NYC Commuter Towns Bring Temporary Renters for Super Bowl Months before anyone even knows which teams will be playing in Super Bowl XLVIII, the temporary rental market is heating up in NYC Commuter Towns, including the Maplewood/ South Orange area. According to a recent article in the Star-Ledger, home owners are already beginning to advertize their homes for thousands of dollars for Super Bowl week. However, as the article points out, your everyday football fan isn't necessarily the type that such an offer would appeal to. Instead, this unique market will likely be most desirable to the guests of corporations or the NFL -- a group that makes up about 75 percent of those in attendance at the game. Other potential temporary renters include those who wait too long to make their reservatio... 11/21/2013

What's driving Maplewood, NJ Home Sales Up? Maplewood, NJ Home Sales were up this past spring as buyers competed over low inventory, often creating multiple bids on houses and driving Maplewood home sales up.  The most local data from the third quarter of this year shows that the annual gain for the general area surrounding Maplewood and South Orange is solid at 5.6 percent growth. Given the declines faced by so many regions in other areas of New Jersey, and all through the Eastern Seaboard, that gain is remarkable. 30 Minute Commute to NYC Those of us who live here know that Maplewood, NJ offers not just tremendous value and an easy 30 minute commute to NYC but is an amazing community!  Maplewood offers a unique combination of small hometown feel with all the conveniences of urban livi... 11/19/2013

   HAPPY HALLOWEEN ALL!!!   Soooo what to do on this rainy Halloween? now when I was younger this is what I would have been focused on this  YUMMMMMMMMMMMY!! but as I got older the focus changed to things that are more important like  Which are more important...(sometimes I want to be a kid again) So the question is how can I enjoy Halloween and still be the responsible adult that I am??? This is what I came up with...I will decorate the office HALLOWEEN style and bring the fun of Halloween to the office all in one shot.           I am also handing out candy to the local kids and offering a goodie bag for the kid with the best costume.  It's going to be great...ENJOY HALLOWEEN FOLKS...   Also I wanted to say Happy Birthday to my Nephew King today!!!  11/01/2013

Zebaida Group brings you some fun Halloween 2013 events in Maplewood! Find more more information about Maplewood, NJ and to view our Maplewood Neighborhood Community Profile here! Maplewood Halloween Costume Contest Date: October 31st, 2013 Time: 3:00pm Information: The Annual Halloween Costume Contest sponsored by the Maplewood Chamber of Commerce and the Maplewood Village Alliance will be on Thursday, October 31 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm in Maplewood Village(from Durand Rd. to Baker St.). The festivities include trick or treating, music and dancing and prizes for best costumes. For more information contact the Maplewood Chamber of Commerce, 201 341-9554, contact11@mindspring.com. Special thanks to the Village Merchants for their support of this event! Address: Maplewood Avenue Town: Map... 10/17/2013

In today's market there are many homes for sale for buyers to choose from. if you're like me then you service a particular area & demographicsso that the efforts of my work result in actual money making and not just spinning my wheels all day or spreading myself too thin. Now in my area the homes range from exceptional to the ones that require a little TLC so I have a broad scope of buyers to work with.  I've been seeing lately that the summer market is in full swing as quite a few homes have received multiple bids . Which is a good thing for the whole real estate market in general locally & nationally. So buyers in today market have to be RAW (ready, willing & able) when it comes to finding their dream home.  Now I have a buyer who fell in love with a house online and Cupid struck her ... 10/17/2013

    Hello All,   This is a very short post about a topic that I am far from an expert on which is technology! I hope it serves more as an advisory for those that use Gmail to avoid what I went through on Friday which was a "hell of a day" because someone hacked into my email.    Here's a quick recap on what happened:   Thursday I received a message from someone I thought was credible so I opened it...the subject line read: Review my Attached Document so upon opening it the body read as follows:   Hello,Please view the document i uploaded for you using Google docs.Follow Here/Click Here just sign in with your email to view the document its very important.   Whatever you do, don't click here, you will sign in with your correct email and password and     essentially open the gate to pando... 04/13/2013

Home for Sale By Owner in Maplewood Twp, NJ 07040 - Flat Fee MLS Listing $395 164 Jacoby St Maplewood Twp, NJ 07040 - Realtors welcome, buyer agent commission paid at MLS#3010028 3 Bedroom 1 Bathroom Newly Renovated Three-Bedroom Colonial, In Pristine Condition With A Modern Aesthetic. Established Neighborhood And Friendly Neighbors. Features Include: Light-Filled Kitchen Fully Renovated (2010) With Corian Countertops, New Appliances And A Large Pantry. Formal Dining Room, Warm Living Room, Charming Enclosed Front Porch, Large Back Deck Overlooking Landscaped Yard. Original Hardwood Floors Throughout, Refinished In 2008. Fully-Renovated And Enlarged Bathroom (2008) With Shower Over Tub, Three Bedrooms With Chic Window Treatments, Ceiling Fans, New Windows, Spacious Closets, Rebuilt Chim... 03/22/2013

  This just in...Titanium Solutions is closing its doors effective immediately after nearly 15 years in the business. Titanium Solutions was the first place I worked for in the quest to begin helping home owners avoid foreclosure almost 7 years ago.  Titanium Solutions is best known for  providing In Person Outreach Services to the Mortgage Industry and has helped Mortgage Servicers, Insurers and Investors reconnect with their borrowers (home owners) for a very long time.   Titanium released the following statement via email to all its clients and staff:  Since 1999, Titanium Solutions has provided In Person Outreach Services to the Mortgage Industry.  We have helped Mortgage Servicers, Insurers and Investors reconnect with severely delinquent borrowers in an attempt to work out their d... 03/14/2013

Being that's its Valentines day 2013 I figured somewhere in today's blog post needed the word love in it and how perfect is it to relate it back to Real Estate...:0)   If you have been in this Real Estate game as long as I have (which isn't that long, 6 years to be exact) then you have seen it all by now, but the one thing that rings my bell every time is the statement, "We absolutely LOVVVVE the house....BUT"  In my head I am like but what? the funny thing about the word but is it totally disregards everything that was said before it, for example: I love you...But I also love her too...or I didn't want to beat you up...But...you got on my nerves so I had no choice.  You see the word BUT used in these sentences in it's truest form denounces everything that was said right before it.    S... 02/13/2013

Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions a person(s) will ever make in their lives and one that should take a lot of consideration and planning before jumping right in.  The last thing you want to do is to find the right house, negotiate the price, get it under contract only to find out that you are short on funds needed to complete the process.   Now the reason I am discussing this topic is a lot of buyers whether first timers, move up buyers or investors buying in the State of New Jersey should know that just saving your down payment and closing cost will not be enough to get you into a home here.  There are quite a few expenses that come along with a purchase and I wanted to outline some of those in hopes of avoiding what I call an "Oops moment" (or for the potty mouths out ther... 12/14/2012

    Disclaimer: Let me start by saying I am not a Licensed Mortgage professional (anymore) nor am I a Credit expert of any kind. I have fixed many peoples credit with simple make sense advice and some tough love in my time; but its not my job.  The reason I am discussing credit today is because of its significance to life in general.  The impact a Good or Bad credit score/report can have on a persons life is quite vast so understanding your credit and how to improve it is very important.     Now If you know me then you know I am into people and not really houses, so its much more to me than a commission when I meet someone and decide to work with them; its a friendship and one that I hold near and dear.  Now I am not going to get all preachy about how your balance ratios or debt to inco... 11/20/2012

I wanted to let all of you Home Owners & Short Sale Listing & Buyers Agents know that something GOOD happened to one of my home owners and hopefully it happens to some of your clients in the near future.  If you are a Listing Agent like myself then I am sure you have come across a few short sales or pre-foreclosure situations in the past few years and if you have done at least one then you know how challenging they can actually be.          *Attn: NJ Home Owners we welcome the opportunity to discuss your situation with you; whether you are looking to upgrade, downsize or find yourself faced with a hardship our sales team would love to add you and your family to our long list of satisfied clients.  Email us at Info@goodbuyhomesnj.com or (shameless plug)        Anyways back to my good new... 11/19/2012

Is it just me or did the Summer go wayyyyy to fast??? it seems like the cold just left and the flowers were starting to bloom, but just like that...its over.  Labor day is just around the corner and its time to put up the bathing suits and break out the long sleeve shirts.   Before you allow your Summer to end without a last hooray, let me give you some suggestions on how to go out with a    if you live in or nearby Maplewood/South Orange, NJ. Check out Maplewood or South Orange's community pools.  With just about 2 weeks left you can always go for a swim and savior the last of the summer heat.  if swimming was not what you had in mind and you just want something cool to give you a chill on some of the last muggy summer nights ahead; why not try the new Yogurt spot in South Orange or vi... 08/28/2012

As Real Estate professionals we face challenges of all types in our attempts to help someone find the right home for the right price.  Being that the market is full of inventory (in a lot of areas) at times buyers find themselves caught at a crossroad between choosing a house or not.   As Agents we try our best to educate our clients on the market and try to aide them in making an informed decision.  But then there are those situations when a buyer and a home just seems to work and you feel like you are the Realtor of the year because you made the match happen.   But of course life isn't perfect and the buyer decides that they want to continue to look...why? we never know...   Case in point; I showed a buyer a house and it was love at first sight, it was empty so we got a chance to real... 08/01/2012

HAPPY MONDAY TO ALL OF ACTIVERAIN MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS!!!   I do not have a controversial topic today, nothing that will force Agents to debate nor argue over; Lets face it; it's Monday and hopefully we all had a successful weekend and find ourselves charged up for a great week ahead!       What I want to know today is a very serious; or at least it should be to anyone who sells Real Estate or anything for that matter...What I want to know is; how do you celebrate after you close???     I have gone through some epic battles to get deals closed and a few years back I decided that after each closing I would reward myself with a treat.  I feel its very important for us all to reward ourselves for our hard work. For me It all started back in 2007, I used to be in Love with this dessert th... 07/16/2012

As Real Estate professionals we are in a "eat what you catch" kind of business. If we don't prospect, lead generate and mingle with people we will not generate any business which means no money, deniro, yen, pesos (what ever your currency may be, I'm sure you get my drift)   But as human beings we also have to set aside time to just be free of the contracts, attorneys, home inspections, appraisals, negotiations, arguing, showings, open houses, phone calls, emails etc...and a vacation is the perfect place to do all of that.   Now if you are running your Real Estate career like I am then you are planning your vacations in advance sometime in December/January so that you can properly prepare for it. But no matter if you plan it ahead of time or you finally sold enough to afford a vacation;... 07/01/2012

As a Real Estate Broker in New Jersey I see some great towns but two towns in particular register as my top picks if your considering a move to New Jersey. Maplewood & South Orange and two wonderful towns that offer family fun as well as a enjoyable night life perfect for a buyer looking to escape the city life or a NJ resident who wants more space and a good school system. Located just 25 minutes from New York Penn Station; these towns are perfect for those seeking a change from the crowded city life in hopes of a more suburban feel. Maplewood and South Orange has it all great people, plenty of things to do and the small town feel that you can get lost in.           Here's some things that I love about Maplewood & South Orange:       LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!         Maplewood & S... 06/29/2012

In today's shifting market many home owners are behind on mortgage payments and have to decide whether or not they want to go through a Foreclosure (hopefully this is never the selection), attempt a Deed in Lieu, Short Sale or try a Loan Modification (Lets pretend they make these easy to obtain) but no matter the decision; something has to be done quickly.   Home owners must now decide on when should they find a new place and vacate the property. The truth is; many home owners are not aware of the foreclosure laws in their state so they are misinformed and make a decision without understanding their rights. With that said many home owners decide for various reasons to vacate the property and find a new place to live. Sometimes its for a job relocation while others are simply  overwhelme... 06/28/2012

Address List Price Style RM BR TBT Sold Price DOM 86 HUGHES ST* $149,750 Cape Cod 5 2 1 $147,000 32 465-73 VALLEY ST* $163,500 One Floor Unit 5 2 1 $157,000 42 52 VAN NESS TER* $228,600 Colonial, Detached 7 3 2 $210,000 152 196 FRANKLIN AVE* $275,000 Colonial 8 4 2.1 $272,000 10 98 Rutgers Street $284,900 Colonial 8 3 1 $285,000 16 11 Colgate Rd* $350,000 Colonial 7 3 1.1 $360,000 13 109 PLYMOUTH AVE* $365,000 Colonial 9 4 1.1 $370,100 50 102 OAKLAND RD* $367,500 Colonial 7 3 1 $360,000 28 43 Parker Ave* $395,000 Colonial 8 3 2 $395,000 24 62 Highland Ave* $459,000 Custom Home 10 3 2 $460,000 10 11 PARK AVE* $469,900 Colonial 7 3 1.2 $480,500 44 33 SALTER PL* $475,000 Colonial 8 4 1.1 $450,000 28 15 DEHART RD* $529,000 Colonial 8 3 2.1 $525,000 22 6 GIRARD PL* $539,000 Colonial 9 4 2.1... 06/04/2012

If you want to turn your Maplewood, NJ home from "For Sale" to "Sold" quickly, here’s how... Sellers basically want to sell their property quickly, for the highest price, with little to no hassle.  My job, as their professional consultant, is to nail the 3 elements that will lead them to a closed sale: 1.  The price – which is determined by the market. 2.     The condition – which is determined by the Seller. 3.     The marketing, offers, and negotiations,  which are determined by the agent. Here are 5 good reasons to list your Maplewood, NJ home at market price: 1.     Less time on the market - While all the other overpriced Maplewood Homes  sit on the market hoping for offers, they will be helping to sell your house, which will attract strong buyer interest because you’ve price it rig... 05/24/2012