Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Selling Your Millburn-Short Hills Home Yourself? 5 Points to Consider!

As the New Jersey real estate market improves, a few home sellers may be tempted to try and market their homes themselves. After all, it starts looking easy to sell your home when home prices are going up and buyer demand is high!

However, there are several reasons why selling your home on your own puts you at a disadvantage. Here are 5 big reasons why!

1. Real estate professionals help prepare home buyers for the market. We provide referrals to mortgage companies and educate home buyers about sales trends. Think about the number of first-time home buyers in the market today; a sale-by-owner situation does not give them the assistance they need in order to be "ready to buy." 

2.  The multiple listing service includes a database of homes for sale that is distributed to major websites. Simply put, sale-by-owner websites do not get the same exposure, or the visitor traffic.

3.  Automated, online home value estimates are not as accurate as a professionally-prepared comparative market analysis. Only a real estate professional, with access to the very latest, local sales data, can provide accurate pricing guidance.

4. Real estate professionals are trained negotiators. Our goal is to help buyers and sellers make a deal happen. While we provide many services up front to both buyers and sellers, we are not compensated unless a transaction takes place. If you attempt to sell your home yourself, all the marketing expenses and work will fall on your shoulders from the start.

5. Real estate professionals operate under a code of ethics and standard of practices. We are licensed, and we are required to commit to ongoing education to remain on top of industry changes. We are well-prepared to deal with evolving issues that can arise in the market.

The bottom line is, I can help you sell your Millburn-Short Hills home for top dollar! I will provide a comparative market analysis, along with details about recent home sales in your neighborhood. I will also provide staging suggestions and complete marketing strategies for results!

As your Millburn-Short Hills real estate professional, I will provide the expert guidance you need for a successful home sale! Contact me today, and let my 18 years of experience be your market advantage!

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Planning a Move to Your New Millburn-Short Hills Home!

It's that time of year again! Leases will be expiring, homes are selling, and residents of Millburn-Short Hills  will soon be on the move! In fact, the peak season for moving runs from May through September, leading to higher demand for rental trucks, moving companies and storage facilities. I have some tips to help make your New Jersey move a success!

I'll start with a word of caution: there are unethical moving companies out there who prey on the unwary. This affects people who are moving households cross-country as well as in-state. Fortunately, there are ways you can screen professional movers to protect yourself. There is a great deal of information available on these websites:
If you plan to do-it-yourself and rent a moving truck, reserve your vehicle well in advance. Tip: when in doubt, go with a larger truck. It's more cost-effective than making multiple trips with a smaller truck. Also read over the rental contract carefully - there are plenty of hidden fees with some companies. There may be fees for exceeding a certain number of miles, or for returning the truck late. Helpful things like hand trucks/carts and furniture padding are usually available, but there may be an extra charge.

Tired of using cardboard boxes to pack your belongings? There's an alternative! Plastic, reusable moving boxes are available for rent. They are durable, stackable, and washable. It will cost a bit of money, but you may be dollars ahead over buying cardboard moving boxes - and if it rains, cardboard can be a disaster. You can learn more about reusable moving containers in this New York Times article.

Moving pods are another option. The pods are a transportable storage unit. They are delivered to your home by truck, dropped off, and left there for you to fill. When everything is loaded, you call the company and the pod is loaded up and delivered to your new residence. The appeal of moving pods is that you have more time to deal with loading and unloading - no rushing to return a truck.

I hope this information helps you get moving! And when you're ready to get moving by buying or selling a New Jersey home, I'll be happy to help you. As your Millburn-Short Hills real estate professional, I will provide the expert guidance you need for a success!

 Contact me today, and let my 18 years of experience be your advantage!

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Home Sale Activity On the Rise in Essex and Union County!

New Jersey real estate continues to improve, according to the latest market data by Garden State MLS and Core Logic. Here's a quick look at the recent trends!

Home values across New Jersey are gradually rising. Statewide, home prices are up 3.7% from a year ago.

Northern New Jersey has seen the greatest price improvement at 9.7%. Meanwhile, Newark-Union area home values are up by 5.3%.

Closer to home, we are definitely seeing increased demand. Millburn-Short Hills home prices are firming, with a list-to-sales ratio of 96%, meaning that most home sellers are getting their asking price. In a few instances we have obtained final sales prices higher than the original listing price.

Days on market vary widely depending on the type of home, location and price. We have homes going under contract in less than 10 days, and homes that are taking a few months to sell. Another encouraging trend is the fact that several homes with long-aged days on market have now been sold.

Looking ahead, contract activity shows that the pace of sales is gaining speed. As of March, Essex County had 479 homes under contract, which puts us ahead of last year's volumes by 23.8%.

Union County has 365 homes under contract, an improvement over last year of 20.1%.

Please keep in mind that these are averages, and that home prices and sales activity in your immediate neighborhood may vary. You can take a look at what's going locally by visiting the Market Updates section of my website!

If you are thinking of selling your Millburn-Short Hills home, start with a comparative market analysis! It's completely free, and there is no obligation. I will also provide a net sheet to show your estimated proceeds from the home sale. With demand on the rise and home inventory falling, now could be a terrific time to put your home on the market.

As your Millburn-Short Hills real estate professional, I will provide the expert guidance you need for a successful home sale! Contact me today, and let my 18 years of experience be your advantage!

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Plan for Success When Remodeling Your Millburn-Short Hills Home!

Ready to remodel your Millburn-Short Hills home? If you answered "yes", you're in good company! A recent survey by home remodeling site Houzz shows that 53% of homeowners agree that now is a good time to remodel. 

The most popular remodeling project involves kitchens, and Americans spend an average of $28,000 on this area of the home! But before you get out your checkbook, you will need to have a plan in mind. Here are some planning tips to help you!

Identify the main goals. Are new kitchen cabinets a must? Do high-end appliances make sense? Your wish list might be bigger than your budget, so start by deciding the priorities. List everything else to the side.

Decide your timeline for completion. Are you selling your home in the near future? Are you expecting to entertain guests? Have a realistic timeline for completion. Make sure to factor in some cushion for unexpected delays

Determine your budget. Do you have the financing available or funds set aside to comfortably tackle your project? Estimates, after all, are only estimates!

Interview contractors and obtain several estimates. Beware of bids that are too cheap compared to the running norms. The contractor may be cutting some serious corners to make that bid possible, or he may plan to “surprise” you with extra charges along the way.

Compare the estimates to your budget. Are you still in business? Can you afford the little extras? Do you need to finance more of the project than expected? 

Revisit your list of contractors and make an informed choice. Ask for referrals, and check them out against the Better Business Bureau. Also, personality counts! Don’t hire someone that rubs you the wrong way, no matter how good their prices are. It will only add stress to your experience.

One more tip - before you commit dollars to your project, be sure to have realistic expectations about what you may recover when you sell your home. See my blog post from January 30 that talks about the average return on investment for home improvements

If you are preparing to sell your Millburn-Short Hills home, start with a comparative market analysis to find out your home's price range in today's market before you remodel. I will also provide you with a net sheet to show your estimated proceeds after the home sale. I will counsel you on what improvements are most likely to benefit your home sale and your bottom line!

As your Millburn-Short Hills real estate professional, I will provide the expert guidance you need for a successful home sale! Contact me today, and let my 18 years of experience be your market advantage!

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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