So much joy in my town today. I had tears in my eyes when I came upon this:

https://youtu.be/VMr1AX6D150

I just read a post on social media by a friend who was lamenting that her daughter’s college pushed back the start date for spring semester. The family lives in New York City and she wrote something like, “They’re sending the kids home before Thanksgiving and they’re not having them back on campus until February! What is she supposed to do [...]

Here we are, well into September, and it's still a bit mind-boggling what we've all been through. The parking lots in Montclair's train many stations, went from packed to empty in a day -- then stayed that way for months. There were days, early on, when I wrote about all the precautions we, in the real estate business, had adopted. I really [...]

I think I can speak for most when I say this past few months has been an incredible learning experience. From the minute New Jersey went on “lockdown,” all my colleagues and I could talk about was how will we do our jobs?

We learned how to make great use of virtual house-tour apps and what to do to make an in-person home tour safe. We learned how to get houses inspected and close under the most arduous circumstances. But maybe most important, as a society we learned to stop all our hurrying about and start to understand what we care about and value. What we want to take into the future with us.

Many of my clients adopted a more inward focus. Buyers started to care more about “comfort,” less about “image.” Grand spaces for entertaining became less important than a garage loft that could be converted into a home office. Also, short commutes to work from an apartment on the Upper West Side became less important than outdoor space.

We’ve also seen how size came to matter in a different way. Some sellers looked at their big houses as a welcome oasis, someplace where they could work and school their kids and have a little privacy from everyone else. Others began to see their big house as too much to take care of since they’d become the ones cleaning it every week.

Buying and selling decisions have become far more about “quality of life” – though not just about a person’s individual life. We’ve seen more people looking for quality of life in a community that’s consistent with their beliefs. A community’s dedication to welcoming all people has become a selling point like never before. I know as a society we still have a long way to go, but as someone raised in Manhattan, I can personally vouch for Montclair’s continued commitment to making our town feel like it’s a place where everyone belongs.

Helping people buy or sell a home has always been a very personal experience, and now it feels like an even deeper one. As always, I’m here to talk about any and every aspect of home buying or sales. Talk or text: (973) 809-5277

Many sellers are taking advantage of the increased interest in moving from city to suburbs, streamlining their belongings and trying to get their home into “move in condition.” This is really smart. When my colleagues and I discuss big picture issues in the market right now, we are all seeing an even stronger desire in buyers for turn-key experiences. The less work they have to take on, the more valuable the home is to them.

The other most valuable aspect of a home these days is “nice, private outdoor space.”

What I’ve been seeing is that you don’t need a grand or fancy yard to hold appeal for a buyer. Recently, there was a house listed that was the size of a 2-bedroom apartment, but it was on a nice enough piece of property and the owners had turned half the 2-car garage into home office space. The yard was not huge. It was big enough to eat outdoors, toss a ball, maybe grow a vegetable garden. They received 8 offers, which is more interest than a house like this would typically attract.

Right now, most any home with a little green space is a sought-after commodity. Even homes with pools, which are sometimes slightly more difficult to sell, now hold extra appeal.

This is the time to attend to your outdoor space, either for putting on the market now or for selling in the future. Patios and decks are a plus, but not a necessity. String some lights and buy a fire pit for a cozy evening vibe. 

My biggest piece of advice: Plant some trees! Trees and shrubs are some of the few investments you can make in a home that actually get better with time.

If you’d like to take a tour of your yard together, I’m happy to offer my perspective on what exterior improvements will pay off. Talk or Text: 973-809-5277

People have been asking what I’m seeing in New Jersey real estate these days.

There’s been a noticeable increase in people from the city interested in moving to the suburbs. People want to leave their apartments and are looking for lower density population areas and with more outdoor space. This is especially appealing now that so many [...]

Things are changing so rapidly. Last weekend we did open houses that were well attended. The houses were vacant, and we took precautions like opening all closet and interior doors to eliminate touching. We required everyone to sanitize their hands and wear booties and asked them to refrain from coming in at all in if they had recently [...]

Carol and John moved to Montclair in 1995. They have three grown children, two of whom are out on their own; the youngest is living at home. John works from home, a partner in a media marketing company. Carol commutes to New York City four days a week for her job at a non-profit. This past summer, after 24 years in their Montclair home, they sold and bought a home in Bloomfield.

Why Bloomfield?

We wanted to stay in the Montclair area – close to friends and all the places we like to go. Our original plan was to downsize, but the house we bought is not much smaller than what we had been in. However, it was less expensive, and it’s also a much better configuration for our current situation. We wanted to be close to the New York bus and able to walk to things, and we were lucky enough to get a house in the Brookdale section, right off the park.

What’s your favorite thing about living here?

We love the neighborhood. Not just the proximity to the park, but also the coziness of block. It’s a dead-end street, so the only people driving on the block, live here. The houses are closer together and closer to the street, so it feels more like a little community. Everyone is extremely friendly, so it just feels really good to be here. 

Any challenges along the way?

We bought and sold with Lina, and for us, the buying was very easy. We went to an open house that checked off all our boxes; she came back with us the next week and everything fell into place quickly and smoothly, even in this neighborhood where houses go fast. The selling was more complicated for us, and there, Lina was amazing. We had her come over almost a year earlier and advise us what we should do to prepare the house. We discovered there was a lot that needed updating, projects we often did ourselves. (That was the hard part.)  Our prep work included repainting every room, refinishing floors, finishing off the 3rd floor more completely, updating kitchen cabinets and counters, and installing some new light fixtures. Lina’s advice was spot on. She really understands the market and what it takes to make a house marketable. From the timing, to the paint colors, we just did everything she told us to do and it worked. Our Montclair house was our nest egg and she helped us maximize what we could get for it. 

What’s turned out better than you expected?

Our other challenge was the endless decluttering. We had to get rid of so much! It was hard to let go of what we’d held onto for decades. For months, we spent most weekends giving things away and filling up a dumpster. But now, it feels so good to live a more streamlined life. It’s been great to learn that we can make do with a lot less “stuff.” The fact that we didn’t have to let go of our relationships in the area probably made the whole move a little easier.

Photos: Top - Carol and John in front of their new home; Bottom - their former Montclair home. 

OPEN HOUSE

SATURDAY 2/29 & SUNDAY 3/1

1:00 - 4:00 PM

Offered at $1,079,000

If you're not a fan of Tudor style homes this one will change your mind the minute you walk through the front door.

Dark, no. Tiny nooks and crannies, not here.

85 Undercliff is the complete opposite. With generously scaled rooms and light flooding in through the countless windows, this home was made for both living and entertaining. [...]

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday 2/22 & Sunday 2/23

1 - 4 PM

Offered at: $689,000

Living in a smartly designed home makes a lot of sense and 9 Windermere Road will make any buyer feel like a genius.

Right-sized throughout with ample, open living spaces and an efficient floor plan, you'll feel right at home the minute you open the door.