Why Is It so Important to Be Thankful?

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I can’t believe that it’s already November! I love Thanksgiving—it’s the time of year when we’re especially reminded of what we’re grateful for, but we should start to be grateful year-round. I think it’s a great way to live. If you ever have any questions about real estate, please don't hesitate to reach out to me by phone or email. I would love to help you.

4 Questions Pet Owners Should Ask Themselves When Moving

There are four questions that pet owners need to ask when they buy a home.

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Make sure to ask these four questions if you’re searching for a new house for you and your animal companions:

1. What are the local pet laws? It’s not guaranteed that pets will be welcome in your new neighborhood, so make sure that you check your city and state laws for breed restrictions or limits on the number of animals that are allowed in a home.

2. Does the house have pet-friendly floors? Carpet is bound to be destroyed by claws and dirt, so we recommend that you opt for distressed hardwood floors instead. Your pet and wallet will thank you.

3. Can your pet handle the stairs? If your pets are growing older, consider whether they’ll be okay with the stairs in a multi-level property. To help your pets travel up and down with ease, look for a place with a carpet runner on the stairs.

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It’s not guaranteed that pets will be welcome in your new neighborhood, so make sure that you check your city and state laws for breed restrictions or limits on the number of animals that are allowed in a home.

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4. Is the neighborhood safe for pets to roam? Your four-legged friends need plenty of room to walk and play, so when you’re shopping for houses, make sure to peek around the neighborhood for parks and walking trails that are close by. You’ll both be very happy you did.

 If you have any questions about this or other real estate topics, we encourage you to reach out to us. We’d love to speak with you. 

Don’t Make These 5 Common Home Selling Mistakes

What should home sellers know before they begin their journey? Here are five great tips.

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I’m here today to talk to you about common mistakes that could sink your chances of a successful home sale. Though there really is a wealth of information out there for buyers, there isn’t as much available for those looking to sell. That’s why I’m here today to share with you five common but critical mistakes sellers should avoid when it comes time to list their property: 1. Pricing your home too high. There are three ways you can price your home: You can price it above market value and hope that a buyer comes along; you can price it at market value and take advantage of the interest it generates; or you can price below market value and potentially drum up a bidding war. Typically, pricing at or below market value is the best strategy in our market. 2. Not hiring a real estate agent. Many sellers assume that they can save money by not hiring an agent. However, the commission fee is a small price to pay for the service that an experienced agent can provide. Top-quality Realtors know how to leverage cutting-edge marketing techniques to help you earn top dollar for your home.

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Ordering a pre-listing inspection allows you to get ahead of any potential issues.

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3. Not making home improvements before listing. Sellers should do whatever it takes to make their property shine before putting it on the market. Decluttering, cleaning, and staging can really go a long way. If your home doesn’t make a good first impression on buyers, you won’t be able to command the price that you deserve.


4. Not ordering a pre-listing inspection. Ordering an inspection before your home hits the market will allow you to identify and possibly resolve issues ahead of time. Also, having a home inspection report ready for buyers to review can really expedite the process.

5. Being present during showings. Buyers probably won’t be comfortable expressing their honest opinions about your property if you’re there listening in. When it comes time for a showing, it’s best for sellers to be gone altogether.

We hope these tips were helpful to you. If you have any questions for us in the meantime or if you need our assistance with buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Make These 3 Resolutions a Priority for Your Home in 2019

It’s that time of year to start thinking about our resolutions for 2019 on an individual level. But what about resolutions for our homes to run more efficiently? Here are 3 ways you can do this in the new year.

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We’re all familiar with the tradition of New Year’s resolutions, where we decide on changes we’d like to make in our lives for the coming year. 

Today I’d like to talk to you about that very thing, but with a twist: instead of the focus being on what we can change about ourselves individually, I’ll be discussing what we can change about our home for the new year. 

So how can you make your home run more efficiently in 2019? I have a few resolutions to consider: 

1. Cut Energy Use. One of the biggest culprits of energy waste is your HVAC ductwork—heated and cooled air escapes through holes and loose connections found within your ductwork. As a cost-cutting measure and way to maximize energy efficiency, you’ll want to locate those areas of weakness in your ductwork and seal them off.

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Instead of the focus being on what we can change about ourselves individually, I’ll be discussing what we can change about our home for the new year.

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2. Exercise Your DIY Skills. When most people think about calorie-burning through some form of fitness, building a fence is not the first thing that comes to mind. Believe it or not, you’ll burn some serious calories per hour building a fence—340, to be exact. Just by caulking windows and doors, you can burn 280 calories an hour! Cleaning rain gutters? You can burn as many as 272 per hour. If you have some home maintenance projects to do in 2019, keep that in mind!

3. Use Maintenance-Free Materials in Your Home. If you haven’t already, think about making the switch to materials that keep stress and maintenance low and durability high. Fiber cement siding, for example, will withstand wear and tear by lasting up to 50 years. Another item to consider installing is LED light bulbs—becoming increasingly popular, these bulbs can survive for 20,000 to 50,000 hours between changes! 

For more information about what I covered today or for more home resolutions you can make for the new year, don’t hesitate to contact us anytime by phone at 201-825-1266 or email us at JeffAdlerJeff@gmail.com.

What's the Difference Between Home Inspections and Appraisals?

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Today we wanted to speak to you about two real estate processes that often confuse our clients. They are home inspections and appraisals. What are the benefits of each, and how do they differ?

Appraisals are done for the bank. The buyer will pay for this as part of the closing costs. The purpose of the appraisal is to ensure that the bank isn't loaning too much money on the property. It's highly regulated by federal guidelines for mortgage underwriting.

In short, an appraisal determines a property's value, and protects the bank from over-lending. It's unusual to have any problems with this part of the process, unless the home is grossly overpriced.

Home inspections are performed to determine the condition of the property. An inspection gives the buyer a clear picture of the condition of the home. The inspection is typically done within five to seven days after the purchase agreement, and is paid for by the buyer.

The inspector comes in and does a very thorough walkthrough of the property with the buyer, which can take up to three or four hours. Then the inspector submits a 10-25 page report. If there are items of concern that need to be addressed, the buyer and the seller negotiate through their attorneys. Once they come to an agreement, the inspection contingency is completed.

If you have any questions about these two real estate processes, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to ensure that you are a knowledgeable buyer or seller so you make nothing but the best real estate decisions.

What Steps Can You Take to Improve Your Offer?

Northern New Jersey real estate expert discusses how to get your offer accepted.

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Today we are excited to talk about some of the secrets to getting your offer accepted. Multiple offer situations are fantastic news for sellers, but what are buyers to do?

When competing with other buyers, it comes down to motivation as to who is going to win the home. If the home is perfect for you and your family, there are some steps you can take to submit a winning offer.

The first thing you can do is improve the terms of the contract by doing things such as moving up the closing date, or putting more money down. If you know that you want to be in this home for a while, be prepared to make an offer over asking price.

We would love to help make your home buying dreams a reality. If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking with you!

What to Do When You Get an Early Offer for Your Bergen County Home

Northern New Jersey real estate agent discusses how to handle an early offer on your home.

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Today we wanted to speak with you about how to handle any early offer on your home.

Receiving an offer within days of listing your home is a great problem to have. If someone walked into your business and expressed interest in what you were selling, you certainly wouldn't want to ignore them. The same would apply to someone who makes an offer on your home.

However, a quick offer often causes a dilemma for sellers. People feel that they should hold out to see if they get any additional offers. When the market is on the rise, you can make a mistake by pushing off the first offer, or failing to respond in a reasonable fashion. In the past, we've seen sellers sit on the offer, which often leads to the buyer backing out. Then the sellers are left without any offers on the table.

Our advice is to be prudent when you receive a quick offer. The general rule in real estate is that your first offer is your best one. You may not need to take it right away, but you need to give it a lot of consideration, and try to negotiate it to where you want it.

If you have any questions on today's topic, or about real estate in general, please give us a call or send us a quick email. We'd be happy to help you!

Why Is Now the Time to List Your Northern New Jersey Home?

Bergen County real estate expert discusses why now is a great time to sell your home for top dollar.

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Hi, I’m Debby Adler with the Adler home team and today I wanted to speak to you about why now is the time to list your home.

Just about every home that is in great condition and priced well is receiving multiple offers, which is great news for sellers. It's an active market and we are here to help. 

Inventory is down in the last 6 months. As a result, we have fewer homes on the market now than we did in November, which is usually a dead time for home sales, so that says a lot about the volume of buyers in our market. If you or someone you know has considered selling, now is the time to sell quickly and get top dollar for your home.

Also take into consideration: all major interest rate analysts are predicting rates to rise significantly by 2016. The National Association of Realtors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, all predict that rates will be near 5% by the second quarter of 2016! If this busy market wasn't enough to convince you now is the time to move, rising rates should! 

If you want more detailed information about where our market is heading, or when you have any questions about real estate, please feel free to give us a call or email us. 

Thanks for your time. Enjoy your day.

How to Submit an Attractive Offer in Northern New Jersey

Northern New Jersey Real Estate Expert discusses steps to consider when making an offer on the potential home purchase.

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With the market improving here in Northern New Jersey, multiple offer situations are becoming more and more common. To help you survive in this crowded market, we want to provide you with some tips to help you make a competitive offer.

First, it's important to get a pre-approval from a lender. Getting pre-approved makes you much more attractive in the eyes of sellers, as it is proof that your finances are in order and you are ready to buy.

Next, you need to write your highest and best offer from the start. If you put in a weak offer, thinking you can always strengthen it later, you risk being overlooked by the seller and never getting another shot to negotiate.

When submitting your offer, it's best to aim to please the seller. One way to do this is to agree to the moving date the seller stipulates. If necessary, allow the seller to continue living in the home after closing, and offer them post-occupancy. Avoid submitting an offer with contingencies if you want it to stand out. Offers that are clean and without additional stipulations are much more attractive to sellers.

Finally, writing a personalized letter is a great way to woo the seller. We call it a "love letter" because it shows you have highly personal reasons for wanting the home in question. In this letter, detail how you plan to take care of the home and explain why you love the home!

If you're struggling to find a home in the Bergen County area, we think these tips might help. If you need professional assistance, or if you have any questions, give us a call or shoot us a quick email for the help you deserve.

What Are the Risks of Overpricing Your Home?

Northern New Jersey Real Estate Expert discusses the importance of pricing your home properly.

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 Today, we want to briefly discuss the dangers of overpricing your home.

In our current market, home prices are increasing each year, as homeowners are trying to get as much as they possibly can for their homes. However, you need to be strategic when putting a price on your property - here are five reasons why:

1. Buyers look in price brackets: If you price your home well above what it's worth, you're losing a lot of potential buyers who will simply pass it up, which will result in fewer offers.
2. When buyers pass up your home, they look at other homes: If homes similar to yours are priced much lower, buyers will have no problem making an offer on your competitor's home!
3. Starting high and coming down later is risky: You're missing out on a lot of buyers by waiting a long time to price your home fairly. The first 30 days are crucial for generating interest in your home.
4. Your home will be compared to better homes: If you price your home into a higher price bracket, buyers will be comparing your home to ones with more amenities, features, and benefits. In other words, the people who will appreciate your home won't see it.
5. Your home takes longer to sell: When your home sits on the market for a long time, buyers and agents alike start to wonder whether there is something wrong with it. Buyers will often think they can submit a low offer on a home that has been on the market awhile.

Consider these five points when pricing your home. It's really a matter of balancing the desire to get a high price and the need to attract buyers to your home!

If you have any questions about getting the most when selling your home, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you!