Tax day for 2017 falls on Monday, April 17th.  However, Westfield property taxes are due quarterly: February 1st, May 1st, August 1st and November 1st.  When you received your last bill, did you think that it may have been too high?  Have you been taxed based on an outdated home valuation?  You can file an appeal.  If you don't know how to do this, sign up for the free Westfield tax appeal seminar at the Westfield Area Y.What: Free Westfield Tax Appeal Seminar Where: Westfield Area Y (220 Clark St) When: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 7:30pm Contact: Jennifer Jacobus, Esq. (908) 518-5456 or via emailFree Westfield Tax Appeal SeminarAs a public service, I am proud to sponsor a free Westfield tax appeal seminar on Tuesday, February 28th.  Morris Plains attorney Jennifer Jacobus, Esq. expla... 02/17/2017

Are you interested in selling your Westfield home?  Does it need some updating?  Large remodel jobs might feel like a daunting task.  You can increase your Westfield home's value with little effort.  Making a few small changes reap larger returns than you might think.Increase Your Westfield Home's Value With These Simple ChangesKitchenBuyers love kitchens.  One way you can increase your Westfield home's value involves adding a backsplash.  You don't have to hire a contractor.  This job takes very little time or money to complete.  Visit your local home improvement store for a variety of styles to choose from.  Subway tiles are simple, classic and never go out of style.  Some backsplashes even come with a peel-and-stick option.BathroomAnother quick and easy way to increase your Westfield... 02/03/2017

A new year, a new administration.  Our 45th president, a man who made the bulk of his fortune in real estate, was inaugurated today.  I think it is the perfect time to examine what we can expect in the 2017 Westfield Area real estate market.Top Projected Trends in the 2017 Westfield Area Real Estate MarketTransportation is Important - The first trend we expect to see in the 2017 Westfield area real estate market is that it must be conveniently located near public transportation.  Many Westfield area residents work in NYC.  They need easy access to and from the City.  Transit villages have quickly become a reality along the Raritan Line.  Retail businesses may start to fade in some towns.  However, entertainment, restaurants and service-related businesses will come to the forefront.Const... 01/27/2017

Westfield's history runs deep.  The downtown Westfield district started off as part of the Elizabethtown Tract back in 1720.  Eventually, it incorporated in 1798.  Westfield served as home base for several notable individuals, including actors, politicians, poets and playwrights.  But did you know that Westfield was also the birthplace of cartoonist Charles Addams, the creator of "The Addams Family"?Charles Addams - The Early YearsCharles Addams came into this world on January 7th, 1912.  Young Charles earned a bit of a reputation as a rapscallion.  His father encouraged his artistic side.  His education took him to Colgate University, the University of Pennsylvania and, finally, the Grand Central School of Art in NYC.The New Yorker began printing his sketches in 1932.  His macabre draw... 01/20/2017

As 2016 wound down, the Westfield area luxury real estate market continued to flourish.  Westfield's convenient location to NYC makes it an ideal location for commuters.  My late December 2016 Westfield Market Report breaks down the statistics for you below.Late December 2016 Westfield Market ReportActive Westfield Luxury Homes for SaleThe Garden State MLS reported a total of seven Westfield luxury homes for sale in late December 2016.  Of those, five were newly constructed or ready to be built properties.  Four of them came on the market in the last 30 days, including a Michael Mahoney custom Colonial just last week.Westfield Luxury Homes Under ContractTwo Westfield luxury homes are currently under contract.  One, a brand new, move-in ready Colonial, spent 24 days on the market.  The o... 01/13/2017

While the weather outside gets colder, Westfield real estate remains hot.  Experts believe Buyers seek out Westfield homes because of the easy commute to New York.  Families, in particular, love the excellent school system here.  New construction in the Westfield luxury home market continues to thrive.  One aspect of the home buying process that Buyers often forget about are the closing costs.  However, there are things you can do to keep these costs to a minimum.  Read on to learn how to reduce your closing costs when buying your next Westfield home.How to Reduce Your Closing CostsClosing costs consist of loan origination fees, title insurance, underwriting fees, title search fees, appraisal fees, surveys and discount points among other fees.  These costs must be paid at the close of y... 01/06/2017

Spring and summer tend to be the busiest times for Westfield real estate.  Westfield Buyers take advantage of summer vacation to find, buy and move in to a new home.  However, you might not be ready to purchase a property then.  Instead, winter is here and you are looking for a new home.  Heed these winter Westfield home buying tips to work the cooler temperatures to your advantage.Winter Westfield Home Buying TipsWatch the Holiday SpendingEven with the best scores, a sudden spike in spending on your credit cards can hurt your chances of home loan approval.  Increasing your debt-to-income ratio hurts your FICO score.  Keep your spending to a minimum.  Pay it off as quickly as possible.Keep an Open MindThe next one of my winter Westfield home buying tips I think you'll find helpful is to... 12/30/2016

During the holidays, police report a spike in package theft.  With millions of people shopping online for their Christmas gifts, thieves become more aggressive.  Utilize these Westfield home security tips to decrease the likelihood of your packages being stolen this year.Westfield Home Security TipsMany Westfield homeowners turn to high tech for their home security needs.  This works as a deterrent for a majority of thieves.  However, it doesn't stop them all from taking advantage of an easy package grab.  The first one of my Westfield home security tips I'll give you is to make it difficult.  In other words, make it hard for thieves to hide their crimes.  Keep exterior lights on at night.  Or, install motion sensor lights.  Stash valuables out of sight.  Store ladders, tools and other ... 12/23/2016

If you own a home in Westfield, or if you want to own a home in Westfield, this is the place to be for information about real estate values this winterInventory: There are currently 173 single family homes offered for sale in Westfield which is nearly exactly the same as last November’s inventory. The current listings range in price from $199,000 to $2,899,000.  Twenty-four homes were sold in November at an average sale price of $847,784.This graph shows inventory and sales for the past 4 years.The blue line represents the active inventory in Westfield month by month. There are seasonal trends with inventory typically increasing in the summer and decreasing each winter. This summer’s inventory was the highest we’ve seen in several years. The 12 month average inventory in Westfield is 21... 12/18/2016

Education tops many parents' lists of important investments in their children's lives.  We rely on our school district to provide great teachers and staff as well as safe conditions and up-to-date tools for our children to use.  Earlier this week, the Westfield School Board approved funding for refurbishment of two local Westfield middle schools: Roosevelt and Edison.What Will the Westfield School Board Approved Funding Take Care of?The Westfield School Board approved funding of $4 million to modernize and refurbish the auditoriums at both Roosevelt Intermediate and Edison Intermediate.  What will the money go towards?  George Duthie, Architect, proposed a new sound system, LED lights and modern computer equipment in addition to new, more comfortable seating.  They expect to send the pr... 12/16/2016

We just entered our last month of the calendar year.  It's the final push to find your dream Westfield luxury home before we close the books on 2016.  The Westfield luxury market remains hot.  This Early December 2016 Westfield Area Market Report breaks down the currently active listings, Westfield homes that are under contract and the luxury Westfield homes that have recently been sold.Active Westfield ListingsGarden State MLS reports a total of 13 active Westfield area luxury homes.  Of these, eight are brand new construction.  Five homes hit the market in the past 30 days.  They include the Henry West Colonial located at 905 Coolidge.  This beautiful home sits just steps from the award-winning Washington Elementary School.  Students at Washington ranked in the 90th percentile for Mat... 12/09/2016

Saturday, the crew turned out to clean up the soccer field, erect the lights and stands and oil up the chain saws.  Sunday, we unloaded and staged our first tree delivery. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, sales begin!Westfield Y Men's Club Prepares for Holiday Community ServiceEstablished in 1947, the Westfield Y’s Men’s Club has been operating for over 60 years. Our club has been very successful by selling Christmas Trees as our primary fundraising method. Since the beginning of the club: We have raised over $2,000,000 for community charitable grants. At approximately three tractor-trailer loads per year, the number of trees sold by the Y’s Men would fill Giants Stadium! The Westfield Y Men's Club is a group of men who raise money for charitable causes and socialize together.Our Missio... 11/28/2016

Many Westfield residents enjoy the amenities provided by Tamaques Park.  However, the park is showing its age.  Updates need to be made.  Earlier this week, Greene Engineering and representatives from several local sports clubs met with City officials.  They revealed a few potential Tamaques Park improvements that the City might want to consider.Potential Tamaques Park Improvements RevealedRepresentatives from PAL Football and PAL Wrestling as well as the Westfield Soccer Association joined Greene Engineering's John Bell at a meeting on Monday, November 7th.  One of the biggest complaints heard from current park users has to do with the lack of adequate parking.  Because the limited space gets used up quickly, cars park on the grass or take up space in the surrounding residential areas.... 11/23/2016

For several years now, I have had the distinct honor of being a part of the Westfield Y Men's Club.  We raise money for local charities in the Westfield, Scotch Plains, Cranford, Mountainside and surrounding areas.  Each year, our club hosts a Christmas tree lot.  Money raised from the sales at the lot benefit the charities we support.  The Westfield Y Men's Club needs volunteers to help unload a large shipment of trees this weekend.  We are asking the public for their assistance.How You Can HelpPine trees, Douglas firs, Frasier firs and other festive trees are scheduled for delivery at the Elm Street athletic fields early tomorrow morning.  Simply show up between 8am and noon.  Sometimes, this work gets a bit dirty.  Wear something comfortable.  Work or gardening gloves protect your ha... 11/18/2016

If you own a home in Westfield, or if you want to own a home in Westfield, this is the place to be for information about real estate values this summer.Inventory: There are currently 190 single family homes are currently  offered for sale in Westfield representing a drop in inventory compared to the summer high of 109 homes. The current listings range in price from $149,000 to $4,450,000.  Thirty-four homes were sold in October at an average sale price of $871,129.For more information on inventory in the Westfield real estate market, please click here.Prices:  In October of 2016, the average sold home was sold for $871,129, almost 20% higher than last month and 7% higher than the 12 month average of $812,448.The graph for Westfield sale prices shows a great deal of variability from mont... 11/11/2016

New construction continues to be a major draw in the Westfield area luxury real estate market.  Developers are busy keeping up with demand.  While the calendar year winds down, sales tend to taper off as well.  Even so, the October 2016 Westfield Area Luxury Home Sales showed that total sales were slightly up from September 2016.  Read on to find out more about the state of the local luxury market.October 2016 Westfield Area Luxury Home SalesThe Garden State MLS reported that there were a total of 15 currently active homes in the Westfield luxury market.  All but two of these were either new, currently under construction or ready to be built.  Four Westfield area luxury homes hit the market within the last 30 days.  They included a custom Colonial by Preferred Home Builders.  Currently ... 11/10/2016

Election Day 2016 takes place on Tuesday, November 8th.  The voter registration deadline was October 18th.  If you weren't registered by then, you won't be allowed to vote on November 8th.  All registered voters need to visit one of the official Westfield NJ polling locations to cast their ballot.Westfield NJ Polling LocationsAll Westfield NJ polling locations will be open from 6am to 8pm.  You can view an online map of the different election wards and districts here.  If you forgot to register for a mail-in ballot before October 18th, you must cast your vote in person at one of the following Westfield NJ polling locations:First WardDistricts 1-3, 5 & 7: Roosevelt Intermediate Gym (302 Clark St) Districts 4 & 6: Westfield Memorial Library (550 E Broad St)Second WardDistrict 1: Union Cou... 11/03/2016

Last winter's blizzard wreaked havoc on our Westfield streets.  This prompted the Town Council to conduct a study into how we can avoid the issues we had with clearing roadways in January.  This resulted in a new 2016 Westfield snow policy for residents: off road parking for snow events.New 2016 Westfield Snow PolicyEarlier this week, the Westfield Town Council amended five separate ordinances.  These included a new 2016 Westfield snow policy for the upcoming winter season.  Residents must park their cars off the streets when snow levels reach three inches or higher.  Before, maneuvering crowded streets inhibits snow plows from doing a proper job.  Now, empty streets allow quicker and more efficient clearing.Another 2016 Westfield snow policy involved shoveling snow off sidewalks and dr... 10/26/2016

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 300,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year.  Of those, just over 40,000 die.  Early detection marks the key to success.  The local PAL Football league hosts a Westfield female flag football game this weekend to help raise money for breast cancer research.What: Westfield Female Flag Football Game Where: Tamaques Park (Lamberts Mill Rd) When: Saturday, Oct. 15th, 12pm Admission: $25 per player, free for spectators (donations welcome) Contact: Erin Romano via phone (617) 833-5016 or email or John Dugan via phone (908) 868-2811 or emailWestfield Female Flag Football Game for a CauseMore likely than not, we all know someone close to us who has battled breast cancer.  Yea... 10/20/2016

Westfield is a beautiful town in Union County and is home to nearly 30,000 people. The vibrant downtown area, home to over 200 local and national stores and restaurants, was once called the old village area and was settled in 1720. Westfield is named because of its location in the western parts of the Elizabethtown tract.Public high school students in Westfield attend   Westfield High School.Commuters in Westfield enjoy New Jersey Transit's rail service from the Westfield Train station on the Raritan Valley Line to Newark Penn Station and then connecting to New York Penn Station. A 50 minute one-seat ride is available from WEstfield to NY Penn Station during weekday off-peak hours. New Jersey Transit bus route 113 takes one hour to New York city's Port Authority from Westfield.Home buye... 10/18/2016