Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Fun times in Millburn-Short Hills, NJ!

Spring has sprung!  As your Millburn-Short Hills, NJ Realtor, I try and keep an eye on what everyone in the Millburn Township area is doing.  Lately, people are wanting to get out of the house and enjoy all of the activities our region has to offer, and I don't blame them!  Being cooped up inside during the Winter can make anyone a little restless.  Now that it is warming up and you're wanting to leave the house more, it is a perfect time for me to share upcoming local events.  Check out these fun events in the area:

Latin & Smooth Jazz Night with the Ashley Pettet Jazz Trio


This event would be perfect for a date night!  The Ashley Pettet Jazz Trio will play Latin, Swing, and Smooth jazz.  Dinner is include in the $35 price tag and promises to be delicious.  People who enjoying dancing are welcome to stand up and dance.  Call 973-287-6623 to reserve tickets ahead of time.

When: Saturday, March 31st, 2012, 8 pm - 11 pm
Where: 31 Westville Avenue, Caldwell, NJ

Celebrate National Day of Puppetry!


This is going to be a very fun event for families.  Come for the free afternoon puppet shows or the $15 morning workshops.  At this all-day festival, adults and children alike can learn how to make and operate handkerchief and rod puppets.  There will also be an "Introduction to ventriliquism" and theater participation games.  Fun!  For more information, visit the Garden State Puppetry Guild.

When:  Saturday, April 21st, 2012, 9 am - 3 pm
Where:  310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater, NJ

Millburn Township Green Fair


Are you looking for more ways to "go green?"  Then this is the event for you!  Check out this fair to learn about electric cars, solar power, composting, Farmer's Markets, all-natural body products, and more.  There will be live music and children's crafts available as well.  The entire family will enjoy themselves.

When:  Sunday, April 22nd, 2012, 11 am
Where:  Taylor Park, 78 Main Street, Millburn, NJ

It's so rewarding to work in a fun and activity-packed place like Millburn, NJ.  Feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions or comments about events, or Millburn-Short Hills, NJ in general.  And as always, I definitely want to hear from you if you're looking to buy Millburn-Short Hills real estate.

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Get a mortgage now for your Millburn-Short Hills home!

As your Millburn-Short Hills real estate agent, it is my job to help you find the perfect home--one that is located somewhere you prefer, falls within your price range, and meets your needs aesthetically and in terms of space.  Finding that perfect home isn't enough, however.  You also need to plan for how you're going to pay for it!  (Though I do encourage you to search Millburn-Short Hills homes in the meantime to get started looking for that perfect home.)

Many of my clients--both new and existing homeowners alike--have questions about mortgages.  Will I qualify?  What's a good rate?  Isn't renting financially safer right now? Etc., etc.  I am excited to tell you that earlier this month CNNMoney announced that mortgage rates are near all-time lows, making this the perfect time to buy a home.  Fifteen-year mortgages haven't had this low of interest rates in over sixty years, and thirty-year mortgages are close behind.  At the time the article was written, fifteen-year fixed mortgage interest rates averaged 3.13% and thirty-year fixed mortgage rates averaged 3.14%.

Still on the fence?  Now's not a time to hesitate.  A report that just came out this week says that it is actually cheaper to buy a house than it is to rent.  Not only is owning a home a good investment that will pay off later, it will also save you money right now!  So, you've decided you want to take advantage of low mortgage rates, save money, and buy a Millburn-Short Hills, NJ home.  What next?

Order your credit report and clean up any credit issues you have.  Check local lenders and find who has the best rates.  If your credit is an issue, look into getting an FHA loan.  Lastly, don't forget to contact me to help you find exactly what you're looking for in Millburn Township!

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Get That “Lost Hour” Back in Millburn-Short Hills!

This Sunday, many in the Millburn-Short Hills area were disoriented when they woke up and had to set their clocks ahead one hour. Think of everything that you could have done with that lost hour. With the Millburn-Short Hills spring real estate market just on the horizon, I’m sure there are many sellers and buyers in the area that would have appreciated the extra sixty minutes to prepare themselves for the transaction ahead. As a Millburn-Short Hills real estate agent, I consider it part of my job to help my clients get as prepared for their next buyer or seller transaction as possible. Since the market is about to get busy in just a few short weeks, I thought that I’d take a different approach with my blog this week: how can you get that lost hour back?

For Millburn-Short Hills home sellers, it’d be ideal to spend the time getting your property prepared for sale. These time-saving home improvement projects will help you save a few minutes on what otherwise would have been more time-consuming tasks. When your home is ready to be shown earlier than the competition’s; you’ll find yourself getting an offer sooner rather than later.

If you’re looking to repaint, use a combination primer-paint. You know the drill: you lay down the tarp, put primer on the walls, wait for that to dry, paint the walls, and wait for that to dry. This process can take hours if you don’t know how to use your time efficiently. By using a combination primer-paint, not only are you saving gallons of primer and paint that you would be otherwise putting on the walls and all over your floor, but you will also be saving hours of time. Most Millburn-Short Hills sellers need to repaint at least one room in their home, so save yourself some time by using this productive tactic.

Get rid of garden weeds quickly and easily.
Curb appeal is one of the most important things when you begin to prepare your Millburn-Short Hills home for sale. Your home’s exterior is what is going to make a strong first impression and make a buyer decide whether or not they want to come inside and take a look. If your garden looks overgrown and filled with weeds, it will make your property look slightly neglected. The solution? Push weeds down into the garden bed by spreading pre-emergent herbicides throughout. Those garden pests will grow slower, and you can control what weeds you do have easily.

If you use these two time-saving techniques when preparing your home to be listed on the Millburn-Short Hills real estate market, then you will find that you’ll get that “lost hour” back in no time. You can spend it doing other things to prepare your home for showings or taking some time off from real estate preparations to relax. Either way, the disorientation of Daylight Savings Time has come to an end, and you can start using that hour to be productive.

If you have any questions about how to best prepare and market your home on the Millburn-Short Hills real estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d be happy to discuss your options with you. I hope to hear from you soon!


Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Give Back to the Millburn-Short Hills Education Foundation

If my years of experience as a Millburn-Short Hills real estate agent have taught me anything, it’s that to home buyers, education is incredibly important. One of the most pressing questions from families who begin their home search in the Millburn-Short Hills area is, “How are the local schools?” I’m proud to say that I can sing the praises of my community’s education system, and much of that is due to the Millburn-Short Hills Education Foundation.

As someone who has lived and worked in Millburn-Short Hills for several years, I’m of the belief that education is incredibly important. My community puts a strong emphasis on providing a quality school system that will help shape our kids. That’s why I feel that it’s wonderful that the Millburn-Short Hills Education Foundation dedicates so much time to putting together fantastic fundraisers designed to raise money to maintain the superior quality of education that we offer our kids. Besides the fact that I feel strongly about this particular subject, I also make it a top priority to know about the amazing events that happen in the Millburn-Short Hills area year round. In the interest of keeping my community in the loop about what’s happening around town, I thought that I’d share some of the fun-filled fundraisers that the Foundation has put together for spring.

“A Tribute to Motown”
Friday, March 9th
7:00pm-11:00pm
Crestmont Country Club

Who doesn’t love the classic sounds of Motown? This Friday, attend the fourth annual Millburn Schools Rock concert at the Crestmont Country Club and enjoy the soulful sounds of The Eturnity Band. Besides the live entertainment, you can also enjoy an open bar, amazing food, a silent and live auction, raffle baskets and a wine pull. Some of the prizes include tickets to major sporting events, Disney World tickets, jewelry, designer bags, and VIP tickets to several events at Millburn-Short Hills Schools. The largest fundraising event for the Foundation each year, this party promises to be fun and for a fantastic cause. Proceeds go towards upgrading classroom technology and providing extra training and programs. If you’re interested in going, tickets are $100 for members, $125 for non-members, and $150 at the door. It will be a night to remember, and it’s for a fantastic cause!

1st Annual Millburn Film Fest
Wednesday, April 11th
7:00pm
Millburn High School Auditorium

We have so many talented kids in the area, which is why this idea put together by the Millburn-Short Hills Education Foundation is so amazing. This film festival will feature original work put together by students attending Millburn Middle School and Millburn High School. This is a fantastic opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy the talents of the kids who live in their own backyards. For $10.00 per adult and $8.00 per kid in advance and $15.00 per adult and $10.00 per kid at the door, you can support not only the Foundation’s efforts to maintain the superior quality of education at our schools, but also the local kids who put so much time and effort into producing such wonderful work. Proceeds will go to providing more technology, training and programs to our classrooms.

As a Millburn-Short Hills real estate agent who values education, I thought it was incredibly important to point out some of the awesome events coming up that are designed to ensure that our community has quality schools. People make school districts a focal point when shopping for their next home and it’s my pleasure as a Millburn-Short Hills real estate and community expert to let potential home buyers know exactly how wonderful the local school districts are.

If you have any questions about the community, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d be happy to show you around town and give you a few pointers. I hope to hear from you soon!


Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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