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
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
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
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
Download the complete report — Market Update November 2013
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
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
By Christopher G. Weigl, Esq. Once your search for your dream home with your real estate broker has focused upon a property that fulfills your requirements, you will submit a form contract bearing your signatures through your selling broker to the sellers through the listing broker. If accepted by the sellers, evidenced by sellers’ signatures, the brokers will … Continued
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
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
