Ridgewood begins 2014 with little inventory

Central Business District

Ridgewood, NJ rang in the new year with just 34 single family homes on the market. That’s down from 65 on the market on January 1, 2013. To put that number in perspective, 315 single family homes sold in Ridgewood in the entire year in 2013. So 34 homes on the market is not many. … Continued

Prepare for Owning A Home in NJ

1. Decide how much home you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income. 2. Develop a wish list of what you’d like your home to have. Then prioritize the features on your list. 3. Select three or four neighborhoods you’d like to live in. … Continued

7 Reasons to Own Your Home

Tax breaks. The U.S. Tax Code lets you deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage, your property taxes, as well as some of the costs involved in buying your home. Appreciation. Real estate has long-term, stable growth in value. While year-to-year fluctuations are normal, median existing-home sale prices have increased on average 6.5 percent … Continued

8 Ways to Improve Your Credit To Buy A Bergen County Home

Credit scores, along with your overall income and debt, are a big factor in determining if you’ll qualify for a loan and what loan terms you’ll be able to qualify for. Here are a few ways to improve your credit to buy a Bergen County home. 1. Check for and correct errors in your credit report. … Continued

Hidden Home Defects to Watch For

No home is flawless, but certain physical problems can be expensive. Watch for: 1. Water leaks. Look for stains on ceilings and near the baseboards, especially in basements or attics. 2. Shifting foundations. Look for large cracks along the home’s foundation. 3. Drainage. Look for standing water, either around the foundation of the home of … Continued

10 Ways to Help Your House Sell

1. Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage. 2. Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior. 3. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch … Continued

Selling the ‘Ol Homestead

By Christopher G. Weigl, Esq. Probably the most important aspect of selling your home is contracting with the best real estate broker as your listing agent and pricing the property correctly for the market. One successful approach that I have encountered personally is the setting of a listing price at or slightly below fair market value. … Continued

Scarcity of homes for sale in Glen Rock

Corner Rock Rd and Glen Ave in Glen Rock

As we enter 2014, Glen Rock has a real estate problem. There are very few homes on the market. So few in fact that Glen Rock has the lowest available inventory in the state. That’s good for sellers, not so good for buyers. Many homes that closed recently sold over the asking price with multiple … Continued

Comparing Property Taxes

UPDATE: See Bergen County Tax Rates 2017-2018.   Download the Chart: Bergen County 2013 Equalized Tax Rates Are you planning to buy a home in Bergen County sometime soon? If you’re concerned about property taxes, here’s a tip. What you see isn’t necessarily what you get. That’s because tax rates are applied to a home’s … Continued