The FSBO - the for sale by owner sign that actually HURTS your chances of selling

 Once upon a time you could put a for sale sign in the yard and your house would sell. In 2012, selling a home is not that simple: popping a sign in the ground is just one of the many steps you take to attract a buyer. Placing an ad in the paper, telling your friends and neighbors, holding an open house, putting some photos on the Internet and even hiring a Broker, might help you find a buyer, but you are a long way from getting to a closing.  Even after you sell your house, there are many hurdles that you have to continually jump over to keep that sale on track, in order to get to a closing.

 Today you actually have to sell your house SIX times!  At Towne Realty Group in Short Hills, we want you to be aware of the hurdles and how to avoid them.

1. First you must sell to the Realtors – if the local Brokerage community does not agree with your pricing, they may show your house once, but they won’t push it or rush to get their buyers in. They are the match makers and you have to get them excited. If the house is too difficult to show, the price too high, the commission too low, the amount of work needed too much of an obstacle, or if they don’t believe a seller is serious or motivated, they won’t waste their time. There is always another house to show…  They don’t really care which house they sell, they just want to sell something and they will take the path of lease resistance.

2. Second - sell to the buyers – if the buyers don’t fall in love with your home, they won’t come back. They may look once, but the 2nd showing is usually when you know you have serious interest. If the buyer comes once but does not come back, they have rejected your home. Often when the price is reduced, they will come back for another look, but if you wait too long, they may have moved on. This is a courtship and you have to keep them interested.

3.  Third – sell to the family – buyers often want a second opinion and this could be the parents, the kids, an uncle or a sibling. Just to make sure they are not making a mistake, they may even bring a close friend to reassure them that this is the right house.  Sadly, this visit is often the kiss of death…

4. Fourth - sell it to the attorneys – if your house gets an offer and goes into attorney review, this is a phase where lawyers sometimes add language or clauses that can kill a deal. Often the attorney is a family friend or someone who dabbles in real estate; and they believe they are doing you a favor. This is not the case. Even if the buyer is getting a discount, an attorney who does not regularly practice in real estate, could miss some important issues and really create problems. The attorney review can end in an hour, a day or last for weeks. (In NJ we have a 3 day attorney review and in Essex, Morris & Union counties, most of our transactions have both a buyer and seller’s attorney. This is less common in Southern NJ, but if the attorneys don’t get along or agree, the house may go back on the market.)

Always a good idea to pre-inspect before you list

5. Fifth - sell it to the home inspectors – even when you disclose issues about oil tanks or old leaks in the roof or the the basement, or admit to broken appliances, the home inspectors can come and frighten a buyer. We call this the cold-feet-renegotiating-phase. Inspectors can convince a buyer that the issue is bigger and may cost more to repair or replace. One of the main reasons a sale of a home falls apart is due to home inspection issues that cannot be successfully resolved with credits or repairs that are acceptable to all parties.

Will the house appraise for the purchase price?

6. Sixth - sell it to the appraiser – just because a buyer is willing to pay a certain price for a property, does not mean the bank will agree to lend the money. The house has to appraise and if the recent comparable sales are low (due to short sales, divorce, job transfer or desperate sellers) this can impact the the fair market value. Often the appraiser comes from a depressed area or is unfamiliar with the comps. When an appraisal comes in low, the price may need to be lowered or the buyer has to come up with more cash. If neither of these solutions will work, the house goes back on the market.

Being prepared in advance with the right timing, staging, pricing and finesse of a good listing agent, can help you avoid these pitfalls. Doing a home inspection in advance, resolving glaring issues up front or being prepared to offer reasonable credits, hiring a knowledgable real estate attorney and knowing the comps, can save you a lot of heartache and help you get to a closing. For a consultation about how to get your house sold quickly and at a good price, call Karen Bigos at 201-417-1600. Check out our website for many exclusive listings coming on every week.

Our sold signs are all over TOWNE

Oh and I almost forgot – Sellers need to be sold on the idea to stage it and price it right in the first place or the house will probably just languish on the market for months.

Here is what has happened in the last year for both towns. As you will see. Prices are down, inventory is down, but for 2012, I predict that demand is UP because the commute to Manhattan and the Millburn public schools are still among the best in the state and prices are still very high, incomparison to many neighboring or nearby communities. We are also seeing a spike in our Sunday open house activity, an increase in our Internet leads across many high traffic real estate websites and the first two weeks of January we had contracts and multiple offers on many local properties. In fact, a brand new listing in Short Hills for $1,150,000 at 173 Tennyson Drive, garnered 11 offers in less than a week.

Millburn NJ Real Estate Stats for 2011

The Millburn Market had fewer homes for sale and this chart breaks down the new listings coming on the market in each month, as well as the average list price (which dropped from January 2011 to December 2011), the average days on the market, the list price to sale price (although this does not include what the original list price may have been and a number of properties were reduced in price before they sold). This shows the number of closings by month ( a total of 75 homes for the year) and you can see that the market dropped significantly as we suffered setbacks from Hurricane Irene at the end of August.  One thing is clear, the inventory built up towards the end of the year, the prices dropped (possibly because of an early and debilitating snow storm in late October) and prices were the highest with the most trades in the spring and lots of closings in summer, starting with the end of the school year in June.

 

Short Hills, NJ Real Estate Stats for 2011

The market in Short Hills, with much higher prices and a larger volume of inventory overall, followed similar patterns in many of the categories. The most expensive homes (over $2,ooo,ooo) came out in the spring market and the bulk of the closings took place largely over the summer months. In January the average list price was just over $1,300,000 and by the end of the year that number had dropped to $1,182,571. A similar pattern was established from the average closed prices as January started out at approximately $1,286,000 and by December the average closed price dropped to $1,218,000. From July to the end of the year there were only 2 closings at $2mm and over. The luxury market completely dropped off and there was a direct correlation to a slow down in the month of November, following the damage of the freak snow storm on October 30th. November was not a good month in comparison to other years.

 

To view the active multiple listings in Millburn, Short Hills or any of the local communities in the Garden State Multiple Listing Service, just visit our website. We also have many exclusive listings coming to the market and we track all of the new construction, tear downs and sales and listings in every price range and neighborhood.

 

Our sold signs are all over TOWNE

For an update on the market in your neighborhood, call us and we will be happy to consult with you. 973-376-8300. With the mild winter in 2012, the market has been very active with many buyers trying to buy early and take advantage of low interest rates.

 

A New Year - Some New Ideas

Looking back on 2011, it was a very tough year in Residential Real Estate in my hometown of Millburn and Short Hills, NJ, there were many factors that made it harder than ever to sell or buy a home. Some obstacles are out of my control (like the behavior of the buyers, Realtors, lawyers, extreme weather, lenders and appraisers) but others can be avoided and for the New Year, I’m turning over a new leaf and keeping my eyes open on what can, and will go awry.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not afraid of hard work, in fact, I enjoy challenges and I actually derive a lot of satisfaction from throwing myself into difficult projects and conquering them. Since I opened Towne Realty Group in 2006, I have to commited to working hundreds of hours of labor without pay (which is exactly what Real Estate agents do every day.) I don’t get paid one dime until after a closing, the first month’s rent is paid, or passing of title. Even better, I usually spend thousands of dollars of my own funds to promote a property (with floor plans, photos, brochures, web postings, videos, postcard mailings, ads in local papers, open house luncheons and other expenses) for weeks, months and even years, without ever getting paid; that’s right, I lay out the money, work for free and earn nothing, sometimes for over a year, until a buyer is found and the closing has passed.

Starting with sellers – there are some things must be addressed.

1.  Are the mortgage and taxes current? (These days, I don’t always get the truth so I need to conduct my own mini title search to be sure.)
2.  Is there enough equity to sell the house for less than the ‘dream’ price and still pay closing costs and commissions?
3.  Does this person/family need to move or is this just a passing fancy, if the price is right? How strong is the motivation?
4.  Can the seller afford to buy if they don’t sell first? Should I be running out to show this prospect homes if the sale of their own home is the only way they can qualify as a purchaser?
5.  If this seller is also a buyer: Have they spoken to mortgage lender or a bank to have credit checked and get pre-approved for a loan? With banks tightening up their lending requirements, if a credit score dips below 700, that alone can kill a deal. 

6.  Can the seller say out load: “I know I may need to sell for what I paid or less than what I paid for this house, and I can live with that.” If those words cannot be uttered, this could be a dead end. 

Knowing what the clients have paid and invested, and understanding their expectations of what they will net, is critical to the process of listing, selling and getting to a closing.  If a seller is moving into rental, rather than buying another home, this becomes less important, but they still need to have decent credit or enough cash to get into a rental. Landlords often require credit checks with decent scores or several months of rent paid up front, if there is a problem with the tenant’s financial history.

One of the things that takes the most time is going over the seller disclosures and understanding the history of the house and the land.

IS THERE A SURVEY? I will look for a copy of the survey and really push them to find it in their papers, the safety deposit box or with the last attorney or agent who assisted them in a closing or refinance. In some cases, I have requested that they get a new one. It can cost up to $1,000, but not having a survey has caused delays and it can force a seller to leave money on the table.

Easements, boundary disputes, and tax records with incorrect lot sizes and acreage can be instant deal killers. If the land is measured incorrectly, it can also impact the tax assessments and create a higher and unfair property tax.

In 2012, I will be reviewing the old sold and expired listings, making sure the lot size adds up and doing my own math on the measurements. I was shocked to find that the municipal and multiple listing tax records were wrong on many properties. Lots sizes were off by as much as a QUARTER OF AN ACRE on one lot I examined. It is easy to calculate the lot size of a basic square or rectangular lot, but irregular shaped lots need to be evaluated by a qualified surveyor or architect so the acreage is listed accurately. A lot that is listed too small or one which has the size is overstated, is sure to have financial repercussions later.

Many disclosure items are obvious to the naked eye. I don’t need to interview a home inspector to see that a driveway is cracking, the front steps are deteriorating, the paint is peeling or that there has been water in the basement. What I can’t see is what is happening inside the chimney, whether there are hidden termites, if there is high radon level or whether an oil tank has leaked deep into the soil.

Even with all the proper papers showing an underground storage tank was abandoned properly, or a tank scan showing that there is no buried tank on the property from the previous owner, I can no longer trust those records and feel safe. Several of our listings in 2011 had serious problems with tanks that had long ago been emptied and filled with sand. If someone wants to hire me to list his house, the tank must come out first. If they do not agree, I will not move forward with the listing.  

This is my New Year’s Resolution: Remove that empty, abandoned tank, or I  will not accept the listing. Too many months and hours of my life have been spent arguing and discussing what I knew from the start – the tank must come out. We maintain a list of companies that will scan, dig, clean, and/or remove tanks. 

When was the last time someone poked his head inside that little trap door that leads to the attic? My last listing that had one of those hard-to-reach-attics that required a ladder to gain access through a small closet. The mold was so thick, that all new roof sheathing was required (meaning a new roof) and expensive mold remediation plan was needed to the tune of over $45,000.

NEVER AGAIN will I take a listing and not have someone qualified to peek into that crawl space in the attic and also the basement!  

A pre-listing home inspection is critical for sellers who have been in their homes for several years. Let’s just say I don’t like surprises. When it comes to selling a home, I call the building department and find out if there are open permits. I don’t want to find out later, that something easy can be resolved before I get started. Some open permits might actually trigger a tax increase or make it impossible for a seller to appeal his taxes.

Here are some other deal savers that I will be working on for 2012:

1.  Does the sump pump have a back up battery? If not, get one installed or consider a generator. In a year when Hurricane Irene and a freak autumn snow storm cut off power and gas for over week, twice within 2 months, many typically dry basements, took water. 

2.  Have you had any issues with your neighbors? On either side, behind you and across the street. I want to know about this up front so when the buyers are talking to the man raking the leaves, we don’t get a charming anecdote that can kill the deal.

3.  What insurance claims have you made on your home? Sometimes too many claims will be recorded on a particular home and make a house harder to insure, as if it has a pre-existing condition.

4.  Knowing some of the answers to feng shui questions up front can also help. Since approximately 40% of our buyers are foreign born, the direction of the house, the way the stove faces and the energy or karma of the house can be vital to the deal.

5.  Can you and should you get flood insurance? It can’t hurt to review the flood maps in any area and make sure that this property is or is NOT in a flood plain or zone.

As always, there are no guarantees that following these steps will make things easier. In fact, all of these recommendations take extra time, money, patience and may just end the notion of moving forward, but at least I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I did my homework and came into the transaction fully prepared. If you have questions about any of these points, please give me a call at 201.417. 1600.

Karen Bigos - Broker/Owner of Towne Realty Group in Short Hills, NJ

Always eager to get involved in the community, the agents and employees of Towne Realty Group’s Short Hills, NJ office, 

Agents and Employees of Towne Realty Group pose with some of the coats we have collected

are collecting gently used coats to contribute to the Jersey Cares Coat Drive.  We are asking friends, neighbors and clients to look through your closets and see if you can find just one coat to help someone in need. If you cannot get to our office to drop them off, we can come to you and pick them up! We are almost at 100 coats and we want more! The deadline for contributions is this Friday, December 16th!

Jersey Cares is an amazing organization, that helps at-risk residents of New Jersey, stay warm by organizing, promoting, collecting, sorting and distributing thousands of coats each year. Last year alone they contributed 50,000 coats to local citizens and they are trying to increase that number in this, their 16th annual coatdrive.  

The Mission Statement for Jersey Cares says it all:

The Jersey Cares logo, helping people in NJ

Our Mission Statement: Jersey Cares increases civic engagement in New Jersey by coordinating volunteer opportunities to address community-identified needs. 

We also invite you to get your children involved by participating in the Note in a Coat Program:

The Note in a Coat program works to increase the number of children’s coats donated and to personalize the experience for those receiving and giving coats. Through Note in a Coat, children donating coats, write short notes to children receiving coats through the Jersey Cares Coat Drive. The notes are individually placed in the pockets of each coat. The children typically write short notes saying hello, telling the recipient something about themselves, expressing their favorite memory in the coat, and that they hope the recipient enjoys the coat. The goal of this program is to engage children in service by making the experience interactive and meaningful.

Donations can be made delivered to the office during business hours: Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

A Jersey Cares coat drive sign is displayed in Towne Realty Group's front window at 511 Millburn Avenue, Short Hills, NJ - corner of Campbell Rd

For more information, call 973.376.8300 or visit our website at http://www.TowneRealtyGroup.com - feel free to follow us on facebook and join in our real estate and community conversation at http://www.facebook.com/TowneRealtyGroup

Many thanks to the folks who have already dropped off over 150 coats to our office!

The holidays are a busy time and as everyone rushes around trying to get a million things done;  we let our guards down. Buying gifts, decorating homes and offices, planning parties, booking travel arrangemens and often out shopping and dining after dark, can be dangerous. 

Millions of people come to Short Hills, NJ to visit our fabulous Mall at Short Hills for Christmas and Hanukah shopping and we all need to be careful and focused in the stores and in the parking lots.

Historically, this is a time of year when a lot of robberies occur. The economy is stuggling and criminals seem to come out of the woodwork to steal purses, break into cars, rob houses and rip off your credit card. With all the excitement of the holiday season it is easy to miss an extra charge on your statement . The message here is to be on high alert and take extra precautions, to avoid being a victim.

Just 2 days ago, as reported in The Item, a thief stole a generator from the OUTSIDE of someone’s Short Hills’ home. We have heard stories of delivery people coming to the front door with flowers or plants saying they need a signature. DON’T OPEN THE DOOR. Tell them to leave the package outside and you will get it later.  It goes without saying that babysitters must be told DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR FOR ANYONE!

Here are a list of tips to follow while out and about, shopping and at home. You’ve probably heard most of them before from a police officer or in an email, but it can’t hurt to be reminded, and to share these with friends and family.

1. ALWAYS zip your purse and hold it close to your body. Empty out what you do not need while shopping so there is less to lose. If possible, take only the credit card you need, and keep it in a zippered pouch close to your body where someone cannot bump into you and scan it right out of your wallet. (Yes there are scanners that will copy your credit card numbers without every touching the card.)

2. Do not go shopping without charging your cell phone. You may need it to call 911 and it is always best to shop with a friend, in daylight, than to go at alone at night.

3. When you are walking to your car, have your keys out of your purse, in your hand, ready to open the door. No last minute fumbling in your bag while outside. If you are parked next to a big van, you may want to get help from a security guard, before getting into your car. Don’t waste time putting things in your trunk, get your packages into the car with you quickly, and then LOCK YOUR DOORS.

4.  Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and sit checking email or listening to voicemail. DO NOT DO THIS.  Predators will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, and put a gun to your head.

Update your facebook status later and GO!                                           

R.E. (Real Estate) Advent in Millburn, NJ - What’s it all about anyway?  I don’t really know since I celebrate Hannukah, but my friend Stephanie Mallios and I are looking for ways to bring lots of attention to my hometown for holiday shopping.  

Watch my video and come follow me as I figure it out!

http://www.trghome.com/towne_realty_video13.asp

 

Downtown Millburn, NJ at the intersection of Millburn Ave and Main St – our favorite Starbucks

From December 1st to until Christmas eve, Karen Bigos and Stephanie Mallios of Towne Realty Group in Short Hills, NJ, will hit the town of Millburn, NJ to shop, dine, pamper ourselves and have fun, in time for the holidays. We hope you will follow us and learn about all the great stores, restaurants, salons, coffee and ice cream shops in our hometown. Our first stop was the fabulous Paper Mill Playhouse where we picked up tickets to White Christmas (playing now) and A Christmas Carol (on stage Dec. 10th & 11th). There are a bunch of great shows for children and a season line-up that rivals Broadway! Monday & Tuesday nights there is a shopping boutique in the art gallery from 5 to 10 pm and also a musical light show in the front courtyard that kids will love starting at 6pm.

Karen & Stephanie buying tickets at Paper Mill Playhouse call 973-376-4343 for tickets

So what is Advent? I asked that question in a video I posted on facebook and one of my friends from high school described it this way. “Advent is a Christian season of waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. The Advent calendar is something children can use to mark the days leading up to Christmas. I think the reason the days are out of order is to make it a game to hunt for the right day. It makes it much more fun when the days are out of order!” (thanks to Meredith Ward for her post.)

What started as a Christian fasting holiday, is now best known for candy-filled calendars that children love to use as they countdown to Christmas.  This year Christmas and Hannukah overlap and the celebrations will blend together for many families who observe both holidays. Since my family observes the Festival of Lights, which begins at sundown on December 21st, my personal Advent Calendar has a bit of a R.E  ‘Jew’-venate twist to it. In addition to Christmas presents, I’m also shopping for 8 days of Hannukah gifts.

Since I love my hometown of Millburn, NJ and I enjoy supporting small businesses, I decided to head down Millburn Avenue, just a few blocks from my office at Towne Realty Group, where it becomes a one way street, and is this where our journey begins.

Looking east on Millburn Avenue, just as you enter the Downtown of Millburn, NJ

Our stop for Dec. 1st was Babyland Toystore at 382 Millburn Avenue (started on Essex Street back in 1953) this family-owned business has a great selection of toys, offers free gift wrap and friendly service from Karen and Deb, the owners.

Babyland Toystore at its new location of 382 Millburn Ave.

Karen from Babyland will always help you with a smile

Seed387,  Simple Elegant Design, is one of our favorite new gift and home furnishing boutiques in town, bringing a touch of SoHo to Millburn.  Meet us there on December 6th for lots of specials, discounts, great teacher gifts and early holiday shopping for friends and family. You’ll get to meet Nancy and Judy, the two owners who live in town.

Partners and Owners Nancy and Judy inside Seed387

After all this shopping and walking around town, we definitely needed a bite to eat and a drink so we made our way over to the new restaurant called Moonshine Supper Club at 55 Main Street. (formerly restaurant mc). The owner of Moonshine also owns The Brass Rail in Hoboken and he is no stranger to the restaurant business. This place has a separate bar on one side, a beautiful restaurant to the left and an entire 2nd floor with additional seating space and a party room. We happen to have our own bottle of TOWNE wine with us for this photo, but it is not a BYOB place.

Karen and Steph with our personal Towne Wine - made by Larkin Wines

 It was a busy, fun-filled start to advent, with much more to follow. Stay tuned for specials and lots of fun gift ideas! Some dates to mark in your calendar: Dec 4th – The Snowflake Parade, perfect day for a hot cocoa at Starbucks.

December 6th we’ll be at Seed387 for another Girl’s Night Out with specials and discounts

December 8th Karen is meeting a bunch of her high school friends for lunch at the Millburn Deli.

December 10th we’ll be at The Paper Mill to see A Christmas Carol.

Story by Contributing Writer Beverly 'Bev' Meaux of Towne Realty Group

From January – September of this year, 203 residential (single family) homes sold in Maplewood, NJ. The first 6 months of the year recorded 116 residential homes selling at an average sales price of $487,353 and 7 multi-family (2-4 family) homes sold at an average sales price of $326,771. Of the 116 residential homes that sold, 23 were over asking price, 13 were at asking and 26 sold within $10,000 of the asking price.

When you begin your hunt for a home, most are always curious to know what a home sold for and what is happening with the prices in a particular town or neighborhood. Feel confident that you can always turn to the experienced agents at Towne Realty Group, Short Hills, NJ and get the information you need.

My husband and Real Estate partner Bob Meaux and I, love researching and talking about Real Estate. We also enjoy helping homeowners figure out the best options for them given their current situation. We specialize in our hometown of West Orange, NJ and are extremely knowledgeable in Maplewood, South Orange, Millburn, Short Hills, Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield and surrounding North Jersey towns. We make it our business to be informed about the schools, shopping, recreation, taxes, government, transportation and even dining all over these communities.

To focus on real estate we compare the first half results of the Real Estate market for the past 11 years, we see that the most number of residential homes sold in 2002 with 187 and the highest average sales price of $560,423 was attained in 2006 when 32 fewer homes sold, compared to 2002. The stats show 2006 was also the year for South Orange, NJ when the year reigned as the one with the most single-family homes sold, at 138, for the highest average sales price of $675,731.

More homes sold in the third quarter than in the first and second, which had 46 and 70 residential home sales respectively, but the third quarter average sales price of $476,021 couldn’t beat the second quarter average sales price of $500,717. Of the 80 residential homes sold in third quarter, 5 were short sales and 3 were foreclosures. Twenty-four percent of the residential homes that sold during the third quarter were either at or over asking price: 7 were over asking price, 12 at asking price, also 17 were within $10,000 of the asking price. Pricing is always relative, though, and when we work with buyers and sellers, we like to look under these numbers to help them reach a decision.

For example, out of the 19 residential homes that sold at or over asking price, Bob and I researched that just over half, 52.7%, either had at least one price reduction before it sold, or was previously listed in the past 12 months at a higher price than what it traded. If we take this into account, only 9 homes out of the 80 sold between July – September actually sold at or over its original asking price in an average of only 26 days with an average sales price of $660,222. These 9 homes were represented by 8 different REALTORS® across 6 different Real Estate agency offices – one of which was us, Towne Realty Group, representing 2 of the transactions. A large majority of them may not have been professionally staged, but they were all clean, de-cluttered and in move-in-condition.

Year-over-year the third-quarter 2011 average sales price is the lowest it has been since 2003, while the number of homes sold has stayed relatively constant between 78 and 88 since 2007. The average SP/LP ratio, which is the percentage difference between how much a home was listed for compared to what it actually traded for, was the lowest this year at 95.6%, lower than it has been in the past 11 years.

Turn to Towne Realty Group for all your Real Estate answers. To work with a great team, you can always contact Bob and Bev Meaux.

Be in the KNOW, with Bob and Bev Meaux

Cell: 201-925-8199 (Bev) 

           201-647-6144 (Bob)

email: Sold@BevAndBobHomes.com

http://www.BevAndBobHomes.com

October 21, 2011 is a day that many residents of North Jersey have been waiting for; the grand opening of a new and breathtaking restaurant called McLoone’s Boathouse, one in a chain with seven famous locations down at the Jersey shore and one in Maryland.

Sitting on the water’s edge of the 2000 acre South Mountain Reservation in West Orange, NJ, this beautiful, newly constructed building, captures the attention of all who drive by the Codey Arena, Turtle Back Zoo and the recently built Miniature Golf Safari Complex on the corner of Northfield Avenue and Pleasant Valley Way, at 9 Cherry Lane,  just minutes from South Orange, Maplewood, Short Hills and Livingston.

Just next door to the multi-level parking garage for NJ Transit bus commuters, and the newly opened Tree Top Adventure Course and Zipline ride, this restaurant is not only offering one of the most majestic views of the water, with bright afternoon sun on a huge outdoor patio, but the fall foilage will soon be peaking with amazing colors, for spectacular vistas across the water that is full of ducks and two fountains that go on and off intermittently. Every few minutes the powder blue choo choo train from the zoo, whistles through the woods across the water, and reminds you where you are. Otherwise you would be lost in the beauty and forget all about anything else that matters.

McLoone's Boathouse Restaurant - an architectural beauty

McLoone’s offers a lunch menu with 17 Apps, Paninis, Sandwiches, Raw Bar, Soups, Salads and a Six Burger selections.  Most items are in the range of $10.95 to $12.95, with a few above and below, and six side order of veggies are available. The Dinner Menu has a number of the same items for a few dollars more, plus Sushi, and a broad selection of fish and steaks that range from 22.95 to $34.95. There are many different dining areas, some of which have huge black and white photographs covering the walls, from the turn of the century, 1920′s and 1930′s. The bar has over 40 stools, with several flat screen tv’s all around, and one of many floor to ceiling stone fireplace that makes the 20′+ ceilings seem cozy.

The Bar is in the center of a room with windows and French doors all around, leading to a HUGE wrap around patio

This is definitely a place where sports enthusiasts will want to come and watch football and baseball games, with a lots of room at the bar and the surrounding tables. There are many rooms to choose from, but the most exciting place to relax will be on the expansive outdoor patios with the fire pit, fireplaces, the view the gardens, river walk and and the splendour of the reservation beyond the water.  Seating areas with comfy couches and chairs, beautiful furniture with cushions, will make this a favorite spot for happy hours as well. Even at 4 pm, lots of people were milling about and eager to explore this expansive restaurant on this perfect Saturday in October.

No matter the season, this will be a gathering place for people to bask in the sun, watch the snow fall or enjoy the spring fowers bloom and the fall colors change. The combination of modern architecture with historic images and the breathtaking view, all lend to providing an escape from the everyday dining experience. I personally can’t wait to go back for my second visit.

McLoone's Patio has a circular fire pit with comfy chairs all around

For information about private parties and large-party bookings, please contact Danielle Butera at 862-252-7108 or via email at dbutera@mcloones.com. You can book your reservations online.

The view from the water's edge shows just part of the wrap around patio in back and a huge sun dial is in the center of a long river walk

The view from the patio is of the water and thousands of trees in the South Mountain Reservation

Getting Married & Buying A Home Go Hand in Hand

I’m sure there are people who can tell you they fell in love and got married after the first date. There are no studies on how many of those couples are still together and happily married, but it is rare when someone buys the first house they see after the initial visit.  The whole process of finding your soul mate and your dream home, is a nerve-wracking, labor-intensive, exciting time. Full of drama, doubt and anxiety, with many questions and concerns. Is this the right one, will it last, will we be happy? Can we afford it?

The questions are very similar for both getting married and finding a home.  The emotions people experience when they fall in love with a person and with a property, are often similar too.

Every prospect who walks through the door is like someone on a blind date.  Buyers go from house to house on the first “date” and they either get that feeling that the house has potential, or they want to leave without seeing the basement. Sometimes they are in and out so fast you don’t even have to ask; this was not the right house and they wanted to leave.  It reminds me of many dates I had in my 20′s; I knew right away whether there was any chemistry with the guy who was sipping his beer across from me in that bar. There was no point in staying for dinner if we did not even enjoy our first drink together.

How many frogs did you kiss before you found your prince?

You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, as the saying goes, and a large percentage of home buyers visit 10 to 20 properties before they make an offer.

It’s very similar to meeting that person with a certain sparkle, who you find attractive, and want to see again. When you walk in the front door of a home, you have a sense that this could be ‘The One’ and you want to linger, open the closets, place your furniture, imagine yourself living there. 

For Realtors, the idea is to get buyers to come back again for that all-important second look, to single out their top choices in a sea of homes, and find the one property (that they can afford) that really speaks to them.  How many people are living in homes (including me) that they NEVER thought they would buy? (I did want a split-level style home, but this house worked, even though I preferred a colonial). How many people are married to a partner that they NEVER expected to be ‘The One’?  Ask any couple from two different religions if they were looking to meet and marry someone outside their religion, more often than not, it just happens, they did not plan it that way. They got that feeling and made it work.

If the Buyer’s Real Estate Agent is the matchmaker, my job is entice that agent, keep him interested and hope that he continues selling your house during the entire visit. Few people buy a house they have seen just once.  They often want to bring someone (husband, wife, parent, friend, neighbor, relative) back for a second opinion, and they rely heavily on the Broker’s advice.  Selling your house is similar to the courtship process and you Mr Seller, need to set the stage properly, put some lipstick on, and make the buyers fall in love and stay in love. That is how romance works. You can’t sell the house and then cop an attitude and ignore your buyer. The romance continues until you get to the closing. Believe me, many buyers lose interest and walk away, just as many printed wedding invitations never make it to the post office.

How do we turn a blind date into the buyer for your home? Here’s how we do it at Towne Realty Group in Short Hills, NJ.

• We need to mobilize the brokers to get their buyers excited. Unfortunately, most agents do not care which house they sell, as long as they get the fee. In the Short Hills, NJ market, that is usually 2% to 3%, depending on the price range or if it is new construction. Don’t be less than the competition, your house will be less attactive.
• We need to examine and understand the house hunting & buying process and make your home as accessible and desirable as possible. You will not get ‘the ring’ (a contract) if the buyers are not in love with your home or feel a sense of urgency. You need to look better than your competition and being nicer helps too.
• We need to respond to the activity, the offers or the lack thereof.  If you rarely get a second ‘date’ it may be time to make some changes.  If you are getting proposals (offers) that do not meet your standard, you may need to adjust your thinking.  At the end of the day, qualified buyers determine the value and we need to listen and respond to what they are saying.
• We need to continually review the feedback and the competition and be proactive.  Are other houses selling?  Are other houses being repositioned? Are there comments that you can actually respond to? (If the buyers complain about traffic, you can’t change that, but if the carpet or paint is unappealing, you can fix those things and make the house more ‘sexy and desireable’

We will look at your neighborhood, focusing on the other homes with similar features, location and property that compare to your home to establish a range of value and a selling strategy.  If you are serious about selling your home, you may need counseling and a change of attitude.

One of my agents recently described a house as being tired and in need of a face lift or botox. Seriously, how many people looking for love are doing just that to make themselves more appealing in the dating scene?

Let me help you make a match and you can walk right down that aisle to a closing!

Millburn Ave is closed at Main St so you can walk down the road and the sidewalks

Every autumn for over twenty years, The Millburn-Short Hills Chamber of Commerce sponsors a day of fun and games for the entire family to enjoy our wonderful shopping district.  The police close off part of Downtown Millburn, on Millburn Avenue to hold a street fair with artists, a food court, face painting booths, stationary pony rides and over 150 exhibitors who reserve a spot between  to show off their wares.  From paintings, jewelry, photographs, toys, doll clothing, wood furniture, sports memorabilia, soaps, and dozens of unique holiday gifts and handmade crafts, this is a great way to stock up on your early holiday shopping.

Kids enjoy pony rides and getting their faces painted