If you own your own home, you know that landscaping can be expensive. This is one of the reasons that sellers who attend to their exterior – as well as their interior – add more than just curb appeal. They add actual value to their home.

Obviously, a backyard with terraced bluestone patios and a custom brick pizza oven offers that much-coveted Wow Factor. But there are plenty of small improvements that can make a big difference in how even a modest house shows on the market.

Here’s my top advice for clients – whether they’re listing their house next month or making landscaping decisions for the next ten years.

Stay On Top of Trees – Get your trees inspected regularly and deal with any that are dead or dying. West Orange now requires a tree inspection in order to get a certificate of occupancy before a home sale. If they find any dying trees or large dead limbs, they will require that you take them down. This may become a practice in other towns as well. Regular care can greatly improve the health of your trees.

Keep Foundation Plantings Small – Besides obscuring the house, tall or expansive plantings around your home’s foundation often limits the natural light that comes into your rooms. If you have foundation plantings that are overgrown and blocking windows, I usually advise having them removed before listing. Trimming rarely works unless you’ve pruned them back yearly. No one wants to hear this advice, but it makes a huge difference. If you’re considering tall plantings for privacy – on a busy street, say – you’re better off with a hedge by the sidewalk.

Make Your Walkway Night-Friendly – Homes are often shown after dark, so you want to make sure your buyers can find their way easily and safely to your front (and back) door. If you’re on a budget, there’s no need for either extravagant flood lighting or even hiring an electrician. Places like Home Depot carry solar powered lanterns that you can stick in the ground yourself.

Don't Worry About Planting Bulbs – If you’re planning to list in the spring, you might envision your house with dozens of tulips or daffodils brightening your front beds and be tempted to spend a lot of money on bulbs for the occasion. However, unless you’re happy to tend the garden, I usually say, don’t bother. Bulbs look great when they bloom, but their majesty is not only short-lived, they look pretty awful on their way out. Also, it’s hard to coordinate an open house with the weekend the tulips are in their prime. Instead, find some flowering plants that you can put in the ground as needed.

Clean Beds, Dark Mulch – This simple advice can truly transform the exterior vibe of a house. Edging your beds and applying fresh mulch signals that a yard is being tended to. And dark mulch provides a pleasing aesthetic. 

If you’re considering selling in the next year and want to do an exterior walk-about, give me a call. 973-809-5277

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82 Cumberland Ave in Verona is right-sized for smaller households with two bedrooms and easy, one floor living. On the lower level, a bonus in-law suite with its own entrance and screened in porch is perfect for overnight [...]

“Should I appeal my tax assessment?”

As the April 1^st tax appeal deadline approaches, that’s the question du jour.

Town-wide re-valuations are done every 5 to 10 years in an effort to fairly distribute the tax burden across all property owners according to the value of each property. However, sometimes the system fails. If your home was measured incorrectly or if an extra bathroom was inadvertently added into your assessment, you may be paying more than your fair share in real estate taxes. 

Over-assessment can also be the result of a neighborhood that declines in value relative to other neighborhoods, or a shift in buyer preference for a certain style of house. If you believe you’ve been assessed unfairly, you have the opportunity to challenge your assessment, and this is especially important to do if you’re planning on listing your house soon.

According to Jeffrey Otteau, one of New Jersey’s most respected appraisers, there’s not only a direct relationship between an over-assessed house and its selling price, there’s even a rule-of-thumb calculation you can apply to determine how much it will affect your selling price.

Otteau says that when selling, a home’s value is reduced by 7.5 times the excess valuation. So, for example, if most of the 1,800 SF, 2-Bath houses in the area have yearly taxes of $16,000 and the taxes on your 1,800 SF, 2-Bath house are $18,000, all other things being equal, that additional $2,000 translates to a $15,000 reduction in value in the marketplace.

The key in evaluating your tax burden is understanding how your home – and assessed taxes – compare with similar homes/taxes. I’m always happy to meet with sellers a year (or more!) before they put their house on the market to determine whether it’s worthwhile to challenge their current tax assessment. Call or text: 973-809-5277  

You research the school system. You collect the train schedules. You drive around the neighborhood after an open house. 

Buying a house means buying into a community. So, of course, information about schools and transportation is important. However, a big part of what most of my clients are looking for is a particular vibe. And in my [...]

Location, location, location - that old adage about the three most important aspects of a house. I always think of the first “location" as the town and the second “location” as the neighborhood within the town. I refer to both a lot when I talk about walkability – how close a home is to restaurants, errands, parks, public transportation. [...]

Montclair has been a popular destination for people coming from the city – New York City or any city – for a long time. But unlike most commuter suburbs, Montclair offers certain benefits that make the transition very easy.

Here are the top 5 things most of my clients are looking for – and find! – when moving from a big city to a suburb.

1. Train and Bus Lines into the Nearest City 

People who work in New York City have access to inbound and outbound trains throughout the day from 7 different stations. There are also trains to Hoboken. Two bus lines can take you to Port Authority almost hourly, with pick-ups throughout town. Access to both train and bus means even the occasional transit delay (sadly, that’s a reality) can sometimes be averted by simply going for a bus rather than a train, or vice versa. 

2. Public Transportation Options in Town

Montclair is a very walkable suburb, however, sometimes traveling by foot is not ideal. A bus runs through town, however most people rely on Uber, Lyft or local cabs if they don’t want to drive. In fact, I know a few people who have downsized to a single car for the family and now rely on bikes or cabs rather than pay insurance for a second car. 

3. Able to Walk to Restaurants

I would estimate that half the homes in town are within a 15-minute walk to a restaurant. That’s because there are so many distinct shopping hubs throughout Montclair. There are parts of town where walking is easier, and that’s part of the beauty of this town: there are plenty of choices for people who want a completely walkable lifestyle as well as for people who crave a bit more seclusion. 

4. Nearby Entertainment and Cultural Events 

There is always something to do here. There’s a big music scene -- from Outpost in the Burbs shows to Jazz at Trumpets, from concerts at the Wellmont to bar bands at Tierney’s. There’s a great movie theater and additional screenings from Montclair Film. There are live performances – local theater, opera, improv, and Montclair State University's Peak Performances series, which offer world renown dance and music in an intimate setting. Yogi Berra Stadium is also located at the college if you want to catch a baseball game. And the public library hosts a lecture series that’s often standing room only. All in town!

5. Close Enough for Friends to Visit

We are only 12 miles (as the crow flies) from midtown. Friends can take the bus out on weekends (or the train to Bay Street), or they can drive from most of Manhattan in under an hour. My New York friends still consider a trip out here like “going to the country.”