The dog days of winter are here!!  But I’m thinking spring– longer days, green lawns and the first signs of budding trees and flowers.  It’s such a pretty time here in our New Jersey Midtown Direct communities.  It makes me think of all the great spring and summer resources like our fabulous farmer’s markets, summer concerts and festivals.  And come to think of it, summer is only 5 months away and many parents are now combing through the yellow pages and kids resources for the best area summer camps.

For some, camp is a way for generations of the same family to share similar memories.  And for others, camps provide kids with a chance to take a break from school and winter routines and have a few weeks of good old-fashioned fun.

There are plenty of good traditional camps in New Jersey.  I can personally speak about Stonybrook Day Camp in Randolph, NJ and Meadowbrook Day Camp in Long Valley, NJ where my daughter, Abby Seitchik, worked as a counselor for many summers and loved them.  A few other very popular area day camps include Camp Riverbend, Camp Harmony, Jeff Lake Camp, Gesher Day Camp, Willow Lake and JCC Camps.   Some favorites for toddlers include Mini Camp at Far Brook and The Connection.  I have heard hundreds of wonderful, fun-loving stories from friends, neighbors and clients about how many of these camps were monumental in the development and growth of their children.  Oh, I wish I were a kid again!!

Today, many camps specialize in one particular area like sports camps, art camps (Creative Hands Art Studio, The Messy Artist, The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Montclair Art Museum Summer Camp) girl scouts, drama camps (Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts, Acting with Emily), computer camps and the list goes on.  Ultimately, it comes down to the right fit for your child, location, timeframe and structure.  So do a little research, take a visit and you will be amazed at the wonderful choices right here in New Jersey.

Believe it or not, many have application deadlines coming up very soon!  With so many good ones to choose from, it’s hard to know where to begin….

Hoping this provides a little help from someone who’s been there many times.  Happy camping!!

Sue Adler

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Looking for a playground in New Jersey?

Sheila Sayah has created www.NJPlaygrounds.com – all from exploring New Jersey’s playgrounds as a great way to keep her 3 toddlers busy. She recently joined Amy Lamperti of www.theplaygroundguide.com and together they have provided parents a HUGE playground guide.

Here are links to playgrounds in our New Jersey towns:

Chatham which is known for Castle Playground and Memorial Park.

Livingston Community Center, Littell People’s Park by Livingston High School

Maplewood has Memorial Park, which is in a centralized location to Maplewood Village and Maplewood Train Station.

Millburn – There’s Gero Park, right by the Millburn pool, and Taylor Park, located in town.

Madison – Visit Dodge Field, walking distance to Madison Train station.

South Orange – Farrell Field

Summit – Wilson Park, Mabie Playground, and my favorite – Memorial Field.

New Providence – Morris-Union Joint Venture Playground

Westfield – Tamaques Park, Memorial Park, and Mindowaskin Park

Berkeley Heights – Snyder Ave Park, Columbia Park

Click here for an Indoor Playgrounds!

Go ahead… “like” NJ Playgrounds on facebook and stay up to date on New Jersey Playground News!

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I’ve been fortunate to speak at several major real estate conventions over the years, but this time, I was lucky to have the King of Video, Kenn Renner, on stage with me because he filmed our whole panel!

Ben Kinney and Cary Sylvester interviewed us about how we have dominated our local markets with our web strategy and use of videos. I discussed my community videos and how they attract relocation buyers who will be working in NYC, want an easy commute to work and great schools. The reason buyers stay on sueadler.com typically more than 5 minutes,  is because the site gives the real estate buyers and sellers the information they are typically researching –   commute, schools, home sale stats, restaurants and shops, recreation, community blog posts, seller blog posts with staging and pricing tips, and of course listings with floorplans and tons of photos. But it’s the community videos that make our buyers fall in love with our towns and make them want to come in and see it all in person. Do you agree?

We also discussed SEO and the fact that only after a couple of months, my new website is at the top of google for most of my towns, which is pretty cool considering how new it is.  BTW, if you’re on google plus, go ahead +1 the site if you like it. Thanks  I also do pay per click advertising for my www.LatestNJlistings.com site, which is my NJ home search site. I made a point to the Realtors in the audience that they need to make sure not to just throw money at pay per click advertising unless they have a website that has “stickiness” with great content that people won’t just click out of. Also, they need to have a great long term follow up system in place or they are just throwing money out the window.

We discuss my new chat feature that we just  added for everyone who is browsing the site. If  my team and I can be there to answer someone’s questions while they are on my site, I’ve found that people are so appreciative, especially in this day and age where everyone has ADD  and would also like to stay anonymous.

If you have any suggestions for the site, I’d love to hear. Are we missing anything?

Aside from all of the  national and international referral business I get from speaking ( which amounts to 4 or 5 new clients a week) , this is what makes it all worthwhile: My favorite tweet:

Want to follow all of the other twitter chatter?  Enter #kwmc in the search bar.

Thanks Keller Williams for allowing me the opportunity to share, and learn from the other top agents in our amazing company. Believe it or not, when I spoke at my first Mega Camp back in 2006, I was so terrified of public speaking that I would have rather jumped out of a plane, but now I really look forward to it!

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If you live in Chatham, then you know that our weekly Farmer’s Market is the place to be on Saturday mornings between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.!  The market allows for farm fresh produce, fresh Jersey Shore fish, locally produced eggs, meats, artisan cheese and bread to be at your fingertips, only a few steps from your Chatham home.  Other exciting market finds are the beekeeper, cooking and gardening displays and demonstrations, cultural performances, and the opportunity to mingle with friends and neighbors from surrounding New Jersey midtown direct towns.  The volunteers and manager Janice Piccolo of the Chatham Farmer’s Market are always looking for ways to enhance your experience, so speak up if you have an idea or would like to be a part of the planning of this fun, community event!

Speaking of excitement, on August 1^st, our local Chatham Farmers’ Market was named as one of three finalists in the national contest for a new barn.  You can help Chatham Farmers’ Market win an open-air, post & beam market style 24-ft x 36-ft barn built by Yankee Barn Homes , valued at $80,000, simply by clicking here and casting your vote for Chatham before August 15^th at 11:59 a.m.  Be sure to tell your friends and neighbors who live in New Jersey, as you can only vote once.  The Great Barn Giveaway is sponsored by The American Farmland Trust, the Farmers Market Coalition and bark maker W.H. Silverstein Inc., as they celebrate local economic development and healthy living.

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If you are looking for a fantastic time to buy a home in Millburn or Short Hills or real estate in any of our Midtown Direct towns, now is the time to move quickly! Interest rates have decreased making you able to purchase New Jersey real estate for less or even qualify for more of a home in Chatham than you originally expected. The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage loan has dropped to 4.39%, the lowest rate since last November 2010. Even more exciting news is that buyer competition is really low due to vacations and that sellers want to sell now with the new school year approaching, to find their new homes before Fall.   Freddie Mac also reported that an average 15 year fixed loan has decreased to 3.54%, as well. Regardless of your mortgage product, these rates create a great buying market for people who want to live in Midtown Direct New Jersey homes.
The national economic slowdown is partially responsible for this change in lending rates, however Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist at Freddie Mac found the silver lining and shared good news for home sellers, as well. “On a positive note, there were indications that the housing market is firming. Real residential fixed investments added growth to the economy in the second quarter after subtracting from growth over the first three months of the year,” Nothaft said. ” The CoreLogic® National House Price Index rose for the third straight month in June (not seasonally adjusted) and was the first three-month gain since June 2010. Finally, pending existing home sales rose for a second consecutive month in June and was up nearly 20 percent from June 2010 when the housing tax credits expired.” So whether you are a buyer or a seller, this could mean great news for you and our local New Jersey housing market.
For up to date news on the mortgage industry, click here or email me your question. I’ll be sure to fill you in on what you need to know when purchasing or selling your New Jersey home!

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Our New Jersey Midtown Direct Towns know how to celebrate the Fourth of July! If you live in Millburn/Short Hills or a home in Chatham, you know what I am talking about. Red, white, and blue is the name of the game as we express our love for our country, family, friends, and fireworks on Independence Day! The following are some great ways to spend your holiday weekend and share some special time with your family and neighbors throughout our midtown direct towns of Chatham, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Summit, and South Orange.

• If you live in Chatham, you’ll be happy to hear that the Chatham Borough Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 57th Annual Fourth of July Celebration on July 4th. Following a flag raising at the Chatham Borough Firehouse, a parade with Grand Marshal firefighter and Vietnam War veteran John Clark will kick off the event at 10:30 a.m. The parade starts at Main Street and Hillside Avenue will continue to Chatham Middle School on Main Street. That night the Middle School field will come alive with performances by Magic Moments featuring Gina and Pepe from 7 to 9 p.m. The World Champion Santore Brothers of Garden State Fireworks Company of Millington will produce an amazing fireworks show beginning at 9pm.
• Maplewood residents have special events planned near their Maplewood homes, as well! At 7:45 a.m. Ricalton Square will come alive for the Annual 109th 4th of July Opening Ceremonies, complete with flag salute & a performance of the national anthem. Following that, Maplewood residents can enjoy a true community parade at 8:15 a.m. where anything that can move and be decorated in red, white, and blue participates and competes for awards. The parade will conclude at Memorial Park and a party, complete with circus, music, food, fireworks, and fun can be had for $10 per person.
• Near your Millburn -Short Hills home, you will find an exciting display of fireworks offered at Millburn High School, located at 462 Millburn Avenue. Beginning at 7 p.m., you can gather to experience Krazy Kat DJ and the 50-50 raffle, along with refreshments and glow in the dark items for sale. The fireworks will begin after a performance of God Bless America by Millburn’s Patty Hetherington at 9 p.m. Be sure to bring your blankets and chairs and dress warmly. Advance tickets can be purchased at Town Hall or various Millburn town shops for $10 and tickets at the gate are $12. You can also purchase tickets to just see the fireworks for $5 that night at the gate. Click here to get more information.
• At Flood’s Hill, located at 70 N Ridgewood Rd, near your South Orange home, you will be delighted by the Village Parade. Beginning at 9:30, South Orange residents will gather to create a safe bicycle course and give instructions prior to the 11:30 a.m. Village Parade. Bike, strollers, wagons, skaters and skateboarders will roll from Floods Hill to the South Orange Community Pool where prizes will be awarded. This event is free and more information can be found here.

If you have a home in Livingston, you can participate is an extensive, all day celebration at The Oval, located at 10 Robert H Harp Drive, starting at 9 a.m. This 75th Annual Livingston 4th of July Celebration includes a car show, baseball game, fair, rides, and games will occur alongside patriotic readings and ceremonies. Various bands will perform throughout the day and a spectacular fireworks show is planned at 9:15 p.m. To find out more, click here.

Soldier’s Memorial Field is the place to be if you live in Summit!  The Flag Raising Ceremony begins at 9:45 a.m., followed immediately by the Children’s Decorated Bicycle Parade where children ages four through ten compete for trophies by decorating their bikes in red, white, and blue. Following the awards, Polka Dot will entertain the children with music and the day will continue with carnival rides, ponies, crafts, games of attractions will run until 1 p.m.  The Kootz will perform at 11:30 a.m. to liven up the event and encourage Summit’s Emergency Services as they hit Memorial’s Softball Field at noon for a very competitive game.  The Cameos will entertain that evening, beginning at 7:45 p.m. until the Grand Fireworks Display at 9:15 p.m. in the sky over Summit’s Memorial Field. This event is a highlight to families who live in Summit, and more information can be found here.

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10 Reasons why you should move from Manhattan to our awesome New Jersey towns….

1. NJ Transit- Midtown Direct Train gets you into New York Penn Station in 25-50 minutes from South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit.  After Summit, the trainline branches off to: Chatham, Madison, Convent Station…  and the other branch heads to New Providence and Berkeley Heights….   If you click on link above, you will see parking options whether you live in one of these towns or one of the surrounding towns. Need to commute to downtown to the financial district? Just take the train to Hoboken, and then the path or ferry.

Oh, did I mention that there is valet parking at the Millburn train station, and that there is a jitney bus to get you to and from the Maplewood & South Orange train stations during morning and evening rush hours?

Great Schools

2. We have great public schools! 2010 New Jersey School Report Card

3. Our towns are absolutely charming and beautiful. They are SO not like the New Jersey stereotype. Each town has its own personality(and different sections within each town do as well), and you’ll find that living here you will frequent all of the surrounding towns for different things from shops to restaurants to theatre to fitness centers to art, piano or karate lessons.

Town Tour Videos

Town Tour video of Millburn & Short Hills

Town Tour video of Maplewood & South Orange

Town Tour video of Summit

Town Tour video of Chatham

Town Tour Video for Livingston

4. There are very active Newcomers Clubs in each of our towns. A great way to meet other newcomers & put the “bourbon back in suburban” is to attend the Octoberfest or Spring Formal. My husband and I STILL go to the monthly wine tastings at the Millburn/Short Hills Newcomers Club because we’ve made so many new friends at this event. Newcomers Club Sample Activities, Activities with Children

5. We have lots of Golf Courses in New Jersey . Prefer tennis instead? There is the Racquet’s Club in Short Hills or the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange. You can join for tennis or just get the social membership. There are always tons of activities going on. But the cherry on the top is- each of our towns has its own town pool, a relatively inexpensive and popular option.

6. Contrary to Manhattan real estate, in New Jersey, we have a Multiple Listing Service (MLS), so ONE realtor can show you all of the listings in the Garden State MLS.  Search all MLS listings now

7. Cars today have navigation systems, so you can wander around our beautiful winding tree-lined streets and not get lost if you move here.

Short Hills Pond

8. We have beautiful parks, arboretums, the South Mountain & Watchung Reservations, and local dog parks in Millburn and Livingston. You can go to Millburn Deli and stroll through their parking lot into Taylor park to eat, and relax to a concert or movie in the park as well during the summer.

9. We have a variety of great restaurants!

Scalini Fedeli in Chatham, La Focaccia or Fiorino in Summit and Bascilico in Millburn are my favorites for Italian. For Asian/Thai food, I recommend Khun Thai or Samuri Sushi in Millburn or Monster Sushi in Summit.  If you love a juicy steak, Roots in Summit is really great ( reserve early!), and for Happy Hour, there is Winberries in Summit, and Martini’s Bar and Bistro in Millburn, or head over to Toro Loco in South Orange. If you would like to add your favorite restaurants to this post, please comment!

10. You are not, I repeat… ARE NOT… allowed to pump your own gas in New Jersey. Is that great or what?!?

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If you are planning on selling your home in Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Maplewood, South Orange, Chatham, Livingston, Berkeley Heights or New Providence,

here are a 7 tips to help you prepare so that you’re not scrambling last minute.

1. Construction Permits: Go to your town hall and make sure that any construction permits have been closed out. Even if you haven’t taken any out, the previous owners may have.

2. Underground oil tanks are THE hot issue these days, especially when you’re selling an older home.  If you don’t have proof that an oil tank  has been removed on your property, have a tank sweep done. (I’ve got a list of names if you need recommendations)  If you have record of a tank having been decommissioned, be aware that most local buyer’s attorneys are asking for them to come out anyway because there is an arguement that unless the tank is removed, you can’t test the soil beneath it. Now I’m not an expert, but I’m only making you aware of what will most likely come up so, you may want to be proactive and take it out ahead of time.   Buyers just don’t want the liability.

3.  Pre-home inspections: For homes that haven’t been updated in several years or need alot of work, have a home inspection done by a reputable home inspector prior to putting the house on the market and provide to buyers as an attachment to the seller disclosure. Either fix anything major, and state that in the seller disclosure, or sell the house in as-is condition. This will avoid buyers renegotiating your already discounted price. Even if your house has been updated, but you haven’t had an inspection done in several years, it’s not a bad idea to have a pre-listing home inspection that you attach as part of the seller disclosure. This way you have the option of fixing  issues ahead of time, and all other issues will have been disclosed. Surprise free inspections are a good thing!

4.  Check your mortgage balances - home equity lines of credit count!  If there is a possibility that your home’s value is less than your mortgage balance, and you don’t have the funds to make up the difference, we can  guide you through the process and help you with your options.  Same if you are behind in your payments. Foreclosure should be your LAST resort. Short Sales are a better way to go!

5. Before you start investing money fixing your house up for sale,  consult with a Realtor. For example, last week I was called out on a listing and the homeowner had just spent $8,000 updating her bathroom. However in one minute, I knew that the property was worth more than the house and that it would most likely be a tear down grabbed up by a builder. She basically threw that $8,000 away.

6. Staging: Paint colors matter. Light matters. Furniture matters. Clutter matters. Staging matters more than ever because the first impression today is online, not in person. Just watch some of the staging shows on HGTV or look at the photos of my listings and you’ll see what I mean. Here are some real life home staging examples: I’m happy to offer advice on this. And if necessary, will recommend  a professional stager. Whenever I list a home that didn’t successfully sell with another Realtor, 9 times out of 10 the house was not staged properly for the photos. It’s crucial today.

7. Exterior Photography: If there is greenery outside, my photographer will take the exterior pictures of your house in advance if you’re planning on  putting your house on the market during the leafless winter months. If it’s already winter ( which it is as I’m writing this post), then don’t worry about it. No one else’s exterior shots have leaves on the trees anyway.

The busy selling season will soon be underway and what you may not be aware of is that my pre-listing consultations are  free of charge and no obligation, so if you’re trying to figure it out on your own, that’s just plain silly

Sue Adler  #1 Keller Williams Team in NJ 2005-Present (973)464-9129  www.sueadler.com

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What a day! 3 open houses on our three new listings – Two are getting at least one offer, and we had 27-30 people at each one.  All three of these homes are priced in the $500′s.  My team was also booked all weekend with buyers. What does all of this mean?

1. There has been so much pent up demand for great AFFORDABLE homes that  the nice ones that are priced right  are flying off the market.

2. The entry level market has now come down to a level where buyers can jump into the market. Of course the low interest rates have added the cherry on the top.

3. Even in a “buyer’s market”, you will always be able to re-sell a well priced home with close proximity to trains to NYC. This is what most buyers moving out from NYC are looking for.

4. Has this segment of the market hit bottom?

So where can you find these more affordable homes? Below are neighborhoods in each of the midtown direct trainline towns that are under a mile to the train.

• South Orange – South of South Orange Ave, there are two neighborhoods that are easily walkable and you can find housing that won’t break the bank. The area between Walton Rd and Wyoming Ave is one ( Conway Ct, Rynda, West End Rd, Lenox Ave to name a few streets) and the streets surrounding Seton Hall University are the other. North of South Orange Ave there are the Hart Dr ranch homes, and further north you can occasionally find a smaller home nestled amongst the larger ones off of Wyoming Ave.  The same would be true of the Montrose Section.

• Maplewood- Much of Maplewood fits the bill and that’s why so many buyers move here from Park Slope, Brooklyn, and NYC.  East of Valley Rd, across from Memorial Park, is  very popular among the “walk to train” crowd. Here are two examples:  www.sueadler.com/35Kensington and www.sueadler.com/36Madison Houses within a few blocks of Maplewood Village may be in the $500k-700k range, but they don’t seem to come on the market very often. There are homes on Jefferson Ave and some of the surrounding streets such as Brookside Rd, have sold in the $500k’s and 600′s as well.

• Millburn- The South Mountain Section and Wyoming Sections are the two largest neighborhoods that are “walk to  train,  town, Taylor Park, Wyoming Elem or South Mountain Elem, middle and high school ”. There are also many small streets off of Millburn Ave that are close by as well.Homes range from the $400k’s to the 800k’s with a few exceptions in the South Mountain Section.In the Wyoming Section you can easily find homes in this range, but there are also more expensive homes over $1Million.

• Short Hills - The Glenwood Section ( where I live!) is the perfect place to be – walk to Glenwood Elem and top rated Millburn HS, Short Hills train station, and Millburn Ave restaurants and shops. Most homes range from the 600k’s to the $1Million range, but certain streets wth larger homes and properties such as Pine Terrace East  command much more. www.sueadler.com/11PineTerraceEast Generally speaking, the Glenwood Section runs between the Short Hills Train Station and Millburn Ave. The main roads running through are Woodland Rd, Baltusrol Way, and Short Hills Ave, with many small charming treelined streets in between. The Knollwood Section, behind the Millburn Middle School, is also similar in price to Glenwood. This neighborhood  comes in between Hobart Avenue and Old Short Hills Rd – Whitney Dr, Midhurst Dr, Haddonfield Drive are a few of the streets you find in this storybook enclave of charming colonials and tudors.

• Summit Most of the areas surrounding the Summit Train Station tend to be a bit pricier however there are certain streets close to the train station that do turn out homes for under $900,000. To name a few, Mountain Ave and Ashland Rd- south of the Summit Train station, and Waldron Ave, and DeBary Place- north of the station. I do need to mention a neighborhood that is just over a mile, but with comparable homes to the Glenwood and South Mountain homes in Millburn/Short Hills. Its the Memorial Field area by Brayton Elementary School. Don’t overlook this neighborhood if you’re looking for an awesome neighborhood in a great school district.

• Chatham Boro – The nice thing about Chatham Boro is that almost all of it is within a mile of the Chatham Train Station. The Station is located just off Fairmount Dr and Main Street so its central location and stellar school system, makes it a sought after town. The majority of homes in the Boro are in the “affordable” range and are close to Main Street shops and restaurants, and elementary schools as well.

• Madison -The Madison Train Station is situated between Waverly Rd and Greenwood Rd, just south of Main Street. On the northern side of Main Street in Madison you can easily find 3 to 4 bedroom homes starting in the $400′s, and ranging up to over $1M. Because Madison is home to Drew University, Main Street feels much like a college town with a jazz bar, trendy shops and a wide variety of restaurants.

So, there you have it! If you want to see your options in person, just give me a call (973)464-9129.

Yours to count on,

Sue Adler

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