436 Penns Way – Society Hill Townhouse – $280000
15 Battalion Drive – The Hamiltons – $500000
10 Cannon Court – The Hamiltons – $475000
180 Smoke Rise Road – Single Family home – Carlisle – $661000
30 Village Drive  - Lord Stirling Village – $330000

Market Activity in Basking Ridge

There were ten contract sales – ranging from $223,000 to $1,400,000.  Sellers – the BUYERS are out there!

There were seven price adjustments – BUYERS – there are some great deals out there – Search for Basking Ridge homes for sale here!

There were thirteen new listings – again, buyers – there are some great deals out there!

With 27 contract sales in the last thirty days and 129 active listings in Basking Ridge, market absorption is under five months!

Winter Tips for Homeowners

According to Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow on Groundhog Day, there are six more weeks of winter ahead. With the potential for cold and inclement weather on the horizon, it is an opportune time to make sure the interior and exterior of your home are adequately prepared.

If you haven’t done so already, spend some time taking care of these winterizing tasks:

• Heating a home is expensive, and you can keep costs down by caulking any cracks around windows and doors that let cold air in and heat escape. You should also be sure to clean or replace furnace filters to help your heating system run more efficiently and effectively.
• Clear all debris from your gutters, even if you have a covered gutter system. Any leaves or other materials left in the gutters can freeze and damage the gutters themselves, and could also force freezing water up under your shingles and damage the roof.
• Be prepared with everything you need in the event of a big snow storm. This includes tools for removing snow, such as a snow blower with a full tank of gas, shovels and a melting agent such as rock salt. No less important are items like extra blankets, warm clothing, and enough food and water to sustain your family in case of a few days of isolation. 

The good news for cost-conscious homeowners is that investing in your home in a way that pays off at resale doesn’t have to cost a lot. The high value of most replacements can be contributed to the relatively low cost of these projects. What’s more, the majority of replacement projects immediately improve curb appeal, making the home more attractive to buyers.

Based on interviews with real estate professionals throughout the country, the Remodeling report found that the top project is fiber-cement siding, which typically recoups 78 percent of costs. Fiber-cement siding has been in the No.1 spot for six of the seven years since it was added to the report.

Moving up two spots in the rankings is the minor kitchen remodel, now coming in at fourth place at 72 percent. Considered an “interior replacement” project, this is the least expensive way to give an existing kitchen a complete facelift. It is typically done by adding new cabinet door and drawer fronts and hardware, new countertops and new appliances.

The right remodeling project, when done well, also has the potential to make for a quicker sale and reduce negotiations with buyers over perceived shortcomings.  I have highlighted this sentence because I think it is very important to point out that renovations and repairs may NOT directly increase the sale price but rather will have an impact on time on market and quality of the negotiation.

If you are thinking of perhaps putting your house on the market, please feel free to give us a call, and we would be happy to meet with you and answer any questions you might have about getting your house or townhouse ready to sell. Also, feel free to go to our Basking-Ridge-Real-Estate website for more valuable information about buying and selling in Basking Ridge.

It is always recommend that a buyer test for this gas during their home inspection.  If the levels of Radon are greater than 4.0 picocuries the seller of the house has an obligation to remediate.

The remediation process involves installing a fan in the attic that is attached to a pipe that pulls air from below the foundation and sends it out over the roof-line.  These systems are essentially fool-proof and bring the levels in to acceptable range – I’ve never seen that not happen.

Once the levels are down, the risks are gone!

On a lighter note – the headline on the article in the Bernardsville News says, “Radon KIDS available in Bernards”.  I just thought that was funny.  Especially because the last time they ran this article was in 2010 and they didn’t get it right then either!  ”Free Radon Kits available in Basking Ridge”

Have any questions about the real estate transaction process?  I am happy to help, click here to contact me directly.

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Are You Listing Your House To SELL or To SIT?

The most valuable piece of information in this post: “If you don’t grab someone’s attention in the first two weeks, your chances of getting your asking price start to diminish.   Once listed, a house on the market ages quickly.”

This is why I start to talk to my sellers about their list price not being the right price before even 30 days on the market!

It’s the truth – the longer you wait to get the price right, the lower the final sale price will be!  Well said, Sharon!

The inspection part of any real estate transaction can be very stressful.  It is hard enough for many sellers to have people traipsing through their homes, then (especially in today’s market), negotiating a price which is probably lower than they wanted and finally, having a home inpsector examine every nook and cranny and producing what is most often a very lengthy report.  There are several inspection issue which as a seller you really need to remediate – regardless of cost, because if you don’t do it for this buyer, you will have to do it for the next buyer.  Structural issues and hazardous situations fall into this category.

So does Mold.  Mold sneaks up on you, most of my clients who had mold had no idea that it was in their home.  In two of the homes it was in the attic, in the three others it was in the basement.  Sometimes it is obvious once you know it’s there but at least in one case it was still hard to see even after the mold expert pointed it out.

As a seller you really don’t have a choice but to clean up mold that is found in your home.

Dan Harkins from NJ Mold recommends that every house in NJ should have a dehumidifier in it – period, end of discussion.  If you don’t have one, go get one!  They make them bucketless now!  You can have it drain right into the slop sink or the sump pump pit (but NOT in your sewer drain – that’s against the rules!).  They also make them specific for crawlspaces.  This small thing may save you from a big expense when you decide it’s time to sell your home.

If you have a question about a home inspection issue, feel free to contact me directly and  I will see what I can do!

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Search for Basking Ridge homes for sale.

Search Basking Ridge townhouses for sale.

Search Bedminster homes for sale.

See what has sold in Basking Ridge

• Bedminster: Stone Run and Edgewood up to about $500,000
• Bedminster: Autumn Ridge up to about $700,000
• Basking Ridge: any four bedroom single family home in the Hills specifically including the Carlisle and Liberty Ridge sections up to about $750,000

The above paragraph was posted on the Bernards Township website. Running through and driving through many neighborhoods here in town, I’m thinking that this may have been misinterpreted.  There is SO MUCH tree debris along our curbs and sidewalks – clearly NOT there as a result of “street trees”, but from yard trees….  The township is not going to pick up the limbs and branches that have been dragged to the curb.  The Pill Hill recycling center/dump has been extending their hours to accommodate the clean up from this crazy storm.

I am often asked about home staging and whether it is necessary when listing a home for sale.  I do think it is important – whether you engage a certified home stager or you do it yourself.  I am considering attending the seminar offered by my home-staging-go-to-person, Angela Gaugaf of NJ Home Staging and Redesign:

Home staging is one of the most valuable tools that home owners can use to sell their home in today’s competitive market.  Angelia will be presenting a 2-hour seminar addressing this topic.  She will cover the following:

• What home staging is and how it can influence buyers and the selling price 
• Home staging statistics and facts
• The top 5 staging mistakes to avoid when selling 

And of course, she will be showing before and after pictures – something everyone loves!

The seminar will be offered on two dates – Wednesday, October 19th and Wednesday, November 2nd from 7 to 9 PM at Artistic Impressions Studio in Boonton, NJ.  The class fee is $50.  Call 973-257-1500 to register or for additional information.

Please click here to drop me a line and let me know if you are attending – I’d love to meet you!

Basking Ridge Real Estate

Aside from checking with your insurance agent to inquire about purchasing a separate flood insurance policy, there are other things you can do to protect your home from water damage:

• Fix leaks and cracks – Water can get in your home through foundation cracks and leaky roofs. Because this can weaken the structure and provide a perfect habitat for mold, make repairs as soon as possible. While on the roof, clear the gutters so water is able to be carried away from your home. 

• Get battery-powered – Sump pumps work to push water out of your home and are instrumental in preventing flooded basements. Having a pump that works on battery power is important since these models will still work even if the power goes out. 

• Relocate and elevate – If possible, store valuables on the second floor or attic rather than the basement or first floor. This will help protect your possessions in all but the most severe floods. FEMA also suggests elevating furnaces and water pumps to a height of 12 inches above the highest known flood level for your area. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, nationwide more than 7 billion gallons of water a day go to landscape irrigation. Aside from that being a lot of water, as much as half of it is wasted because it falls on sidewalks or evaporates into the air before it reaches the ground. Luckily, a few simple changes can help you save a precious resource and lower your bills. HouseLogic recommends that homeowners think of the acronym DIRTS (drip irrigation, recapture, timers and sensors) in order to remember steps to take for saving water and money while still maintaining a great-looking yard:

1. Drip irrigation systems are long, thin plastic tubes with small fittings that release water, allowing you to send water only where you need it. A new drip system costs around $200 for a whole yard, or you can convert your existing in-ground sprinkler system. The cost is well worth it: Going from sprinklers to drip irrigation can cut lawn water use by up to 50 percent.
2. Recapturing rainwater allows you to irrigate at no cost. To harvest rainwater, place a simple plastic or wooden drum, with a spigot near the bottom where you can attach your hose, underneath a downspout. A 60-gallon barrel costs only $75 to $150, and one inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof provides 600 gallons of runoff.
3. Putting your irrigation system on a timer will keep water waste to a minimum and can also help you comply with any local watering restrictions. Timer kits range from the simple to more sophisticated ones with sensors that adjust the water flow based on how much rain has fallen.

Basking Ridge Market info:

It’s been relatively quiet in my world of Basking Ridge real estate this past week – two stalled negotiations, but one property in attorney review and a closing scheduled for this week.  As for our town, there were eleven new listings since August 1 - three condos, a town house, six colonials and an expanded ranch listed from $229,900 to $2.6m.  A more important stat, 14 properties went under contract – six townhouses, a condo, six colonials and a cape cod listed from $224,000 to $1.39m.  I also noticed at least two properties go into attorney review.  So, despite the economy…. there ARE buyers out there!

I went on a listing appointment last Friday and I have two more this week – attention buyers: there are going to be some really nice homes on the market this fall!  Be the first to know about them by signing up for listing alerts from Basking Ridge real estate.

Let me know if you need help figuring out how to find those buyers or if you are thinking about making a move here in town; I can help assess the value of your home in today’s market.  I’m happy to talk with you about Basking Ridge Real Estate!