Clutter is a topic that my clients and I can talk about for hours. 

It’s no secret that one of a real estate agent’s first directives to a potential seller is “Get rid of the clutter.” This is obviously easier said than done.

I just came across some research studies that tie an organized, uncluttered home to feelings of well-being, [...]

As I write this, the snow is falling outside my window, blanketing my bluestone patio and starting to coat the bushes in the backyard. It will snow for hours, and it will be beautiful.

The new year started cold. I don’t mind the cold, as long as I have a warm house with a fire to return to. Still, my first thought was: “How long until spring?” I’m not a big “resolution” maker, but one thing I want to try and do more of this year is notice what’s beautiful, and take the time to really take it in.

As I was driving past Edgemont Park yesterday, I did just that. 

Situated in the center of Montclair, Edgemont is one of the beautiful year-round gems of this town. Majestic trees, renovated playground, big fountain in the middle of the graceful pond. But when it gets cold — very cold — it turns into something right out of the Saturday Evening Post.

The pond doesn’t freeze solid every year, but when it does, it’s magical. The ice becomes thick enough to skate on and suddenly, the park is transformed. People come from all over town to skate Edgemont Pond, gliding past the statue or zipping around with hockey sticks, aiming at one of the goals that someone has hauled over in their SUV.  There have been years when the town provides hot chocolate on the bank of the pond — the type of memory many of us have from when we were kids. The type of memory many of us dream of for our own children.

I used to live right across the street from that pond. In fact, I taught all three of my children to skate at Edgemont. One thing I’ll admit, however, is that sometimes I took that magical view for granted. I love my new home, but my backyard is not a Norman Rockwell. 

Some clients are reluctant to put their homes on the market in the winter. They think their house will show better in the spring. But the cold has its own beauty, and there are plenty of great reasons to list before the spring thaw — the main one being less competition in the marketplace. If you’re thinking of selling — or buying — right now, give me a call. I’d love to take you through more of this beautiful place and time.

Photo credit: Michael Stahl at Portraits by Michael Stahl

You may have heard tales of frequent bidding wars in Montclair and Maplewood due to a shortage of inventory. However, the truth is, there's plenty of inventory to go around. In this case, “shortage” doesn’t necessarily refer to “number of homes” as much as it does to “what a buyer is looking for.”

I’ve written here about the misconception that sellers often have about what is “valuable;” this discrepancy between perception and reality comes into play regularly when some of us try and sell our parents’ china sets or old books. Generally speaking, today’s buyers don’t want Old Stuff. And when it comes to houses there are certain things they’re looking for: smaller spaces, new renovation, and walkability.

Unfortunately, not all the homes in these towns are small and “steps away from everything.” But this does not necessarily mean a seller won’t be able to sell or buyer won’t find a satisfactory home.

Smart sellers need to understand their customer base and do what they can to increase the appeal of their home – even if their home has been fine for them the way it’s been for 25 years.

And smart buyers need to be open to hidden opportunities and value that might not be evident from a simple walk through – for example, understanding the “value” of a location beyond merely how many steps it is to the nearest coffee shop.

A good real estate agent will help you find what you say you’re looking for – whether that means getting the price you hope to get or being able to check all the boxes on your wish list. A great real estate agent will educate you and make you smarter about a town or a process that you may not be so familiar with. That’s my job. I do it every day, often 7 days a week.

Whether you’re ready to buy or to sell, allow me to share my expertise with you.

I read somewhere that the average person is friends with 5 real estate agents. If that’s true, the good news is you'll have 5 people you know and trust who can help you buy or sell your house. The bad news is you can really only work with one of them.

The other bad news is that most newbies don't last very long in the business. The attrition rate is high, with 87% dropping out in the first 5 years. And of the agents currently working, most of the real estate “business” that you see around you (an estimated 80%) is being conducted by the top 20% of the agents in the area.

Listing with a friend can be a high-pressured situation, especially if he or she is new to the business. Of course, you want to help them but the truth is, they are learning the ropes on your largest financial asset – and that’s something you need to be aware of going in. Because an agent’s “education” can hit a seller in their wallet.

We’ve all gotten the call from someone we adore: “Hey, I just got my real estate license!” But it’s still wise to ask ourselves: Of the 5 real estate agents you may know, who's still learning on the job? Who's getting ready to drop out because it just isn’t as easy as it looks? Who's in the 80 percent, struggling to put together a few deals a year?  Who's selling real estate only on weekends and after their day job on Tuesdays?

I can tell you from my 13 years experience and over 200 homes I’ve sold, the more you’ve “seen” in real estate deals, the better equipped you are to service your clients. Contact me to learn more about what I can do for you whether you're buying or selling. 

People often ask me to explain how “teams” work in real estate agencies, and what it means for them as clients. The short answer is, it depends what kind of team it is.

“Small Teams”
Many agents discover that, while they may be great at educating clients about homes and negotiating deals, they are not as well-suited to the administrative [...]

Once upon a time, I lived in a big house by the park. It was the perfect place to raise my children. Then one day, with my children older and beginning to leave home, my house seemed too big for my life. So I moved to a smaller [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Home Staging has become one of the biggest buzzwords in world of selling real estate, yet many sellers are still perplexed by the concept. "Why do you want me to dismantle my photograph wall?" a client will ask. "It's one of my favorites parts of the [...]

As a real estate agent, and a person who loves living in Montclair, much of what I talk about focuses on the experience of being here (and walking here!). But there's plenty to know about the landscape of Montclair when buying a home, and here I'm not talking about lawns and [...]