Is the Old Graydon Pool Safe?  Will the New Pool Project Lead Ridgewood Down a Path to Financial Ruin? Fox News Says "We Report - You Decide".  My tag-line on this subject would be more like... "I Vacillate - You Decide". I Love Graydon Pool the Way it Is! Whether the Pool Project is a Blessing or Boondoggle depends largely on who you ask.  We have a town divided.  I am a Ridgewood Resident with two young children and our family goes to Graydon.  I always liked the idea of the sand bottom and the natural look and feel of Graydon.  It made our pool different and more fun.  And, of course, I don't love the idea of our town making a huge investment during these uncertain financial times.  If you love Graydon the way it is be sure to visit the Preserve Graydon Coalition Site. The New Ridge... 10/21/2009

This Week's Ridgewood Home Sales Triple Last Week's Numbers... ...and are more than double from the week before that.  This week 15 Ridgewood Homes closed versus 5 last week and 7 the week before that.  These numbers bounce around from week to week but we are definitley seeing an upward trend. Ridgewood Real Estate Transactions for the Week Summary - Click Here for Full Details on All Homes Below5 new listings.5 homes marked as being in "attorney review".6 homes went under contract.15 homes were sold.  * For Ridgewood homes marked New, Attorney Review and Under Contract "Price" refers to the list price.  For homes marked Sold, "Price" refers to the final sale price.                   Street # Street Name BR Status Days on Market 2008 Taxes Style Price 481 GROVE 4 New  6 $9,160 C/C $428... 10/21/2009

5 Ridgewood Homes Sold This Week and the Average Sale Price Was $948,500 - Who are these people? The Old Story: First Time Home Buyers Lately we have seen a pick-up in activity in lower priced homes with some homes getting 5 or more offers and selling for significantly over their asking price...remember 2004?   The theory is that first-time home buyers are jumping in with both feet because of the first time home buyer credit and because they don't have homes to sell and thus they don't have to deal with the pain of taking a loss on the sale their existing homes as many trade-up and trade-down buyers do. The New Story: Trade-Up Buyers As mentioned above, the average sale price of a Ridgewood Home this week was $948,500.  Additionally, the average list price of the 6 homes that went into ... 10/21/2009

  Ridgewood, NJ Home = Potential list price $625,000 or $875,000??? Why do listing agents want to "buy" a listing by drastically overpricing?   This will always surprise me when competing for a listing. Most of the time, sellers realize the agent is not being forthright by over-inflating the sellers expectations to get the listing in Ridgewood, NJ. But, some sellers will buy into this salespitch. What this agent doesn't realize is drastic overpricing will cost both the seller & agent time & money.     Typically, the house will eventually sell for less money than if it were priced right the first time. I notice some agents & companies are constant "repeat offenders". When you show their listing it is the same reaction from the buyer - "Where did they come up with this price?".  Maybe som... 09/27/2009

It is always nice to see one of our local communities featured in the New York Times. However, this article pointed to a fight that is brewing in town. Whether to keep or get rid of Graydon Pool. Personally, I think it is a great piece of Ridgewood History. I would like them to clean it up and keep it. What is your opinion? 09/06/2009

RE/MAX of New Jersey has posted on their website the top 100 producing agents through July. Here is the list for individual agents by commission earned. There are a couple of Active Rain members on the list. Here are some rainers that I recognize. #51 Sheldon Neal and this other guy #81 Sal Poliandro. While 51 and 81 may not seem that great in a top 100 list, let's get some perspective on this. Some perspective from the RE/MAX NJ website. There are over 3,600 RE/MAX real estate associates in over 200 offices serving all communities throughout the state of New Jersey. Each RE/MAX agent is a specialist in his or her real estate market. RE/MAX associates average more sales per agents and hold more professional designations than any other sales people. Some quick math... if you make the top... 09/03/2009

YES! Well actually it depends on your situation. Scenarios of people who have to sell and should sell now. Estate situation: Someone passed away and now the estate is left with a property to sell. Waiting in this type of situation could be detrimental. First, the property should be gone through. There are personal items and family memories that should be passed from one generation to the next. After that, there will probably be other items. An estate or garage sale could be in order. Once that is done, my advice is to get the home cleaned out and ready for sale.   Divorce situation: Families are always going through situations. Divorce is all too common. During a divorce proceeding it is common for the judge to order that the home be sold and the proceeds split. Keeping the home in good... 08/31/2009

PRIVATE PARKLIKE 150 X 110 LEVEL LOT.  PLENTY OF FOLIAGE, MATURE OAKS & ESTABLISHED HEDGES. RARE COUNTRY SETTING IN RIDGEWOOD.  GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD. TOP RATED SCHOOLS.  ONE BLOCK  WALK TO WILLARD SCHOOL & PLAYGROUND. EZ COMMUTE TO MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL, NYC  LARGE LOT FOR GENEROUS EXPANSION POSSIBILITIES. To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/new-jersey-buy-single-family-home-11647262.html 08/29/2009

Ridgewood Vehicle, on S. Broad St. in Ridgewood, Named Best Body Shop by 201 Magazine Deirdre Ward, 201's Social Editor, says Ridgewood Vehicle  is her one-stop motor shop when it comes to auto service and repairs.  She says she is a repeat customer and has 5 drivers and 4 cars in her family so she is no stranger to fender-benders.  She counts on Ridgewood Vehicle's Ken Montick and his team to do a great job every time whether they are doing repairs, painting, body work, alignment or some other service. Ward says Ken's team offers competitive pricing and great turnaround time.  She says, "They are so good I recommend them to everyone." Related Ridgewood Articles Ridgewood's Office Beer Bar and Grill Named Best Sports Bar in Bergen CountyRidgewood's Country Pancake House Serves the Best ... 08/05/2009

Single Family Housing Starts Rose 14.4 Percent in June and Mortgage Applications Rose by 2.8 Percent Last Week Mortgage Applications CNBC reports that the Mortgage Bankers Association's loan application index rose by a seasonally adjusted 2.8% to 528.9 last week, in spite of the fact that 30 year mortgage rates rose by roughly one-quarter percentage point to 5.31 %". Click here for the full story. Housing Starts According to Mark Vitner, an economist at Wells Fargo, single-family housing starts have risen for 4 consecutive months. He says "The springtime is arguably the most important time of the year for homebuilders so this increase reflects an actual improvement in real activity, not simply a statistical improvement due to overly active seasonal adjustment." Building Permits The thi... 08/05/2009

Enouraging Signs Aboud for Ridgewood Real Estate Only 3 new listings  hit the market this week in Ridgewood.  Contrast this with the other activity this week: 9 homes went into Attorney Review (one of which was a home of the week in a recent post) Ridgewood Real Estate Round Up: June 13th - 19th 8 homes went Under Contract 7 homes were sold Seven Ridgewood homes are no longer on the market because they were sold and agreements were reached on another 17 Ridgewood properties.  I think we are starting to move from a buyers market to a balanced market. 9 Ridgewood Homes had Price Reductions This Week Street Number Street Name Street Mode Current Price BR Status 243 VAN EMBURGH AVE $377,000 2 A 615 KENWOOD RD $799,900 5 A 489 COLONIAL RD $839,900 6 A 239 CLAREMONT RD $875,000 4 A 234 GARDN... 08/05/2009

The clock is ticking for Ridgewood Home Buyers...tic...toc. The First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit expires on 12/1/2009 If you assume a Sixty-day window from contract to closing, there are now only Seventy Six days to find a Ridgewood Home and get it under contract. Keep the follow points in mind: Your gross income needs to be below $95k for singles and $170k for folks filing jointly. You are not eligible if you have owned a home in the last 36 months. You cannot purchase the property from a member of your family. The maximum credit is $8k or 10% of the total price of the home. For more detailed info consult the following resources: Info directly from the IRS FAQ's About The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Related Article Home Buyer's Tax Credit Plus 4 Other Reasons NOW is the Time to B... 08/05/2009

Home prices guaranteed to increase December 1, 2009    As of December 1, 2009 home prices are guaranteed to increase by $8,000 for first time homebuyers. You must take possession of your new home by November 30, 2009 to qualify for the first time homebuyer tax credit. The train is leaving the station, be on it or pay more come December 1st.   August and September are the months to begin your home search On average, it takes around 60 days from contract to closing. With this in mind, a first time homebuyer would need to be under contract by October 1st. There are plenty of homes to choose from right now. Get started early, so you don't have to feel rushed.   Timeline to purchase a home in New Jersey    Financing - 1 day to 1 week Before the home search begins, make sure that you have all... 08/02/2009

Nineteen Ridgewood Homes Sold Over Past Three Weeks and Twenty Two  Went "Under Contract" The Ridgewood Real Estate market seems to be heating up even though the summer is traditionally a slower time for home sales.  I've noticed this in general and specifically with the Ridgewood Homes that I am marketing. Three of the Ridgewood Homes I am marketing recently went "under contract" very quickly - with multiple offers. I'd like to say this is solely due to my marketing skills but even I would say an improving market must have something to do with it. 612 Wyndemere Ave 164 Grant Street 161 Valley View Ave Ridgewood Properties Sold in the June 20th - July 10th Period Street Number Street Name Price # Bedrooms 715 NEWCOMB $355,000 4 623 DELAWARE $390,000 4 384 PLEASANT $432,000 4 238 WALNUT ... 07/15/2009

Strong Week for Ridgewood Real Estate It was an excellent week in Ridgewood Real Estate.  16 Ridgewood Homes were marked as being under contract or in attorney review while only 6 newly listed homes hit the market.   One of the homes that went into attorney review this week was last week's Ridgewood Front Porch Home of the Week. Newly listed Ridgewood homes ranged from a handsome ranch on Doris Place for $462,500 to a wonderful victorian on Prospect for $1,449,000.  Ridgewood Real Estate Update - June 13th - 19thTo view more detailed info on each home below - click here.   New Ridgewood Home Listings Street Number Street Name # BR's Style Price 633 DORIS 2 RANCH $462,500 315 WALTHERY 2 RANCH $518,000 273 GLEN 4 COL $545,000 127 HIGHLAND 3 S/L $689,000 241 PROSPECT 5 COL $1,449,000 353 B... 07/15/2009

...Than Are Newly Listed.  This is a Good Sign for Ridgewood Real Estate. In the May 30th to June 12th period 18 Ridgewood homes were newly listed for sale but 20Ridgewood properties went under contract or into attorney review in the same time period.  This means Ridgewood is burning off more of what is already a pretty reasonable inventory level.  During the same time period 9 Ridgewood homes closed at an average sale price of $822,511.  There were also 17 homes with price changes during this time period. Click the links below to see detail info on the Ridgewood Homes listed in each of the categories discussed above. Ridgewood Homes Under Contract or in Attorney Review Ridgewood Sold Properties Ridgewood Price Changes New Listings in Ridgewood Ridgewood Home of the Week - 164 Grant Str... 06/19/2009

Debra DeSena was named Associate of the Month for the Ridgewood office, a Marron Gildea & Donohue spokesperson announced today.  "Debra has had a very positive impact on our office," said Aloysius Donohue, a partner with the firm. "She is an extremely serious and professional agent but at the same time Debra enjoys her work so much that she always looks like she is having fun.  This type of attitude is contagious and it is why both her clients and colleagues enjoy spending time with Debra." Debra is a Bergen County native, and currently lives in Ridgewood with her husband and two children, who both attend Somerville Elementary School.  Prior to entering the real estate business, Debra worked for a prestigious Manhattan Law Firm. She feels that having worked on real estate deals in both ... 06/19/2009

Nancy DeFeo joined Marron Gildea & Donohue's rapidly expanding Ridgewood office, a company spokesperson announced today.   "I am thrilled that Nancy decided to join our Ridgewood office," said Aloysius Donohue, a managing partner at the firm.  "Nancy works hard and she understands the business but her greatest attributes are probably her thorough knowledge of the town of Ridgewood and her incredible networking skills.  Nancy is an excellent match for the environment and culture here at Marron Gildea & Donohue and we expect big things from her."  DeFeo is an eleven-year resident of Ridgewood.  She has years of successful real estate experience in Northern New Jersey working both in sales and office administration.   Having lived in several Ridgewood neighborhoods gives Nancy a unique per... 06/19/2009

Very Busy Week in Ridgewood Real Estate - 13 Ridgewood Properties Go Under Contract It was a very positive week in Ridgewood Real Estate for two reasons. 1.  The number of Ridgewood Homes that went under contract and into attorney review were sharply higher than the week before.2.  The average price of homes sold increased from $534,498 to $810,222.  Obviously, with the small sample size these numbers jump around from week to week but we are finally starting to see some of the more expensive homes selling whereas earlier in the year it was mainly the starter homes that were moving. Here’s a brief summary of the week’s activity… 13 Properties went “Under Contract”. 19 New Properties were listed (10 for sale, 9 for rent). 14 Properties were marked as being in “Attorney Review”. 4 Propert... 05/25/2009

Marron Gildea & Donohue Names Kathy Lops Associate of the Month “This is the second time Kathy has won the Associate of the Month award and she has been with us less than a year,” said Aloysius Donohue, a managing partner at the firm. “Kathy’s success does not surprise me one bit.  She works hard, she is always upbeat and she has a thorough knowledge of the local real estate market.” A native New Englander, Kathy attended Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.  Upon graduation, she pursued a career in sales and marketing at leading financial institutions across the globe, from Boston and New York to Sydney, Australia. Kathy frequently draws on skills learned in the corporate world in her work as an effective real estate professional. Kathy and her husband have lived in Ridgewood for nearly ... 05/25/2009