Ridgewood NJ Real Estate Market - Strong August Numbers The Ridgewood real estate market showed improvement in 3 key benchmarks in August. 1.  The average sale price of a Ridgewood Home increased by roughly 10% from July to August. 2. The number of homes sold in Ridgewood increased from 26 in July to 36 in August. 3.  The average number of days it took a home to sell in Ridgewood decreased from a July average of 54 days to an August average of 48 days. Obviously, one good month does not mean Ridgewood housing prices are about to head for the stratosphere again.  However, the Ridgewood real estate market has held up very well compared to the rest of the nation and these strong August numbers could mean that we have hit bottom and prices are now on their way back up.  Don't forget that Ri... 09/03/2008

Home Staging. Is it right for you? Yes! "Because the way you live in your home and the way you market and sell it are two very different things". - Barb Schwarz When you decide to place your house on the market, it becomes a product. Now I know it can be hard to think of your home as just a product, but it is, and the consumers that you want to attract are the buyers. Anyone who has gone shopping knows how important packaging can be when choosing to buy something; it could be as simple as picking out a bottle of wine. You may not be sure how it tastes but you may be tempted to buy and try it because of how the bottle and label looks. Well this is the same principal for having your home Professionally Staged. You want to package your home to make it very appealing to a large group of po... 09/02/2008

These Great Ridgewood Websites provide comprehensive info on 2 of the best aspects of Ridgewood NJ - Ridgewood Schools and Ridgewood Businesses. Ridgewood Public Schools Website - #5 on the Ridgewood Front Porch list. The Ridgewood Public Schools site is a great resource for parents of current Ridgewood students and for folks considering a move to Ridgewood NJ  alike.  The site is pack with info on school events, curriculum, faculty and much more. The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce Site - #6 on the Ridgewood Front Porch list. The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce website is great for Ridgewood Business Owners and even better for Ridgewood residents and folks in the surrounding area.  You can find everything you need on the Chamber Site from a list of restaurants, shops, professional services... 08/28/2008

The Ridgewood Blog and Ridgewood Views are 2 Ridgewood "Must Reads". The Ridgewood Blog - #3 on our Top Ten List. There are many great websites and blogs focused on Ridgewood NJ so it was hard to pick just 10.  Below are two of my favorite Ridgewood Sites.  The Ridgewood Blog and Ridgewood Views are actually blogs, not websites, but that distinction is mostly for geeks like me. Reading these two Ridgewood Blogs keep you up to date on everything going on in Ridgewood.  They will also usually give you opposing, but equally insightful, viewpoints on every issue.  Reading The Ridgewood Blog and Ridgewood Views is like having our very own version of Point-Counterpoint or Hannity and Colmes right here in Ridgewood. Below are a few sample links that are representative of what you can find at t... 08/28/2008

Ridgewood residents may not feel rich but according to Money Magazine we are a town filled with Top Earners. In Money Magazine's July 2008 list of the 25 Top Earning Towns in the United States, Ridgewood ranks just ahead of Manhattan Beach CA and one spot behind Greenwich CT.  Ridgewood was the only town in New Jersey mentioned on this list. If Ridgewood truly is the 15th highest earning town in the US, I am glad to say we don't seem to flaunt it.  In my opinion, Ridgewood is better known for its family values, it's top notch school system, its great downtown, its excellent sports and cultural programs and its beautiful (but not over-the-top) older homes. What do you think?  Does Ridgewood feel like one of the Top 25 Earning Towns? Click here to view all Ridgewood Homes currently for sa... 08/27/2008

Ridgewood High School Ranks #7 in New Jersey Monthly's List of NJ High Schools The death of the Ridgewood School System has been greatly exaggerated. Despite Math Wars and faculty changes, Ridgewood High School moved up 17 places on NJ Monthly's 2008 list of top New Jersey High Schools.  Ridgewood residents are so focused, and rightfully so, on making sure our children receive the best education possible sometimes they (we) can only see the problems - and we may fail to see all the great things about the Ridgewood School System.  The latest report from New Jersey Monthly proves we are still doing very well, though there is always room for improvement. For New Jersey's Monthly's complete list of Top NJ High Schools please click here. To read the original article please click here: Ridgew... 08/21/2008

My home in Ridgewood was recently the venue for my annual client appreciation party. I had a great time and, more importantly, so did my family, friends, colleagues and clients. Obviously, I love spending time with my friends and family but I have been lucky to be associated with clients and colleagues that I also love spending time with. The best move I made in my Ridgewood Real Estate career was deciding from the start that I would only work with folks that I thought were honest, decent, nice people. I lost a few deals over the years because I deselected some clients and we've recently passed on hiring some Ridgewood agents that would have made our firm a lot of money. But, in the end, choosing only to work with good people makes for a much better quality of life. Which brings me to ... 08/20/2008

The Barclay's heads to the Ridgewood Country Club this week for the first time in its history.  Ridgewood, New Jersey is buzzing with PGA Tour fever as the players head to town looking to capture the trophy.  The final field for the Barclays was announced yesterday afternoon.  Although 144 players qualified for the event, some pulled out due to injuries or personal reasons. In all, 136 players will be at Ridgewood for the FedEx Cup Playoffs' first event.Those players who are in the top 144 but will not be playing are Tiger Woods, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Alex Cejka, Jason Bohn, Bob Estes and Roland Thatcher. The spot of a player that cannot or chooses not to play this week will remain unfilled. Below are some quick facts about Ridgewood Country Club: Original Architect A.... 08/19/2008

The Ridgewood Real Estate market is buzzing with a rumor that Green Bay Packer Legend Brett Favre, now with the NY Jets, is house hunting in Ridgewood NJ.  Will he become the latest in a long line of famous Ridgewood residents or will this rumor prove false just like the "Johnny Damon is moving to Ridgewood" rumor of a few years back?  At the time of this post, I can neither confirm or deny this rumor but it sure would make things in Ridgewood interesting - if it were true.  Below is a partial list of famous Ridgewood residents (past and present) from Wikipedia. For a more complete list click here -  Ridgewood NJ page on Wikipedia. Bowie Kuhn - Commission of Baseball from 1969 - 1984. Lawrence Frank - New Jersey Nets Coach. Jeff Feagles - Member of Super Bowl Champion NY Giants. Harlan... 08/18/2008

Untitled Document <!-- .style1 { font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; } .style2 {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif} .style4 {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; } .style5 {font-size: medium} --> This home is a dream, with attention to details. Built by the Architect himself for his family, has now been professionally staged by BCM Home Staging. The owner of the home knew how he wanted his home to show, and called us in to make it happen. What a beautiful home this is, it is a must see. If you would like more information on this home Contact listing Agent: Vincent Volpe Jr. Of Volpe & Volpe Real Estate volperealestate@gmail.com 201.567.8700 When ready to sell, make sure you are ready to be seen. BCMHomeStaging.com 201... 08/17/2008

The average price of a home in Ridgewood NJ decreased from June to July of this year but fluctuations in Ridgewood Home Sales from month-to-month are very common given the small sample size (25 homes sold in July).  For better gauge of Ridgewood Home Price Trends click here to view a Comparison of Ridgewood Home Sales year-over-year.     The average "Days on Market" or DOM for Ridgewood Homes rose in July.  However, given that both months saw an average DOM under 55 days I take this as a positive sign.  In many parts of the country homes are taking an average of 6 months or more to sell.   50 or 60 "days on market" is not a bad number by historical standards. If you would like more information on Ridgewood Real Estate please call me at 201.906.3287 or simply leave a comment here. - Inf... 08/16/2008

  The Ridgewood NJ Real Estate market continues to hold up pretty well as compared to the broader U.S. real estate market.  A total of 25 Ridgewood residential homes were sold in July versus 35 for June.  It is not uncommon to see this type of seasonal drop off. If you look at the year over year numbers for the Ridgewood Real Estate Market you will see that home prices actually increased in the 2nd Quarter of 2008 versus 2007's second quarter.  Click here to see a comparison of Ridgewood Home Sales for 2007 vs 2008. If you would like more information on Ridgewood Real Estate please call me at 201.906.3287 or simply leave a comment here. - Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 8/4/2008 11:24:27 PM -- Copyright: 2008 by New Jersey MLS, Inc. - To read the original article... 08/16/2008

Ridgewood's Real Estate market has remained strong, despite the housing downturn, in large part due to its easy access to Manhattan for commuting professionals and fun-seeking day trippers alike. Ridgewood New Jersey to New York City (Midtown and Downtown) via Train Many Ridgewood residents are able to enjoy a short walk to the train each morning as it is located in the center of town. Those that drive to the Ridgewood Train Station will find plenty of parking. From there it is a short 36 minute train ride to Hoboken. Once in Hoboken you have your choice of taking the PATH train to Midtown or downtown. The midtown PATH train adds 12 minutes to your trip and the trip via PATH train to downtown (Wall Street area) is only 7 minutes. Ferry service to Midtown and Downtown is also available f... 08/11/2008

The best move I made in my Ridgewood Real Estate career was deciding from the start that I would only work with folks that I thought were honest, decent, nice people. I lost a few deals over the years because I deselected some clients and we've recently passed on hiring some Ridgewood agents that would have made our firm a lot of money. But, in the end, choosing only to work with good people makes for a much better quality of life. Which brings me to the first key to a great client appreciation party...   1. Invite Good People This one is pretty obvious but you'd be surprised how many folks (in all types of businesses) continue to deal with folks they don't like, trust or respect and it ends up making them miserable. We had over 200 Ridgewood residents at our party and I can honestly sa... 08/02/2008

There is so much to do in Ridgewood all year round.   Here are a few quick ideas to get you out of the house this summer. Take in a live concert at the Ridgewood Kasschau Memorial Shell. If you haven't been to an outdoor concert at "The Shell" you don't know what you are missing.  Make sure to bring a chair and some blankets.  I would recommend the Rio Clemente Jazz Concert on July 29th. See video above. Call 201.444.1776 for more info. Take the family for some ice cream in Ridgewood's Downtown. There are no shortage of great spots for ice cream here in Ridgewood.  I have a feeling if you asked most folks in town they would vote for Van Dyke's but my favorite is Maggie Moo's and the rest of my family agrees.  Ben And Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs are right up there too and they are all locate... 07/30/2008

The Ridgewood Real Estate Market is holding up extremely well. While much of the nation's real estate market is in turmoil, the median price for a home in Ridgewood New Jersey actually rose in the 2nd quarter. The number of homes sold did decrease but both the median price for a Ridgewood Home and the average sales price both saw increases versus the 2nd quarter of 2007. go to the table! Now May be the Time to Invest in Ridgewood Real Estate. Yes, you heard me correctly! How could this be a good time to buy a home in Ridgewood you say? Well, let's look at the facts. Ever heard of Buy Low - Sell High? Interest rates are still near historic lows. There is plenty of inventory to choose from. Many Ridgewood Homes Sellers are very negotiable on their price. Housing prices have cooled but the... 07/30/2008

  In the past three years that I have been the owner of my own business, I have had the opportunity to meet so many people, Stagers, Agents, Builders, Contractors and Homeowners. This has been a wonderful time in my life, and a time of change for me. As we go through our day to day routine of “business as usual” there are certain professionals that we meet along the way that just seem to out shine others. It maybe how they handle themselves and their clients, or their passion for what they do. What ever it is, it’s special. One of these professionals is Al Donohue, of Marron Gildea & Donohue. As some of you know, Al became a partner just this past year. It does not surprise me; Al has become one of the top producing Agents in Ridgewood, NJ. He is so committed to his clients, providing t... 07/12/2008

Ana O'Callaghan was named May Associate of the Month for the Ridgewood office, a Marron, Gildea & Donohue spokesperson announced today.  O'Callaghan completed over $1,000,000 in real estate transactions in a recent 17-day span during late April/Early May.  She is currently working with over a dozen active clients and she is in serious negotiations on 3 different properties.   "Ana is a team player in the truest sense of the word," said Aloysius Donohue, a managing partner at the firm.  "She goes the extra mile not only for her clients but also for the other agents in our office and she is always the first person to offer a helping hand to anyone who needs it."  O'Callaghan settled in Ridgewood 8 years ago with her husband and young daughter and is very active in the Ridgewood community.... 06/19/2008

Kathy Lops has joined the Ridgewood office of Marron, Gildea & Donohue Realtors, the firm announced recently.  "We are delighted to have Kathy as part of our Ridgewood Team," said Aloysius Donohue. "She has great interpersonal skills and she creates an instant rapport with everyone she meets.  Kathy has already proven to be a skilled agent and her upbeat personality, easy going demeanor and straightforward approach are going to take her very far in this business." 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 ... 06/05/2008

Don't miss this special night for parents of incoming Ridgewood Athletes.  All parents of incoming freshmen who will be playing a fall sport should attend.  Meet the RHS Coaches Night will take place on Wednesday, June 11th. The event will be held in the Ridgewood High School Campus Center and will start promptly at 7 p.m. Coaches of all fall sports will be providing information and answering questions. For more info, you can contact Greg McDonald, RHS Athletic Director, at 201-670-2823. Aloysius "Al" Donohue is Ridgewood Resident with two young children in Ridgewood Schools, an award winning REALTOR® and a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist with a focus on Ridgewood real estate.  For more information on Ridgewood real estate you can contact Aloysius Donohue at 201.906.3287 or a... 06/01/2008