Sue Adler has been the #1 Keller Williams agent in NJ for the past six years, and leads one of the top Keller Williams teams worldwide, with annual production of $62 million in 2010.
NJ midtown direct area Kindergarten programs
What local New Jersey school districts offer full day kindergarten? This is a question that comes up time and time again as we get to know our relocation buyers with young children. We thought it would be helpful to post a compiled list of the full day, half day and before and after care programs offered by our public school systems.*There is the unfortunate reality that some of these full day programs may be at risk due to budget cuts so we would recommend checking with the specific school districts.*
Full Day Programs Read more
Maplewood and South Orange Jitney Routes make Midtown Direct Train commuting a breeze
If you are considering Maplewood or South Orange NJ for your next home, the easy commute to Manhattan is probably a major factor in why you are even reading this post. One of the huge selling points of Maplewood and South Orange is the fact that you can get into Midtown Manhattan in a half hour without switching trains AND there is a Jitney Service that takes you from Jitney Stops throughout both towns to the Maplewood and South Orange Train Stations.
Maplewood’s Jitney Schedule and Parking Permit Info.
South Orange Jitney Schedules and Parking Permit Info:
Tuxedo Park and Montrose Jitney Schedule
Newstead and North Wyoming Jitney Schedule
Irvington, Prospect, Academy, Valley Schedule
Resident Day Permit Info and Application
Frequently asked Questions Yes, there are waiting lists for commuter permits. THAT is why the jitney service is so great.
To view great Maplewood/South Orange listings click here.
Any questions? Call The Sue Adler Team 9730464-9129 or email vip at SueAdler.com
Yours to count on,
Sue
My child is a budding artist. Which are the best local art programs in our Midtown Direct Towns?
Having a daughter who is an artist, the local art programs were always an important part of our lives. Here are my recommendations:
If you have a young child, and are looking for a low key environment, sign your child up at Gerilyn’s Art Studio in Maplewood. They have classes for children, teens and even an open studio for adults. In the summer Geralyn offers art classes and it’s a great place for fun ( and messy) birthday parties. Express Yourself Studio is another outlet for creative expression in Maplewood , for adults and children alike.
If your child is more serious and is looking to build an art portfolio, I highlyrecommend Renaissance in Learning in Millburn. I can speak from personal experience on this one. This is where my daughter took her after school private art lessons from 8th through 12th grade. The beauty of this place is that it’s where the art kids go after school and work on whatever project they are working on, whether or not their lesson is that day. It becomes very social for them as well. My daughter and her art friends even called themselves “The Art Posse”. Pat and Nick Navarino, and Pat’s daughter Rebecca run the studio. The instructors are extremely talented and the studio is really well run. If your son or daughter is taking AP Art, these classes are a MUST before and during that process. Read more
So you need to commute to NYC and you can’t spend $1Million on a house??? Check out these GREAT New Jeresy neighborhoods – in these midtown direct “walk to train” locations!
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,
Luxury homes in Midtown Direct “walk to train” locations
If you work in NYC and need the direct train to Midtown New York Penn Station or Hoboken (where you can then take the PATH downtown to the financial district), here are the most convenient New Jersey neighborhoods where you can find the beautiful upscale homes:
Old Short Hills is the area north of the Short Hills train station off of Hobart Ave. Stewart Hartshorn originally developed this as the ideal community, and brought the train line from NYC into the magnificent rolling landscape of Short Hills, which was at the time, all countryside. Truly magnificent one of a kind homes off of quiet winding roads, its no wonder why Old Short Hills is such a sought-after area. A major attraction of Short Hills is that it is part of the Millburn School District, the highest rated school district in NJ. There are also private school options as well.
Northside Summit - The area north of Springfield Ave between Woodland Ave and the Whittredge Green area consists of some of the most stunning homes you’ve ever seen. ( I really didn’t mean for that to rhyme!) From tudors to Victorians, to brick manor homes, you’ll pay a hefty price tag, but if you can afford it, this is truly the best of all worlds. Summit also has a very highly rated school system. There are many renowned private schools in Summit as well.
Wyoming and Montrose Sections of South Orange were planned as a haven for wealthy New York businessmen looking for stylish large homes away from the city – the area’s first commuters. The fact that the commute into Manhattan is only 25 minutes from South Orange is a big draw to commuters who aren’t willing to sacrifice a short commute for their estate home. These homes of history between Ridgewood Rd and Wyoming Ave in the Wyoming Section, and between Scotland Rd and Grove Ave in the Montrose Section, have magnificent craftmanship, beautiful mature plantings, and have historic gas lights along their tree-lined streets. Prices are much less than Summit or Short Hills, but the taxes tend to be equal to ( and sometimes a little higher) what the taxes for the same house in Short Hills or Summit would be, so keep that in mind because home buyers normally compare by price range town to town, not size of home. Check out “Tulip Hill” circa 1906! Asking $1,095,000.
West of Maplewood Village- Maplewood Ave, and some of the tree-lined streets west of Maplewood Village, such as Woodland Ave, Mountain Ave are examples of streets boasting beautiful homes of character, and an easy walk to Maplewood train station, which is only 1/2 hr to NYC, as well as Maplewood Village shops, restaurants and Memorial Park. The upper bracket homes in Maplewood tend to cap in the low 1 Million dollar range, which is much more affordable than luxury homes in its surrounding trainline towns.
Chatham - The area between Fairmount Ave and Watchung Ave, near the Lafayette Elementary School and the Chatham High School are under a mile to the Chatham Train Station and beautiful upscale homes can be found on these tree-lined streets. Highland Ave, Washington Ave, Dellwood Ave, and Chandler Ave are a few worth noting in Chatham Boro. Chatham is another Blue Ribbon School District and has a great down town area as well.
Hill Section of Madison - Southwest of the Madison train station, you’ll find luxury homes that are walkable to the Madison Train Station and the trendy restaurants on Main Street. Midwood Terrace has the reputation for the most upscale homes in Madison. However, there are other beautiful streets with gorgeous new and older homes in the Hill Section. To name a few- Pomeroy Rd, Woodland Ave, Crossgates, Garfield Ave, and the small streets that come off of these.
Much of the luxury home market in Short Hills, Summit, Livingston, Chatham and Madison, Maplewood and South Orange still feels overpriced. However, the serious sellers have priced their homes to sell, and these gems are now trading at more affordable prices, ( although I guess “affordable” is a relative term considering we’re talking about luxury homes!) Just in the past few weeks, homes in the high end are starting to sell again, however we’re back to late 2003-early 2004 prices, which is very hard for many sellers to accept.
It is more important than ever to get good advice in buying or selling a luxury home from realtors who KNOW the luxury home market. Call Sue at 973-464-9129 to discuss your options.
Still waiting for “the one”? Check out The Sue Adler Team’s pro-active approach
Inventory low, demand still high in trainline towns
Experts are reporting that rates are the lowest since 1956. Buying, selling or refinancing, that’s all everyone’s talking about! As a buyer’s agent , I watch the rates on a weekly basis and follow the flow of the Short Hills, Summit, Maplewood market for my clients. Bankrate.com also found record lows for the average 15-year fixed mortgage (4.18 percent) and the 30-year jumbo fixed loan (5.43 percent). The rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage this week was tied with the record established two weeks ago, the online aggregator of financial rate information reported. There is no question that if you were just looking at these numbers, it is a great time to buy.
The issue for our buyers: Low Inventory
While the rest of the country and most of New Jersey is seeing an overflow of inventory, we along the Midtown Direct Train Line, have been spared in certain price points. Read more
Family Friendly, Neighborhood Block Parties are alive and well in Maplewood and South Orange, NJ!!!
Maplewood NJ Block Party
The more homes in New Jersey that I have shown you, the more you have heard me say: “I like my house, but I LOVE my street.”
I say it partly to emphasize the idea that no house is perfect and as potential home buyers we all have to make some compromises. And, partly because it is absolutely the truth.
I do love my “street”. When my family moved here, we had no idea that we landed among some of the best neighbors anywhere. And, our Annual Block Party in Maplewood, NJ is the day we come together to celebrate our luck of geography!
IMHO, this is undoubtedly the most family friendly place to live.
When the weather starts to get warm, we begin to think about “readying up” for some good old fashion family fun. Hula hoops come out for practice. Adults and kids start sizing each other up for “good” egg toss partners (must be unrelated/married pairs). And suddenly everyone is fighting over one dining room chair (only slightly kidding).
New Jersey’s "Midtown Direct" area home buyers are now back in the game.
For home buyers in New Jersey’s Midtown Direct towns (Maplewood, South Orange, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Chatham, Madison, Livingston, West Orange) the time has come.
Interest rates continue to be at records lows. First time home buyers, I get it, you were in high school when rates were in the double digits, trust me they REALLY were that high!!! 5% is a GREAT place to be.
Today, in this market, at these prices, great homes (the ones you all want) are selling like hotcakes! In the fall we were seeing buyers sit on the sidelines and wait for the market to “maybe” go even lower, and now the shift the past few weeks is that buyers are realizing that homes are selling instantly when they are priced right. Read more
Wanna be in pictures? Shooting town tours of my 8 New Jersey towns next week, and I need your input!
Dear Friends,
This past Wednesday I held my 4th annual Client Mix and Mingle Party, which I hold every year so that my clients who have just moved to the area can meet new friends. Thanks to the 60 people who attended! Pictures are up on facebook http://www.facebook.com/sueadler so feel free to check them out!
I’m really grateful for the friends I’ve made through my business and I probably don’t express that enough.
Referrals from my clients now account for 70% of my business and my team is currently #2 in the entire MLS YTD for dollar volume production, and #1 in the midtown direct towns for units! THANK YOU!!
So…since I do so much relocation, I’ve got this great idea for relocation buyers that I’m finally putting into action. Could use your input….. I’ve hired a professional videographer to shoot town videos of Millburn, Short Hills, Maplewood, South Orange, Summit, Livingston and Chatham.
I’ve hired a radio host to interview locals and capture your stories about living here on video ( he’s very conversational and puts people at ease right away! ) We’re also interviewing shop and restaurant owners and filming homes that would be typical for the community. Read more
Summit NJ Wine and Food Festival- Not to be missed!
Save these dates and get your tickets now! July 24, 25, 26th at the Grand Summit Hotel
courtesy of www.summitwineandfood.com
Get your tickets for The Summit Wine and Food Festival here.
Friday July 24th is opening night featuring 15 world-renowned chefs preparing their signature dishes. There will be 15 leading wineries providing the accompanied wines. The cost of the opening night reception is $195. Afterwards, there is an Invitation Only after hours party for mingling with the winemakers, chefs and sommeliers at the Hunt Club Restaurant.
Saturday morning from 10-12 the Rubicon Estate’s Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn will lead you through a vertical tasting of the legendary wines of this vineyard. Read more
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