Is buying a home a good investment?
You’ve done well saving money, and you now have a substantial amount to invest in—something. You can purchase certificates of deposit or dip your toe in the stock market, but…
Pet odors in your home? Here’s the solution.
Guest post by Greg Wiszniewski from Busy Bee Cleaning Services Have you seen those “nose-blind” commercials? I have too, and I think it’s true: some pet owners really just live…
Can I really evaluate a home’s HVAC in thirty seconds?
That’s what I tell my buyer clients as well as sellers who are preparing to put their homes on the market. “Impossible!” you say. “You’re not even a home inspector!”…
Is the house you’re selling a Shiny Penny?
This has been a strange year for real estate. The selling season began early and with full force, with homes being offered and sold at a healthy clip. But then…
When’s the best time to buy or sell a home?
Whether you’re a buyer or seller, sometimes you don’t have the luxury of deciding when you need to move. A job relocation or school change may dictate when you must…
Looking for new construction for under $600,000? Seriously?
I get this over and over. And over. Buyers want a recently built, large, immaculate, pimped-out house with a finished basement in South Brunswick or Plainsboro or West Windsor, all…
Three home products that really work
We all get swept up in advertising, buying things because they promise to be the best or at least better than everything else out there. Most of the time our…
What should I do before contacting a Realtor?
Guest post by Natalie Jones from Homeownerbliss.info Buying or selling a home is a daunting prospect, even if it isn’t your first venture into the real estate market. There’s long…
What really happens if your dryer lint filter gets clogged?
Some of us are conscientious about cleaning our clothes dryer lint filter, while others not so much. After all, ignoring it after one cycle can’t be too bad, right? We’ll…
Which school serves the street where I want to live?
Let’s face it, most people consider school districts when they look for a home to buy or rent. A good elementary school and high school for your kids will guarantee…
How to break a lease gently
Before I begin, let’s make one thing clear: a lease is a contract, and it obligates a landlord to allow tenants to live on a property in exchange for rent…
Please do not email me!
I don’t mean ever; let’s not get drastic. Let me explain. In the beginning there were telephones. They were big and heavy and clunky and attached to a wall with…
Are two-year home leases a good idea?
I hear this question every now and again, and the reason behind it is obvious: landlords prefer stable renters and don’t want to pay a commission every year to find…
Do not act your age
An acquaintance recently turned 55 and was bemoaning his advanced age. Trying to cheer him up, I asked, “But how old do you feel?” I expected something like, “Oh, about…
Please move over for my daughter.
Yes, that definitely sounds strange. Let me explain. My daughter is an ultra runner, one of those silly types who run races of 100 miles or more over mountainous terrain.…
A new train station is coming!
Many of you know that already. A new train station in North Brunswick along the Northeast Corridor Line, in a new urban village off Route 1 across from the Regal…
What the heck is NIXLE, and why should you get it?
Ah, NIXLE. Amidst the vast sea of cell phone features, you are one of my most treasured. Not because you’re cute or clever or fun or the latest fad. But…
Why are the sellers moving?
I hear that often. A lot, actually. OK, every blessed time I show a home. “Are these the original owners, and why are they moving?” I sigh. Mainly because the…
Are additional pet security deposits legal in New Jersey?
I see it all too often: a landlord is willing to allow a pet in a rental property, but asks for a pet security deposit in the listing. The logic…
Making a lowball all-cash offer on a home? Forget it.
All-cash offers to purchase a home are great, except when they’re not. Sure, they sound wonderful—No underwriters! No appraisal! Fast closing! But then the second shoe drops: it’s a lowball…
What is a French drain? What’s a sump pump?
First-time home buyers, and even folks who’ve only lived in apartments or condos, frequently see something while touring a home that is unfamiliar. Often they’re curious and ask; sometimes they…
7 Reasons Why I Hate Numbered Lists
You see them everywhere. “6 Best Places to Eat in New York.” “8 Clever Gifts for Teens.” “18 Worst Cars Ever Made.” In print media. On the Web. Even on…
Just do one push-up.
Like millions of people everywhere, I struggle with a debilitating anchor that holds back my productivity and causes me no end of distress. As I’ve confirmed to myself and confided…
Should we take the “Christ” out of Christmas?
Ask any average American, at any time of the year, what the word “Christmas” brings to mind. An honest answer will include snow, Christmas trees, lights, gifts, Santa Claus, reindeer,…
What’s the difference between a colonial, split, bi-level, ranch and cape?
First-time home buyers and those new to the South Brunswick area frequently hear houses described as colonials or splits or whatever. If you are confused about those terms and are…
What exactly is a short sale?
No doubt many buyers have heard the term “short sale” in the last few years. Most of them know that it has something to do with the owners not being…
Will the landlord clean before we move in?
Here’s a question virtually every prospective tenant asks me when I show a rental property: “Will the landlord clean the home before we move in?” That’s a fair question that…
When is a bedroom not a bedroom?
One would think that calling a room a bedroom is a formality, and a family can sleep anywhere it can fit a bed, futon or sleeping bag. True, you can…
Should I rent or should I buy?
This is a question that many home seekers are asking themselves. They may be getting advice from others around them—family, friends and coworkers, but it has to be a decision…
Finishing your basement without permits? Huge mistake!
The single biggest sigh-inducing issue I have when listing a home for sale is finding out that a major renovation—usually a finished basement—was done without township permits. Is it a…
What’s the difference between a condo and a townhouse?
For many buyers, this seems hardly a question to ask—everybody knows what a condo is. And a townhouse. Or is it a townhome? Or town house? OK… maybe an explanation…
What are idiosyncrasy credits and why should you collect them?
You’ve probably never heard of idiosyncrasy credits and have no clue how important they are. Sure, you can Google them and get a fairly thorough Wikipedia definition that will leave…
Stage Your Home like a Broadway Producer
You want to sell your house. Or maybe you just have judgmental company coming over whom you’d like to impress—perhaps a snooty acquaintance from your deep past or a mother-in-law.…
Seven Steps to a Better Paint Job
Ever see a six-pack house? I have. As a real estate agent I’ve had the pleasure of visiting and showing hundreds of homes, and one in particular made my day,…
Use All Your Crayons
In kindergarten I was given a box of eight crayons, large ones with one flat side to keep them from rolling off the table. I had little problem making the…
It Takes a (Peddler’s) Village
Less than an hour’s drive west of Princeton, not far from the Delaware River on the Pennsylvania side, sits a most quaint and welcoming destination spot for young and old…
The Virtual Key to Success
I had the pleasure of tackling a fairly Major project recently, one involving a good amount of research, organization, the shuffling of papers and filling out of tedious forms. As…
The Short, Sweet Life of a Coffee Stirrer
I was stirring my morning coffee, that deliberate motion that is part necessity and part subconscious effort to delay the start of another arduous day, if only by a few…
Do not ask your father for advice. Please.
Fathers are men, and men have an extra advice chromosome that women lack. Oh, I know, mothers are the ones always offering advice and opinions: Wear a sweater, it’s cold…
Marketing for Panhandlers
A duck and a gecko sagely tell you all you need to know about insurance. A frighteningly precocious baby day trader packs a laptop and smart phone in his crib.…
And this is why I don’t play the lottery.
We all have a bit of Walter Mitty in us. It’s human nature, irresistible. And nothing brings out the dreamer in us more than playing the lottery, be it scratch-off…
Balloons are like puppies.
In the course of my real estate business, I have developed an intimate knowledge of helium balloons. They’re an integral part of our marketing after all, those things we tie…
We are NOT dog owners!
The “D” word is not allowed in our home. We have two puppies, as the fur on our furniture attests, and they’ve witnessed their share of changing seasons: Archie is…
Subway Wars: Those Within and Those Without
A boy stands on an elevated subway platform in New York City. At the Castle Hill Avenue station in the Bronx, to be precise. He’s about 15 years old, young…
Grammar is so overrated.
Three bottles of Châteaux Lafite-Rothschild 1869 were sold at auction by Sotheby’s in 2010 for a staggering $232,692 each. What completely boggles my mind is not the price—much more is…
Get Him to the (Real Estate) Blog
“You have to blog,” They said. “Everyone who’s anyone does it.” Besides, I’m a real estate agent—having a real estate blog is simply presumed, like having a snappy professional website…