1-800-Got-Junk will remove your “junk” and make sure it is recycled, donated or disposed of responsibly.
- There is a chance you can even earn some cash for the things you no longer want. Try listing items on Craigslist so local buyers can come to your home to pick up what they have purchased, saving you the hassle of shipping.
On Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., DEA and its national and community partners will hold the second National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day at sites nationwide.
Addressing a vital public safety and public health issue, National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day gives the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. “The overwhelming public response to DEA’s first nationwide Take-Back event last fall not only rid homes of potentially harmful prescription drugs, but was an unprecedented opportunity to educate everyone about the growing prescription drug abuse problem,” said DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart.
The public can turn in unused prescription medications at the Bernards Township Police Headquarters, 1 Collyer Lane, Basking Ridge NJ on April 30 between 10 p.m. and 2 p.m.
This week’s featured open houses include 14 Village Drive and 384 Penns Way; both properties in Basking Ridge will be open from 1:00-4:00.
14 Village Drive is in Lord Stirling Village – a development of 150 homes, located north of the Great Swamp, just off of South Maple Ave. The community features a pool and tennis courts. Dogs are not allowed in the units, inside cats are okay. This two bedroom two and a half bath town house shows like a model home and is being offered at $355,000.
384 Penns Way is in Society Hill; a 250 model townhouse it features two bedrooms each with its own full bath. An eat in kitchen, living room/dining room combo and a brilliant offering price of only $260,000. This is an amazing deal for a two level townhouse in Basking Ridge.
If you are considering a move into or out of Basking Ridge, NJ, consider signing up for listing alerts. I can send you new listings as they come on the market; I can also send contract sales and information about properties when the close so you can track sales data. Or, let me do it for you – my Basking Ridge Home Sales data is updated early each month.
Mayor John Malay, in partnership with the Bernards Township Community Service Department and with the assistance of the Police Department, is sponsoring clean up activities to help beautify and enhance Bernards Township.
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Date: Saturday, May 14, 2011
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Cleanup site: Interstate 287 ramps
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Time: Meet at 8:30 AM for orientation and welcome by the Mayor (Cleanup from 9-11 AM)
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Meeting Place: Community Service building on Stonehouse Road
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Parking: Lyons Park and Ride lot across from the Community Service Building
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Transportation will be provided from the meeting place to the cleanup site
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Rain or shine
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Each volunteer must sign a “hold harmless” waiver in order to participate
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Only volunteers 18 years old and older can participate
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Pickup bags, gloves, safety vests, and pickup sticks will be provided to each volunteer
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Traffic cones and police assistance will be used at the cleanup site
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Wear protective and comfortable clothing: closed toe shoes or boots, long pants and/or long socks , long sleeve shirts, hats; bring sunscreen if needed
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All volunteers will work on one set of ramps, then move as a group to the next set
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Contact me for more information on this event.
Four new happy home-owners in Basking Ridge!
- 119 Smithfield Court – Spring Ridge condo – listed for $209,000, sold for $204,000 in 53 days
- 3265 Valley Road - SHORT SALE – listed for $220,000, sold for $188,000
- 97 Aspen Drive – The Ridge townhouse – listed for $339,000, sold for $335,000 in less than two weeks!
- 2 Riggs Court – Maple Run townhouse – listed for $439,900, sold for $435,000 in 22 days!
With the exception of the short sale, all of these properties sold quickly within 2-3% of their list price. Right Pricing is what this market is all about! For more sales data, visit Basking Ridge Real Estate.
If you would like a free market analysis for your Basking Ridge home, I am happy to provide it. We can get together for a few minutes to walk through the house and then I will send you a report. Whether you are ready now, next month or three years from now, I’m happy to meet you and become your real estate resource!
There is some exciting springtime activity going on here in Basking Ridge! The market has absolutely picked up – absorption rates are hovering under 5 months, with less than 3 months in the lower-priced condo market.
I listed 14 Village Drive in Lord Stirling Village last week. This unit is bright and sunny, with many rooms freshly painted and an updated kitchen! Features include cherry cabinets, tile backsplash, neutral bathrooms, vaulted ceilings, skylights and recessed lighting. The private patio is accessible from both the kitchen and den during the warmer weather it feels like another room! The den features a french door and a fireplace – it’s my favorite room in the house! The second bedroom features a walk-in closet with built-in organizers and there is extra storage in the utility room. 14 Village Drive is centrally located close to Basking Ridge town center, the Bernards Township library, parks, schools, public transportation and major highways (rts 287, 202/206 and 78).
Lord Stirling Village covers 52 acres just south of the Great Swamp nature preserve. A small community comprised of only 150 units featuring a pool and tennis courts. Association fees include water and garbage collection.
If you are considering a move to Basking Ridge, there are many town houses and condos for sale; or search for single family homes instead.
Basking Ridge Little League plans to mark the commencement of the 2011 season with a festive Opening Day Parade and Ceremony beginning at 9:00am, Saturday, April 23. It is the 54th year of providing the Little League experience for Basking Ridge youths.
The 2011 Opening Day Parade will consist of nearly 90 baseball teams in full uniform representing over 1,000 players ranging in age from 5 to 13 years-old. The parade will commence from Pleasant Valley Park and proceed to the Little League fields at the Ridge Ballpark on Valley Road. The parade is scheduled to conclude at approximately 10AM.
At the conclusion of the parade, the Opening Day Ceremonies, including the throwing out of the “first pitch,” will take place on Field 4 at the Ballpark. Then, the first games of the season are scheduled to take place throughout the afternoon and into the evening on all four fields at Ridge Ballpark and on fields throughout the township’s many parks. This year, in addition to the Challenger baseball program for children with special needs, the League is excited to host two 50/70 fields, and well as the inaugural season of its Senior League, which allows 13 year-olds to play at the Complex, in the competitive 50/70 League.
Only three properties closed here in town in the last week:
- 31 Countryside Drive – a one bedroom condo – listed for $197,000 closed for $1888,000
- 266 Potomac Drive – a two bedroom condo in Spring Ridge – listed for $248,500 sold for $232,500
- 3 Witherspoon Lane – a three bedroom town house in Amherst Mews listed for $849,000 closed for $825,000.
Several mortgage reps that I work with have published weekend specials – including a 30 Year fixed FHA at 5% (must have credit scores of at least 660).
If you are considering a move into or out of Basking Ridge, please contact me and so I can help get you started. Or click here to search homes for sale in Basking Ridge.
Is it summer yet?
The sun is out today – it might be cold, but let’s think ahead a few weeks…there is no better time than now to prepare for a season full of outdoor entertaining. An outdoor kitchen is one of the hottest trends in backyard living. Ranging from a simple barbecue island to a full kitchen with specialty appliances that allow homeowners to do all the food preparation outside, there are a variety of ways to create your own outdoor gathering spot.
Here are some things to consider when planning an outdoor kitchen:
- It is very important to choose appliances that are designed for outdoor use. For example, outdoor refrigerators need to maintain consistent temperatures in an unstable environment, and also need to be weatherproof so they hold up to the elements.
- It is equally important to ensure that there is adequate ventilation for appliances. For example, built-in refrigerators are front-vented so they require little to no clearance on the top, sides, and rear of the unit, but freestanding models require at least one inch of ventilation on all sides.
- Don’t forget to factor in additional costs for adding electrical outlets, and running a water supply line or a drain system.
- The safest bet is to select a licensed and insured installer. Not only will they be aware of any do’s and don’ts, you will also have peace of mind knowing that you are working with professionals who will stand behind their work if something goes wrong.
Looking for something fun to do tonight?
The William Annin School production of Disney’s Camp Rock is this weekend. I understand that there are still tickets available at the door!
Are you staying around town for Basking Ridge spring break? The Parks and Recreation Department has scheduled several activities for the kids!
Saturday, April 9: Fishing Derby at Southard Park, North Maple Avenue (heading north, past the Library, park comes up on the right-hand side) 9:00 – 10:30 A.M. The park’s pond will be stocked with trout! Please bring your own pole and bait. No license is required. Prizes will be awarded for largest fish in various categories. Rain or shine!
Monday, April 11: Remote Control Car Races Rebel Hill Tennis Courts (no tennis that day), off Mt. Airy Road to Fairview Drive 11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Join us at Rebel Hill Park for a morning of carefree fun. Bring your own remote control car. Rain Date is Tuesday, 4/12, same time.
Wednesday, April 13: Chalk Drawing and Window Painting at Dunham Park, Liberty Corner Road (heading towards Far Hills, Park entrance is on your left) 11:00 A.M – 12:00 P.M. Join us at Dunham Park for a morning of carefree fun. Chalk (3rd grade and under) and Paint (4th grade and up) will be provided. Rain date is Friday, 4/15, same time.
Thursday, April 14: Kite Flying at Pleasant Valley Park, Valley Road 11:00 A.M – 12:00 P.M. Come enjoy a morning of Kite Flying at Pleasant Valley Park! BYOK – Bring your own kite. Rain or shine.