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As people become more conscious of the environment and aim to reduce their carbon footprint, there is a new premium on products and features that promote energy efficiency. Real estate is no exception, and today’s homeowners are taking steps to “go green” as a way to cut costs and to make their home more desirable to buyers.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, going green can cut your bills by up to 25 percent. You can achieve these savings by jumping on one or more of the following green home trends:

• Choose environmentally friendly LED lighting, which gives off the same light as regular bulbs, but lasts 50 times longer.
• Low flush toilets use one or two gallons of water per flush, compared to three to five gallons for a typical toilet.
• Purchase appliances marked with the ENERGY STAR label. This designation means that they meet the strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

A few small things can help you save money, protect the environment and make your home more attractive when you decide to sell it.

In other news – open house traffic has seen a change since this time last year. 

Open House Traffic On the Rise

Homebuyers seem to be responding to the attractive home prices and historically low interest rates that make the current housing market one of the most affordable in decades. For the weekend of July 31 – August 1, attendance at Weichert Open Houses was up 6 percent compared to the same weekend in 2009. In addition, the average number of attendees at each Weichert Open House was 17 percent greater than last year.  The bottome line is that…..

…..Buyers are out there!

So, if you are considering a move into or out of Bedminster, NJ, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly so we can talk about the market here in town.

There were 21 contract sales in Bedminster during the month of July. This is UP from June when only 14 sales were recorded. This seems to contradict the sentiment that the expiration of the tax credit woud lead to a dip in sales activity.

There were 12 closings in Bedminster this past month:

70 Willow Drive, $720,000/$650,000
33 Spruce Court, $239,000/$235,000
27 Stafforoad Court, $779,000/$730,000
41 Teal Lane, $469,000/$450,735
26 Academy Court, $254,999/$250,000
16 Pheasant Brook Court, $349,900/$332,000
83 Cortland Lane, $99,999/$100,000
19 Ashley Court, $312,000/$318,000
28 Teal Lane, $460,000/$450,000
61 Edgewood Road, $449,000/$435,000
81 Autumn Ridge Road, $715,000/$690,000
12 Lockhaven Court, $499,999/$505,000

If you are consdering a move into or out of Bedminster, try searching for available properties: luxury homes or townhouses and condos or sign up for listing notifications as properties are listed.  Contact me directly for any other questions related to real estate in and around our area in beautiful Somerset County, NJ.

25 Bedminster Terrace $569,000/$543,000
2 Drummers Log Ln $579,900/$545,000
36 High Pond Ln $326,000/$322,500
18 Wood Duck Pond Rd $349,000/$340,000
49 Encampment Dr $304,800/$295,000
12 Knollcrest Rd $489,900/$480,000
89 Ashley Ct $269,000/$265,000
53 Eton Ct $379,900/$370,000
68 Academy Ct $259,999/$271,000
42 Birchwood Rd  $319,900/$319,900
27 Crossfield Ct $329,000/$315,000
110 Westview Ln $399,999/$400,000
29 Tansy Ct $202,000/$198,500
43 Sage Ct $204,000/$200,000
9 Quincy Ct $360,000/$340,000
6 Heatherwood Ln $389,000/$374,000
66 Pheasant Brook Ct $290,565/$290,000
70 N Edgewood Rd $434,900/$415,000
1102 Timberbrooke Dr $389,990/$378,000
69 Birchwood Rd $319,000/$319,000

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.  I have run up against this three times in recent months. Mold sneaks up on you, all three 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 third it was in the basement.  I have become very close with Dan from NJ Mold!  He has told me 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!).

Contrary to reports and newspaper articles circulating widely on the Internet, there is not a 4 percent sales tax or transfer tax on the sale of a home included in the recently signed health care reform bill.

This myth has been invalidated by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and other experts who are knowledgeable about what is included in the heath care reform bill.

NAR is working to spread the word that there is no truth to this rumor. To read their statement, please click here.

When I first decided to get into the business, the agent who sold me my home said, “don’t even tell me you want to be an agent because ‘you love to look at houses’, because that gets old real fast!” She was right, it does – but luckily that’s not why I decided to become a Realtor.  I love the challenges the business presents – from winning the business to solving the problems, to strategically negotiating the best deals for both my seller and buyer clients.  It is definitely fun to be involved in a really big part of someone’s world – buying and selling homes often goes hand in hand with many of life’s big changes: retirement, marriage, new babies – it’s all very exciting!                                      

And it can be very Stressful!

Over the last few months, I have been part of several. very. stressful. transactions.  If you are in the middle of a dicey sale or a stressful purchase remember that you are not alone.  Really – all the agents, attorneys and home inspectors are talking about it – every deal has had some sort of hiccup along the way.  If you are reading this and feeling lucky that your deal went smoothly, then hats off to you and your agent and all the other parties involved because the easy deals have been few and far between.

This isn’t a post to moan or complain about my job – I really do love it – I just want to remind you to keep your eye on the ball…at the end of the day you will be in your new home starting a new chapter in your life.  Just remember the sellers don’t come with the house and you will be gone before the buyers move in!

Contact me if you have questions about the transaction process, I can help!

72 Birchwood Rd, Birchwood/$248,800/$252,000
21 Knollcrest Rd, Knollcrest/$459,000/$430,000
234 Long Meadow Rd, Long Meadow/$369,900/$352,000
72 Dogwood Ln, Edgewood/$529,900/$517,500
403 Cardinal Ln, Long Meadow/$333,000/$315,000
49 Encampment Dr, Crestmont/$259,000/$220,500
53 Bentley Ct, Crestmont/$339,000/$331,750
9 Danbury Ct, Crestmont/$350,000/$335,000
705 Timberbrooke Dr, Timberbooke/$510,000/$512,000
72 Academy Ct, Crestmont/$299,900/$295,000
5 Pheasant Brook Ct, Wood Duck Pond/$325,000/$316,500
24 Stevens Court, Signal Point/$286,900/$280,000
40 High Pond Ln, Wood Duck Pond/$298,888/$295,000
7 Heatherwood Ln, Four Oaks/$400,000/$390,000
111 Autumn Ridge Road, Autumn Ridge $619,000/$575,000

Are you considering a move into or out of the area?  Search for available Bedminster homes and mark your calendars for our next home buyer/seller seminar which will be held at the Weichert office in Basking Ridge on Saturday, May 22nd.

Please visit the following open houses today:

57 Dogwood Terrace, Millington – $839,900

50 Church Street, Liberty Corner – $499,000

1502 Bayley Court, Bridgewater - $409,000

If your attorney is quick, you can make an offer today or tomorrow and still be under contract by Friday – in time to qualify for the First Time or Repeat Buyer tax credit!

Are you thinking about making a move into or out of Basking Ridge, Bedminster or Bernardsville?  I’m happy to help. Contact me today for information about properties available in any of these towns or the surrounding areas.  I’m also happy to help you understand the value of your home in today’s market.  Feel free to follow any of these links for more information.

Have a great Sunday!

I received this information this morning in my sales associate newsletter.  Given that I am working with several people short sale or foreclosure issues, I thought it was improtant to share it.  The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program will go into effect on April 5, 2010. Part of the government’s Home Affordability Modification Program (HAMP), HAFA was designed to help stabilize the residential real estate market by allowing the short sale process to move forward more easily.

Under HAFA, borrowers will be allowed to receive pre-approved short sale terms before listing the property, as well as $1,500 in relocation assistance, and they will be fully released from any future liability for the first mortgage debt. In addition, HAFA prohibits servicers from requiring a reduction in the real estate commission agreed upon in the listing agreement, up to 6 percent.

In order to be eligible, the property must be used as a principal residence, the first lien must have been originated before 2009, the unpaid balance must not exceed $729,750, and the borrower’s total monthly payment must be more than 31 percent of their gross income.

This new, streamlined process makes short sales a better option for mortgage servicers, who are expected to now choose short sales over foreclosures in many cases. The decrease in foreclosures should help to stabilize the housing market. In addition, real estate sales professionals will be able to close more short sales and keep more of their commissions.

For more information on this program, please contact me directly.  Once we have the Frequently Asked Questions document completed, I will be happy to share it.

As you know, Governor Christie announced his budget message last week.  This included massive changes to school budgets throughout the state.  Bernards Township is losing $4 million for next year and an additional $1.6 million this spring.

The new budget will be reviewed tonight Monday, March 22, at 8:00PM in the Community Room at Bernards High School.  The Board of Ed Vote on the Budget is scheduled for Wednesday, March 24 at 7:30PM in the Community Room at Bernards High School.

Please come out and support the vote!