Happy FRIDAY Cranford!!! Just a quick observation about inventory levels in Cranford this morning. We have currently 84 homes listed for sale, including those in attorney review. A few months back we had close to 100 listings. This drop in inventory can be attributed to a few things. First, there has been a very active sales market lately in Cranford, thus selling off the properly priced homes quickly. Second, the summer is here, and less sellers seasonally list in the summer, as vacations and preparations for the following school year keep a lot of listings on the sidelines until fall. Nonetheless, Team Carroll is watching the inventory carefully, and my best advice is that if you see a home you really like, make a competetive offer, because with less inventory and a similar amount of ... 07/11/2008

Once again, I had the pleasure of meeting a new client through my blog. Team Carroll is pleased to announce its new listing at 18 Springfield Ave, Unit 5G in the Cranford Towers in downtown Cranford, NJ. The full listing will be included in my blog by the weekend, but I wanted to take this time to share with all your bloggers that we can help our clients by posting good relevant local information on our blogs. I also wanted to thank you, the readers, for helping make blogging so much fun, and a great tool to help grow business for Team Carroll. Thanks for reading! Sean Carroll - Realtor, Team Leader "Team Carroll" of RE/MAX Classic Group www.TeamCarrollNJ.com   07/10/2008

Here are the raw numbers for Cranford, NJ Real Estate for the Month Ending June 30, 2008. Average Sales Price: $485,528 Average Days on Market: 44!!! Average List to Sale Price Ratio: 95.6% Closed Transactions: 23 There were 10 more closed transactions in June than in May, so as I predicted last month in the May report, the closed sales in June were higher, because the pending sales in May were higher Check back at the end of next week for my deeper analysis of the numbers, and a yearly comparison, to see how the Cranford NJ market is faring compared to a year ago or even 2 years ago. Thanks for reading! Sean Carroll - Realtor, Team Leader "Team Carroll" - Real Estate Professionals RE/MAX Classic Group www.TeamCarrollNJ.com   07/05/2008

Another month of real estate is in the books for Cranford, NJ, and that means another round of "What's Happening Out There" in Real Estate will be posted to the blog this week. My goal is to get the June numbers out to you all before this holiday weekend, in case you want to discuss real estate at the family barbecue. :) On another positive note, I received a call yesterday from someone in Cranford who found me here on Active Rain through reading my blog. I am meeting with her today to discuss possibly listing her condo for sale, and I was thrilled to hear that yet again, blogging proves to be a great way for the consumer to get to know me, and how I do business with Team Carroll. Check back in a day or so for the new numbers! Thanks for reading as always. Sean Carroll - Realtor, Team L... 07/02/2008

One of the services we provide at Team Carroll is a business referral directory, that will be going online in the next 3 weeks. Once per month, we will feature a local Cranford NJ area business, and a short description about what they do in our monthly mailings that you've been receiving. This referral directory will be online and available to our clients, and businesses, because we would much rather refer you to quality businesses locally who have been referred to us, than have you open the yellow pages, or google someone, only to not receive excellent service. Right now, we are pleased to feature Dave Weichert of Magical Travel. For those of you who love Disney, or want to take a Disney Vacation anytime soon, I HIGHLY recommend speaking with Dave, and letting him take the stress out o... 06/20/2008

The media would have you believe that NO ONE is buying a home anywhere, and that the sky is not only falling, but falling on your house. So why is it then that properly priced homes are FLYING off the market??? Why???? Because DEMAND is still here in the Cranford NJ area. The demand means that there are still plenty of buyers who want to live here, and need to live here, because of the location, schools, transportation, and all of the other great qualities of our communities. So why then in a supposed "bad market" are buyers getting outbid on homes, and some homes selling in less than a week, including most of our listings we've had this year? Well, even though prices are down from their highs in 2005, there are sellers who are aware of this, and who are pricing their homes properly, an... 06/13/2008

FORE!!!!! This Monday, the Cranford NJ Chamber of Commerce will be holding its annual golf outing at Hyatt Hills Golf Club. I will be making my 2008 golf season debut, so if you are in my foresome, please be patient! :) The Cranford NJ Chamber of Commerce is a great organization where you can network with your fellow professionals, learn about each other's businesses, and just meet some great people! For more information, click on any of the links above. Sean Carroll - Realtor, Team Leader "Team Carroll" of RE/MAX Classic Group www.TeamCarrollNJ.com 06/05/2008

Here are the raw numbers for Cranford, NJ Real Estate for the Month Ending May 31, 2008. Average Sales Price: $503,769 Average Days on Market: 67 Average List to Sale Price Ratio: 97.1% Closed Transactions: 13 There were 5 less closed transactions in May than in April, but I have seen more go under contract, that will likely appear in the June numbers. Check back at the end of this week for a year over year comparison to 2007, to see how the Cranford NJ market is faring compared to a year ago. Thanks for reading! Sean Carroll - Realtor, Team Leader "Team Carroll" - Real Estate Professionals RE/MAX Classic Group www.TeamCarrollNJ.com   06/04/2008

Another month has passed, and we are winding down the second quarter of 2008. With that, comes the Monthly "Cranford NJ Real Estate Summary" that we like to share with you, so you have an idea of what's happening in the market. This week, we will be releasing the monthly sales numbers for May, 2008, and next week, we will be comparing those figures to the same timeframe last year, so we can see what the market is doing year over year. For up to date Cranford NJ Real estate information, check out our website at www.TeamCarrollNJ.com Tune in Thursday for those numbers! 06/03/2008

Now is a great time to buy into this quality community of Cranford NJ. Prices are good, rates are low, and there are some excellent opportunities. For a complete list of Cranford NJ homes for sale, and homes for sale in other towns surrounding Cranford, logon to: http://www.NjAreaRealEstate.com No calls....no hassles....just the information you want! INCLUDING PROPERTY ADDRESSES!!!!   A free service provided by: RE/MAX Classic Group 908-898-0800 05/28/2008

If you are thinking of buying a home, it is certainly a great time to do so! Just because the media tells you not to buy, doesn't mean they are right! In fact, if everyone else is not buying, NOW is the time to buck the trend and get in. This means that you may be nearing a bottom in the market. Once everyone gets excited about buying again, guess what?? You have missed the bottom, and prices will likely already be on their way up. Before making an offer, however, be sure to ask your agent to do a Comparative Market Analysis on the home you are considering. This will be a guide you can use to determine what homes like the one you are considering have sold for in the area. Then, you will be in a stronger negotiating position, or will know if you need to act more quickly if the home is pr... 05/19/2008

Here are the raw numbers for Cranford, NJ Real Estate for the Month Ending April 2008.Average Sales Price: $374,605Average Days on Market: 65Average List to Sale Price Ratio: 96.6%Closed Transactions: 18Next week, I will issue the comparison analysis for Cranford compared to last year, so you can see the trends, and how things are holding up. Overall, Cranford has done brisk sales activity in the $550K and under price range, as many first time buyers, and second time "moving up" buyers are capitalizing on low mortgage rates, and favorable pricing. Lots of multiple offers if the home is priced correctly.Thanks for reading!Sean Carroll - Realtor, Team Leader"Team Carroll" - Real Estate ProfessionalsRE/MAX Classic Groupwww.TeamCarrollNJ.com  05/08/2008

For those of you who haven't yet given "Java's Brewin" in Cranford, NJ a try, I Highly recommend it! We meet there once per week for our team meetings and training, and always start the meeting with a cup of their fresh coffee, and a delicious pastry or sandwich.The location is great if you are walking downtown, work downtown, or want to grab a quick bite to eat before getting on the train, as the NJ Transit Station is just next door. Prices are reasonable, the staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is perfect for relaxing, checking your email, or catching up on the news.Check out their website at www.JavasBrewinCranford.comThanks for reading, and see you at the coffee shop!Sean Carroll - Realtor, Team Leader"Team Carroll" - Real Estate ProfessionalsRE/MAX Classic Groupwww.TeamCarrollNJ.... 05/05/2008

Don't miss the chance to come downtown to Cranford's Street Fair this Sunday May 4th, 2008 from 11:00 until 5:00 PM. For more information, you can click Streetfairs.org or simply click here to go to Cranford.com's website and get some additional info.Hopefully the weather will cooperate, and everyone can enjoy the vibrant downtown area of Cranford NJ. For real estate information about Cranford, NJ, click hereThanks for reading. Check back next week for more Cranford NJ information on housing, and related items.Sean Carroll - Realtor, Team Leader"Team Carroll" - Real Estate Professionalswww.TeamCarrollNJ.com  05/02/2008

While reviewing the MLS this morning, I couldn't help but notice that there are now 100 homes active on the MLS for sale in Cranford NJ. This number has consistently risen over the past few months, but don't be mislead into believing that this means the market is stalled, or homes aren't selling.Upon more detailed analysis of the numbers, homes that are priced between 400K and 500K are flying off the market if priced properly. This can be attributed to still favorable interest rates, and sellers in this range pricing under 500K, instead of pushing the envelope too high on their asking price. I have seen multiple offer scenarios quite frequently, as I have blogged on before.On the contrary, the homes priced above 550K, especially those above 600K, are taking longer to sell, and are avera... 04/29/2008

Over the past few weeks, I have been involved with several multiple offer situations in the Cranford, NJ Real Estate market. As I discussed in my last blog post, I decided to go back and look at the numbers again to compare to last year, and see if we are in just a seasonal uptick, a market shift, or simply that sellers are finally learning that competetive pricing in a competetive market will sell their homes quickly.After studying the data, it looks like explanation #3 is the most likely, as the sales activity is almost the same as it was a year ago for the Month of March 2007 and 2008. See the chart below:MMM,YYYYActive ListingsNew ListingsUnder ContractSold ListingsSP/LP #Avg. LPMed. LP#Avg. LPMed. LP#Avg. LPMed. LPAvg.DOM#Avg. SPMed. SPAvg.DOM Mar,2008 111 $520,818 $479,000 38 $532... 04/22/2008

In the past few days in not only Cranford, NJ, but in other towns as well, I have been involved in 6 multiple offer situations. One as a listing agent, and 5 as a buyers agent. It seems that more and more sellers are finally starting to price their homes to sell, instead of pricing them to sit on the market.If this continues, it appears that some of this excess inventory will start to move off the market, and the prices may start rising slowly, if the buyer activity remains strong. I will say that all of these homes were in the first time buyer price range, and I have not looked in particular at ranges above this to see if the same thing is happening, but it is definitely a good sign that the first time buyers are starting to move off the fence more and more, which will bring sales up t... 04/15/2008

Here are the raw numbers for March 2008 in Cranford NJ Real Estate. More detailed analysis to followNumber of Closed Sales: 18 (this includes those that went under contract before March)Number of Listings that Went Under Contract: 16Average Sales Price: $375,391Average Days on Market of Sold Homes: 67List to Sale Price Ratio: 97%Number of New Listings: 38That is a LOT of homes going under contract and closing in March which was fueled likely by lowering interest rates, slightly warmer weather, and sellers PROPERLY pricing their homes.It is becoming apparent to us that sellers who need to sell are starting to list their homes at prices that are in line with market demand. This sparked buyer activity, and if rates remain competitive, I expect this trend to continue for the short term. Lon... 04/07/2008

Under contract in just 9 short days...this home sold for 99% of asking price at $460,000. Need to sell your home? Ask us how we can help you get similar results: Commuters Dream!! Just 2 Blocks from NYC Train and Bus! UNDER CONTRACTLocation: Cranford, NJWALK TO TRAIN and NYC bus from this spacious expanded cape with ALL 3 bedrooms on the 2nd Floor. Just 2 blocks from train station, this tastefully decorated expanded cape features a rare full 'dormer' with all 3 bedrooms, and a full bath upstairs, just like a colonial! You won't believe the space! NOT your typical cape cod! Features include a New kitchen with granite counters, HW Floors Throughout, Master bedroom with two closets, including a walk-in, New Kitchen with granite counters and breakfast bar, Large formal dining room Bonus fam... 04/02/2008

Here are the raw numbers for February 2008 in Cranford NJ Real EstateNumber of Closed Sales: 10 (this includes those that went under contract before February)Number of Listings that Went Under Contract: 23 (wow)Average Sales Price: $536,500Average Days on Market of Sold Homes: 95List to Sale Price Ratio: 95%Number of New Listings: 32That is a LOT of homes going under contract in February which was fueled likely by those record low interest rates in the early part of the month, combined with a few very nice weather weekends. Last February there were only 11 that went under contract.Also, it is becoming apparent to us that sellers who need to sell are starting to list their homes at prices that are in line with market demand. This sparked buyer activity, and if rates remain competitive, I... 03/10/2008