When I moved to this area, close to 30 years ago, it was all about the detail. Whether a home was big or small, most of us were looking for craftsmanship -- a house with good bones. And this area is brimming with [...]
One thing I love about this area is how individual the homes are. Even within broad categories like Colonial or Tudor, there are so many variations. And even within all that individuality resides an extremely small [...]
When you're pricing your home, it's always tempting to ask for a bit more than you expect - to leave a little room for negotiating. But this strategy actually doesn't work.
According to industry experts, houses priced 10% over their ultimate selling price typically receive no offers. In fact, even houses priced a mere 5% too high will [...]
Right now in Montclair, houses are selling for 103% of asking price. Meaning: on average, most sellers are getting 3 percent more than they list their home for. This is great for sellers! But how do buyers protect themselves from considerably overpaying for a [...]
What does it take to make a perfect commuter home?
o New York bus one block away! o 21-minute commute to midtown! o High end cook's kitchen! o Central air conditioning and outdoor hot tub! o Big bright family room! o Cozy fireplace! o Basement Rec Room! o Quiet neighborhood! o Easy highway [...]
Rugs. End tables. Vases. Patio Furniture. The back of my garage looks like an aisle at Home Goods. Am I getting ready for a yard sale?
Au contraire. I'm getting ready to sell your home.
Today's buyers expect a house to be presented to the market in its very best light. No one wants to see "grandma" furniture and doilies when they're house [...]
This LA Times article about Zillow estimates is from a year ago, but it recently resurfaced on my social media pages and seems worth sharing. For homeowners, Zillow seems like the best thing since sliced bread. A do-it-yourself tool to determine home values. Unfortunately, it's not the last word in valuation and is often [...]
I have a friend who, whenever she moved into a new place, always took one of the smaller bedrooms for herself (and her husband), giving the master bedroom to her young daughter. Since I've known her, she's lived in three different homes and has done this each and every time. I thought it was crazy, but she'd always explain that her daughter [...]
This expanded Cape offers the best of so many worlds! With four good-sized bedrooms, 44 Rector Place in Bloomfield is more house than it appears at first. Freshly painted, refinished hardwood floors and a breakfast nook that overlooks the golf course, this home is in ready for its next [...]
Once upon a time, this house was just a single room. A Dutch oven was used for cooking and warmth and a bed built into the wall was hidden by heavy curtains during the day.
Old homes have plenty of stories, and this old home is no exception. An historic landmark, the Van Houten House was reportedly built around 1800 and expanded as part of [...]
